Fixation Structure of Sleeve Tool

A fixation structure of a sleeve tool is provided and includes a universal joint and a universal socket. The universal joint has a surface and a universal joint hole thereunder. The universal joint hole holds therein a spring and a ball. The universal joint has a radial length including a distance by which the ball protrudes from the surface. The universal socket has a connection hole for receiving and engaging with the universal joint and has an inner side. A recess is disposed under the inner side of the universal socket. The connection hole has a hole diameter. The ratio of the radial length to the hole diameter is greater than 0.902 to prevent the ball from retracting completely into the recess even when a user pulls the universal joint 20 by hand, thereby preventing the universal joint from escaping from the connection hole of the universal socket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of hand tools and, more particularly, to a fixation structure of a sleeve tool.

2. Description of Related Art

Conventional hand tools each essentially comprise a handle and a driving portion. The driving portions come in different designs, depending on applications. For example, the driving portion of a conventional hand tool for fixing a hexagon nut in place includes a sleeve, whereas the handle of the conventional hand tool is rod-shaped. The handle and the driving portion together take on a T shape, so as to fit the sleeve around the nut and thereby rotate the nut.

Referring toFIG. 1, a sleeve tool10capable of bending is commercially available. The sleeve tool10has a plurality of link rods11. One end of each link rod11has a universal joint111. The other end of each link rod11has a universal socket112. Each universal joint111is connected to a corresponding universal socket112, thereby connecting the plurality of link rods11in series.

To start using the sleeve tool10, a user fits the universal socket112at the free end around the nut. Since the universal joints111and universal sockets112of the link rods11are connected in series, the link rods11can bend relative to each other; consequently, the sleeve tool10has a longer range than the conventional hand tools.

Referring toFIG. 2andFIG. 3, the universal joint111is substantially cubic in shape. The universal joint111has a surface and has a universal joint hole113under the surface. The universal joint hole113holds therein a spring12and a ball13. The universal socket112has an inner side and has a recess114under the inner side. When the universal joint111is disposed in the universal socket112, the ball13is pushed by the spring12to thereby abut against the recess114, thereby fixing the ball13to the recess114.

To allow the user to connect and separate the link rods11, requirements described below must be fulfilled. A conventional drive socket set includes drive sockets with drive holes, which come in different dimensions, for example, 1/10″, ¼″, and ½″. The description below is exemplified by ¼″ drive socket. Both the spring12and the ball13are mounted in place in the universal joint hole113. The ball13protrudes 5.8 mm from the universal joint111. The hole diameter of the universal socket112is 6.54 mm. When the universal joint111is mounted in place in the universal socket112, a compression distance14of around 0.63 mm is reserved between the surface of the universal joint111and the inner side of the universal socket112. A universal joint radial length is defined as the distance by which the ball13protrudes from the surface of the universal joint111. A universal socket radial length is defined as the hole diameter of the universal socket112. The universal socket radial length is slightly greater than the universal joint radial length. Therefore, when the universal joint111is mounted in place in the universal socket112, the compression distance14is reserved between the surface of the universal joint111and the inner side of the universal socket112. As a result, not only can the user insert the universal joint111into the universal socket112by hand, but the user can also connect and separate the universal joint111and the universal socket112by hand, provided that the ratio of the universal joint radial length to the hole diameter of the universal socket112is less than 0.902.

Conversely, if the ratio of the universal joint radial length to the hole diameter of the universal socket112is greater than 0.902, the user cannot connect and separate the universal joint111and the universal socket112by hand. Therefore, the sleeve tool10capable of bending is intrinsically unstable, because the link rods11can be separated by the user by hand.

Therefore, it is imperative to provide a bendable sleeve tool10whose link rods are inseparable by hand.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an objective of the present disclosure to overcome a drawback of the prior art, that is, conventional sleeve tools capable of bending are intrinsically unstable, because their link rods can be separated by a user by hand.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the present disclosure provides a fixation structure of a sleeve tool, comprising a universal joint and a universal socket.

