EP2418049A2

EP2418049A2 - Quick-coupling socket

Info

Publication number: EP2418049A2
Application number: EP11176608A
Authority: EP
Inventors: David Hui; Chien-Liang Lin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-08-13
Filing date: 2011-08-04
Publication date: 2012-02-15
Also published as: JP2012051101A; BRPI1103824A2; KR20120016029A; EP2418049A3; TWM398998U; AU2011206949A1

Abstract

A socket (1) includes a plurality of protrusions (14) circumferentially disposed around a circular top opening (11) of the socket (1), whereby upon insertion of a driving shaft (2) of a spanner or the like, the driving shaft (2) will be respectively biased or thrusted by the protrusions (14) and then smoothly guided into a square hole (12) of the socket (1) for quickly coupling the driving shaft (2) in the socket (1).

The socket (1) further includes plural bottom protrusions (14b) disposed around a circular bottom opening (11b) in a bottom portion of the socket (1), and eighteen faces formed in a hexagonal bottom hole (12b) of the socket (1) for helping a quick coupling of a nut or bolt (3) into the bottom hole (12b) of the socket (1).

Description

The present invention relates to sockets such as are used for turning nuts and bolts, and which are generally removably coupled to a driving member or handle.

BACKGROUND

Figs 9 and 10 show a conventional socket S adapted for coupling a nut or bolt into a lower hole of the socket for rotatably fastening or unfastening the nut or bolt. It includes a sloping circular opening T inclinedly formed in a top portion 1A of the socket and a square hole H formed in the upper portion of the socket for coupling a driving (or coupling) shaft C into the square hole H, downwardly slid initially through the sloping circular opening T.
However, the right-angled corners C1 of the driving (or coupling) shaft C may sometimes be quadrilaterally retained on the sloping surfaces of the circular opening T as dotted line shown in Fig. 9. The user or operator must further twist or rotate the driving shaft C about the axis 10 either anti-clockwise R or clockwise R1 until matching the right-angled corners C1 of the shaft C with the square hole H of the socket S in order to stably couple the shaft C into the socket hole H, causing operating inconvenience and delay for the tool user.
A conventional socket S has its bottom portion 1B formed with a hexagonal hole Hb to be engaged with a hexagonal nut or bolt N as shown in Fig. 10. When the apex corners X of the nut or bolt have been worn as curved corners, the worn nut or bolt may be slipped or slid when rotating the socket for driving the nut or bolt, thereby influencing a smooth engagement between the socket and the nut (or bolt) or delaying the driving operation for fastening the nut (or bolt).
The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the conventional socket and invented the present socket for quickly coupling driving tools, nuts or bolts.

THE INVENTION

Aspects and preferred features are set out in the claims.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a socket including a plurality of protrusions circumferentially disposed around a circular opening in a top portion of the socket, each protrusion formed at a central portion of a quarter arc length corresponding to a square side of a square hole formed in the socket, whereby upon a downward insertion of a driving (or coupling) shaft of a spanner with square head portion (having four right-angled corners) into the square hole in the socket, the square head portion of the driving shaft will be respectively biased or thrusted by the protrusions and then smoothly guided or slid, via a sloping surface tapered downwardly radially from the circular opening, into the square hole for quickly coupling the driving shaft of the spanner with the square hole in the socket for stably rotating the socket for fastening or unfastening a nut or bolt engaged into a lower hole in the socket. See claim 1.
The protrusions typically have a form with a radially-extending central ridge and sloping side faces or flanks directed in respective circumferential directions.
The same idea can be applied at the bottom of a socket, although the hole that receives the nut/bolt has a different shape. Thus, according to another aspect herein there is provided a socket having a plurality of bottom protrusions circumferentially disposed around a circular bottom opening of the socket to help thrust a nut or bolt to be slid along a bottom sloping conical surface to be quickly coupled into a bottom hole of the socket. See claim 7.
According to a still further aspect herein there is provided a socket having eighteen faces of a hexagonal hole formed in the bottom of the socket to help a quick coincidence between the socket and a nut or bolt for their quick coupling.
It will be understood that all these aspects are combinable at all levels of generality described herein.

THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of a socket embodying the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a direct top view, also indicating an initial position of a square drive shaft;
Fig. 3 is a further top view indicating the drive shaft biased anti-clockwise from Fig. 2;
Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the top protrusion of the present invention;
Fig. 5 is a bottom view of a socket showing parts intended to be coupled with a nut or bolt (the latter shown by a broken line);
Fig. 6 is a bottom illustration showing a snug coupling of a nut in the socket;
Fig. 7 is a bottom illustration of an 18-face socket embodying our further proposals;
Fig. 8 shows a planar coincidence of the socket sub-sides with the nut sides as rotated from the Fig. 7 position;
Fig. 9 is a top-view illustration of prior art, and
Fig. 10 is a bottom-view illustration of prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION; EXAMPLES

Figs. 1~3 show a socket 1 of a spanner or the like for fastening or unfastening a nut or bolt as engaged in a bottom hole formed in a bottom or lower portion of the socket 1, including a plurality of protrusions 14 circumferentially disposed around a circular top opening 11 formed in a top portion 1A of the socket 1, a square hole 12 formed in an upper portion of the socket 1 and communicated with the circular top opening 11 through a sloping convergent (conical) surface 13 tapered downwardly radially in from the circular top opening 11 (about an axis 10 of the socket 1) towards the square hole 12 for engaging a square head of the driving (or coupling) shaft 2 of the spanner having four right-angled corners 21 of the square head portion.
Each protrusion 14 may be formed as a pyramidal shape, a conical or semi-conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a curved shape or a polygonal shape, not limited in the present invention.
As shown in the drawing figures of this embodiment, there are four protrusions 4 circumferentially distributed around the top surface of the socket 1.
There should, however, be at least one protrusion 14 formed on the top surface of the socket 1 in accordance with the present invention.
The protrusion 14 is formed as a pyramidal shape at a central or middle portion of a quarter arc length 111 of the circular top opening 11 of the socket 1, with the quarter arc length 111 corresponding to each square side 121 of the square hole 12 of the socket; and each protrusion 14 including a triangular base 140 coplanar to an annular top surface 110 confining the circular top opening 11, two triangular sides 16 respectively tapered convergently downwardly along the sloping surface 13 and a ridge line 141 to be tangentially intersected at a focusing end point 15 at a central portion of each square side 121 of the square hole 12. The ridge line 141 linearly joins the two triangular sides 16 and tapers downwardly radially from a triangular apex 140a of the triangular base 140 towards the focusing end point 15. As shown, it is an angled edge. The sides or faces 16 are directed in respective opposite circumferential directions.
Two upper sides 161 of the two triangular sides 16 define an obtuse angle A as shown in Fig. 2. The obtuse angle A is so designed to be not so acute to prevent injury to the driving (or coupling) shaft of a spanner when coupling the driving shaft 2 with the socket 1 of the present invention. The obtuse angle A may be 150°, or any other obtuse angle, not limited in this invention.
When downwardly pressing the driving shaft 2 having four right-angled corners 21 of the four square sides 20 (as dotted line shown) of the square head of the shaft 2 into the circular opening 11 of the socket 1 as shown in Fig. 2, if the right-angled corner 21 of the driving shaft 2 is snugly landed at the triangular side 16 of the protrusion 14, the driving shaft 2 will be sideways biased or thrusted as anti-clockwise (R) as shown in Fig. 2 by the sloping triangular sides 16 from Fig. 2 to Fig. 3, whereby a further downward pressing of the driving shaft 2, the square head of the driving shaft 2 will be smoothly quickly guided and slid by the sloping surface 13 of the socket 1 in an anti-clockwise direction R to be coupled into the square hole 12 of the socket 1.
By the way, the driving shaft 2 of a spanner or the like will be rotated to drive the socket 1 as coupled to the shaft 2 to fasten or unfasten a nut or bolt as engaged in a lower portion of the socket.
The protrusions 14 on the socket 1 of the present invention may help guide the head of the driving shaft 2 to be coupled with the socket hole 12 quickly, smoothly and conveniently, to thereby facilitate the operation for fastening or unfastening a nut or bolt as engaged with the socket.
As shown in Fig. 1, if the right-angled corner 21 of the driving shaft 2 is snugly landed on the sloping surface 13 of the socket 2 when downwardly pressing the shaft 2 into the socket 1, the square sides 20 of the shaft 2 may each be retained against each ridge line 141 of the protrusion 14 and a further depression of the shaft 2, the head of the shaft 2 will be driven in an anti-clockwise (R) direction only, without being driven clockwise since the sides 20 of the shaft 2 have been respectively retained or retarded by the ridge lines 141 of the protrusions 14, to thereby be quickly guided, slid and coupled into the socket hole 12.
