Ratchet wrench with tube spring

The presently invention relates generally to ratchet wrenches. More particularly, the present invention relates to ratchet wrenches having a tube spring bias member.

Ratchet wrenches are common hand tools used to apply torque to work pieces. Ratchet wrenches include a pawl mechanism that allows the tool to torque a work piece in a first rotational direction by rotating the tool in that rotational direction, and then return the tool to its original position by rotating the tool in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. The pawl mechanism engages a drive gear to impart the torque in the first rotational direction, but allows the pawl to slip relative to the drive gear in the second rotational direction. A reversing lever can reverse which of the first and second rotational directions applies torque to the work piece, for example, if the work piece is left hand threaded or if the user is using the tool to remove the work piece from its position.

Two pawl ratchet wrenches require the pawl to disengage the gear in order to ratchet. Typically this requires the gear to rotate an angle equal to about two to three times the tooth pitch of the pawl teeth. Past wrenches attempt to solve this problem by including a bias member that urges the pawl into engagement with the drive gear, but this arrangement requires a spacer (such as spacer 140 described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,666, for example) for the spring to pivot and sit within.

The present invention broadly comprises a pawl mechanism with a tube spring as the bias member that biases the pawl into engagement with the drive gear. By biasing the pawl into the drive gear, the tube spring limits lost motion in the engaging pawl. Further, by using a tube spring, a spacer such as spacer 140 described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,666, for example) is not needed and instead the tube spring can be disposed in a circular bore.

For example, the present invention broadly comprises a tool including a handle, a head extending from the handle, where the head has first and second bores defined therein. A drive gear is disposed within the head and provides torque to work pieces, and first and second pawls engage the drive gear. A reversing lever is provided and is coupled to the first and second pawls and causes either the first or second pawl to engage the drive gear depending on a position of the reversing lever. First and second tube springs are disposed within the first and second bores. The first and second bores respectively include first and second arcs respectively allowing the first and second tube springs to extend toward the first and second pawls. When the first pawl engages the drive gear, the first tube spring biases the first pawl into engagement with the drive gear, and when the second pawl engages the drive gear, the second tube spring biases the second pawl into engagement with the drive gear.

A ratchet mechanism is further provided and includes first and second pawls adapted to engage a drive gear in an engaging rotational direction and slip about the drive gear in a slip rotational direction. The mechanism can include a reversing lever coupled to the first and second pawls and adapted to cause either the first or second pawl to engage the drive gear depending on a position of the reversing lever. First and second tube springs are disposed within first and second bores of a head of a tool. The first and second bores respectively include first and second arcs respectively allowing the first and second tube springs to extend toward the first and second pawls. When the first pawl engages the drive gear, the first tube spring biases the first pawl into engagement with the drive gear, and when the second pawl engages the drive gear, the second tube spring biases the second pawl into engagement with the drive gear.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

FIG. 1 is a top view of a ratchet wrench according to at least some of the presently disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective exploded view of the ratchet wrench according to at least some embodiments of the presently disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a bottom sectional view of a ratchet wrench according to at least some of the presently disclosed embodiments.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to embodiments illustrated. As used herein, the term “present invention” is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention and is instead a term used to discuss exemplary embodiments of the invention for explanatory purposes only.

The present invention broadly comprises a pawl mechanism with a bias member that biases the pawl into engagement with the drive gear. For example, the bias member can be a tube spring disposed within a bore. By biasing the pawl into the drive gear, the bias member limits lost motion in the engaging pawl; and by using a tube spring, a spacer is not needed and instead the tube spring can be disposed in a circular bore.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , at least some of the presently disclosed embodiments include a tool 100 having a head 105 and a handle 110 extending from the head 105 . A drive gear 115 can be disposed within the head 105 to apply torque to a work piece. First 120 and second 122 pawls can also be disposed in the head 105 to engage the drive gear 115 when the drive gear 115 is rotated in a drive rotational direction, and to slip with respect to the drive gear 115 when the drive gear 115 is rotated in a slip rotational direction opposite the drive rotational direction. A reversing lever 125 can be implemented to allow the user to choose either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction as the drive rotational direction, and vice versa for the slip rotational direction.

