Patent ID: 7975574
Filing Date: 2011-07-12
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
1. A ratchet wrench comprising, in combination: a head and a handle interconnected to the head, with the head including first and second sides spaced in a thickness direction, with the head further including a first compartment extending in the thickness direction, with the head further including a second compartment in communication with the first compartment and a third compartment in communication with the second compartment; a drive member rotatably received in the first compartment, with the drive member including a plurality of teeth in an outer periphery thereof; first and second pawls slideably received in the second compartment, with each of the first and second pawls including an inner face facing the plurality of teeth of the drive member, with the inner face of each of the first and second pawls including a plurality of teeth releasably engaged with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, with an elastic element being mounted between the first and second pawls to bias the first and second pawls away from each other to engage the plurality of teeth of the first and second pawls with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, with the first pawl including a first coupling portion, with the second pawl including a second coupling portion; a switch slideably received in the third compartment between first, second, and third operative positions in a width direction transverse to the thickness direction; and an actuator slideably received in the second compartment and including an engaging portion having a first end engaged with the switch to move therewith, with the engaging portion further having a second end in the second compartment, with the actuator further including an extension extending transversely to the second end of the engaging portion, with the extension including a first guiding portion and a second guiding portion; wherein when the switch is in the first operative position, the plurality of teeth of the first pawl are engaged with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, the second guiding portion of the actuator is engaged with the second coupling portion of the second pawl to disengage the plurality of teeth of the second pawl from the plurality of teeth of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in a first direction driving a fastener in the first direction, and allowing the handle to rotate freely relative to the drive member in a second direction reverse to the first direction without driving the fastener, wherein when the switch is in the second operative position, the plurality of teeth of the second pawl are engaged with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, the first guiding portion of the actuator is engaged with the first coupling portion of the first pawl to disengage the plurality of teeth of the first pawl from the plurality of teeth of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in the second direction driving the fastener in the second direction, and allowing the handle to rotate freely relative to the drive member in the first direction without driving the fastener, and wherein when the switch is in the third operative position, the plurality of teeth of each of the first and second pawls are engaged with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, allowing the handle and the drive member to rotate in either of the first and second directions driving the fastener, and not allowing free rotation of the handle relative to the drive member in either of the first and second directions without driving the fastener.