Comparatively, if there is not provided any protrusion 14 as taught by this invention, the shaft head may be rotated either clockwise or anticlockwise and thereby "travel" a longer distance or arc length, on trying to couple the driving shaft with a conventional socket (Fig. 9), thereby sometimes delaying the coupling operation and causing inconvenience for the operator or user when considered over a period of use.
As shown in Fig. 4, the protrusion 14 has been modified to be a conical or semi-conical protrusion having curved sloping sides 16a tapered downwardly to be conveniently intersected at the end point 15 (or side edge) at the square side 12 of the socket 1.
As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a bottom or lower portion 1B of the socket 1 includes a hexagonal (or polygonal) hole 12b formed therein for engaging a hexagonal (or polygonal) nut or bolt 3, and a plurality of bottom protrusions 14b circumferentially disposed around a circular bottom opening 11b formed in the bottom of the socket 1; with the hexagonal (or polygonal) hole 12b communicated with the circular bottom opening 11b through a bottom sloping conical surface 13b tapered upwardly radially from the circular bottom opening 11b (about the axis 10 of the socket 1) towards the hexagonal hole 12b.
Each bottom protrusion 14b may be formed as semi-conical shape, semi-cylindrical shape, curved shape, or any other suitable shapes.
Each bottom protrusion 14b is formed at a central or middle portion of a sixth (1/6) arc length 111b of the circular bottom opening 11b, with the sixth arc length 111b corresponding to each hexagonal side 121b of the hexagonal hole 12b of the socket 1; each bottom protrusion 14b tapered convergently upwardly along the bottom sloping conical surface 13b to be tangentially intersected with each side edge of the hexagonal side 121b (Fig. 6).
When forcibly engaging the socket 1 with a nut (or bolt) 3, each apex corner 31 of the nut (or bolt) 3 will be quickly guided and slid by the sloping surface 13b as thrusted by each bottom protrusion 14b as shown from Fig. 5 to Fig. 6 to thereby snugly couple the hexagonal nut (or bolt) within the hexagonal hole 12b in the socket 1 for quickly coupling the nut (or bolt) with the socket 1 at the bottom or lower portion of the socket, acting in a manner like the quick engagement of the driving shaft 2 with the square hole 12 formed in an upper portion of the socket 1 as aforementioned or illustrated in Figs. 1~3.
By the way, the socket 1 of the present invention may quickly couple a driving shaft or tool in an upper or top side 1A of the socket 1 (Figs. 1~3), and may also quickly couple a nut or bolt 3 in a lower or bottom side 1B of the socket 1 (Figs. 5~6), thereby being satisfactorily defined as "Quick-Coupling Socket" as shown in the title of this invention.
Still, the present invention may be further modified to be a quickly reliable coupling of the socket 1 with a nut or bolt 3 as hereinafter described and illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8.
As shown in Fig. 7, each hexagonal side 12h of a hexagonal hole 12b formed in a lower or bottom portion 1B of the socket 1 for coupling a hexagonal nut or bolt 3, includes: an intermediate sub-side 122h juxtaposed to a hexagonal side 31 of a nut or bolt 3 as engaged in the hole 12b of the socket 1, two inclined sub-sides (or inclined partial sides) 123h respectively inclined outwardly divergently from the intermediate sub-side 122h; each inclined sub-side 123h (inwardly extrapolated) defining a small acute angle A1 between each inclined sub-side 123h and a corresponding nut (or bolt) side 31 of the hexagonal nut (or bolt) 3; the intermediate sub-side 122h transversely intersected with the two inclined sub-sides 123h disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate sub-side 122h; and each inclined sub-side 123h outwardly intersected at an apex 121h with a neighbouring inclined sub-side 123h of an adjacent hexagonal side 12h as hexagonally forming the hexagonal hole 12b of the socket 1 (on the bottom portion 1B).
Upon a rotation (such as a clockwise rotation C as shown in Fig. 8) of the socket 1, each inclined sub-side 123h of the socket 1 will rotate in the small acute angle A1 to be immediately coincided with each nut (or bolt) side 31 of the nut (or bolt) 3. By the way, the hexagonal sides 31 of the nut (or bolt) are reliably engaged or contacted with the respective inclined sub-sides 123h planarly (not linearly) without being slipped or slid, thereby ensuring a quick coupling of the socket and the nut (or bolt).
As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, each hexagonal side 12h is "divided" into three sub-sides, namely, one intermediate sub-side 122h and two inclined sub-sides 123h on opposite ends of the intermediate sub-side 122h. Since each hexagonal side 12h has "three faces", the hexagonal hole 12h will have "18 faces" (3 faces × 6 18 faces) totally.
The geometric shapes of the square hole 12 and of the hexagonal hole 12b may also be modified to be other polygonal holes of a polygonal socket, adapted for coupling a polygonal driving shaft or a polygonal nut (or bolt head).

