Locking chuck

A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising:

• a body having a nose section, a tail section, and a center axis, the tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft and the nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of passageways formed therethrough and intersecting the axial bore;
• a plurality of jaws movably disposed in the passageways;
• a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body and in operative communication with the jaws so that rotation of the sleeve in a closing direction with respect to the body moves the jaws toward the center axis of the body and rotation of the sleeve in an opening direction with respect to the body moves the jaws away from the center axis of the body;
• a lock disposed operatively between the sleeve and the jaws, the sleeve being in operative communication with the lock so that the sleeve rotationally drives the lock but is rotatable with respect to the lock between a first rotational position and a second rotational position;
• an annular array of first teeth that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the body and facing toward the nose section of the body;
• and
• an engagement between the sleeve and a nut that moves the lock from a first condition at which the angular array of first teeth are engaged and the lock resists movement of the jaws in the passageways away from the center axis to a second condition at which the angular array of first teeth are not engaged and the lock permits movement of the jaws in the passageways away from the center axis when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and
• that moves the lock from the second condition to the first condition when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position,
• wherein the engagement is configured so that a rotational torque applied to the sleeve at which the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position corresponds to an output gripping force between said plurality of jaws that is sufficient to secure a tool in the chuck for a predetermined purpose;
• wherein the engagement comprises respective opposing cam surfaces on an inner surface of the sleeve and the nut;
• wherein the nut defines a first recess and a second recess on respective opposite sides of the cam surface defined on the nut, wherein the first recess defines a first axial distance between the first teeth and a depth of the first recess, wherein the second recess defines a second axial distance between the first teeth and a depth of the second recess that is greater than the first distance, and wherein the cam surface defined on the sleeve is received at the first recess in the first rotational position of the sleeve and is received at the second recess at the second rotational position of the sleeve.

A chuck for use with a manual or powered driver having a rotatable drive shaft, the chuck comprising:

• a body having a nose section, a tail section, and a center axis, the tail section being configured to rotate with the drive shaft and the nose section having an axial bore formed therein and a plurality of passageways formed therethrough and intersecting the axial bore;
• a plurality of jaws movably disposed in the passageways;
• a nut rotatably mounted about the body and in operative communication with the jaws so that rotation of the nut in a closing direction with respect to the body moves the jaws toward the center axis of the body and rotation of the nut in an opening direction with respect to the body moves the jaws away from the center axis of the body;
• a sleeve rotatably mounted about the body, the sleeve being in operative communication with the nut so that the sleeve rotationally drives the nut but is rotatable with respect to the nut between a first rotational position and a second rotational position;
• an annular array of first teeth that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the body and facing toward the nose section of the body;
• one or more second teeth disposed on a ring, the second teeth being that are non-rotatable about the center axis with respect to the nut and axially movable with respect to the body, the one or more second teeth being configured so that when the one or more second teeth engage the first teeth, the one or more second teeth and the first teeth resist rotation of the one or more second teeth, and thereby the nut, in the opening direction with respect to the body;
• and
• an engagement between the sleeve and the ring that moves the one or more second teeth out of engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the second rotational position to the first rotational position and that moves the one or more second teeth into engagement with the first teeth when the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position, wherein the engagement is configured so that a rotational torque applied to the sleeve at which the sleeve moves from the first rotational position to the second rotational position is approximately fifty-seven inch-pounds or approximately sixty inch-pounds;
• wherein the engagement comprises respective opposing cam surfaces on an inner surface of the sleeve and the ring,
• wherein the ring defines a first recess and a second recess on opposite sides of the cam surface defined on the ring, wherein the first recess defines a first axial distance between the plurality of second teeth and a depth of the first recess, wherein the second recess defines a second axial distance between the plurality of second teeth and a depth of the second recess that is greater than the first distance, and wherein the cam surface defined on the sleeve is received at the first recess in the first rotational position of the sleeve and is received at the second recess at the second rotational position of the sleeve.