1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ratchet wrenches.
2. Description of Related Art
Ratchet wrenches in the art cover a variety of designs and sizes for a variety of uses. A typical ratchet wrench includes a rotatable member within the wrench that provides the desired torque to a nut when a user of the wrench tightens the nut, yet is rotatable relative to the rest of the wrench, i.e. in a ratcheting action, in the opposite direction so that the user does not have to rotate the entire wrench about the axis of rotation of the nut. The typical ratchet wrench also includes a reversing member that allows the direction of rotatability of the rotatable member relative to the rest of the wrench to be reversed, so that the wrench may then be used to loosen the nut, yet still be able to ratchet. The ratcheting action of a ratchet wrench is particularly useful in tight spaces, where there is little room for rotation of the entire wrench.
For larger wrenches in particular, because higher torques may be applied to a nut, the level of stresses seen in the internal parts of the wrench may be quite large. Thus, the interaction of the internal parts and the stress distribution within the internal parts become increasingly important as the torque increases.
In addition, because ratchet wrenches tend to be used in dirty environments, protecting the internal parts of the wrench from dirt and moisture is desirable, yet it is also desirable to have a relatively simple way to assemble the wrench, while providing adequate seals.
It is one aspect of the present invention to provide a ratchet wrench that includes a body with a head portion and a shaft extending from the head portion. The head portion includes a cavity. A rotatable member is received by the cavity of the head portion and is rotatable about an axis. The rotatable member has a plurality of teeth disposed around a circumferential surface thereof, and a socket engaging portion. A reversing member is pivotally mounted to the body. The reversing member is movable between a first position and a second position. The wrench also includes a pawl connected to the reversing member such that the pawl moves circumferentially relative to the axis of the rotatable member as the reversing member moves between the first and second positions. The pawl includes a plurality of teeth that are constructed and arranged to intermesh with the plurality of teeth on the rotatable member. The pawl is constructed and arranged to (1) prevent the rotatable member from rotating relative to the body in a first direction when the reversing member is located in the first position, and (2) prevent the rotatable member from rotating relative to the body in a second direction that is opposite the first direction when the reversing member is located in the second position. Substantially all of the teeth of the pawl remain intermeshed with the teeth of the rotatable member as the reversing member moves between the first position and the second position.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a ratchet wrench that includes a body with a head portion and a shaft extending from the head portion, the head portion comprising a cavity. A rotatable member is received by the cavity of the head portion and is rotatable about an axis. The rotatable member has a plurality of teeth disposed around a circumferential surface thereof, and a socket engaging portion. A reversing member is pivotally mounted to the body and is movable between a first position and a second position. A pawl is connected to the reversing member and the rotatable member. The pawl includes a plurality of teeth that are constructed and arranged to intermesh with the plurality of teeth on the rotatable member. The pawl is constructed and arranged to (1) prevent the rotatable member from rotating relative to the body in a first direction when the reversing mechanism is located in the first position, and (2) prevent the rotatable member from rotating relative to the body in a second direction that is opposite the first direction when the reversing mechanism is located in the second position. The wrench also includes a cover for covering the cavity. The cover has a plate with an opening for allowing the rotatable member to be connected with a socket at the socket engaging portion, and a seal that is integrally attached to the plate so as to form a single integral piece.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method for assembling a ratchet wrench. The method includes inserting a portion of a reversing member into a cavity of a head portion of a body of the ratchet wrench. The reversing member includes a protrusion receiving space. The method also includes connecting a pawl to the reversing member by placing a protrusion of the pawl in the protrusion receiving space, intermeshing a plurality of teeth of a rotatable member with a plurality of teeth of the pawl, and inserting at least a portion of the rotatable member into the cavity. The method further includes providing a cover having an integral seal and an opening for allowing the rotatable member to connect with a socket, and mounting the cover to the head portion to close the cavity and seal the cover with the head portion.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
Features of the invention are shown in the drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like elements. The drawings form part of this original disclosure, in which:
a shows an exploded view of a head portion of the ratchet wrench of
b shows an exploded view of another embodiment of the head portion of the ratchet wrench of
As shown in
