Abstract:
An illumination control apparatus for being applied to a hand tool has a modulized structure and easy to be assembled and operated. The illumination control apparatus primarily comprises a modulized switch circuit, and a housing for enclosing the modulized switch circuit. By pressing a pressing switch of the modulized switch circuit, a light emitting element electrically connected to the modulized switch circuit can be controlled to provide or shut illumination thereof. Besides, the illumination control apparatus is firmly affixed to the hand tool by a screwing method.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an illumination control apparatus adapted to a hand tool, and more particularly, the illumination control apparatus having a modulized structure and being convenient in both assembling and operating so as to provide additional manageability for use of the hand tool. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    It is usually that a user of a hand tool has to reach out his hand holding the hand tool into interior of machines or assemblies, where is inaccessible to external illumination. In such occasion, the user usually has to hold a movable light-emitting element with his the other hand. As a result, he can only use one hand to alternately operate the hand tool and arrange components to be driven by the hand tool. Besides, when the hand tool has to be operated in a confined space where the light-emitting element may not accommodate therein simultaneously, illumination in operation of the hand tool encounters additional challenges. 
         [0005]    In view of the limitations of the conventional approach regarding illumination in operation of hand tools, it is desired to integrate an illumination control apparatus with a hand tool. Moreover, to optimize an assembly of a light emitting element and a hand tool, there is a need for a modulized illumination control apparatus that is easy to manufacture and adaptive to various hand tools. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    In order to improve the existing approach regarding illumination in operation of hand tools, one objective of the present invention is to propose an illumination control apparatus for a hand tool, wherein the illumination control apparatus serves to provide convenient and synchronous illumination in operation of the hand tool. 
         [0007]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide an illumination control apparatus for a hand tool, wherein the illumination control apparatus has a modulized structure that is easy to manufacture and assemble, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and assembling time. 
         [0008]    Another objective of the present invention is to provide an illumination control apparatus for a hand tool, wherein the illumination control apparatus is capable of firmly combining with the hand tool and is secured from coming off the hand tool in operation. 
         [0009]    Still another objective of the present invention is to provide an illumination control apparatus for a hand tool, wherein the illumination control apparatus is ergonomically designed and allows easy operation while preventing from being unintentionally actuated. 
         [0010]    Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an illumination control apparatus for a hand tool, wherein the illumination control apparatus is equipped with a battery chamber assessable through a manageable lid so that batteries in the battery chamber can be easily replaced without disassembling the illumination control apparatus from the hand tool. 
         [0011]    To achieve these and other objectives of the present invention, the disclosed illumination control apparatus for a hand tool primarily comprises: 
         [0012]    a modulized switching circuit including a pressing switch and two conductive bars for holding and electrically connecting at least one battery; 
         [0013]    two conductive pins and a light emitting element, and a housing covering the modulized switching circuit and formed with a switch hole and a depressed portion encircling the switch hole; 
         [0014]    wherein the pressing switch, the conductive bars, the conductive pins and the light emitting element are electrically connected though the modulized switching circuit, so that by operating the pressing switch, a loop between the conductive pins and the light emitting element through the conductive bars is established or broken. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic drawing showing an illumination control apparatus of the present invention assembled with an open-end wrench; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a schematic drawing showing the illumination control apparatus of the present invention disassembled form the open-end wrench and exploded; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a schematic drawing showing the illumination control apparatus of the present invention to be assembled with the open-end wrench; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a sectional drawing of the illumination control apparatus of the present invention and the open-end wrench that are assembled; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is another sectional drawing of the illumination control apparatus of the present invention and the open-end wrench that are assembled wherein the illumination control apparatus is turned on; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is another schematic drawing showing the illumination control apparatus of the present invention assembled with an open-end wrench, wherein a lid of a battery chamber of the illumination control apparatus is lifted. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2  for an illumination control apparatus of the present invention. Though in the following embodiment and the accompanying drawings the illumination control apparatus is assembled with an open-end wrench, it is to be understood by one skilled in the art that the illumination control apparatus is adaptable to any hand tool without limitation. 
         [0023]    According to  FIG. 2 , the open-end wrench  20  has at least one working end  21  and one gripping shank  22 . An accommodating recess  221  is provided concavely on the gripping shank  22 . A channel  222  communicates the gripping shank  22  and the working end  21  while an opening  211  is formed at the working end  21  in communication with the channel  222 . 
