Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6490955
-
Patent Number
6,490,955
-
Date Filed
Monday, April 16, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 10, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
- Kamrath; Alan D.
- Rider, Bennett, Egan & Arundel
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 081 1777
- 081 17775
- 081 1778
- 081 1779
- 081 1774
- 081 490
- 081 438
- 081 439
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A screwdriver includes a handle including a seat, a shank having a first end in universal joint with the seat and a second end engaged with a tool bit, and an elastic element for retaining the first end of the shank and the seat together such that the first end of the shank and the seat rotate together when the handle is turned. The first end of the shank is in the form of a ball. The seat includes a pinhole, the ball of the shank includes a pinhole, and a pin is extended through the pinhole of the seat and the pinhole of the shank. An inner periphery of the ball presses against an inner periphery of the seat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a screwdriver shank having a universal joint with a screwdriver handle to allow tightening/loosening of a fastener that cannot be driven at an upright position of the screwdriver.
2. Description of the Related Art
Screwdrivers are useful in daily life. However, it is troublesome, sometimes impossible, to use screwdrivers when the fasteners to be tightened/loosened cannot be driven at an upright position of the screwdrivers. The present invention is intended to provide a screwdriver shank having a universal joint with a screwdriver handle to solve this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A screwdriver in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle including a seat, a shank having a first end in universal joint with the seat and a second end engaged with a tool bit, and means for retaining the first end of the shank and the seat together such that the first end of the shank and the seat rotate together when the handle is turned.
The first end of the shank is in the form of a ball. The retaining means is an elastic element mounted in the seat. The seat includes a pinhole, the ball of the shank includes a pinhole, and a pin is extended through the pinhole of the seat and the pinhole of the shank. The elastic element biases the ball to press against the pin. An outer periphery of the ball presses against an inner periphery of the seat. The pinhole of the ball is longer than the pinhole of the seat. A sleeve is mounted around the shank and slidable along a longitudinal direction of the shank, the sleeve carrying a plurality of tool bits. The sleeve includes a tubular portion that houses the pin and a portion of the seat. The tubular portion of the sleeve includes a plurality of ribs for frictional contact with an outer periphery of the seat.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a screwdriver in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2
is an exploded perspective view of the screwdriver in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 3
is a sectional view taken along plane
3
—
3
in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 4
is a sectional view taken along plane
4
—
4
in
FIG. 1
, wherein a sleeve on the shank of the screwdriver is moved.
FIG. 5
is a sectional view similar to
FIG. 4
, wherein the shank is pivoted to a tilt position relative to the handle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A handle
10
includes a first end
32
received in the compartment
12
and a second end
31
for engaging with a tool bit. In this embodiment, the first end
32
is in the form of a ball and includes a pinhole
33
. The pinhole
33
is elongated and longer than the pinhole
13
of the seat
11
. A pin
14
is extended through the pinhole
13
of the seat
11
and the pinhole
33
of the first end
32
, as illustrated in FIG.
3
.
A sleeve
40
is mounted around the shank
30
and slidable along a longitudinal direction of tie shank
30
. The sleeve
40
includes a tubular portion
41
for housing the pin
14
and a portion of the seat
11
. The sleeve
40
many further include a plurality of grooves
42
for receiving various tool bits
50
. The tubular portion
41
may include a plurality of ribs to provide increased frictional contact with the outer periphery of the seat
11
.
In a normal operating condition, the shank
30
is in an upright position in which the longitudinal axis of the shank
30
coincides with that of the handle
10
. The elastic element
20
biases the first end
32
to move upward and thus press against the pin
14
, thereby allowing joint rotation of the first end
32
and the seat
11
when the handle
10
is turned. The tubular portion
41
of the sleeve
40
assists in retaining the shank
30
in the upright position. Thus, the user may tar the screwdriver to drive a fastener.
When the fastener to be tightened/loosened is in a place that the screwdriver cannot be used in its upright-position, the user may move the sleeve
40
away from the handle
10
(
FIG. 4
) and then pivot the shank
30
to a tilt position relative to the handle
10
, best shown in FIG.
5
. In this tilt position, the longitudinal axis of the shank
30
is at an angle relative to the handle
10
. The elastic element
20
biases the first end
32
to move upward and thus press against the pin
14
. In addition, the outer periphery of the first end
32
is in frictional contact with the inner periphery of the seat
11
. Thus, the first end
32
and the seat
11
rotate together when the handle
10
is turned. As a result, the user may tighten/loosen a fastener that is located in a place in which the screwdriver cannot be used in its upright position. Namely, the screwdriver can be used with its shank in a tilt position.
According to the above description, it is appreciated that the screwdriver in accordance with the present invention provides a shank
30
that is in universal joint with the seat
11
of the handle
10
and thus can be used conveniently.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims
- 1. A screwdriver comprising:a handle including a seat; a shank having a first end in universal joint with the seat and a second end adapted to engage with a tool bit, wherein the first end of the shank is in the form of a ball; means for retaining the first end of the shank and the seat together such that the first end of the shank and the seat rotate together when the handle is turned, wherein the retaining means is an elastic element mounted in the seat, wherein the seat includes a pinhole, the ball of the shank including a pinhole, a pin extended through the pinhole of the seat and the pinhole through the shank, wherein the elastic element biases the ball to press against the pin; and a sleeve mounted around the shank and slidable along the longitudinal direction of the shank, wherein the sleeve includes a tubular portion that houses the pin and a portion of the seat, with the sleeve carrying a plurality of tool bits.
- 2. The screwdriver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball includes an outer periphery that presses against an inner periphery of the seat.
- 3. The screwdriver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pinhole of the ball is longer than the pinhole of the seat.
US Referenced Citations (7)