This a Continuation-In-Part patent application of applicant's former patent application with application Ser. No. 17/011,998, filed on Sep. 3, 2020.
The conventional wrench known to applicant discloses an engaging member which includes a portion that is resiliently protruded into the wrench head so as to position a socket connected to the head of the wrench. However, there are different types of sockets to be used with the wrench, and the sockets may have different number of faces or sides. When the socket is connected to the head of the wrench, the portion that is designed to be protruded into the head of the wrench to position the socket may be parallel with one of the sides of the socket. In this situation, the socket cannot be well positioned by the portion of the engaging member. In other words, the function of the engaging member fails, and the socket may drop from the head of the wrench.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,592,594 to Chen discloses a C-shaped retaining ring that has a hook portion and a straight leg, wherein the hook portion is inserted into an aperture of the wrench, and the straight leg has a portion located within the mount hole of the wrench and a distal end of the straight leg is operated to be pushed outward so as to remove the portion of the straight leg out from the mount hole of the wrench. The portion of the straight leg in the mount hole of the wrench is engaged one of the corner of the socket that is connected to the wrench. However, the straight leg can touch only one corner of the socket, and this may not hold the socket during operation.
US 2018/0318989 to Lin discloses a U-shaped locking member which includes an operation portion, two locking portions and two limit portions. As shown in FIG. 11 of Lin, the two locking portions of the U-shaped locking member are protruded into the wrench to hold the socket via two slots. As shown in FIG. 12, when the user pushes the operation portion toward the socket, the two locking portions are forced to expand outward to allow the socket to be removed from the wrench. Although there are two corners of the socket connected to the wrench are engaged with the two locking portions of the U-shaped portions, however, because the U-shaped locking member is a small and short element, so that it is difficult to cause the deformation of the two locking portions by pushing the operation portion toward the socket. This is because that the U-shaped locking member is required to be strong enough to hold the socket during operation, however, the strong U-shaped locking member is difficult to be deformed simply by pushing the operation portion of the U-shaped locking member. On the contrary, if the U-shaped locking member is easily to be deformed by pushing the operation portion, the U-shaped locking member can be easily deformed and cannot hold the socket properly during operation of the wrench. Besides, the two slots that allow the two locking portions to be protruded into the wrench weaken the strength of the wrench.
The present invention intends to provide a wrench with an engaging member which includes a curved section to be protruded into the head of the wrench so as to hold at least two corners of different types of sockets.
The present invention relates to a wrench which comprises a handle and a head formed to an end of the handle. The head includes a first through hole defined axially therethrough, and a ratchet unit is located in the first through hole. The ratchet unit includes a tubular member which includes a mount hole defined axially therethrough. A collar includes a second through hole defined axially therethrough. The collar is connected to the through hole and located corresponding to the mount hole. A slot and an aperture are defined radially through the collar. an engaging member mounted to an outer periphery of the collar and including a first end, a first section, a second section and a second end, the first end of the engaging member inserted into the aperture of the collar, the second section of the engaging member being a curved section and resiliently protruded into the slot, the second end of the engaging member protruding beyond the collar. The engaging member has a center, and the second section includes a recessed and curved inside that faces the center of the engaging member. The recessed and curved inside of the second section of the engaging member is resiliently protruded into the mount hole via the slot of the collar so as to hold a socket in the mount hole. A rotary member is mounted to outer periphery of the collar. A notch is defined in the underside of the rotary member. The second end of the engaging member is located in the notch and covered by the rotary member.
When the rotary member is rotated, the engaging member is deformed, and the second section of the engaging member is insert into the mount hole via the slot to hole a socket in the mount hole, or is remove from the mount hole via the slot.
