Patent ID: 7938043
Filing Date: 2011-05-10
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
1. A ratchet wrench comprising, in combination: a body including a compartment having a peripheral wall, with the peripheral wall having a pawl groove in communication with the compartment, with the body further including a switch hole in communication with the pawl groove, a drive member rotatably received in the compartment of the body about a rotating axis, with the drive member including a plurality of teeth on an outer periphery thereof, with the drive member further including a drive portion adapted to drive a workpiece; a pawl movably received in the pawl groove, with the pawl including first and second sides, with the first side of the pawl including a plurality of teeth for releasably engaging with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, with the second side of the pawl including a pressing portion having upper and lower sections spaced along a pawl axis parallel to and spaced from the rotating axis, with the pressing portion further including first and second pressing sections spaced in a direction perpendicular to the pawl axis; a switch rotatably received in the switch hole between first and second positions about a pivot axis parallel to and spaced from the rotating axis; a first positioning unit mounted between the switch and the second side of the pawl, with the first positioning unit pressing against the upper section of the pressing portion of the pawl to bias the plurality of teeth of the pawl to engage with the plurality of teeth of the drive member; and a second positioning unit mounted between the switch and the second side of the pawl, with the second positioning unit spaced from the first positioning unit along the pivot axis, with the second positioning unit pressing against the lower section of the pressing portion of the pawl to bias the plurality of teeth of the pawl to engage with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, wherein when the switch is in the first position, the first and second positioning units press against the first pressing section of the pawl, and the first and second positioning units respectively press against the upper and lower sections of the pawl, allowing joint rotation of the body and the drive member in a first direction driving the workpiece and allowing free rotation of the body relative to the drive member in a second direction reverse to the first direction without driving the workpiece, and wherein when the switch is in the second position, the first and the second positioning units press against the second pressing section of the pawl, and the first and second positioning units respectively press against the upper and lower sections of the pawl, allowing joint rotation of the body and the drive member in the second direction driving the workpiece and allowing free rotation of the body relative to the drive member in the first direction without driving the workpiece.