Patent ID: 7827886
Filing Date: 2010-11-09
Classification: B25B

Abstract:
1. A ratchet wrench, in combination: a body including a driving portion and a handle interconnected to the driving portion, with the driving portion including opposite first and second sides, with the driving portion including a first compartment, with the driving portion further including a second compartment in communication with the first compartment, with the second compartment extending from the first side toward and spaced from the second side; a drive member rotatably received in the first compartment, with the drive member including a plurality of teeth in an outer periphery thereof, with the drive member including a first end extending beyond the first side of the driving portion; 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 each of the first and second pawls further including a top face transverse to the inner face, with the first pawl further including a first coupling portion on the top face thereof, with the second pawl further including a second coupling portion on the top face thereof; and a control member including first and second ends and first and second faces extending between the first and second ends, with the first end of the control member being pivotably mounted to the first end of the drive member, with the second end of the control member covering the second compartment, with the control member further including a control section on the second face thereof, with the control member being pivotable between first, second, and third operative positions, with the second operative position intermediate the first and third operative positions, wherein when the control member is in the first operative position, the plurality of teeth of the second pawl are engaged with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, the control section of the control member 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 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 control member is in the third operative position, the plurality of teeth of the first pawl are engaged with the plurality of teeth of the drive member, the control section of the control member 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 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 control member is in the second 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.