GB2492134A

GB2492134A - Electronic torque wrench with a rotatable display unit

Info

Publication number: GB2492134A
Application number: GB1110605.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hsien-Cheng Lin; Yeh-Ching Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-06-23
Filing date: 2011-06-23
Publication date: 2012-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 2031-06-23
Also published as: GB2492134B; GB201110605D0

Abstract

The electronic torque wrench includes a wrench head 20 adapted to engage and turn a fastener and a tubular wrench body 31 fittingly engaged and secured with a joint segment (22, Figure 5) extending radially from the wrench head. An intermediate tubular segment 314 is disposed between the ends of the tubular body which has an access opening 311. A handgrip 34 is secured to a rear end 313 of the wrench body. A mounting shell 32 is sleeved on the intermediate segment 314 and has an access hole 322 communicating with the access opening 311. A housing sleeve 40 is sleeved on, and rotatable relative to, the mounting shell 32 about a lengthwise axis. A display unit 50 is disposed on the housing sleeve to provide a display representing a torque measured by a strain gauge on the wrench head. By rotating the housing sleeve 40, the display unit 50 can be adjusted to a desired angular position for being viewed easily by a user.

Description

ELECTRONIC TORQUE WRENCH

WITH A ROTATABLE DISPLAY UNIT

This inventionrelates toanelectronictorquewrench, more particularly to an electronic torque wrench with a rotatable display unit to be easily viewed by a user.

Referring to Fig. 1, a conventional electronic torque wrench 10 is shown to include a head 11 for engaging and turning a fastener, a handle 12 extending from the head 11 to be held by a user for operating the head 11, and a display 13 coupled to a strain gauge assembly disposed in the handle 12 for displaying information of torque detected by the strain gauge assembly. In operation, the user grips and turns the handle 12, and observes the display 13 to read numerical data of the measured torque of the wrench 10 until the fastener is fastened with a desired torque.

However, since the display 13 is affixed to the handle 12, and is turnedtherewithduring operation, the display 13 may not be kept in a position to be in full view of the user, particularly when the torque wrench 10 is used to operate fasteners at different positions, thereby rendering operation inconvenient.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic torque wrench which has a rotary display unit rotatable relative to a wrench handle so as to be easily viewed by the user during operation.

According to this invention, the electronic torque wrench comprises a wrench head adapted to engage and turn a fastener about a torque axis, a joint segment extending radially from the wrench head relative to the torque axis for mounting a strain gauge thereon, a tubular wrench body which defines a passage that extends along a lengthwise axis, and which includes a front tubular end fittingly engaged and secured with the joint segment, a rear tubular end opposite to the front tubular end, and an intermediate tubular segment disposed between the front and rear tubular ends and having an access opening that extends radially to communicate with the passage, a handgrip which is configured to securely grip the rear tubular end of the tubular wrench body so as to permit the tubular wrench body to transmit a torque applied on the handgrip to the wrench head, a mounting shell which is sleeved on the intermediate tubular segment and forwardly from the handgrip, and which has an access hole extending to communicate with the access opening, a housing sleeve sleeved on, and rotatable relative to the mounting shell about the lengthwise axis, and a display unit disposed on the housing sleeve to provide a display representing a torque measured by the strain gauge.

Otherfeaturesandadvantagesofthepresent invention will become apparent in the following detailed descriptionofthepreferredembodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional electronic torque wrench; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an electronic torque wrench according to this invention; Fig. 3isanexplodedperspectiveviewofthepreferred embodiment; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a housing sleeve and a mounting shell of the preferred embodiment; Fig. 5 isasectionalviewofthepreferredembodiment; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a schematic side view showing the preferred embodiment during operation; Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6, showing the housing sleeve in another angular position; and Fig. 9 is a schematic side view showing the preferred embodiment in the state where the housing sleeve is in another angular position.

Referring to Fig. 2, the preferred embodiment of an electronic torque wrench according to the present invention is shown to comprise a head unit 20, a body unit 30, a housing sleeve 40, and a display unit 50.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 5, the head unit 20 includes a wrench head 21 adapted to engage and turn a fastener about a torque axis, and a joint segment 22 integrally formed with and extending radially from the wrench head 21 relative to the torque axis for mounting a strain gauge (not shown) thereon.

The body unit 30 includes a tubular wrench body 31, a handgrip 34, a mounting shell 32, and a battery pack 33. The tubular wrench body 31 defines apassage 310 which extends along a lengthwise axis, and includes a front tubular end 312 fittingly engaged and secured with the joint segment 22, a rear tubular end 313 opposite to the front tubularend 312, andan intermediate tubular segment 314 which is disposed between the front and rear tubular ends 312, 313, and which has an access opening 311 that extends radially to communicate with the passage 310.