Claims

A socket (1), adapted for rotatably fastening or unfastening a nut or bolt as driven by a spanner or the like, comprising:
a plurality of protrusions (14) circumferentially disposed about a circular top opening (11) formed in a top portion of the socket (1), a square hole (12) formed in an upper portion of the socket (1) and

communicated with said circular top opening (11) through a sloping conical surface (13) tapered downwardly radially from said circular top opening (11) towards said square hole (12) for engaging a square head of a driving shaft (2) of the spanner, whereby upon downward pressing of said driving shaft (2) into said square hole (12) in said socket (1), said square head of said driving shaft (2) will be biased or

thrusted by said protrusions (14) in order to be quickly coupled into said square hole (12) in said socket (1) as slid through said sloping conical surface (13).
A socket according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion (14) is formed as a shape selected from a pyramidal shape, a conical shape, a semi-conical shape, a cylindrical shape, a curved shape and a polygonal shape.
A socket according to claim 1 or 2 wherein at least one said protrusion (14) is formed at a central portion of a quarter arc length (111) of said circular opening of said socket; said quarter arc length (111) corresponding to each square side (121) of the square hole (12) of said socket (1), with said square hole (12) communicated with said circular top opening (11) through said sloping conical surface (13).
A socket according to claim 3, wherein each said protrusion (14) includes a triangular base (140) coplanar to an annular top surface (110) confining the circular top opening (11), two triangular sides (16) respectively tapered convergently downwardly along the sloping conical surface (13) and a ridge line (141) to be tangentially intersected at a focusing end point (15) at a central portion of each square side (121) of the square hole (12), and the ridge line (141) linearly joining the two triangular sides (16) and tapered downwardly radially from a triangular apex (140a) of the triangular base (140) towards the focusing end point (15).
A socket according to claim 4, wherein said triangular base (140) includes two upper sides (161) of the two triangular sides (16) defining an obtuse angle (A) between said two upper sides (161).
A socket according to claim 5, wherein each said obtuse angle (A) is 150°.
A socket according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further having a hexagonal hole (12b) formed in the bottom of the socket for coupling a nut or bolt (3), and comprising a plurality of bottom protrusions (14b) circumferentially disposed around a circular bottom opening (11b) formed in the bottom of the socket (1); each said bottom protrusion (14b) formed at a central or middle portion of a sixth arc length (111b) of the circular bottom opening (11b), with the sixth arc length (111b) corresponding to each hexagonal side (121b) of the hexagonal hole (12b) of the socket (1); each said bottom protrusion (14b) tapered convergently upwardly along a bottom sloping conical surface (13b) to be tangentially intersected with a side edge of a hexagonal side (121b) of the hexagonal hole (12b) of the socket (1).
