EP1637287B1

EP1637287B1 - Hand tool having an adjustable head with a joint mechanism

Info

Publication number: EP1637287B1
Application number: EP05251706A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yu-Cheong Lin
Original assignee: Danaher Tool Ltd Taiwan Branch
Current assignee: DANAHER TOOL Ltd
Priority date: 2004-09-20
Filing date: 2005-03-21
Publication date: 2009-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 2025-03-21
Also published as: CN2734433Y; DE602005017721D1; EP1637287A1; ATE448913T1

Abstract

A hand tool (10) having an adjustable head (20) with a joint lock mechanism (40) comprises a head (20) having a rear end and a handle (30) having a front end pivotally coupled to the rear end of the head. The handle has a first aperture (33) longitudinally extending at the front end thereof and a second aperture (34) is formed perpendicularly intersecting the first aperture (33). The joint lock mechanism (40) is disposed between the rear end of the head (20) and the front end of the handle (30) and further comprises: a first engaging device (23) disposed at the rear end of the head; a second engaging device (42) received in the first aperture (33), the second engaging device (42) having a front end and a rear end; a push button (43) received in the second aperture (34); and a first elastic device (41) received in the first aperture (33) such that the second engaging device (42) is provided with a forward force to engage the front end of the second engaging device (42) with the first engaging device (23); the push button (43) is formed with a through hole (431) and provided with a first engaging portion (432) being disposed beneath the through hole; the second engaging device (23) passes through the push button (43) and abuts against the first elastic device (41); the second engaging device (42) is disposed with a second engaging portion (422) and a second elastic device (44) is disposed at the bottom of the push button (43) such that the push button (43) is provided with an upward force to engage the first engaging portion (432) with the second engaging portion (422).

