EXTENDABLE WRENCH

A tool for providing improved reach and torque is disclosed. The tool includes a wrench including a head, a wrench body coupled to said head, and a connector coupled to said wrench body distal to said head. The tool includes an extension including with an inserter and an extension body. Said inserter is configured to mate with said connector, and said extension increases the reach and torque of said tool. The wrench head may include any size or dimension.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “inner,” “outer,” “inwardly,” and “outwardly” refer to directions towards and away from the parts referenced in the drawings. A reference to a list of items that are cited as “at least one of a, b, or c” (where a, b, and c represent the items being listed) means any single one of the items a, b, c or combinations thereof. The terminology includes the words specifically noted above, derivates thereof, and words of similar import.

FIG. 1shows an embodiment of the tool according to the present invention. As shown, additionally with reference toFIG. 3, the tool includes a wrench10with a head12, a connector14, and a body16. The head12of the wrench10may include the head12of any type of wrench, including a box wrench, open end wrench, ratchet wrench, flare-nut wrench, tube wrench, line wrench, ratcheting wrench, adjustable wrench, torque wrench, alligator wrench, cone wrench, or any other wrench type. The head12of the wrench10may be substantially co-planar with the planar surface of the wrench body16. The head12of the wrench10may be offset from a planar surface of the wrench body16. The wrench body16may be any length. The wrench connector14is configured to matingly engage with an inserter22of an extension20. The inserter22may be triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal, or any other shape. The wrench connector14has a corresponding configuration to matingly engage, or otherwise receive, the inserter22. One extension20type that is commonly used in tools that may be utilized in an embodiment of the tool described herein, may be the extension used in a ratchet tool set. Such an extension employs a square inserter and corresponding receiver configuration to matingly engage the square inserter. The inserter and the corresponding receiver may be triangular or round. The inserter may be a propriety shape and the connector may be a corresponding propriety shape. A proprietary shape may include a triangular, star, pentagonal, circular, or other polygonal shape.

In an embodiment, a tool for providing improved reach and torque is provided. The tool includes a wrench10including a head12, a wrench body16coupled to the head12, and a connector14coupled to the wrench body16distal to the head12. The head12may be selected from a plurality of sizes including American and English units. The head12may be selected from a plurality of types of wrench heads. The head12may be co-planar or offset from a planar surface of the wrench body16. The tool includes an extension20including an inserter22and an extension body26. The inserter22is configured to mate with the connector14, and the extension20increases the reach and torque of the tool. The connector14and the inserter22may be matingly coupled via a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism may include any suitable locking configuration for connecting the connector14and the inserter22. The connector14and the inserter22may be matingly coupled via a bearing locking mechanism28. The inserter22may be square and may include a bearing locking mechanism28. The connector14may include a correspondingly shaped receiving portion for the inserter22. The connector14and inserter22may include any shapes for matingly engaging with each other. An additional extension30may be provided that matingly engages the extension20distal to the inserter22for providing additional reach and torque of the tool. The additional extension30may be a different length than the extension20. The extension20may include a connector24distal to the inserter22. The additional extension30may include a second inserter32. The additional extension30may matingly engage the connector24of the extension20with the second inserter32. The extension connector24and the wrench connector14may be operatively identical. The extension inserter22and the second inserter may be operatively identical. The inserter22may be a proprietary shape and may include a bearing locking mechanism28. The connector24may include a correspondingly shaped receiving portion for the inserter22.

In an embodiment, a wrench10for providing improved reach and torque is provided. The wrench10includes a head12, a wrench body16coupled to the head12, and a connector14coupled to the wrench body16distal to the head12. The connector14is configured to mate with an inserter22of an extension20to increase the reach and torque of the wrench10. Any suitable extension may be inserted into the connector14on the wrench10.

FIG. 2shows the wrench10and extension20just prior to matingly engaging with each other. The extension20includes the inserter22, a receiving portion, and a body portion26. The inserter22may include a locking mechanism28. The locking mechanism28may include a bearing element that is spring loaded for engaging the connector14. The connector14may include a detent recess, slot, groove, or other component to receive the locking mechanism28bearing element. The locking mechanism/detent recess is described herein as being on the extension/connector respectively. However, the mechanism and detent recess may be switched in location. That is, the mechanism may be on the connector22and the projection28on the extension20. The extension body26may be of any length. As shown inFIG. 4, a plurality of extensions20,30may be provided of varying lengths such that the reach and torque of the connected tool is increased and selectively varied. The receiving portion24of the first extension20may be matingly engaged with a second inserter32of a second extension30to provide additional reach and torque to the tool. Multiple extensions may be matingly engaged with each other to increase the reach and torque of the tool.