         [0024]    The illumination control apparatus  10  of the present invention can be clearly seen in  FIG. 3  and primarily comprises a modulized switching circuit  11  and a housing  12  covering the modulized switching circuit  11 . 
         [0025]    The modulized switching circuit  11  includes a pressing switch  111  and two conductive bars  112 . The two conductive bars  112  serve to hold and electrically connect a plurality of batteries  113 . Although in the present embodiment, the batteries  113  are 1.55V mercury cells, it is to be understood that the batteries  113  may be alkaline batteries, solar cells, or any other types of batteries capable of providing efficient electric power. Two conductive pins  114  and a light emitting element  115  extend outward from one end of the modulized switching circuit  11 . In the present embodiment, the light emitting element  115  is a light-emitting diode (LED). According to the above structure, the batteries  113 , the conductive bars  112 , the pressing switch  111 , the conductive pins  114  and the light emitting element  115  are electrically connected so that the pressing switch  111  can be operated to allow the light emitting element  115  to provide or shot illumination thereof. 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the housing  12  comprises a body  121  and a lid  122 . The lid  122  is pivotally connected to an upper edge of the body  121  and when the lid  122  is lifted, the batteries  113  between the two conductive bars  112  of the modulized switching circuit  11  are exposed to the exterior so as to allow the batteries  113  to be removed and replaced. Besides, seeing  FIG. 6 , the body  121  further has a groove  123  while the lid  122  further has a flange  124  designed to be detachable coupled with the groove  123  so that when the lid  122  is closed to the body  121 , the flange  124  is coupled with the groove  123  and the lid  122  is secured beside the body  121  from unintentionally lifted. 
         [0027]    In addition, a switch hole  125  and a depressed portion  126  encircling the switch hole  125  are provided at the body  121  of the housing  12 . The switch hole  125  is in positional correspondence to the pressing switch  111  of the modulized switching circuit  11 . Thereby, when the housing  12  and the modulized switching circuit  11  are assembled with each other, the pressing switch  111  appears at the switch hole  125  and is accessible to a user for being operated to turning on or shutting off the light emitting device  115 . 
         [0028]    The depressed portion  126  encircling the switch hole  125  has a centripetal slope that is ergonomically designed so as to facilitate the user&#39;s pressing the pressing switch  111  and prevent the pressing switch  111  from being unintentionally pressed when the hand tool is left in idleness. Please refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , showing positions of the pressing switch  111  with respect to the switch hole  125  of the housing  12  when the pressing switch  111  is not pressed and pressed. As can be seen in the drawings, when the pressing switch  111  is not pressed, its upper edge remains lower than a surface of the housing  12 . Therefore, even when the open-end wrench  20  is randomly placed on a surface with the illumination control apparatus  10  thereon facing the surface, the pressing switch  111  is in no contact with the surface and can be secured from being unintentionally pressed so that the light emitting element  115  is free from being unintentionally turned on through the conductive bars  112  and the conductive pins  114 . 
         [0029]    Now the description is directed to the manner the modulized switching circuit  11  of the illumination control apparatus  10  assembled with the open-end wrench  20 . Referring back to  FIG. 2 , the accommodating recess  221  at the gripping shank  22  of the open-end wrench  20  is shaped according to the modulized switching circuit  11  and the housing  12  of the illumination control apparatus  10  and is provided with two threaded holes  223  at a bottom thereof. Meantime, the modulized switching circuit  11  and the housing  12  are also provided with threaded holes  116 ,  127  corresponding to the threaded holes  223  of the accommodating recess  221 . Thereby, when the conductive pins  114  of the modulized switching circuit  11  are received in the channel  222  passing through the gripping shank  22  of the open-end wrench  20  and the light emitting element  115  is positioned at the opening  221  of the working end  21  of the open-end wrench, two screws  30  can pass through the threaded holes  127  of the housing, the threaded holes  116  of the modulized switching circuit  11  and get coupled with the threaded holes  223  at the bottom of the accommodating recess  221 . Consequently, the open-end wrench  20 , the modulized switching circuit  11  and the housing are firmly combined so that the illumination control apparatus  10  is secured from coming off the open-end wrench  20  in operation. 
         [0030]    Although the particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiment without going outside the scope of the invention as disclosed in the claims.