1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hand tool technology and more particularly, to a tool bit adapter for hand tool.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,755 discloses a chuck device for miniature tool bits, which includes a sleeve (20), a socket (10), a ball (14) received in between the sleeve (20) and each hole in the socket (10), and a pusher (30) mounted in the socket to stop against the balls. When installing a tool bit in the chuck device, insert the tool bit into the socket to push the pusher away from the balls. At this time, the sleeve can push the balls in direction toward the inside of the socket, forcing the balls into engagement with respective recesses in the miniature tool bit.
The aforesaid chuck device secures the inserted miniature tool bit by means of forcing the balls into engagement with respective recesses in the miniature tool bit. Due to that the tool bit must have recesses for receiving the balls, and the recesses of the tool bit must be defined corresponding to the locations of the balls, any miniature tool bit applicable to the chuck device must meet the above-described restrictions.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a tool hit adapter, which can positively detachably secure the loaded tool bit without any additional positioning structure.
To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a tool bit adapter of the invention comprises a base member, which comprises a cylindrical body that comprises a receiving open chamber defined therein, an orifice located in a front end thereof in communication with the receiving open chamber, an internal small diameter portion formed of a front part of the receiving open chamber for receiving a tool bit that is inserted through the orifice, an internal large diameter portion formed of a rear part of the receiving open chamber, an internal shoulder connected between the small diameter portion and the large diameter portion, at least one through hole cut through the cylindrical body in communication between the small diameter portion and the atmosphere, a first annular groove extending around the periphery of the cylindrical body near a rear end thereof, at least one ball respectively accommodated in the at least one through hole, and a retaining ring mounted in the first annular groove of the cylindrical body, an operating member, which comprises an inside groove made in an annular shape and extending around an inside wall thereof, a pressure face made in an annular shape and extending around the inside wall thereof, a first elastic member mounted around the periphery thereof and stopped between the retaining ring and the operating member to impart an elastic force to the operating member in a predetermined direction, and a locating ring mounted in a rear end thereof, a pusher, which is received in the receiving open chamber of the cylindrical body and slidable relative to the cylindrical body between a front end position and a rear end position, comprising at least one recessed retaining portion located in the periphery thereof, a second annular groove extending around the periphery near a rear end thereof, a second retaining ring fastened to the second annular groove and stopped against the shoulder of the cylindrical body, and a second elastic member stopped between the pusher and a bottom wall of the receiving open chamber of the cylindrical body to impart an elastic force to the pusher, and a locating member for detachably securing an inserted tool bit in the small diameter portion of the receiving open chamber. When the pusher is in the rear end position, the at least one ball is forced by the pressure face of the operating member toward the inside of the receiving open chamber into engagement with the at least one recessed retaining portion. Thus, the tool bit adapter can positively detachably secure the loaded tool bit without any additional positioning structure.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will be fully understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference signs denote like components of structure.
Referring to
The base member 11 comprises a cylindrical body 12, a receiving open chamber 121 longitudinally defined in the cylindrical body 12, an orifice 122 located in a front end of the cylindrical body 12 in communication with the receiving open chamber 121, a small diameter portion 124 formed of a front part of the receiving open chamber 121 for receiving a tool bit 81 that is inserted into the orifice 122, a large diameter portion 126 formed of a rear part of the receiving open chamber 121, a shoulder 128 formed in the receiving open chamber 121 between the small diameter portion 124 and the large diameter portion 126, at least one through hole 127 transversely cut through the peripheral wall of the cylindrical body 12 in communication with the small diameter portion 124, a first annular groove 14 extending around the outer perimeter of the cylindrical body 12 within the area corresponding to the large diameter portion 126, a ball 16 received in each through hole 127, and a first retaining ring 18 fastened to the first annular groove 14 around the cylindrical body 12. In this first embodiment, the base member 11 consists of a tube member 13 and a mounting bar 15. The mounting bar 15 comprises an engaging portion 152 located at a front end thereof and engaged into a rear end of the tube member 13, a second accommodation chamber 154 defined in the engagement portion 152, and a handle 156 connected to a rear end of the engaging portion 152. The cylindrical body 12 is formed of the tube member 13 and the engaging portion 152 of the mounting bar 15. However, the cylindrical body 12 can be formed integrally with the base member 11. Further, the number of the at least one through hole 127 and the number of the at least one ball 16 in this embodiment are plural. In this first embodiment, each of the at least one through hole 127 is a circular hole fitting the respective ball 16. However, as shown in
The operating member 21 is a hollow member, comprising an inside groove 212 made in an annular shape and extending around an inside wall thereof a pressure face 214 made in an annular shape and protruded from and extending around the inside wall, and an inside shoulder 216 located on the inside wall. Further, first elastic member 22 is sleeved onto the cylindrical body 12 and stopped between the retaining ring 18 and the operating member 21 for imparting an elastic potential energy to the operating member 21 in a predetermined direction. Further, a locating ring 24 is in a rear end of the operating member 21 and abutted against the inside wall of the operating member 21. In this first embodiment, the pressure face 214 is disposed at a rear side relative to the inside groove 212. The locating ring 24 is adapted for stopping against the retaining ring 18 to limit the forward displacement of the operating member 21. The first elastic member 22 is disposed at a front side relative to the retaining ring 18, and stopped between the retaining ring 18 and the inside shoulder 216 of the operating member 21 to impart a forward pressure to the operating member 21.