FIG. 6shows a set of wrenches and extensions that may be included in a tool set. Multiple types of wrenches are shown along with different length extensions. In one embodiment, the coupling arrangement of the wrench10to the extension may be reversed. The connector14of the wrench10may be an insertion type and the coupling end of the extension20may be the receiving portion.

In an embodiment, a system for providing improved reach and torque is provided. The system includes a plurality of wrenches110,120,130,140. Each wrench110,120,130,140includes a head112,122,132,142, a wrench body116,126,136,146coupled to the head, and a connector114,124,134,144coupled to the wrench body116,126,136,146distal to the head112,122,132,1442. The wrench heads112,122,132,142may be one of a plurality of different configurations. The system includes a plurality of extensions20,30. Each extension20,30includes an inserter22,32and an extension body26,36. The extension bodies26,36may be different lengths. Each inserter22,32is configured to mate with all of the connectors114,124,134,144, and the extensions20,30increase the reach and torque of the wrench. Different configurations of wrench heads112,122,132,142may be provided and may include different wrench heads112,122,132,142capable of coupling to different sized and/or types of nuts. The connector14and the inserter22may be matingly coupled via a bearing locking mechanism28. The inserter22may be square and may include a bearing locking mechanism28. The connector14may include a correspondingly shaped receiving portion for the inserter22. The extension connector24and the wrench connector14may be operatively identical. The extension inserter22and the additional extension inserter32may be operatively identical. The inserter22may be a proprietary shape and may include a bearing locking mechanism28. The connector14may include a correspondingly shaped receiving portion for the inserter22. The extension20may include an angled or curved body26. The inserter22or connector24of the extension20may be angled with respect to the body26of the extension20.

As shown inFIG. 5, a method80for increasing reach and torque of a tool, such as the tool described herein, is disclosed. The method80includes attaching an extension20to a connector14of the wrench10at step82. The extension20includes an inserter22configured to mate with the wrench connector14to provide the wrench10with increased reach and torque. The method80includes reaching the attached wrench10and extension20to engage a nut at step84. The method80includes applying force to the extension20and applying increased torque to the nut via the attached wrench10and extension20at step86. Multiple extensions20,30may be engaged with each other and the wrench10to apply more torque to the nut.

As shown inFIG. 7, the wrench10has a length LW, the extension20has a length LEand the tool, as assembled, has a total length of LT. Torque is a measure of the turning force on an object, i.e. a nut or bolt. Torque is based on the length of a tool and the force applied to the end of that tool. Because torque is based on the total length of a tool, the increased length of the tool LTcompared to the length of the wrench LWresults in the tool being capable of applying an increased torque to a bolt as compared to the wrench10. If only the wrench10is used to apply torque to the nut, the torque would equal the amount of force applied to the end of the wrench multiplied by LW. Once the extension20engages the wrench10, the torque applied to the nut is increased because the length of the tool is increased from LWto LT. Multiple additional extensions20,30of longer or shorter lengths than the length of the extension LEmay be added to the tool to vary the torque of the tool. Any combination of extensions may be added to the tool to achieve any desired reach or torque of the tool.

As shown inFIG. 8, which shows a square inserter and corresponding square connector by way of example, the force applied on the extension F1 causes a concentration of force on a side wall at an axial end of the inserter. An opposing force to F1 is shown as F3 and is concentrated on an opposite side wall at a base of the inserter. A corresponding force to F1 is concentrated on a side wall of the connector and is shown as F2. A corresponding force to F3 is concentrated on a side wall of the connector near the axial end of the wrench and is shown as F4. These forces coupled the force applied to the extension to the wrench and wrench head, and therefore to the bolt or nut. This concentration of forces is shown for a square inserter/connector in which the wrench head is oriented in a plane that is parallel to two side walls of the inserter and connector. Other configurations of the inserter/connector are possible, as noted above. The side walls of the inserter and connector may be rotated by 45° such that when the extension is rotated to apply torque to a bolt, the associated forces are concentrated at a point where the side walls of the inserter intersect. The inserter and connector may be triangular, pentagonal, star shaped, circular, or other polygonal shape. The shapes of the inserter and the connector may be adapted to apply additional torque as needed within generally accepted engineering principles. The shape of the inserter and connector may be selected to ensure the stress concentrations from the force of the torque applied to the tool do not cause mechanical failure of the tool. The shapes of the inserter and connector may be aligned such that the surfaces of the inserter and connector that engage one another may be aligned with an axis of force. This may be beneficial to distribute stress concentrations across the engaging surfaces of the insert and connector.

Other tools, besides wrenches, may be used to apply the principles described above for providing additional reach and torque through the use of extensions. The ends of tools may be configured to matingly engage with extensions.

Having thus described various embodiments of the tool in detail, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes, only a few of which are exemplified in the detailed description above, could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.