The socket engaging portion 34 illustrated includes a cylindrical recess 38 for receiving a spring 40 and a ball 42. The cylindrical recess 38, the spring 40, and the ball 42 are configured so that the spring 40 and a portion of the ball 42 are held within the cylindrical recess 34, while the spring 40 biases another portion of the ball 42 outward from the cylindrical recess 34. This allows the ball 42 to be substantially pushed into the cylindrical recess 40 when a socket is being attached to the socket engaging portion 34, yet still apply pressure on the socket so that the socket stays attached to the socket engaging portion 34. To remove the socket, the user simply pulls the socket away from the front face 36 of the rotatable member 20. The ball 42 is allowed to rotate, thereby making movement of the socket easier for the user. Of course, other arrangements may be used to hold the socket onto the socket engaging portion 34, and the illustrated embodiment should not be considered to be limiting in any way.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As the reversing member 22 pivots about its axis 74, the biasing of the spring 66 allows the plunger 68 to follow the cam surface 92 of the pawl 24, while the protrusion 96 of the pawl 24 moves within the space 72 between the tines 70 such that the inner surfaces of the tines 70 act as cam surfaces for the protrusion 96. When the reversing member 22 is in a neutral position 79 that is substantially in the middle of the first position 78 and the second position 80, the plunger 68 is in contact with the inflection point 94 of the cam surface 92, and the protrusion 96 is substantially in the middle of the protrusion receiving space 72, as shown in
When the reversing member 22 is moved to either the first position 78 or the second position 80, the position of the pawl 24 is shifted, and the inflection point 94, the plunger 68, and the spring 66 are no longer in alignment. For example, as shown in
Similarly, as shown in
The pawl 24 is designed so that all of the teeth 90 of the pawl 24 are in contact with teeth 30 on the rotatable member 20. This allows the force that is transmitted from the rotatable member 20 to the pawl 24 to be substantially evenly distributed, rather than having almost all of the force transmitted to a couple or a few teeth, as is done in many wrenches in the art. By allowing for substantially even distribution of the force across more teeth 90 on the pawl 24, greater forces, and hence torque, may be handled by the wrench 10, which allows for a more reliable and heavy-duty wrench 10, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
When the reversing member 22 is in this first position 78, shown in
In the illustrated embodiments, the cavity 18 is covered by a cover 110. The cover 110 includes a plate 112 and a seal 114. The plate 112, which is shown in greater detail in
The plate 112 also includes a plurality of small openings 118 that are disposed near the periphery of the plate 112. The openings 118 each receive a portion of the seal 114 when the seal 114 is integrally attached to the plate 112 to form the cover 110. The seal 114 is preferably insert molded onto the plate 112 in an injection molding machine, although other processes may be used to integrally form the seal 114 onto the plate 112. For example, in an embodiment, the seal 114 may be sprayed onto the plate 112. The portions of the seal 114 that extend through the openings 118 preferably form a bulb 121 on the opposite side of the plate 112 to assist in keeping the seal 114 in position on the plate 112. Also, when the seal 114 is formed, a portion 122 of the seal 114 covers a peripheral edge 124 of the plate 112. This improves the seal between the cover 110 and the cavity 18. Preferably, the seal 112 is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer, such as EVOPRENE thermoplastic elastomer. More preferably, the seal 112 is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer with a hardness of about 45 durometers.
By providing a seal 114 that is integrally attached to the plate 112 to form the cover 110, assembly of the wrench 10 is less difficult, and a better seal between the cover 110 and the head portion 14 of the body 12 may be provided. Also, if the cover 110 needs to be removed from the body 12 of the wrench 10, it is less likely that the seal 114 will be lost or damaged, as it will come off with and stay attached to the plate 112.
As shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
To assemble the wrench 10, in one embodiment, the o-ring 60 is inserted into the groove 58 of the reversing member 22, and the body portion 52 of the reversing member 22 is inserted into the cavity 18 by pressing it through the opening 62 from the back side 54 of the head portion 14, so that the body portion 52 extends in the cavity 18. The spring 66 is placed into the cylindrical recess 64 of the reversing member 22, and the plunger 68 is placed over the spring 66 and into the cylindrical recess 64. The pawl 24 is connected to the reversing member 22 by placing the protrusion 96 of the pawl 24 in the protrusion receiving space 72 and the cam surface 92 of the pawl 24 in an operative relation with the spring 66, e.g. in contact with the plunger 68. While pressing the pawl 24 against the bias of the spring 66, the plurality of teeth 30 of the rotatable member 20 may be intermeshed with the plurality of teeth 90 of the pawl 24, as the rotatable member 20 is inserted into the cavity 18. The pawl 24 may then be released, and the rotatable member 20, the pawl 24, and the reversing member 22 are held in engagement with each other through the force provided by the spring 66.
The o-ring 120 is placed in the groove 122 of the rotatable member 20, and the cover 110 is placed over the cavity 18 with the integrally molded seal 114 facing the cavity 18. The clip 124 is flexed so that the ends are moved toward each other, placed in the groove in the head portion 14, and then released.
Of course, assembly of the wrench 10 does not have to be in this exact order. This order of assembly described above may be modified, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. This description is intended to provide but one example and is not intended to be limiting in any way. Of course, as the different parts of the wrench 10 are put together during assembly, small amounts of oil may be provided on the seals and between the metal parts to provide lubrication so that the parts may move smoothly. Also, the oil may help prevent rust if steel parts are used.
The foregoing illustrated embodiments have been provided solely for illustrating the structural and functional principles of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the present invention is intended to encompass all modifications, alterations, substitutions, and equivalents within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
All of the various features and mechanisms described with respect to the specific embodiments may be interchanged with the various embodiments described, or may be used with other variations or embodiments.
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