Description

The present invention relates to a hand tool having an adjustable head with a joint lock mechanism, especially a hand tool with a head of adjustable angles and easier, more secured positioning.
Conventional hand tools with an adjustable head, such as those disclosed in US6,216,567 , comprise a head and a handle. The head has a convex portion which can be pivotally coupled to a concave portion of the handle by a screw. A joint lock mechanism comprises a toothed portion formed along the surface of the convex portion, a pin and a push button. The pin is received in a longitudinal hole having a shoulder portion and extending along the length of the handle. A toothed portion is formed at one end of the pin opposite to the toothed portion of the convex portion while the other end has an extended portion. A spring encircles the extended portion of the pin and abuts a shoulder portion of the longitudinal hole at the other end to provide the pin with a forward force such that the toothed portion of the pin engages the toothed portion of the convex portion to lock and position the head of the wrench. The push button is received in a hole having a shoulder portion and being perpendicular to the longitudinal hole. One end of the push button abuts a spring received in the shoulder portion of the hole and has an extended portion. One side of the extended portion of the push button is formed with a slot keeping in contact with the extended portion of the pin. The depth of the slot is gradually deepened towards the push button such that a gap is formed between the push button and the extended portion of the pin when the push button is pressed down. Therefore, the head of the wrench is rotatable with respect to the handle and pushes the pin such that the angle of the wrench can be adjusted. However, this kind of wrench cannot sustain high torque due to the configuration of the slots in the extended portion of the push button and the extended portion of the pin. In addition, since the extended portion of the pin is slidable with respect to the slot of the push button, it is not possible to lock the head effectively. Moreover, the extended portion of the push button and the extended portion of the pin may be worn out or fractured after use for a long period, which subsequently causes inconvenience when they are in use and reduces the life time of the wrench.
TW569860 has disclosed a wrench comprising a head and a handle. Again, the head has a convex portion which can be pivotally coupled to a concave portion of the handle by a screw. A toothed portion is formed along the surface of the convex portion to engage a ball received in a hole formed in the concave portion of the handle such that the head can be positioned at a certain angle. A push button is received in a hole formed radially in the handle and a spring is disposed in the bottom of the hole and abuts the bottom end of the push button. A stepped groove is formed at the side of the push button such that a gap can be formed between the push button and the ball when the push button is pressed down and the head can push the ball and rotate with respect to the handle to adjust the angle of the wrench. Again, this kind of wrench cannot sustain high torque. In addition, since the toothed portion of the convex portion is of a sharp arc shape, it is likely that the toothed portion may be fractured due to high torque which renders the wrench un-useable.
DE-U1-20 2004 004 071 discloses a hand tool in accordance with the pre-characterizing portion of claim 1.
From the above, it is necessary for the industry to provide a hand tool having an adjustable head with a joint lock mechanism, which offers convenient and secured angle adjustment and positioning and can overcome the defects mentioned in the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand tool having an adjustable head with a joint lock mechanism and easier and more secured positioning.
According to the present invention, a hand tool is provided as defined in claim 1.
The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 illustrates an exploded view of a handle tool having an adjustable head with a joint lock mechanism according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the other embodiment according to the present invention, where a convex portion of the head is formed with slots;
Fig. 3 illustrates a locally enlarged plan view thereof;
Fig. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view thereof along line 4A-4A in Fig. 3 showing a push button in an unlocked state and the head inclining 0° with respect to a handle;
Fig. 4B illustrates a cross-sectional view thereof along line 4A-4A in Fig. 3 showing the push button pressed to an unlocked state and the head inclining 9° with respect to the handle;
Fig. 5 illustrates a locally enlarged side view thereof;
Fig. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view thereof along line 6A-6A in Fig. 5 showing the push button in an locked state;
Fig. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view thereof along line 6A-6A in Fig. 5 showing the push button pressed to an unlocked state and the head inclining an angle with respect to the handle;
Fig. 7A illustrates a cross-sectional view thereof along line 7A-7A in Fig. 5 showing the push button in an locked state;
Fig. 7B illustrates a cross-sectional view thereof along line 7A-7A in Fig. 5 showing the push button pressed to an unlocked state; and
Fig. 8 illustrates the head rotating at multiple angles and a pattern formed on the push button.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate an exploded view of a handle tool having an adjustable head with a joint lock mechanism according to the present invention. A wrench 10 comprises a head 20, a handle 30 and a joint lock mechanism 40. A convex portion 21 is formed at a rear end of the head 20 and a through hole 22 is formed through the convex portion 21. A concave portion 31 is formed at a front end of the handle 30. A through hole 321 and a threaded hole 322 are formed at opposite sides thereof to receive a screw 24 or other suitable fastening device for pivotally coupling the head 20 to the handle 30 such that the head 20 is pivotally coupled with respect to the screw 24 while the handle is fixedly coupled with respect to the screw 24. Regarding the configuration between the screw 24, the through hole 321 and the threaded hole 322, please refer to TW566274 for more details. A first aperture 33 is formed at the front end of the handle 30 and substantially extends along the length thereof, and a second aperture 34 is formed at one side of the front end thereof and perpendicularly intersects the first aperture 33.
A joint lock mechanism 40 comprises a first engaging device disposed at the rear end of the head 20, a second engaging device received in the first aperture 33 formed at the front end of the handle 30, a first elastic device and a push button 43. Preferably, the first engaging device can be a plurality of teeth 23 (referring to Fig. 1) or slots 23' (referring to Fig 2) formed equidistantly along the surface of the convex portion 21 and the teeth 23 or the slots 23' preferably extend along the axis of the through hole 22. In general, the convex portion 21 can include a surface of an arc of 180° or of any other suitable shape. In the preferred embodiments, ten teeth or slots are formed so that the angle between two adjacent teeth or slots is 18°. Preferably, the second engaging device is a pin 42 formed with a double-teeth engaging portion 421 at the front thereof and the first elastic device is a first spring 41. As illustrated in Fig. 4A, the first spring 41 is received in the first aperture 33 abutting a bottom end thereof and provides the pin 42 with a forward force such that the engaging portion 421 of the pin 42 can engage any of the teeth 23 or slots 23'.
Further, a push button 43 is formed with a through hole 431 and a first engaging portion 432 is disposed beneath the through hole 431. The pin 42 passes through the through hole 431 of the push button 43 and abuts against the first spring 41. The pin 42 is disposed with a second engaging portion comprising a slot 422 formed at the bottom thereof. A second elastic device is disposed at the bottom of the push button 43 such that the push button 43 is provided with an upward force to engage the first engaging portion 432 with the slot 422. Preferably, the second elastic device comprises two second springs 44. As illustrated in Figs. 6A and 7A, two apertures 433 are formed at the bottom of the push button 43 to receive the respective second springs 44 between the push button 43 and the bottom end of the second aperture 34. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the second elastic device can further comprise two hollow pins 45 to hold the respective second springs 44 and to guide and position the second springs 44 to the respective apertures 433. Preferably, the front end of first engaging portion 432 of the push button 43 is formed with an inclined surface (referring to Fig. 4A), and a surface of the slot 422 opposite the reclining surface of the first engaging portion 432 is also formed with an inclined surface so as to enhance tighter engagement between the pin 42 and the push button 43 and to calibrate the matching error during processing. When the push button 43 is pressed down, the slot 422 of the pin 42 can disengage the first engaging portion 432 so the pin 42 can move along the first aperture 33 (referring to Fig. 4B) and the first spring 41 is biased. In addition, the surface of the push button 43 can be formed with an anti-slip pattern thereon or preferably with a pattern consisting of a word "LOCK", a side-view mark of the head and a double arrow crossing the side-view mark (referring to Fig. 8). Additionally, the head 20 can further comprise a control knob 25 to control the operating direction of the wrench 10.
Figs. 3 to 7B illustrate locally enlarged plan, side and cross-sectional views, respectively. From Figs. 4A and 7A, it can be seen that when the push button 43 is not pressed, two second springs 44 bias against the push button 43 so the slot 422 of the pin 42 engages the first engaging portion 432 and the head 20 is thus locked. When the push button 43 is pressed down, since the slot 422 of the pin 42 disengage the first engaging portion 432, the two second springs 44 are also biased (referring to Fig. 7B) and therefore the push button 43 is unlocked. As the head 20 is rotated pivotally with respect to the handle 30 as shown in Fig. 4B, the teeth 23 disengage the engaging portion 421 moving the pin 42 backwards, so that the head 20 is pivotally rotatable with respect to the handle 30. As illustrated in Figs. 4B and 6B, when an external force drives the head 20 to a certain angle, the head 20 can be bent and positioned to a predetermined angle. Fig. 8 illustrates the head rotated at multiple angles with respect to the handle 30.
From the above descriptions, it is apparent that the present invention provides a hand tool having an adjustable head with a joint lock mechanism and has easier and more secured positioning over the prior art. While the invention has been described in terms of several preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognise that the invention can still be practiced with modifications, within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A hand tool (10) having an adjustable head (20) with a joint lock mechanism (40), the hand tool (10) comprising:
said head (20) having a rear end, the rear end having a convex pivotal portion (21);

