FR2714322A1 - Temporary axial locking coupling by controlled rod, and tool comprising such a device. - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a coupling with temporary axial locking between two male and female parts (2, 4) inserted into one another. A split elastic ring (1) axially maintains the two male and female parts (2, 4) with respect to each other, and can be retracted by varying the diameter of the ring (1) under the action of a rotary actuator (3). Application to tools comprising a bit holder and interchangeable tips.

Description

The present invention relates to a coupling of the locking type

temporary axial between

  two male and female parts inserted one inside the other.

  To temporarily hold a male part, for example a bit holder of a hand tool, fitted into a female part, for example a bit such as an interchangeable socket, it is known to provide the bit with a ball loaded by a spring, which cooperates with a receiving zone machined in the female part. This arrangement is relatively expensive to produce so as to obtain an axial retaining force.

  precise, and it is ill-suited to certain training profiles

  ment. In addition, the efforts to set up and

  traction are fixed and relatively high. These efforts may be too great for easy extraction of small tips and too weak to ensure sufficient holding of large tips, which risk unhooking unexpectedly. The object of the invention is to provide economical and reliable means of maintaining the female part in axial position relative to the male part, with

  minimal installation and extraction efforts.

  To this end, the invention relates to a coupling of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the blocking means comprise an elastic split rod carried by one of the two male and female parts and, in a blocking position, making partially protrusion out of a peripheral groove of this part and penetrating into a peripheral groove of the other part, and a control member of the rod rotatably mounted around the axis of the two parts, the elastic split rod having a leg at each end , a first of these legs being integral in rotation with the part which carries the rod while the second leg is integral in rotation

of the control unit.

  The temporary axial locking coupling according to the invention may include one or more of the following characteristics: - the control member is mounted on the part which carries the rod and is held axially on this part; - The control member is mounted on the part which carries it by an axial then rotary movement, and said second leg is oriented axially and is retained in the circumferential direction in a cavity of the control member; - The control member comprises a control ring; - The coupling comprises stop means of said second leg of the rod, in the blocking position thereof, allowing only one direction of rotation for the control member of the rod; - The two male and female parts have conjugate forms of immobilization in rotation with respect to each other; - the male part is a bit holder of a

  tool, and the female part is an interchangeable tip.

  Two embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 shows a side view of the elastic split ring of a coupling according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the male part; - Figure 3 is a top view of the male part; - Figure 4 is an axial sectional view of the control ring; - Figure 5 is a top view of the control ring; - Figure 6 is a side view in section of the coupling made with the male part provided with the rod, the control ring and the female part; - Figure 7 is a top view of the male part provided with the rod and the control ring; and

  - Figure 8 is an exploded view, partial-

  in perspective, of another embodiment of the invention, the control ring being shown in

longitudinal section.

  The temporary axial locking coupling according to the invention is shown in FIG. 6. It has a general axis XX assumed to be vertical and comprises an elastic split rod 1 received in a groove of a male part 2 carrying a control ring 3, and immobilizing a female part 4. In the application shown, the male part 2 is a bit holder of a hand tool, for example of a ratchet, and the female part 4 is

  a socket part of a set of inter-

  changeable. The elastic split ring 1 is shown in Figure 1. This ring consists of an almost closed circular ring of circular section, for example made of spring steel wire, with two end legs 5 and 6

  folded in the same direction perpendicular to its plane.

  The diameter of the ring formed by the rod 1 is much greater than that of the section of this rod, and the leg is shorter than the leg 6. The bit holder 2 will now be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 This bit holder 2 is in one piece and has a parallelepiped volume 7 forming a drive square, an intermediate part 8 with grooves, and a base 9 enlarged by a flange 10

at its junction with part 8.

  The parallelepiped volume 7 is here with a square base and at a height such that this square 7 can cooperate with an internal complementary shape of the

socket 4.

