Hand tool with an adjusting structure

A hand tool with an adjusting structure includes a handle having an assembling space, an axial hole opened at a bottom of the assembling space, a controlling set having an engaging member, the engaging member received into the axial hole, the engaging member having an engaging notch opened thereon, a head member having a pivoting portion defined at one end thereof, the pivoting portion received in the assembling space, a pivoting rod passing through the assembling space and the pivoting portion at one end of the handle, the pivoting portion having a plurality of ratch teeth defined thereon, the engaging member engages with one ratch tooth of the pivoting portion. Under this arrangement, when the user wants to adjust an angle between the handle and the head member, the user rotates the head member relative the handle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hand tool and more particularly to a hand tool with an adjusting structure, in which an angle between a handle and a head member pivoted on the handle is adjustable.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional hand tool with an adjusting structure comprises a head including an end with an arcuate toothed face, a handle including an end defining a compartment for pivotal connection with the end of the head, the handle including a longitudinal hole having an inner end and an outer end communicated with the compartment, the handle further including a transverse hole communicated with the inner end of the longitudinal hole and a reduced hole intercommunicated between the transverse hole and the inner end of the longitudinal hole, a catch mounted in the longitudinal hole and including a first end with an arcuate toothed surface and a second end including a stub extended through the reduced hole, the arcuate toothed surface having more than ten teeth so that the teeth of the head can be engaged with the arcuate toothed surface of the catch by more than ten teeth to thereby provide a reliable retaining effect, a push button mounted in the transverse hole and including a stem, the stem including a relatively higher portion and a relatively lower portion, means for biasing the push button to a retaining position in which the second end of the catch engages with the relatively higher portion of the stem such that the arcuate toothed surface of the catch is biased to engage with the arcuate toothed face of the head, thereby retaining the head in an angular position relative to the handle, and wherein when the push button is pushed, the second end of the catch is disengaged from the relatively higher portion of the stem such that the arcuate toothed surface of the catch is disengaged from the arcuate toothed face of the head, thereby allowing adjustment of the angular position of the head relative to the handle; and an elastic member being mounted around the stub for assisting in bias of the catch toward the head when the push button is in its retaining position.

However, the conventional hand tool with an adjusting structure has one disadvantage as following:

Although the arcuate toothed surface of the catch has more than ten teeth so as to provide the reliable retaining effect on the head, the catch is high-cost because the catch has more than ten teeth. In addition, each tooth of the head must completely match each tooth of the catch so that a high precision for manufacturing is necessary. Therefore, the conventional hand tool with an adjusting structure would be expensive.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved hand tool.

To achieve the objective, a hand tool with an adjusting structure comprises a handle having an assembling space defined at one end thereof, an axial hole opened at a bottom of the assembling space, a transverse hole opened at one literal side of the handle, the transverse hole communicating with the axial hole, a controlling set having a push button, an engaging member and a transverse elastomer, the engaging member received into the axial hole, the engaging member being axially movable in the axial hole, the engaging member having an engaging head and a stub, the engaging head having an engaging notch opened thereon, the engaging head having a left abutting surface and a right abutting surface which are respectively defined at two outer sides of the engaging notch, the push button received into the transverse hole, the push button being axially movable in the transverse hole, an opened space defined on an upper side of the push button, so that the opened space corresponds to the axial hole, a step block defined in the opened space, the engaging member abutting against the step block, the transverse elastomer enclosing the push button, two ends of the transverse elastomer respectively abutting against a bottom of the transverse hole and the push button, a head member having a pivoting portion defined at one end thereof, the pivoting portion of the head member received in the assembling space, a pivoting rod passing through the assembling space and the pivoting portion at one end of the handle, one end of the pivoting portion formed as arc-shaped and having a plurality of ratch teeth defined thereon, each ratch tooth having a right surface and a left surface respectively defined at two sides thereof, the right surface and the left surface of each ratch tooth respectively corresponding to the left abutting surface and the right abutting surface of the engaging member. Wherein, an area of the left abutting surface and another area of the right abutting surface are respectively larger than the right surface and the left surface; the transverse hole has an enlarged space at an outer end thereof and a reduced space at an inner end thereof; the enlarged space communicates with the reduced space; an area of the enlarged space is larger than the reduced space; the push button has a push end and a stem at two ends thereof; the stem is connected to the push end; the opened space and the step block are both located at the stem; the stem of the push button is received into the reduced space; the push end of the push button is movable in the enlarged space; the transverse elastomer encloses the stem of the push button; two ends of the transverse elastomer respectively abut against a bottom of the enlarged space and the push end; an axial elastomer encloses the stub of the engaging member; two ends of the axial elastomer respectively abut against a bottom of the axial hole and the engaging head of the engaging member. Under this arrangement, when the engaging head of the engaging member engages with one ratch tooth of the pivoting portion, the above one ratch tooth is received into the engaging notch of the engaging head; in addition, there are two adjacent ratch teeth at two sides of the above one ratch tooth; the right surface of one adjacent ratch tooth abuts against the left abutting surface of the engaging head; the left surface of another adjacent ratch tooth abuts against the right abutting surface of the engaging head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1-5, a hand tool with an adjusting structure in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle1, a controlling set2, a head member3and a pivoting rod4. The handle1has an assembling space11defined at one end thereof. An axial hole12is opened at a bottom of the assembling space11. A transverse hole13is opened at one literal side of the handle1. The transverse hole13communicates with the axial hole12.