A socket according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further having a hexagonal hole (12b) formed in the bottom of the socket (1) for coupling a hexagonal nut or bolt (3); said hexagonal hole (12b) having six hexagonal sides (12h); each said hexagonal side (12h) including: an intermediate sub-side (122h) juxtapositioned to a hexagonal nut or bolt side (31) of the hexagonal nut or bolt (3), two inclined sub-sides (123h) respectively inclined outwardly divergently from the intermediate sub-side(122h); each said inclined sub-side (123h) inwardly extrapolatively defining a small acute angle (A1) between each said inclined sub-side (123h) and a corresponding nut or bolt side (31) of said hexagonal nut or bolt (3); the intermediate sub-side (122h) transversely intersected with the two inclined sub-sides (123h) disposed on opposite ends of the intermediate sub-side (122h); and each said inclined sub-side (123h) outwardly intersected at an apex (121h) with a neighboring inclined sub-side (123h) of another hexagonal side (12h) as hexagonally forming the hexagonal hole (12b) of the socket (1); whereby upon rotation of the socket (1), each said inclined sub-side (123h) of the socket (1) will rotate in the small acute angle (A1) to be coincided with each nut or bolt side (31) for quickly coupling the nut or bolt (3) in the socket (1).
A socket (1) having a hexagonal hole (12b) formed in the bottom of the socket for coupling a nut or bolt (3), and comprising a plurality of bottom protrusions (14b) circumferentially disposed around a circular bottom opening (11b) formed in the bottom of the socket (1) ;
each said bottom protrusion (14b) formed at a central or middle portion of a sixth arc length (111b) of the circular bottom opening (11b), with the sixth arc length (111b) corresponding to each hexagonal side (121b) of the hexagonal hole (12b) of the socket (1); each said bottom protrusion (14b) tapered convergently upwardly along a bottom sloping conical surface (13b) to be tangentially intersected with a side edge of a hexagonal side (121b) of the hexagonal hole (12b) of the socket (1).
A socket (1) having a hexagonal hole (12b) formed in the bottom of the socket (1) for coupling a hexagonal nut or bolt (3); said hexagonal hole (12b) having six hexagonal sides (12h); each said hexagonal side (12h) including: an intermediate sub-side (122h) juxtaposed to a hexagonal nut or bolt side (31) of the hexagonal nut or bolt (3), two inclined sub-sides (123h) respectively inclined outwardly divergently from the intermediate sub-side(122h); each said inclined sub-side (123h) inwardly extrapolated defining a small acute angle (A1) between each said inclined sub-side (123h) and a corresponding nut or bolt side (31) of said hexagonal nut or bolt (3); the intermediate sub-side (122h) transversely intersected with the two inclined sub-sides (123h) disposed on opposite ends of the intermediate sub-side (122h); and each said inclined sub-side (123h) outwardly intersected at an apex (121h) with a neighbouring inclined sub-side (123h) of another hexagonal side (12h) as hexagonally forming the hexagonal hole (12b) of the socket (1); whereby upon rotation of the socket (1), each said inclined sub-side (123h) of the socket (1) will rotate in the small acute angle (A1) to be coincided with each nut or bolt side (31) for quickly coupling the nut or bolt (3) in the socket (1).