RATCHET ASSEMBLY

A ratchet assembly has a housing and a sleeve fixing device. The housing has a fixing space. The sleeve fixing device is mounted through the housing and has a sleeve fixing element, a rotating element, and a reverting support. The sleeve fixing element is mounted in the fixing space of the housing and has a rotation portion. The rotating element is rotatably mounted through the rotation portion. The reverting support is mounted through the rotating element and has a moveable barrel, a rotating ball, a spring, and an abutting element. The rotating ball is rotatably mounted in one end of the moveable barrel. The spring is mounted in the other end of the movable barrel. The abutting element is mounted into the moveable barrel and around the spring. This may prolong the life cycle of the spring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ratchet assembly, and more particularly to a ratchet assembly that has a prolonged life cycle.

2. Description of Related Art

A ratchet wrench has a ratchet element mounted in the ratchet wrench for a user to tighten or loosen a nut. The ratchet element has a reverting support and a spring, and the reverting support is integrally molded as a single part and has a semi-spherical end. The reverting support keeps abutting the ratchet element while the ratchet wrench is in use and is easily worn off. The spring has two ends, and one end of the spring directly abuts against a wall surface of a mounting hole of the ratchet element.

In order to avoid shortening the life cycle of the reverting support by the abrasion in use of the reverting support, a ball is rotatably mounted in a front end of the reverting support and may rotate with the ratchet element. Accordingly, the life cycle of the reverting support can be prolonged. However, the spring directly abuts against the wall surface of the mounting hole of the ratchet element such that the end portion of the spring is pressed against the wall of the fitting hole of the sleeve positioning member. Since the spring directly contacts the wall surface of the mounting hole of the ratchet element, the spring may be distorted after a long time of use.

To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional ratchet assembly, the present invention provides a ratchet assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a ratchet assembly that has a prolonged life cycle.

The ratchet assembly with a rolling support structure has a housing and a sleeve fixing device. The housing has a fixing space. The sleeve fixing device is mounted through the housing and has a sleeve fixing element, a rotating element, and a reverting support. The sleeve fixing element is mounted in the fixing space of the housing and has a rotation portion. The rotating element is rotatably mounted through the rotation portion. The reverting support is mounted through the rotating element and has a moveable barrel, a rotating ball, a spring, and an abutting element. The rotating ball is rotatably mounted in one end of the moveable barrel. The spring is mounted in the other end of the movable barrel. The abutting element is mounted into the moveable barrel, and is mounted around the spring. This may prolong the life cycle of the spring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, a first embodiment of a ratchet assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a housing10, a ratchet element20, and a sleeve fixing device30.

With reference toFIG. 1, the housing10is hollow and has a top portion, a front face, a rear face, a fixing space11, a top cover12, and two openings13. The fixing space11is formed in the housing10. The top cover12is mounted on the top portion of the housing10. The two openings13are formed through the front face and the rear face of the housing10respectively and communicate with the fixing space11.

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, the ratchet element20is mounted in the fixing space11of the housing10. The ratchet element20has an inner circumferential surface and a toothed face21. The toothed face21is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the ratchet element20.

With reference toFIGS. 1 to 3, the sleeve fixing device30is mounted through the housing10horizontally and is engaged with the ratchet element20. The sleeve fixing device30has a sleeve fixing element31, a rotating element32, a reverting support33, and a ratchet block34. The sleeve fixing element31is mounted in the fixing space11of the housing10, and has a rotation portion311and a pivot shaft312. The rotation portion311is a cylinder and has an axis, a front surface, a rear surface, an outer circumferential surface, a mounting hole313, a mounting recess314, a connecting hole315, and a sleeve fixing portion316. The mounting hole313is formed in the front surface of the rotation portion311. The mounting recess314is formed radially in the outer circumferential surface of the rotation portion311. The mounting recess314is semi-circular in shape. The connecting hole315is formed between the mounting recess314and the mounting hole313, and communicates with the mounting recess314and the mounting hole313. The sleeve fixing portion316axially protrudes from the rear surface of the rotation portion311. The pivot shaft312is mounted through the mounting recess314of the rotation portion311.

The rotating element32is mounted through the mounting hole313of the rotation portion311, and has a rotating disk321, a rotating shaft322, and a support element mounting hole323. The rotating disk321may rotatably abut the rotation portion311. The rotating shaft322is integrally connected to a side surface of the rotating disk321. The rotating shaft322is a hollow cylinder. The support element mounting hole323is formed through an outer surface of the rotating shaft322.