The universal joint has a surface and has a universal joint hole under the surface. The universal joint hole holds therein a spring and a ball. The universal joint has a radial length which includes a radial length by which the ball protrudes from the surface.

The universal socket has a connection hole adapted to receive and engage with the universal joint. The universal socket has an inner side and has a recess under the surface. The connection hole has a hole diameter. The ratio of the radial length to the hole diameter is greater than 0.902.

In a preferred embodiment, the hole diameter is defined as the distance between two opposing inner sides of the connection hole.

In a preferred embodiment, a recess is disposed under the inner side and adapted to engage with the ball and thereby fix the ball in place.

In a preferred embodiment, the ratio of the radial length to the hole diameter ranges from 0.902 to 1.

Since the ratio of the radial length to the hole diameter is greater than 0.902, a user pulls the universal joint by hand to enable the ball to protrude further from the surface of the universal joint but not to retract completely into the recess, and thus the universal joint is prevented from escaping from the connection hole of the universal socket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIG. 4andFIG. 5, the present disclosure provides a fixation structure of a sleeve tool, which essentially comprises a universal joint20and a universal socket30.

The universal joint20is substantially cubic in shape. The universal joint20has a surface21and has a universal joint hole22under the surface21. The universal joint hole22holds therein a spring23and a ball24. The spring23has one end abutting against the bottom side of the universal joint hole22. The spring23has the other end abutting against the ball24to push the ball24, such that the ball24protrudes from the surface21. The universal joint20has a radial length25which includes a distance by which the ball24protrudes from the surface21. In this embodiment, the depth of the universal joint hole22which holds therein the spring23and the ball24is relatively reduced, such that the ball24is pushed by the spring23and thus protrudes further from the surface21, thereby increasing the radial length25.

A connection hole31is disposed under the end side of the universal socket30and adapted to receive and engage with the universal joint20. The universal socket30has an inner side32which surrounds the connection hole31. A hole diameter33is defined as the distance between two opposing inner sides32in the connection hole31. The ratio of the radial length25to the hole diameter33is greater than 0.902, such that the universal joint20cannot escape from the connection hole31of the universal socket30. A recess34is disposed under each inner side32and adapted to engage with the ball24and thereby fix the ball24in place.

In this embodiment, the hole diameter33is 6.54 mm, whereas the radial length25is 5.9 mm. The ratio (X) of the radial length25to the hole diameter33is calculated as follows:

Therefore, the ratio (X) of the radial length25to the hole diameter33is 0.90214. Since the ratio of the radial length25to the hole diameter33is greater than the 0.902, the universal joint20cannot be mounted in place in the connection hole31of the universal socket30by hand but must be pressed into the connection hole31of the universal socket30with a hydraulic machine or pressing machine. After being fitted to each other with the hydraulic machine or pressing machine, the universal joint20and the universal socket30cannot be separated by hand. Therefore, the present disclosure is effective in ensuring that the universal joint20and the universal socket30cannot be separated by hand.

Furthermore, the ratio of the radial length25to the hole diameter33must be less than 1; thus, the ratio of the radial length25to the hole diameter33must range from 0.902 to 1 in order to ensure that the universal joint20and the universal socket30cannot be separated by hand.

In the second embodiment, the radial length25of the connection hole31is reduced, such that the ratio of the radial length25to the hole diameter33is greater than 0.902.

The structural features and connections thereof in a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure are described above. The usage and achievable advantages of the present disclosure are described below.

Referring toFIG. 5, the universal joint20is mounted in place in the connection hole31of the universal socket30with the hydraulic machine or pressing machine, such that the ball24is engaged with and fixed to the recess34. The spring23abuts against the ball24, so as to fix the universal joint20and the universal socket30in place.

Since the ratio of the radial length25to the hole diameter33is greater than 0.902, a user pulls the universal joint20by hand to enable the ball24to protrude further from the surface21of the universal joint20but not to retract completely into the recess34, and thus the universal joint20is prevented from escaping from the connection hole31of the universal socket30.