Patent ID: 8205524
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: F16D,G05G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A torque limiting handle assembly, comprising: an annular handle member that is manually rotated about a rotational axis and includes a bore defined by an interior surface of the handle member that extends through the length of the handle member coaxially with the rotational axis; a plurality of first undulated features disposed on the interior surface of the handle member; a shaft member sharing the rotational axis with the handle member and having a connection end configured to connect to a member to be torqued and an opposite legged end; a plurality of resiliently depending legs that extend from the perimeter of the legged end in a direction substantially parallel to the rotational axis, the legged end of the shaft member being disposed within the bore of the handle member such that the legs are within the handle member; a plurality of second undulated features disposed on a surface of each of the legs, the second features configured to mesh with the first features on the interior surface, each of the legs being resilient to maintain a meshing engagement of the first and second features against a reaction torque between the handle member and the shaft member that is less than a threshold, and each of the legs being flexible to yield to a force applied to the legs by an interaction between the first and second features that results from the reaction torque between the handle member and the shaft member being equal to or greater than the threshold such that rotation of the handle member with respect to the shaft member is enabled.