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US 6,971,288 B2Granted
Automatically adjusting self-tightening wrench
OwnerChen Weiinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-adjusting wrench having a handle and a jaw member rotationally attached thereto. A smoothly curved handle face opposes a planar face on the jaw member which adjusts for distance from the curved handle face by following a generally circular path around a pinned attachment of the jaw member to the handle. A spring or similar biasing device continuously urges the jaw member toward the handle thereby making the device self adjusting to the size of the object placed between the jaw member and the curved handle surface.
Claims8
A self-adjusting tightening wrench comprising:
- a handle having a center axis, a gripping end and a working end;
- a jaw member rotationally attached at an attachment end at a fixed point to said working end of said handle;
- said working end of said handle having a continuously curved handle face;
- said continuously curved handle face shaped substantially in a smooth arc formed substantially along a circumference of a first circular path around a first center point adjacent to said fixed point;
- said jaw member having a planar face opposing said curved handle face;
- said jaw member having a first jaw member strut between said fixed point and an elbow;
- said jaw member having a second jaw member strut in an angled engagement with said first jaw member strut and extends from said elbow to said planar face;
- said angled engagement a distance of said elbow from said fixed point determining a second circular path followed by said planar face around said curved handle face when said jaw member is rotated;
- means to bias said planar face of said jaw member toward said handle face;
- a thumb grip defined by a substantially flat surface area formed on said second jaw member strut adjacent to said elbow, said thumb grip engageable by a thumb of the hand of a user while holding said gripping end of said handle with the fingers of said hand;
- and
- said planar face following said second circular path around said fixed point and around said first circular path when said jaw member is rotated, thereby moving from a first point where said planar face is substantially normal to said center axis at a minimum distance from said curved handle face, to a second point a maximum distance from said curved handle face whereby said self-adjusting tightening wrench may be placed over an object to be rotated and said object size is accommodated by rotation of said jaw member to increase or decrease distance between said curved handle face and said planar face.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.