US 8,297,152 B2Granted

Ratchet wrench

OwnerBobby Huinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A ratchet wrench includes a head having a compartment rotatably receiving a drive member. A pawl groove is formed in an inner periphery of compartment and slideably receives a pawl. A switch is received in a switch groove in the head and pivotable about a pivoting axis. A control member is movable between two positions to control engagement between the pawl and the drive member through sliding movement of a guide of the switch in a control groove in the control member. The guide of the switch contacts the contact groove at a contact point when the control member is in either operative position. A tangent to an outer surface of the guide at the contact point has an angle not larger than 45° relative to a reference line extending perpendicularly to the pivoting axis and intersecting a longitudinal axis of the guide.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A ratchet wrench comprising, in combination:

a head and a handle interconnected to the head, with the head including a compartment having a first longitudinal axis, with a pawl groove defined in an inner periphery of the compartment, with the head further including a switch groove in communication with the pawl groove, with the switch groove having a second longitudinal axis parallel to and spaced from the first longitudinal axis of the compartment, with a first reference line extending from the compartment towards the switch groove, with the first reference line extending perpendicularly to the first longitudinal axis of the compartment and intersecting the second longitudinal axis of the switch groove;
a drive member rotatably received in the compartment about a rotating axis coincident to the first longitudinal axis of the compartment, with the drive member including a coupling section;
a pawl slideably received in the pawl groove between first and second positions respectively in first and second engagement relationships with the coupling section of the drive member;
a switch including a pivotal end rotatably received in the switch groove about a first pivoting axis coincident to the second longitudinal axis of the switch groove to control the first and second engagement relationships between the pawl and the coupling section of the drive member, with the switch further including an actuation end having a guide spaced from the first pivoting axis of the switch in a radial direction perpendicular to the first pivoting axis, with the guide having a third longitudinal axis parallel to and spaced from the first pivoting axis, with a second reference line extending from the actuation end towards the guide, with the second reference line extending perpendicularly to the first pivoting axis and intersecting the third longitudinal axis of the guide;
and
a control member including a pivotal portion rotatable relative to the head and pivotable between first and second operative positions about a second pivoting axis coincident to the rotating axis, with the control member further including a control groove spaced from the second pivoting axis in a length direction of the control member perpendicular to the second pivoting axis, with the guide of the switch slideably received in the control groove, with the first and second engagement relationship between the pawl and the coupling section of the drive member being controlled by moving the control member between the first and second operative positions through sliding movement of the guide in the control groove that causes pivotal movement of the switch about the first pivoting axis, with the control member defining a third reference line extending from the pivotal portion towards the control groove, with the third reference line extending perpendicularly to the second pivoting axis of the control member and passing through a center of the control groove, with the control groove including first and second actuating portions on opposite sides of the third reference line,
wherein when the control member is in the first operative position, the pawl is in the first engagement relationship with the coupling section of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in a first direction driving an object in the first direction, and allowing the handle to rotate freely relative to the drive member in a second direction reverse to the first direction without driving the object, with the guide of the switch having an outer surface contacting the first actuating portion at a first contact point, with a first tangent to the outer surface of the guide at the first contact point having a first angle not larger than 45° relative to the second reference line, and
wherein when the control member is in the second operative position, the pawl is in the second engagement relationship with the coupling section of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in the second direction driving the object in the second direction, and allowing the handle to rotate freely relative to the drive member in the first direction without driving the object, with the outer surface of the guide of the switch contacting the second actuating portion at a second contact point, with a second tangent to the outer surface of the guide at the second contact point having a second angle not larger than 45° relative to the second reference line.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

A ratchet wrench comprising, in combination:

a head and a handle interconnected to the head, with the head including a compartment having a first longitudinal axis, with a pawl groove defined in an inner periphery of the compartment, with the head further including a switch groove in communication with the pawl groove, with the switch groove having a second longitudinal axis parallel to and spaced from the first longitudinal axis of the compartment, with a first reference line extending from the compartment towards the switch groove, with the first reference line extending perpendicularly to the first longitudinal axis of the compartment and intersecting the second longitudinal axis of the switch groove;
a drive member rotatably received in the compartment about a rotating axis coincident to the first longitudinal axis of the compartment, with the drive member including a coupling section;
a pawl slideably received in the pawl groove between first and second positions respectively in first and second engagement relationships with the coupling section of the drive member;
a switch including a pivotal end rotatably received in the switch groove about a first pivoting axis coincident to the second longitudinal axis of the switch groove to control the first and second engagement relationships between the pawl and the coupling section of the drive member, with the switch further including an actuation end having a guide spaced from the first pivoting axis of the switch in a radial direction perpendicular to the first pivoting axis, with the guide having a third longitudinal axis parallel to and spaced from the first pivoting axis, with a second reference line extending from the actuation end towards the guide, with the second reference line extending perpendicularly to the first pivoting axis and intersecting the third longitudinal axis of the guide;
and
a control member including a pivotal portion rotatable relative to the head and pivotable between first and second operative positions about a second pivoting axis coincident to the rotating axis, with the control member further including a control groove spaced from the second pivoting axis in a length direction of the control member perpendicular to the second pivoting axis, with the guide of the switch slideably received in the control groove, with the first and second engagement relationship between the pawl and the coupling section of the drive member being controlled by moving the control member between the first and second operative positions through sliding movement of the guide in the control groove that causes pivotal movement of the switch about the first pivoting axis, with the control member defining a third reference line extending from the pivotal portion towards the control groove, with the third reference line extending perpendicularly to the second pivoting axis of the control member and passing through a center of the control groove, with the control groove including first and second actuating portions on opposite sides of the third reference line,
wherein when the control member is in the first operative position, the pawl is in the first engagement relationship with the coupling section of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in a first direction driving an object in the first direction, and allowing the handle to rotate freely relative to the drive member in a second direction reverse to the first direction without driving the object, with the guide of the switch having an outer surface contacting the first actuating portion at a first contact point, with a first tangent to the outer surface of the guide at the first contact point having a first angle not larger than 45° relative to the second reference line, and
wherein when the control member is in the second operative position, the pawl is in the second engagement relationship with the coupling section of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in the second direction driving the object in the second direction, and allowing the handle to rotate freely relative to the drive member in the first direction without driving the object, with the outer surface of the guide of the switch contacting the second actuating portion at a second contact point, with a second tangent to the outer surface of the guide at the second contact point having a second angle not larger than 45° relative to the second reference line.

5 more elements