Patent Application
20080087142
Referring to the drawings and initially to
The handle 10 has an end portion formed with a receiving slot 15 to allow insertion of the fixing member 20.
The fixing member 20 is inserted into and fully hidden in the receiving slot 15 of the handle 10. The fixing member 20 has an outer wall formed with a tooth-shaped engaging portion 21 engaged in a wall of the receiving slot 15 of the handle 10 so that the fixing member 20 is secured in and not rotatable relative to the handle 10. The fixing member 20 has an inside formed with an axially extending insertion slot 22 to allow insertion of the release member 30 and the tool shank 40 and has a peripheral wall formed with a radially extending through hole 25 communicating with the insertion slot 22. The insertion slot 22 of the fixing member 20 has a distal end formed with an axially extending serrated slideway 23 and an inwardly extending annular stop flange 24 located between the slideway 23 and the through hole 25. The peripheral wall of the fixing member 20 defining the through hole 25 is provided with two opposite push blocks 26 each exposed from the through hole 25 and each having a tapered guide face 27 directed outwardly from the through hole 25.
The release member 30 has an outer wall formed with an axially extending serrated slide 32 slidably mounted in the slideway 23 of the fixing member 20 so that the release member 30 is axially slidable and not rotatable relative to the fixing member 20. The release member 30 has an inside formed with an axially extending polygonal mounting hole 31 to mount and allow passage of the tool shank 40. The release member 30 has a first side formed with two opposite elastic snapping plates 35 each movable in the fixing member 20 and each having a distal end formed with an inwardly extending snapping block 36 which is snapped onto the tool shank 40 to lock the tool shank 40 and has a tapered guide face 37 rested on and pushed by the tapered guide face 27 of a respective push block 26 of the fixing member 20. The first side of the release member 30 is also formed with two opposite recessed limit plates 34 each slidable on the stop flange 24 of the fixing member 20 and each formed with an outwardly extending limit flange 33 that is movable to rest on the stop flange 24 of the fixing member 20 to prevent the release member 30 from detaching from the fixing member 20. The release member 30 has a second side formed with an outwardly extending annular resting flange 300 that is movable to rest on the fixing member 20 and the handle 10 to prevent the release member 30 from being fully extended into the fixing member 20.
The tool shank 40 has a first end formed with a polygonal mounting portion 41 having a locking groove 42 for releasably locking the snapping blocks 36 of the snapping plates 35 of the release member 30 to lock the tool shank 40 onto the release member 30, a mediate portion formed with a limit ring 43 that is movable to rest on the release member 30, and a second end provided with a tip 45. The mounting portion 41 of the tool shank 40 is extended through the mounting hole 31 of the release member 30 into the insertion slot 22 of the fixing member 20.
An elastic member 28 is mounted in the insertion slot 22 of the fixing member 20 and biased between the fixing member 20 and the mounting portion 41 of the tool shank 40 to push the tool shank 40 outwardly relative to the fixing member 20 and the release member 30. The insertion slot 22 of the fixing member 20 has a bottom wall formed with a retaining groove 29 to retain the elastic member 28 to prevent the elastic member 28 from detaching from the insertion slot 22 of the fixing member 20.
In operation, referring to
When the release member 30 is pressed toward the fixing member 20 to move from the position as shown in
When the release member 30 is pressed toward the fixing member 20 again, the tapered guide face 37 of the snapping block 36 of each of the snapping plates 35 of the release member 30 is pushed outwardly by the tapered guide face 27 of a respective push block 26 of the fixing member 20, so that each of the snapping plates 35 of the release member 30 is pushed outwardly relative to the tool shank 40 to push the snapping block 36 of each of the snapping plates 35 of the release member 30 outwardly from the insertion slot 22 of the fixing member 20 as shown in
Accordingly, the tool shank 40 is supported by the fixing member 20 and the release member 30 which are supported by the handle 10 so as to enhance the strength of the screwdriver so that the screwdriver is not easily broken or worn out during a long-term utilization, thereby greatly enhancing the lifetime of the screwdriver, and thereby facilitating a user operating the screwdriver. In addition, the tool shank 40 is mounted on and detached from the fixing member 20 and the handle 10 by pressing the release member 30, thereby facilitating the user mounting and replacing the tool shank 40.
Referring to
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.
