CONNECTION DEVICE FOR CONNECTING AND RELEASING A SOCKET RELATIVE TO A RATCHET WRENCH

A connection device of a ratchet wrench includes a connection portion extending from the head of a ratchet wrench and having a receiving hole. A tool part includes a ball head and a driving portion which is connected to the ball head by a neck. The ball head includes multiple curved faces, and a ridge is formed between any two adjacent curved faces. A clutch device is mounted to the connection portion to secure or release the ball head of the tool part relative to the receiving hole of the connection portion. The ball head of the tool part allows the tool part to be tilt relative to the head of the wrench.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Fields of the Invention

The present invention relates to a ratchet wrench, and more particularly, to a connection device for quickly connecting or releasing a tool part relative to a ratchet wrench.

2. Descriptions of Related Art

The conventional ratchet wrenches include a head with a ratchet mechanism received in therein, and a ratchet wheel is rotatably received in the head so as to output torque in desired direction by operation of a switch device on the wrench. Some ratchet wrenches for being connected with a socket includes a rectangular protrusion from the head so as to be connected with a socket which is perpendicularly connected to the head of the wrench. However, the angle of the socket relative to the head of the wrench cannot be adjusted so that the conventional socket and wrench cannot conveniently access the object to be tightened or loosened in a narrow space. Although some wrenches is connected with a socket that has a hall head, and the socket can be adjusted, a new problem is that the connection between the connection between the ball head of the socket and the wrench is not stable so that cannot output a stable and high torque.

The present invention intends to provide a connection device of a ratchet wrench and the connection device that is designed to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a connection device of a ratchet wrench, and comprises a connection portion extending from one end of the head of a ratchet wrench. The connection portion has a receiving hole defined axially therein which is a polygonal hole. A tool part has a ball head and a driving portion which is connected to the ball head by a neck. The ball head includes multiple curved faces. The curved faces each are a recessed faces with an identical curvature, and the curved faces are located around the axis of the driving portion. A ridge is formed between any two adjacent curved faces. A clutch device is connected to the connection portion to secure or release the ball head of the tool part relative to the receiving hole of the connection portion.

Preferably, the clutch device includes a first hole defined through the wall of the connection portion. A C-shaped expandable ring is mounted to outside of the connection portion and has an opening formed between two ends of the C-shaped expandable ring. A second hole is defined through the wall of the expandable ring and located in alignment with the first hole. A ball is movably engaged with the first and second holes. The C-shaped expandable ring pushes the ball toward the receiving hole so that a portion of the ball protrudes into the receiving hole and is engaged with the neck of the tool part to maintain the ball bead within the receiving hole of the connection portion. When a portion of the ball head that has a maximum diameter contacts and pushes the ball, the ball is pushed away from the receiving hole and the expandable ring is expanded, so that the ball head is releasable from the receiving hole of the connection portion.

Preferably, the clutch device includes a first hole defined through the wall of the connection portion and a ball is movably engaged with the first hole. A control ring is mounted to outside of the connection portion. A spring is biased between an end face of the bead and an end of the control ring. The control ring includes a maximum diameter portion and a minimum diameter portion formed in the inner periphery thereof. When the minimum diameter portion of the control ring is located corresponding to the ball, the ball is pushed to protrude into the receiving hole and engaged with the neck of the tool part to maintain the ball bead within the receiving hole of the connection portion. When moving the control ring to compress the spring, the maximum diameter portion of the control ring is located corresponding to the ball, when a portion of the ball head that has a maximum diameter contacts and pushes the ball, the ball is pushed away from the receiving hole so that the ball is received in the maximum diameter portion of the control ring, the ball head is releasable from the receiving hole of the connection portion.

Preferably, the driving portion of the tool part is a socket with a polygonal recess.

Preferably, the driving portion of the tool part is a polygonal rod.

Preferably, the ball head includes six curved faces and six ridges.

The advantages of the present invention are that the ball head of the tool part can be vertical or tilt an angle relative to the head of the wrench.

The ball head of the tool part is adjusted according to needs so as to easily access the objects to be tightened or loosened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 2, the connection device of a ratchet wrench of the present invention comprises a connection portion20extending from one end of a head11of a ratchet wrench10, wherein the connection portion20is an annular part and has a polygonal receiving hole21defined axially therein. A tool part30includes a ball head31and a driving portion32which is connected to the ball head31by a neck33which has a smaller diameter than that of the ball head31and the driving portion32. The ball head31includes multiple curved faces311, and the curved faces311each are a recessed faces with an identical curvature. The curved faces311are located around the axis of the driving portion32, and a ridge312is formed between any two adjacent curved faces311. The driving portion32of the tool part30can be a socket3211with a polygonal recess as shown inFIG. 4, or a polygonal rod322. As shown inFIG. 5. The ball head31includes may have six curved faces311and six ridges312, and other shape of the ball head31can also be available.

A clutch device40is connected to the connection portion20to secure or release the ball head31of the tool part30relative to the receiving hole21of the connection portion20. The clutch device40includes a first hole22defined through the wall of the connection portion20. A C-shaped expandable ring41is mounted to outside of the connection portion20and has an opening411formed between two ends of the C-shaped expandable ring41. In other words, the opening411allows the expandable ring41to expandable. A second hole410is defined through the wall of the expandable ring41and located in alignment with the first hole22. A ball23is movably engaged with the first and second holes22,410. When the tool part30is connected to the connection portion20as shown InFIG. 2, the inside of the C-shaped expandable ring41pushes the ball23toward the receiving hole21so that a portion of the ball23protrudes into the receiving hole21and is engaged with the neck33of the tool part30to maintain the ball bead21within the receiving hole21of the connection portion20. As shown inFIG. 3, when pulling the tool part30away from the connection portion20, a portion of the ball head31that has a maximum diameter contacts and pushes the ball23, the ball23is pushed away from the receiving hole21and the expandable ring41is expanded, so that the ball head.31is released from the receiving hole21of the connection portion20. Similarly, when connecting the tool part30to the receiving hole21of the connection portion20, simply inserting the ball head31through the expandable ring41to push the ball23and the tool part30is retained in the receiving hole21when the ball23is engaged with the neck33.

As shown inFIG. 4, the ball head31allows the head11of the ratchet wrench10to be pivoted about the ball head31so that the tool part30is tilt relative to the ratchet wrench10. Therefore, the tool part30can access the object head50in a narrow space. The ball head.31of the tool part30can be vertical or tilt an angle relative to the head11of the ratchet wrench10as respectively shown inFIGS. 2 and 4.

As shown inFIGS. 6 to 8, the clutch device40may include a first hole22defined through the wall of the connection portion20and a hall23is movably engaged with the first hole22. A control ring42is mounted to outside of the connection portion20. A spring43is biased between an end face of the head11and an end of the control ring42. The control ring42includes a maximum diameter portion421and a minimum diameter portion422formed in the inner periphery thereof. When the minimum diameter portion422of the control ring42is located corresponding to the ball23, the ball23is pushed to protrude into the receiving hole21and engaged with the neck33of the tool part30to maintain the ball bead.31within the receiving hole21of the connection portion20. When moving the control ring42to compress the spring43, the maximum diameter portion421of the control ring42is located corresponding to the ball23, and the ball23is no longer pushes by the minimum diameter portion422of the control ring42. When a portion of the ball head31that has a maximum diameter contacts and pushes the ball23, the ball23is pushed away from the receiving hole21and the tool part30can be disconnected from the ratchet wrench10. The tool part50can be connected to the ratchet wrench10again simply inserting the ball head31into the control ring42and the connection portion20.