The reverting support33is mounted through the support element mounting hole323of the rotating element32, and extends out of the connecting hole315of the rotation portion311. The reverting support33has a moveable barrel331, a rotating ball332, a spring333, and an abutting element334. The moveable barrel331is a cylindrical barrel, and has a first end, a second end, a spring recess3311and a ball mounting recess3312. The spring recess3311is formed in the first end of the moveable barrel331. The ball mounting recess3312is formed in the second end of the moveable barrel331. The second end of the moveable barrel331is mounted through the support element mounting hole323of the rotating shaft322. The rotating ball332is rotatably mounted in the ball mounting recess3312, and part of the rotating ball32protrudes from the ball mounting recess3312. The spring333is mounted in the spring recess3311of the moveable barrel331and has two ends. One of the two ends of the spring333abuts the moveable barrel331. The abutting element334is mounted into the spring recess3311of the moveable barrel331and is mounted around the spring333. In the first embodiment, the abutting element334has an abutting barrel335and an abutting ball336. The abutting barrel335is a cylindrical barrel and has a first end, a second end, a disposing recess3351, and an abutting ball recess3352. The disposing recess3351is formed in the first end of the abutting barrel335, and the other end of the spring333is mounted into and abuts a wall of the disposing recess3351of the abutting barrel335. The abutting ball recess3352is formed in the second end of the abutting barrel335. The abutting ball336is rotatably mounted in the abutting ball recess3352of the abutting barrel335, and part of the abutting ball336protrudes from the abutting ball recess3352, and this enables the abutting ball336to rotatably abut the mounting hole313of the sleeve fixing element31.

The ratchet block34is mounted in the mounting recess314, and is rotatably mounted around the pivot shaft312. The ratchet block34is an elongated block and has an inner surface, an upper end, a bottom end, two engaging faces341, and three positioning recesses342. The two engaging faces341are formed in the upper end and the bottom end of the ratchet block34respectively, the shape and the position of the two engaging faces341correspond to the shape and position of the toothed face21of the ratchet element20. The three positioning recesses342are formed in the inner surface of the ratchet block34and are wave-shaped. The rotating ball332of the reverting support33elastically engages with one of the positioning recesses342. The design of the positioning recesses342enables the inner surface of the ratchet block34to engage with the rotating ball332stably.

With reference toFIG. 4, when the ratchet assembly in accordance with the invention is in use, the reverting support33of the sleeve fixing device30abuts one of the positioning recesses342of the ratchet block34, and this enables the ratchet block34to swing and rotate. One of the engaging faces341of the ratchet block34is engaged with the toothed face21of the ratchet element20. Taking clockwise rotation as an example, the engaging face341at the upper end of the ratchet block34abuts the toothed face21of the ratchet element20. When the sleeve fixing element31rotates clockwise, the abutting ball336of the abutting element334is rotated by force. The design of the abutting ball336and the abutting barrel335prevents one end of the spring333from directly abutting the wall of the mounting hole313of the sleeve fixing element31, and therefore the life cycle of the spring333can be prolonged.

With reference toFIG. 5, the rotating element32rotates the reverting support33to a position below the ratchet block34, and this enables the engaging face341at the bottom end of the ratchet block34to abut the toothed face21of the ratchet element20, and this may keep the sleeve fixing element31rotating in the counterclockwise direction to generate an engaging force.

The design of the abutting element334enables the abutting ball336to rotatably abut a wall of the mounting hole313of the sleeve fixing element31. One end of the spring333is prevented from directly abutting the wall of the mounting hole313of the sleeve fixing element31, and the life cycle of the spring333can be prolonged.

With reference toFIG. 6, a second embodiment of a ratchet assembly in accordance with the present invention is substantially the same as the first embodiment except for the following features. The abutting element334A is a cylindrical barrel and has a first end, a second end, a receiving recess3341A, and an abutting protrusion3342A. The receiving recess3341A is formed in the first end of the abutting element334A, and the other end of the spring333is mounted in and abuts a wall of the receiving recess3341A of the abutting element334A. The abutting protrusion3342A protrudes from the second end of the abutting element334A, and the abutting protrusion3342A is hemispherical. The abutting protrusion3342A abuts the mounting hole313of the sleeve fixing element31. The operating procedure of the second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.