Hand tool

A hand tool has a tool shaft, an inner sliding sleeve, an engagement module, and an outer sliding sleeve. The inner sliding sleeve is mounted around the tool shaft and is selectively engaged with the tool shaft. The engagement module has a spring mounted around the inner sliding sleeve. The outer sliding sleeve is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve, abuts the spring and selectively engaged with the inner sliding sleeve. The hand tool is applied for connecting with an inner polygonal bolt or an outer polygonal bolt.

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 multiple applications for various types of nuts and bolts.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional hand tool is applied for tightening or loosening a bolt or a nut, and is generally applied for a particular type of bolt or nut, such as an inner square bolt. When the hand tool is applied for another type of bolt or nut, such as an outer hexagonal bolt, the hand tool has to be connected with an adapter sleeve.

To resolve the inconvenience of using the hand tool, a hand tool with a sliding sleeve is provided. The hand tool has a tool body and a sliding sleeve slidably mounted around the tool body. When the sliding sleeve is slid to be retracted relative to the tool body, the tool body can be connected with an inner hexagonal bolt. On the other hand, when the sliding sleeve is slid and the tool body is retracted relative to the sliding sleeve, the sliding sleeve can be connected with an outer hexagonal bolt. However, the sliding sleeve is not positioned relative to the tool body, and is slid easily to interfere with the operation of the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a hand tool to resolve the afore-mentioned problems.

The hand tool has a tool shaft, an inner sliding sleeve, an engagement module, and an outer sliding sleeve.

The tool shaft has a working segment and an engaging recess formed in the working segment.

The inner sliding sleeve is slidably mounted around the working segment, is selectively positioned relative to the working segment, and has an engaging hole and an engaging ball. The engaging hole is formed through the inner sliding sleeve and selectively aligned with the engaging recess. The engaging ball is moveably mounted in the engaging hole.

The engagement module is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve and has a first ring mounted around the inner sliding sleeve and a spring mounted around the inner sliding sleeve and abutting the first ring.

The outer sliding sleeve is slidably mounted around the inner sliding sleeve and has an inner wall formed inside the outer sliding sleeve, an abutting block annularly formed on the inner wall of the outer sliding sleeve, a pressing surface, and a stopping surface. The pressing surface is formed on a side of the abutting block facing the inner sliding sleeve, and selectively pressing the engaging ball. The stopping surface is formed in an end of the abutting block and abuts an end of the spring at a position opposite to the first ring.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With the reference toFIGS. 1 to 3, a preferred embodiment of a hand tool in accordance with the present invention has a tool shaft10, an inner sliding sleeve20, an engagement module30, and an outer sliding sleeve40.

The tool shaft10has an operating segment11, a working segment12, an engaging recess13, and an engagement unit recess14and an engagement unit15. The operating segment11may be applied for being held by a user, or may be applied for connecting with a handle for the tool shaft10. The working segment12has a square outer cross section, and is connected with the operating segment11. The engaging recess13and the engagement unit recess14are recessed in the working segment12. The engagement unit15is mounted in the engagement unit recess14and protrudes from the engagement unit recess14.

The inner sliding sleeve20is slidably mounted around the working segment12and is selectively positioned relative to the working segment12. The inner sliding sleeve20has a square inner cross section that matches the outer cross section of the working segment12. The inner sliding sleeve20further has an engaging hole21, an engaging ball22, an abutting hole23, an abutting ball24, a sleeve buckle25, and four slits26. The engaging hole21is formed through the inner sliding sleeve20and is selectively aligned with the engaging recess13. The engaging ball22is moveably mounted in the engaging hole21. When the engaging hole21is aligned with the engaging recess13, the engaging ball22is slid into and engaged with the engaging recess13, such that a position of the inner sliding sleeve20relative to the tool shaft10is fixed. The abutting hole23is formed through the inner sliding sleeve20and is adjacent to an end of the inner sliding sleeve20. The abutting ball24is moveably mounted in the abutting hole23. The sleeve buckle25is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve20and has a radial elasticity relative to the inner sliding sleeve20. The abutting ball24protrudes out of the sleeve buckle25. The sleeve buckle25may be an elastic ring or a spring. Preferably, the sleeve buckle25is an elastic ring and has a ball hole251formed through the sleeve buckle25at a position corresponding to the abutting ball24. The abutting ball24protrudes from the ball hole251. The slits26are longitudinally recessed in an inner wall of the inner sliding sleeve20and are respectively located at four sides of the inner wall of the inner sliding sleeve20. Therefore, the inner sliding sleeve20can be connected with a square tool adapter and a hexagonal tool adapter.