a handle (30) having a front end and a concave pivotal portion (31) pivotally coupled to the convex pivotal portion (21) of the rear end of the head (20), the handle (30) having a first aperture (33) longitudinally extending from the front end thereof, and a second aperture (34) perpendicularly intersecting the first aperture (33);

a fastening device (24) disposed through the convex pivotal portion (21) and the concave pivotal portion (31) such that the fastening device (24) is pivotally coupled to the convex pivotal portion (21) while being fixedly coupled to the concave pivotal portion (31); and

the joint lock mechanism (40) disposed between the rear end of the head (20) and the front end of the handle (30), the joint lock mechanism (40) further comprising:
a first engaging device (23) disposed on the convex pivotal portion (21);

a push button (43) received in the second aperture (34) and formed with a through hole (431), the push button (43) being provided with a first engaging portion (432) disposed beneath the through hole (431), the first engaging portion (432) having a front end and a rear end;

a second engaging device (42) received in the first aperture (33), the second engaging device (42) having a front end, a rear end, an engaging portion (421) disposed at the front end thereof and a second engaging portion (422) disposed between the front and the rear ends thereof; and the second engaging device (42) passing through the through hole (431) of the push button (43);

a first elastic device (41) received in the first aperture (33) and abutting the rear end of the second engaging device (42) such that the second engaging device (42) is provided with a forward force to engage the engaging portion (421) of the second engaging device (42) with the first engaging device (23); and

a second elastic device (44) disposed in the second aperture (34) at the bottom of the push button (43) such that the push button is provided with an upward force;

characterised in that:
the second elastic device (44) biases the push button (43) so as to engage the first engaging portion (432) of the push button (43) with the second engaging portion (422) of the second engaging device (42); in that:
when the first engaging portion (432) of the push button (43) engages the second engaging portion (422) of the second engaging device (42), the second engaging device engages the first engaging device (23) and the second engaging device (42) is prevented from moving backwards along the first aperture (33); and in that when the push button (43) is pressed down, the second engaging portion (422) disengages the first engaging portion (432) to allow the first engaging device (23) to disengage the second engaging device (42) by pushing the seconds engaging device (42) backwards along the first aperture (33) on rotation of the head (20) relative to the handle (30).
The hand tool (10) according to claim 1, wherein the convex pivotal portion (21) has a surface of an arc shape.
The hand tool (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first engaging device (23) has a plurality of teeth formed equidistantly along the surface of the convex pivotal portion (21), and the engaging portion (421) of the second engaging device (42) engages one of the plurality of teeth.
The hand tool (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first engaging device (23) has a plurality of slots (23') formed equidistantly along the surface of the convex pivotal portion (21), and the engaging portion (421) of the second engaging device (42) engages one of the plurality of slots (23').
The hand tool (10) according to claim 1, 2 3 or 4, wherein the second engaging portion (422) of the second engaging device (42) is a slot formed at the bottom thereof.
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engaging portion (421) of the second engaging device (43) has a double-toothed configuration.
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second elastic device (44) comprises two second springs and each of the two second springs is received in a respective aperture (433) formed at the bottom of the push button (43).
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the second elastic device (44) further comprises two hollow pins (45) to hold the respective second springs and to guide and position the second springs to the respective apertures (433).
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the front end of first engaging portion (432) of the push button (43) is formed with an inclined surface.
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the push button (43) has a surface formed with an anti-slip pattern.
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the push button (43) has a surface formed with a pattern consisting of a word "LOCK", a side-view mark of the head (20) and a double arrow crossing the side-view mark.
The hand tool (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head (20) further comprises a control knob (25) to control the operating direction of the hand tool.