  The intermediate part 8 is a cylinder of revolution whose diameter is larger than the diagonal of the square 7. It is provided with two circular grooves 11 and 12. The groove 11 is machined near the base of the square 7. The depth and the width of this groove 11 are adapted to receive and hold in position the rod 1. The second groove 12 is adjacent to the flange 10, that is to say that the upper face

  of the latter forms a side wall of this groove 12.

  The width of the groove 12 and the dimensions of the flange 10 are adapted to cooperate with the ring

3.

  Indeed, Figures 4 and 5 show that the control ring 3 has a shape of revolution in section

  in U, having a low height compared to the diameter.

  The bottom of the U constitutes a flat ring 13 whose central orifice is provided with two ears 15 and 16 diametrically

  opposite and of the same dimensions projecting inwardly

  laughing. These two ears are in the plane of the ring 13 and have the same thickness as the latter. One of the two ears, for example the ear 16, is hollowed out by a notch 17 in a U which opens out towards the center of the ring 13. This notch 17 has dimensions suitable for receiving without long circumferential play the long leg 6 of the rod 1. The thickness of the ring 13 and its current internal diameter are respectively equal to the width and the diameter of the groove bottom of the groove 12. The internal diameter of the peripheral wall 14 of the ring 3 is very slightly greater than the diameter

outside of the collar 10.

  Figure 3 also shows that in the grooved part 8 of the nozzle holder 2 are hollowed out two axial paths 18 and 19 for engagement of the ring 3 by

  the ears 15 and 16. These paths 18 and 19 are diametre

  tral opposite and have the same depth as the grooves 11 and 12 and the same width as the ears 15

and 16.

  The grooved part 8 is also provided on its outer periphery and over its entire height, between

  paths 18 and 19, two notches 20 and 21. The enco-

  che 20 is identical to the notch 17 of the ear 16 and

  is intended to receive the short leg 5 of the rod 1.

  The notch 21 has the same depth as the notch 20 but

  it is three to four times wider than this.

  The two notches 20 and 21 are slightly spaced to allow positioning of the rod in the groove 11 with its two legs 5 and 6 in place in these two notches. The bush 4 (Figure 6) has a drive square 23 conjugated with the square 7 and, at the entrance to this square, a circular counterbore 24 of the same diameter as the part 8 of the bit holder 2 and provided with a groove

circular 25.

  The operation of the mechanism will now be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. For mounting, the ring 3 is first put in place so that it covers the flange 10, the ears 15 and 16 passing through axial paths 18 and 19. By turning the ring 3 relative to the bit holder 2, the ears 15 and 16 then axially hold the ring 3 on the flange 10. This ring 3 is turned until its notch 17 is vertical of the notch 21. The elastic split rod 1 is then placed in the groove 11 by first introducing the short leg 5 into the notch 20 then the long leg 6 into the notch 17 of

  the ring 3 by crossing the notch 21 of the member 2.

  At rest (Figures 6 and 7), the rod 1 is slightly contracted, and its two legs 5 and 6 are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the arc between the notch 20 and the edge of the notch 21 opposite this notch 20. The rod 1 then partially protrudes out of the groove 11. When the ring 3 is made to rotate relative to the bit holder 2 a few degrees counterclockwise (arrow F in Figure 7 ), the rod 1 is ordered to close since its

  leg 5 is immobilized by the fixed notch 20 of the holder

  tip 2 while its leg 6 is rotated by the notch 17 of the ring 3 and therefore approaches the leg 5, along the notch 20. The rod 1 thus retracts completely into the groove 11 , and it is then possible to fit the drive square 23 of the socket 4 until the bottom of the counterbore 24 abuts against the upper shoulder of the part 8 of the bit holder. Then the ring 3 is released and rotates clockwise under the elastic action of the rod 1. The rod 1 therefore increases in diameter and partially penetrates into the groove 25 of the sleeve, which ensures the retention

  axial of the latter on the bit holder.

  It should be noted that in the locking position of the rod 1, the stop of the long leg 6 of this rod against the edge of the notch 20 of the bit holder prohibits turning the ring 3 in the wrong direction.