The engagement module30is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve20and has a first ring31, a second ring32and a spring33. The first ring31is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve20at a position away from the abutting hole23. The second ring32is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve20. The spring33is mounted around the inner sliding sleeve20and is located between the first ring31and the second ring32. The spring33abuts the first ring31by one of two ends of the spring33to keep the spring33from detaching from the inner sliding sleeve20.

The outer sliding sleeve40is slidably mounted around the inner sliding sleeve20and has an abutting block41, a pressing surface42, a stopping surface43and an abutting surface44. The abutting block41is annularly formed on an inner wall of the outer sliding sleeve40. The pressing surface42is formed on a side of the abutting block41facing the inner sliding sleeve20, and selectively presses the engaging ball22. The stopping surface43is formed in an end of the abutting block41and abuts one of the ends of the spring33at a position opposite to the first ring31. The abutting surface44is formed in another end of the abutting block41at a position opposite to the stopping surface43, and selectively abuts the second ring32.

With reference toFIGS. 3 and 4, when the outer sliding sleeve40is slid relative to the inner sliding sleeve20, the stopping surface43presses the spring33, and the engaging ball22is not pressed by the pressing surface42. Then, the engaging ball22can be detached from the engaging recess13and protrudes out from the engaging hole21. Then, after the inner sliding sleeve20is slid relative to the tool shaft10, a part of the engaging ball22that protrudes out of the engaging hole21abuts the abutting surface44, such that the outer sliding sleeve40can be moved at the same time. The inner sliding sleeve20can be slid until the inner sliding sleeve20abuts a connecting junction between the operating segment11and the working segment12. The abutting block41is positioned between the spring33and the engaging ball22, such that the outer sliding sleeve40can be fixed relative to the inner sliding sleeve20. Therefore, the tool shaft10protrudes out of the inner sliding sleeve20, and the engagement unit15is exposed. The working segment12can be connected with an inner square tool adapter, wherein the engagement unit15can press the inner square tool adapter tightly to keep the inner square tool adapter from detaching from the working segment12.

With reference to a right half ofFIG. 4andFIG. 5, when the inner sliding sleeve20(or the outer sliding sleeve40) is pulled relative to the tool shaft10, the inner sliding sleeve20and the outer sliding sleeve40can be moved relative to the tool shaft10at the same time since the inner sliding sleeve20and the outer sliding sleeve40are engaged with each other.

With reference toFIGS. 3 and 5, after the inner sliding sleeve20is pulled relative to the tool shaft10, the engaging hole21is aligned with the engaging recess13and the engaging ball22is pressed into the engaging recess13by the pressing surface42. The abutting block41is pressed by the spring33to hold the outer sliding sleeve40in position relative to the inner sliding sleeve20. When the abutting block41is at a position between the first ring31and the second ring32, the position of the outer sliding sleeve40relative to the inner sliding sleeve20is fixed. Accordingly, the inner sliding sleeve20protrudes out of the tool shaft10and the inner sliding sleeve20can be connected with a hexagonal tool adapter or a square tool adapter. The abutting ball24can abut the tool adapter tightly to keep the tool adapter from detaching from the inner sliding sleeve20.

From the above description, it is noted that the present invention has the following advantages:

1. When the inner sliding sleeve20is slid to protrude out of the tool shaft10, the engaging ball22(engaged between the engaging recess13and the engaging hole21) can position the inner sliding sleeve20relative to the tool shaft10to keep the inner sliding sleeve20from retracting relative to the tool shaft10.

On the other hand, the outer sliding sleeve40is pressed along the tool shaft10, and the engaging ball22is not pressed by the pressing surface42, such that the engaging ball22can detach from the engaging recess13. Consequently, the inner sliding sleeve20is retracted relative to the tool shaft10, and the outer sliding sleeve40is also moved relative to the tool shaft10since the engaging ball22presses the abutting block41.

2. When the inner sliding sleeve20is retracted relative to the tool shaft10, the working segment12can be connected with the tool adapter tightly by the engagement unit15.

3. The second ring32can keep the outer sliding sleeve40from detaching from the inner sliding sleeve20. When the working segment12is retracted relative to the inner sliding sleeve20, the inner sliding sleeve20can be connected with the tool adapter tightly by the abutting ball24. Furthermore, the inner sliding sleeve20can be connected with the hexagonal tool adapter by the slits26.