As discussed above, the pawls 120 , 122 can incur lost motion when engaging the drive gear 115 unless the engaging pawl 120 , 122 is biased into engagement with the drive gear 115 . For this reason, at least some of the presently disclosed embodiments implement first 130 and second 132 bias members to bias the engaging pawl 120 , 122 into engagement with the drive gear 115 . For example, the first bias member 130 can engage the first pawl 120 when the first pawl 120 is the engaging pawl, and the second bias member 132 can engage the second pawl 122 when the second pawl 122 is the engaging pawl. FIG. 3 illustrates one such example of the pawl mechanism where the non-engaging second pawl 122 “clears” its bias member (the second bias member 132 as shown in FIG. 3 ) when the engaging first pawl 120 engages the drive gear 115 . Here, the first bias member 130 biases the first pawl 120 into engagement with the drive gear 115 to limit lost motion in the ratcheting operation.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the reversing lever 125 can include hooks 135 that engage posts 137 of the pawls 120 , 122 . For example, depending on how the reversing lever 125 is rotated, the hooks 135 will engage either the first 120 or second 122 pawl and allow the other first or second pawl 120 , 122 to engage the drive gear 115 . As known in the art, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,666, a bias member, such as a coil spring, can be disposed between the pawls 120 , 122 to assist moving and biasing the pawls 120 , 122 away from each other. FIG. 3 illustrates one such example where the hook 135 engages the second pawl 122 , causing the second pawl 122 to “clear” its bias member (the second bias member 132 as shown in FIG. 3 ), and the first pawl 120 engages the drive gear 115 . The reversing lever 125 can further include a body 138 and a knob 140 coupled to the body 138 to allow the user to impart rotational motion on the reversing lever 125 to thereby select a rotational engagement and slip direction for the tool 100 .

The tool 100 can further include a ball 145 and spring 147 , collectively referred to as a ball detent mechanism 150 . The ball detent mechanism 150 sits within a hole 155 of the head 105 and is biased in the upward direction, toward the bottom of the reversing lever 125 , as shown in FIG. 2 . The reversing lever 125 can include partially-spherical divots that receive the ball 145 when the reversing lever 125 is rotated a permissible amount either clockwise or counterclockwise. The ball 145 can therefore provide a tactile indication to the user that the reversing lever 125 has reached the desired rotational engagement direction. As shown, the ball detent mechanism 150 is disposed within a hole 155 in a valley 160 of the head 105 , but the ball detent mechanism 150 can be located in any location so long as it provides a tactile indication to the user when the desired rotational engagement direction is reached.

The head 105 can include various chambers and open areas to receive and house the mechanisms of the head 105 . For example, the head 105 can include the valley 160 , as discussed above, which can receive the ball detent mechanism 150 and also the reversing lever 125 , for example the body 138 of the reversing lever 125 . The valley 160 can further lead to a shelf 163 where the knob 140 of the reversing lever 125 rotates within so that the body 138 and the knob 140 can be located slightly below the top surface of the head 105 . The head 105 can also include a pawl chamber 165 that receives the pawls 120 , 122 of the tool 100 , and a gear opening 167 that receives the drive gear 115 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the drive gear 115 can include gear teeth 170 that engage pawl teeth 175 . These teeth 170 , 175 engage in a biased relationship due to the force exerted by the bias member 130 , 132 associated with the engaging pawl 120 , 122 (the first bias member 130 and first pawl 120 as shown in FIG. 3 ). The bias members 130 , 132 can be located within bores 180 , 185 that are formed into the head 105 . For example, as shown, the bores 180 , 185 can be sized and located such that the bias members 130 , 132 can extend partially outside of the bores 180 , 185 and provide bias to the respective pawl 120 , 122 , but where the opening that allows the bias members 130 , 132 to extend out of the bores 180 , 185 is not large enough to permit the bias members 130 , 132 to escape. For example, the bores 180 , 185 can be circular openings where the arcs of the circle that are not cut into the head 105 can be referred to as the first 190 and second 195 arcs. These arcs can extend rotationally less than 180 degrees to retain the bias members 130 , 132 within the bores 180 , 185 .

The bias members 130 , 132 can be tube springs that impart bias onto the respective pawl 120 , 122 . In doing so, the bias members 130 , 132 do not require a separate spacer (such as spacer 140 described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,499,666, for example) and can instead be disposed within the bores 180 , 185 . The tool 100 can therefore ratchet with limited lost motion while not requiring a spacer or other additional components.

As used herein, the term “coupled” and its functional equivalents are not intended to necessarily be limited to direct, mechanical coupling of two or more components. Instead, the term “coupled” and its functional equivalents are intended to mean any direct or indirect mechanical, electrical, or chemical connection between two or more objects, features, work pieces, and/or environmental matter. “Coupled” is also intended to mean, in some examples, one object being integral with another object.

The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of the inventors' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.