Ratchet wrench

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6389932
  • Patent Number
    6,389,932
  • Date Filed
    Friday, October 27, 2000
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, May 21, 2002
    22 years ago
Abstract
A ratchet wrench including a main body, a shaft rod having a protruded pillar and a gear, an insertion plate, two check plates, a dial seat, and a housing. The shaft rod is provided with a skidproof head pivoted thereto. The skidproof head has a toothed hole through which the gear of the shaft rod is positioned. The shaft rod is provided in the midsegment with a rear stepped edge which is slidably disposed in an inner fitting hole of the front segment of the skidproof head. The shaft rod is further confined by a bracing element which is disposed between the rear stepped edge and the toothed hole.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates generally to a wrench, and more particularly to a ratchet wrench.




2. Description of Related Art




As shown in

FIGS. 1 and 2

, a ratchet wrench


10


of the prior art has a handle


11


and a main body


12


which is provided with a center axial hole


14


with a core pillar


13


for pivoting a shaft rod


17


. The shaft rod


17


is provided with a gear


15


and a core hole


16


. The main body


12


is further provided with an insertion slot


18


for retaining an insertion plate


19


, two check plates


20


, and a dial seat


22


having two elastic press plates


21


. The main body


12


is fitted into a housing


24


with a position confining hole


23


. The housing


24


is provided with a notch


25


for retaining a projection


26


of the main body


12


. The main body


12


is provided at the front end with a locking member


28


with a carrying hole


27


.




Such a prior art ratchet wrench as described above is defective in design in that the locking member


28


is apt to unfasten to unable to control the shaft rod


17


, and that the shaft rod


17


can not be easily aligned, and further that the shaft rod


17


is not structurally strong to sustain the torsion. In addition, the shaft rod


17


is complicated in construction and is therefore not cost-effective. Furthermore, the locking member


28


is apt to catch the machining chips which can inflict injuries on a person's hand at such time when the ratchet wrench


10


is in action.




BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a ratchet wrench is free of the deficiencies of the prior art ratchet wrench described above.




The objective, features and functions of the present invention will be more readily understood upon a thoughtful deliberation of the following detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

shows an exploded view of a ratchet wrench of the prior art.





FIG. 2

shows a perspective view of the ratchet wrench of the prior art in combination.





FIG. 3

shows an exploded view of a ratchet wrench of the present invention.





FIG. 4

shows a schematic view of the ratchet wrench of the present invention in use.





FIG. 5

shows a longitudinal sectional view of the ratchet wrench of the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION




As shown in

FIGS. 3

,


4


, and


5


, a ratchet wrench


30


embodied in the present invention comprises a handle, a main body, a shaft rod, a skidproof head, two check plates, a dial seat, an insertion plate, a housing and a bracing element, which are described hereinafter.




A handle


49


has a recess to receive fastening seat


31


.




A main body


32


is provided at one end with a fastening seat


31


which is embedded in the handle


49


, and at other end with a center axial hole


34


having a core slot


33


. The main body


32


is provided in the top with two locating slots


38


in communication with the center axial hole


34


. The main body


32


is further provided in the bottom with an insertion slot


42


. The main body


32


has an annular protruded edge


46


located at the front thereof and provided in rear edge with a recess


48


.




A shaft rod


37


is provided in the midsegment with a rear stepped edge


52


, and in the tail end with a gear


35


and a protruded pillar


36


. The shaft rod


37


is received in the center axial hole


34


such that the protruded pillar


36


is received in the core slot


33


, and such the gear


35


is located in the center axial hole


34


.




A skidproof head


50


is joined with the shaft rod


37


and is provided with a toothed hole


51


for receiving a portion of the shaft rod


37


. The rear stepped edge


52


is slidably disposed in an inner fitting hole


53


of the front segment of the skidproof head


50


. Located between the rear stepped edge


52


and the toothed hole


51


is a bracing element


54


. Slot


50




a


on skidproof head


50


receives an end


46


of main body


32


and an end edge of housing


45


.




Two check plates


39


are pivoted in the two locating slots


38


such that the check plates


39


are engaged with the gear


35


.




A dial seat


41


is mounted across the two check plates


39


and is provided in the bottom with two elastic press plates


40


and in the top with a dial button


410


.




An insertion plate


43


is inserted from the insertion slot


42


into the center axial hole


34


such that the insertion plate


43


is disposed at the front edge


35




a


of the gear


35


.




A housing


45


is used to house the main body


32


such that the front edge of the housing


45


is stopped at the annular protruded edge


46


of the main body


32


, and that the stop element


47


is received in the recess


48


of the main body


32


, and further that the dial button


410


of the dial seat


41


is jutted out of the housing


45


via the position confining hole


44


of the housing


45


.




The bracing element


54


is located in the inner fitting hole


53


of the skidproof head


50


. The gear


35


is mounted by the insertion plate


43


. The housing


45


is secured in place by the stop plate


47


and the recess


48


. The axially-sliding allowance of the shaft rod


37


is eliminated by the bracing element


54


of the skidproof head


50


. The shaft rod


37


is securely confined by the skidproof head


50


. In addition, the structural strength of the shaft rod


37


is reinforced by the protruded pillar


36


and the core slot


33


of the center axial hole


34


.



Claims
  • 1. A ratchet wrench comprising:a handle; a main body having a fastening seat at one end and a center axial hole at an opposite end, said fastening seat retained in said handle, said main body having a core slot at an end of said center axial hole, said main body having two locating slots formed therein in communication with said center axial hole, said main body having an annular protruding edge at a front end thereof, said main body having an insertion slot and a recess; a shaft rod having a stepped portion at a midsegment thereof, said shaft rod having a gear at a tail end thereof, said shaft rod having a protruded pillar extending outwardly from said gear, said shaft rod being received in said center axial hole such that said protruded pillar is received in said core slot, said gear being positioned in said center axial hole; a skidproof head receiving said shaft rod, said skidproof head having a toothed hole, said shaft rod having a portion between said gear and said stepped portion extending through said toothed hole, said skidproof head having an inner fitting hole receiving said stepped portion of said shaft rod therein, said skidproof head having an annular slot formed at an end thereof, said annular slot receiving an end of said main body therein; a bracing element affixed between said stepped portion of said shaft rod and said toothed hole; two check plates respectively received in said two locating slots, said two check plates engaged with said gear; a dial seat mounted across said two check plates, said dial seat having two elastic press plates and a dial button; an insertion plate disposed in said center axial holes such that said insertion plate is positioned at a front edge of said gear; and a housing covering said main body such that a front edge of said housing is stopped at said annular protruded edge of said main body, said housing having a stop element received within said recess of said main body, said dial button of said dial seat extending outwardly through a hole in said housing, said housing having an end edge received within said annular slot of said skidproof head.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
5142953 Lin Sep 1992 A
5379873 Shiao Jan 1995 A
5582081 Lin Dec 1996 A
5609078 Yang Mar 1997 A
5642794 Chuang et al. Jul 1997 A
5910196 Huang Jun 1999 A
6047801 Liao Apr 2000 A
6151995 Shu Nov 2000 A
6240810 Ho Jun 2001 B1