The present invention also provides another embodiment of the wrench and comprises a handle and a head formed to an end of the handle. The head includes a first through hole defined axially therethrough, and a ratchet unit is located in the first through hole. The ratchet unit includes a tubular member which includes a mount hole defined axially therethrough. A collar includes a second through hole defined axially therethrough. The collar is connected to the through hole and located corresponding to the mount hole. A slot and an aperture are defined radially through the collar. An engaging member includes a first end, a first section, a second section and a second end, wherein the first end of the engaging member is inserted into the aperture of the collar, and the second end of the engaging member protrudes beyond the collar. The second section of the engaging member is a curved section and resiliently protruded into the slot. The engaging member has a center, and the second section includes a recessed and curved inside that faces the center of the engaging member. The recessed and curved inside of the second section of the engaging member is resiliently protruded into the mount hole via the slot of the collar so as to hold a socket in the mount hole. A rotary member is mounted to outer periphery of the collar. A notch is defined in the underside of the rotary member. The second end of the engaging member is located in the notch and covered by the rotary member. The socket includes a tubular portion and a reception portion which is formed to one end of the tubular portion. The tubular portion includes multiple ridges extending from the outer periphery thereof. Multiple positioning ditches are formed in each of the ridges so as to form each ridge to be first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The third portion is formed with the reception portion. The recessed and curved inside of the second section of the engaging member is resiliently engaged with the positioning ditches to position the socket to the head of the wrench.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to
A collar 3 is a ring-shaped member and includes a second through hole 31 defined axially therethrough. The collar 3 is connected to the through hole 121 and located corresponding to the mount hole 211. A slot 32 and an aperture 33 are respectively defined radially through the collar 3 and both communicate with the second through hole 31.
An engaging member 4 is a C-shaped member and mounted to the outer periphery of the collar 3. The engaging member 4 includes a first end 41, a first section 42, a second section 43 and a second end 44. The first end 41 of the engaging member 4 is inserted into the aperture 33 of the collar 3. The second end 44 of the engaging member 4 protrudes beyond the collar 3. The first section 42 is located at the outer periphery of the collar 3, and the second section 43 of the engaging member 4 is a curved section and resiliently protruded into the slot 32. The second section 43 of the engaging member 4 has a center which is located axially aligned with the center of the mount hole 211. The second section 43 includes a recessed and curved inside that faces the center of the second section 43 of the engaging member 4. The recessed and curved inside of the second section 43 of the engaging member 4 is resiliently protruded into the mount hole 211 via the slot 32 of the collar 3 so as to hold a socket in the mount hole 211 as shown in
A rotary member 5 is a ring-shaped member and mounted to the outer periphery of the collar 3. The rotary member 5 includes an outer portion 52 and a flange 53 extends from the inner periphery of the outer portion 52. The outer portion 52 includes uneven surface so that the users can easily rotate the rotary member 5. A notch 51 is formed in the outer portion 52 and located at the underside of the rotary member 5. The second end 44 of the engaging member 4 is located in the notch 51 and covered by the rotary member 5 so that the second end 44 of the engaging member 4 cannot be seen from outer appearance of the wrench 1. A ring 6 is mounted to the outer periphery of the collar 3 so as to restrict the rotary member 5 from loosening. The collar 3 includes a lip 34 extending radially outward from the top thereof. The ring 6 is located between the lip 34 and the rotary member 5 as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The present invention provides the engaging member 4 that includes the second section 43 which has the recessed and curved inside which matches with the outer contour of the socket 7 so as to easily engage with multiple positioning ditches 72 of the socket 7. When rotating the rotary member 5, the second end 44 of the engaging member 4 is easily pulled away from the socket 7, so that the recessed and curved inside of the second section 43 of the engaging member 4 is disengaged from the positioning ditches 72 of the socket 7, and the socket 7 can be freely moved relative to the wrench 1. The present invention improves the shortcomings of US 2018/0318989 which has to push hard the U-shaped locking member toward the socket. The present invention requires only one slot 32 defied through the collar 3, so that the collar has better structure strength comparted with US 2018/0318989 that requires two slots.
The recessed and curved inside of the second section 43 of the engaging member 4 is easily engaged with multiple positioning ditches 72 of the socket 7 because the curvature of the recessed and curved inside of the second section 43 of the engaging member 4 of the present invention matches the outer contour of the socket 7. Therefore, the shortcoming of U.S. Pat. No. 9,592,594 is improved.
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17011998 | Sep 2020 | US |
Child | 17888508 | US |