  Another example of delivery

  Temporary axial locking according to the invention is shown in Figure 8. The references of the elements common with those of the previous embodiment or

  analogues to these are kept.

  Ring 1 is now received in a groove

  inner circular 30 near the end of the socket

  ment 31 of the female member or socket 4. The leg 5 of the rod is folded outwards in the plane of the rod, and the leg 6 is folded perpendicular to the plane of the rod, at 6A, then a second time in the plane rush,

  radially outwards, at 6B.

  The leg 5 is immobilized in a radial notch 32 opening onto the end edge 31 of the member 4, and the leg 6 rests freely by its part 6B on the surface of this end edge 31, while its part 6B is received in a notch 33 of the side wall of the counterbore 24 whose depth is equal to that of the groove 30. The notch 33 has a circumferential extent similar to that of the notch 20 of the

first embodiment.

  The control ring 3 is cylindrical in shape.

  drique, with an inner diameter equal to that of the outer wall of the bushing 4. The ring 3 has an end collar 34 which defines a shoulder 35

  conjugate of the end edge 31. In this shoulder-

  a radial recess 36 is formed which opens radially inwards and which is intended to be engaged

  with part 6B of leg 6 of rod 1.

  The control ring 3 is also provided with an inner peripheral groove 37 intended to come opposite a peripheral groove 38 of the sleeve 4 so as to insert in these two grooves an O-ring (not shown) and thus axially block the ring 3 on the socket 4 when the flange 34 abuts on the socket with the part 6B of the rod received in

notch 36.

  The bit holder 2 differs from that of Figures 2 and 3 in two aspects. On the one hand, the groove 12 is eliminated. On the other hand, the bit holder is now provided with a chamfer 39 machined at the end of the part 8 adjacent to the square 7, so as to spread the rod 1 when the ring 3-sleeve 4 assembly is fitted onto the male member 2. The rod 1 then retracts into the groove 30, then closes elastically by partially penetrating the groove 11 to axially lock the sleeve 4 on the bit holder 2. Such a chamfer 39 could of course be also used

  in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 7.

  To separate the socket 4 from the holder

  end piece 2, it suffices to turn the ring 3 relative to the socket 4 to control the rod 1 at the opening, and thus release the ring 3-socket 4 assembly. As before, by choosing the position of the notch 33 so that, at rest, the rod 1 abuts by its part 6A against the edge of this notch closest to the notch 32, it is possible to prohibit any rotation of the

ring 3 in the wrong direction.

Claims (5)

  1 - Coupling with temporary axial locking, of the type comprising two male (2) and female (4) parts inserted one inside the other and means of temporary axial locking of these two parts with respect to   the other, characterized in that the locking means   take an elastic split rod (1) carried by one of the two male and female parts (2, 4) and, in a locking position, partially protruding out of a peripheral groove (11; 30) of this part and penetrating into a peripheral groove (25; 11) of the other part, and a member (3) for controlling the rod (1) rotatably mounted around the axis (XX) of the two parts (2, 4), the rod elastic split (1) comprising a leg (5, 6) at each end, a first (5) of these legs being integral in rotation with the part which carries the rod while the second leg (6) is integral in rotation with the organ control.   2 - Coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the control member (3) is mounted   on the part which carries the rod (1) and is held axially on this piece.   3 - Coupling according to claim 2, characterized in that the control member (3) is mounted on the part which carries it by an axial then rotary movement, and in that said second leg (6) is axially oriented and is retained in the circumferential direction in a cavity (17) of the control member. 4 - Coupling according to any one of   Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the   control includes a control ring (3).   - Coupling according to any one of   Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises   means (20) for abutting said second leg (6) of the   rod, in the blocking position thereof, does not allow   sant only one direction of rotation for the organ of rod control.   6 - Coupling according to any one of   claims 1 to 5, characterized in that both   male and female parts (2, 4) have conjugate forms (7, 23) of immobilization in rotation one compared to each other.   7 - Coupling according to any one of   Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the male part   (2) is a bit holder of a tool, and the female part (4) is an interchangeable tip.