The handgrip 34 is sleeved on, and secured to the rear tubular end 313 of the tubular wrench body 31 so as to permit the tubular wrench body 31 to transmit a torque appliedonthehandgrip34 totheheadunit 20. Thehandgrip 34 extends forwardly to terminate at a front sleeve end 323. The mounting shell 32 is sleeved on the intermediate tubular segment 314, and has an access hole 322 extending to communicate with the access opening 311, and a front flange 323 spaced apart from the front sleeve end 342 of the handgrip 34. The battery pack 33 is disposed in the passage 310 at the rear tubular end 313 of the tubular wrench body 31 for receiving batteries (not shown) to supply power. An end cap 35 is disposed to close rear opened ends of the battery pack 33 and the handgrip 34.

The housing sleeve 40 is sleeved on, and rotatable relative to the mounting shell 32 about the lengthwise axis, and is confined between the front flange 323 and the front sleeve end 342 to be guarded against movement relative to the mounting shell 32 along the lengthwise axis. Specifically, asshowninFigs. 4and6, thehousing sleeve 40 has an inner tubular wall 41 which is rotatably sleeved on the mounting shell 32 and which has an arcuate key slot 43 that is formed at a front end thereof and that angularly extends about the lengthwise axis to terminate at two end barriers 44. The mounting shell 32 has a key 321 which is disposed adjacent to the front flange 323 and which extends radially to be slidably engaged in the key slot 43 so as to guide and limit the extent of rotation of the housing sleeve 40 relative to the mounting shell 32 Moreover, the housing sleeve 40 has an outer tubular wall which defines a rectangular recess 42 that extends through the inner tubular wall 41.

The displayunit 50 is fitted inthe rectangular recess 42, and includes a face panel 51, an LCD screen 52, a circuit board 53 and a plurality of key pads 54, which are electronically connected to the battery pack 33 and the strain gauge in any knownway so as to provide a display representing a torque measured by the strain gauge.

Referringto Fig. 7, me, theusergripsthehandgrip 34 to apply a torque thereon, and can observe the display unit 50 to read numerical data of the measured torque.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, when the electronic torque wrench is turned to a different angular position as shown, the user can rotate the housing sleeve 40 about the lengthwise axis to allow the display unit 50 to be uninterruptedly viewed by the user. On the other hand, the user can adjust the angular position of the housing sleeve 40 to keep the display unit 50 at his/her visible sight without varying the posture, thereby rendering operation of the electronic torque wrench convenient.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. An electronic torque wrench comprising: a wrench head which is adapted to engage and turn a fastener about a torque axis; a joint segment extending radially from said wrench head relative to the torque axis for mounting a strain gauge thereon; a tubular wrench body which defines a passage that extends along a lengthwise axis, and which includes a front tubular end fittingly engaged and secured with said joint segment, a rear tubular end opposite to said front tubular end, and an intermediate tubular segment disposed between said front and rear tubular ends, and having an access opening that extends radially to communicate with said passage; ahandgripwhichis configuredto securelygrip said rear tubular end of said tubular wrench body so as to permit said tubular wrench body to transmit a torque applied on said handgrip to said wrench head; a mounting shell which is sleeved on said intermediate tubular segment and forwardly from said handgrip, and which has an access hole extending to communicate with said access opening; a housing sleeve sleeved on, and rotatable relative to said mounting shell about the lengthwise axis; and a display unit disposed on said housing sleeve to provide a display representing a torgue measured by the strain gauge.
2. The electronic torque wrench according to Claim 1, wherein said housing sleeve has an inner tubular wall which is rotatably sleeved on said mounting shell and which has an arcuate key slot that angularly extends about the lengthwise axis to terminate at two end barriers, saidmounting shell having a keywhichextends radially to be slidably engaged in said key slot so as to guide and limit the extent of rotation of said housing sleeve relative to said mounting shell.
3. The electronic torque wrench according to Claim 2, wherein said housing sleeve has an outer tubular wall which defines a rectangular recess that extends through said inner tubular wall to permit said display unit to be fitted therein.
4. The electronic torque wrench according to Claim.1, wherein said handgrip extends forwardly to terminate at a front sleeve end, said mounting shell having a front flange which is spaced apart from, and which in cooperation with said front sleeve end to guard against movement of said housing sleeve relative to said mounting shell along the lengthwise axis.
5. The electronic torque wrench according to Claim 1, further comprising a battery pack disposed in said passage at said rear tubular end of said tubular wrench body.
6. The electronic torque wrench according to Claim 1, wherein said joint segment is integrally formed with said wrench head.
7. An electronic torque wrench substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 9.