The controlling set2has a push button21, an engaging member22and a transverse elastic member23. The engaging member22is received into the axial hole12. The engaging member22is axially movable in the axial hole12. The engaging member22has an engaging head221and a stub222. The engaging head221defines two engaging teeth226at a top thereof and an engaging notch223between the two engaging teeth226of the engaging head221, as shown inFIG. 5. The engaging head221has a left abutting surface224and a right abutting surface225which are respectively defined at two outer sides of the two engaging teeth226. The push button21is received into the transverse hole13. The push button21is axially movable in the transverse hole13. A recess211is defined in an upper side of the push button21, so that the recess211corresponds to the axial hole12. A step block212is defined in the recess211. The engaging member22abuts against the step block212. The transverse elastic member23encloses the push button21. Two ends of the transverse elastic member23respectively abut against a wall of the transverse hole13and the push button21.

The head member3has a pivoting portion31defined at one end thereof. The pivoting portion31of the head member3is received in the assembling space11. The pivoting rod4passes through the assembling space11and the pivoting portion31at one end of the handle1, so that the head member3is pivoted on the handle1via the pivoting portion31thereof and the pivoting rod4. One end of the pivoting portion31is formed as arc-shaped and has a plurality of teeth311defined thereon. Each tooth311has a right tooth surface312and a left tooth surface313respectively defined at two sides thereof. The right tooth surface312and the left tooth surface313of each tooth311respectively correspond to the left abutting surface224and the right abutting surface225of the engaging member22, as shown inFIG. 5. The engaging head221of the engaging member22engages with a selected one of the teeth311of the pivoting portion31. Referring toFIG. 5a width of the engaging notch223is slightly larger than a width of each tooth311, so that a gap is defined between each tooth311and the engaging notch223so as to prevent the engaging notch223and each tooth311from being abraded. Under this arrangement, the selected tooth311of the pivoting portion31is received in the engaging notch223of the engaging head221; specifically, the right tooth surface312and the left tooth surface313are respectively spaced a distance apart from a wall of the engaging notch223.

The above disclosure is enough to perform preferred functions in the embodiment of the present invention.

The detail of the operation for adjusting an angle between the head member3and the handle1and positioning the head member3is described as following.

First, the user presses the push button21and rotates the head member3relative to the handle1; simultaneously, the engaging head221is disengaged from the selected tooth311, and the tooth311presses the engaging head221so as to push the engaging member22toward the recess211; in addition, the transverse elastomer23is compressed by the push button21.

Second, when the angle between the head member3and the handle1is suitable, the user stops rotating the head member3and releases the push button21, so that a recovery force of the transverse elastomer23pushes the push button21back; as a result, the engaging head221engages with another tooth311of the pivoting portion31via the above motion of the push button21, so that the respective tooth311is received into the engaging notch223of the engaging head221. In addition, there are two adjacent teeth311at two sides of the above tooth311; the right tooth surface312of one adjacent tooth311abuts against the left abutting surface224of the engaging head221; the left tooth surface313of another adjacent tooth311abuts against the right abutting surface225of the engaging head221so as to uphold the head member3(as shown inFIG. 5).

Therefore, the head member3is positioned firmly via the right tooth surface312and the left tooth surface313of each tooth311thereof, and the left abutting surface224and the right abutting surface225of the engaging member22; the left abutting surface224and the right abutting surface225tightly abut against the right tooth surface312and the left tooth surface313respectively, so as to prevent the friction between each tooth311and the engaging head221during the operation.

Furthermore, referring toFIGS. 1-5, an area of the left abutting surface224and that of the right abutting surface225are respectively larger than the right tooth surface312and the left tooth surface313, so that the engaging notch223does not completely match each tooth311and a high precision for manufacturing is not necessary. The transverse hole13has an enlarged space131at an outer end thereof and a reduced space132at an inner end thereof. The enlarged space131communicates with the reduced space132. An area of the enlarged space131is larger than the reduced space132. The push button21has a head213and a stem214at two ends thereof. The stem214is connected to the head213. The head213of the push button21is partially exposed from the enlarged space131of the transverse hole13. The recess211and the step block212are both located at the stem214. The stem214of the push button21is received into the reduced space132. The head213of the push button21is movable in the enlarged space131. The transverse elastomer23encloses the stem214of the push button21. Two ends of the transverse elastomer23respectively abut against a wall of the enlarged space131and the head213. When the user presses the push button21, the motion of the push button21is limited in the enlarged space131and the transverse elastomer23is compressed by the push button21. In contrast, when the user releases the push button21, the recovery force of the transverse elastomer23pushes the push button21back; as a result, the stub222of the engaging member22is moved from recess211to the step block212, so that the engaging notch223engages with the pivoting portion31; in addition, the push button21supports the engaging member22at the step block212thereof via the recovery force of the transverse elastomer23. Specifically, an axial elastomer5encloses the stub222of the engaging member22. Two ends of the axial elastomer5respectively abut against a bottom of the axial hole12and the engaging head221of the engaging member22. Therefore, when the user presses the push button21and rotates the head member3relative to the handle1, the engaging head221is disengaged from the teeth311step by step by the compression of the axial elastomer5.