The pusher 31 is received in the receiving open chamber 121 of the cylindrical body 12 and slidable relative to the cylindrical body 12 between a front end position Pf and a rear end position Pr, comprising at least one recessed retaining portion 312 located in the periphery thereof, and a second annular groove 316 extending around the periphery near a rear end thereof. Further, a second retaining ring 32 is fastened to the second annular groove 316 and stopped against the shoulder 128 of the cylindrical body 12. Further, a second elastic member 34 has its one end stopped against the pusher 31, and its other end stopped against the bottom wall of the receiving open chamber 121 of the cylindrical body 12. Thus, the second elastic member 34 is capable of providing an elastic potential energy to the pusher 31. In this first embodiment, the number of the at least one recessed retaining portion 312 is plural and respectively made in the form of a retaining groove 312. These recessed retaining portions (retaining grooves) 312 are equiangularly formed in the periphery of the pusher 31 near a front end thereof. The pusher 31 further comprises a first accommodation chamber 314 formed in the rear end. The second elastic member 34 has its one end accommodated in the first accommodation chamber 314. Further, the second accommodation chamber 154 of the mounting bar 15 is adapted for accommodating an opposite end of the second elastic member 34.
The locating member 36 is adapted to detachably secure the tool bit 81 in the small diameter portion 124 of the receiving open chamber 121 of the cylindrical body 12. In this first embodiment, the locating member 36 is a magnet mounted in the front end of the pusher 31.
Further, when the pusher 31 is in the rear end position Pr, the pressure face 214 of the operating member 21 is stopped against the balls 16, as shown in
After understanding the structural features of the first embodiment of the present invention, the operation of this first embodiment is outlined hereinafter.
Referring to
Referring to
Thus, when mounting a tool bit 81 in the tool bit adapter 10 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, insert the tool bit 81 into the receiving open chamber 121 of the cylindrical body 12 to push the pusher 31 from the front end position Pf to the rear end position Pr, enabling the balls 16 to engage the respective retaining grooves 312 of the pusher 31 and the magnet 36 of the pusher 31 to attract the tool bit 81; when dismounting the tool bit 81, pull the operating member 21 backwards to move the pusher 31 from the rear end position Pr to the front end position Pf, enabling the balls 16 to be positioned in the inside groove 212 of the operating member 21, and the user can then remove the tool bit 81 from the magnet 36 of the pusher 31. Thus, the tool bit adapter 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention facilitates mounting and dismounting of a tool bit 81 without any additional positioning structure.
In the aforesaid first embodiment, the number of the at least one through hole 127, the number of the at least one ball 16 and the number of the at least one retaining groove 312 are plural. However, the first embodiment can also be configured having only one single through hole 127, one single ball 16 and one single retaining groove 312. In this case, when loading the tool bit 81, the pusher 31 must be moved to the position there the retaining groove 312 is aimed at the ball 16 so that the ball 16 can be forced into engagement with the retaining groove 312 to lock the pusher 31.
Referring to
The operating member 21′ comprises a magnetic ring 26 mounted in the front end of thereof. When the pusher 31′ is in the rear end position Pr′, the magnetic ring 26 does not pass over the front end of the driving tip 82 of the tool bit 81. Further, as illustrated in
After understanding the structural features of the second embodiment of the present invention, the operation of this second embodiment is outlined hereinafter.
Referring to
Further, the magnetic ring 26 is mounted in the operating member 21′ for attracting the screw 91 during application.
The other part of the structure of this second embodiment and its effects are same as the aforesaid first embodiment, and therefore, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.
Referring to
The pressure face 214″ is disposed at a front side relative to the inside groove 212″; the operating member 21″ has an inside shoulder 216″ located on the inside wall thereof.
The first elastic member 22″ is disposed at a sear side relative to the retaining ring 18″ and stopped between the retaining ring 18″ and the locating ring 24″, and adapted to provide a backward pressure to the operating member 21″.
The inside shoulder 216″ is configured for stopping against the retaining ring 18″ to limit the backward displacement of the operating member 21″.
When using this third embodiment, the operating direction of the operating member 21″ is reversed to the aforesaid first embodiment, i.e., the operating member 21″ is pushed forward after insertion or dismounting of the tool bit 81, moving the inside groove 212″ into alignment with the through holes 127″ to disengage the balls 16″ from the retaining grooves 312″.
The other part of the structure of this third embodiment and its effects are same as the aforesaid first embodiment, and therefore, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.
Referring to
The aforesaid first embodiment secures the loaded tool bit 81 by magnetic attraction. This third embodiment uses an elastic force to hold down the loaded tool bit 81.
This third embodiment further comprises an end cap 71.
The locating member 36′″ in this third embodiment is an elastic ring 36′″.
The cylindrical body 12′″ has an inside groove 123 located in the front end thereof, an outer groove 125 located in the periphery. The elastic ring 36′″ is mounted in the inside groove 123. The end cap 71 is press-fitted onto the outer groove 125 to hold down the elastic ring 36′″.
In the above-described first through third embodiments of the present invention, the pusher 31 or 31′ has a hexagonal cross section; in the above-described fourth embodiment, the pusher 31′″ has a cylindrical shape, as shown in
Further, the pusher 31′″ has at least one recessed retaining portion 312′″. The at least one recessed retaining portion 312′″ is formed on the periphery of the front part of the pusher 31′″ by milling.
After insertion of a tool bit 81 into the tool bit adapter 60 during the operation of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the balls 16′″ are engaged into the inside groove 312′″, and the elastic ring 36′″ is elastically abutted against the tool bit 81 to secure the tool hit 81 in position.
Thus, unlike the method of securing the loaded tool bit 81 by magnetic attraction, the elastic ring 36′″ uses an elastic force to hold down the loaded tool hit 81.
The other part of the structure of this fourth embodiment and its effects are same as the aforesaid first embodiment, and therefore, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary.
Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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103102344 | Jan 2014 | TW | national |
103107951 | Mar 2014 | TW | national |