Abstract:
A hand tool comprises a shaft including a first coupled portion; a double-ended joint including a second coupled portion coupled to the first coupled portion and a third coupled portion; wherein the double-ended joint is pivotable with respect to the shaft between first and second positions; an interconnecting member including a fourth coupled portion coupled to the third coupled portion and a mounted portion; and wherein the interconnecting member is pivotable with respect to the double-ended joint between first and second position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a hand tool, more particularly, to a hand tool which can be bent to form various shapes so that user can use it in tiny space easily. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Referring to Taiwan patent No. M305735, it discloses that a chuck includes a shaft having a hole and a magnetic element and a sleeve mounted on the shaft. The hole of the shaft is adapted to couple to a bit and the magnetic is engaged with an end of the sleeve. The shaft is slideably disposed in another end of the sleeve between a first position and a second position so that the bit can be released/installed from/to the shaft quickly. 
         [0005]    The chuck is adapted to couple to the bit which is connected to a bolt or a driven means. A center axis of the bit and a center axis of the chuck are co-linear. However, the conventional chuck can not be bent to form various shapes and insert into a tiny space with angles neither. For example, an engine room of a vehicle, most of bolts and fasteners are disposed inside of the engine room would be hided by the other components and cannot be easily to be driven by the conventional hand tool (like the above chuck). 
         [0006]    Moreover, in order to drive bolts hided insides of equipment, a cable-type joint is provided and can be bent to form various shapes for needs. The joint which is defined at an end of the cable is inserted into a gap between components of the equipment and engaged with the bolt. And then, rotating the cable to drive the joint to engage with/disengage from the bolt. The cable is easy to be bent; however, it cannot provide enough torque for firmly locking the bolt in a screw by the joint. Therefore, this kind of cable-type joint only applies to bolts with lightweight but not fasteners which are provided at heavy machine. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    According to the present invention, a hand tool includes a shaft, a double-ended joint, an interconnecting member for coupling to a bit and a sliding sleeve. 
         [0008]    One objective of the present invention is that the hand tool allows the bit which is coupled thereto to insert into more tiny space in use. 
         [0009]    Another objective of the present invention is that two ends of the double-ended joint are adapted to couple to the sliding sleeve and the shaft respectively so that the sliding sleeve and the shaft can bent with respect to the double-ended joint respectively and it provides the hand tool to have more kinds of angled shapes. 
         [0010]    Other objectives, advantages, and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the two embodiments referring to the drawings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a partial, perspective view of a hand tool according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the hand tool as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the hand tool as shown in  FIG. 1 , illustrating that the bit which is disposed inside of the hand tool is coupled to the bolt. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 , but illustrating that the bolt is detached from the magnetic element. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the hand tool and the bit which is inserted to the hand tool. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the hand tool and the bit as shown in  FIG. 6 , illustrating the double-ended joint is bent with respect to the shaft. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 7 , but illustrating a maximum angle which is formed by the center axes of the sliding sleeve and the shaft of the bent hand tool. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a partial, cross-sectional view of a hand tool according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 through 8 , they show a hand tool in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The hand tool includes a shaft  10 , a double-ended joint  20 , an interconnecting member  30  and a sliding sleeve  40 . 
         [0022]    The shaft  10  includes a first coupled portion  11  formed at an end thereof, a positioning element  12  and a blocked element  13 . A handle or a power tool (not shown) can be coupled to another end of the shaft  10  opposite to the first coupled portion  11 . Two ends of the first coupled portion  11  respectively define a free end  111  and a closed end  112 . In this case, the positioning element  12  is in form of magnet and disposed at the closed end  112  of the first coupled portion  11 . The first coupled portion  11  is in form of polygonal hole and forms with an annular groove  113  adjacent to the free end  111 . The blocked element  13  is provided at the annular groove  113  and in form of C-clip. A center point of each transverse cross-section of the shaft  10  constitutes a central axis A. 
         [0023]    The double-ended joint  20  includes a connecting portion  21 , first and second neck portions  22 ,  23 , and second and third coupled portions  24 ,  25  which are respectively provided at two ends of the double-ended joint  20 . First and second abutted surfaces  211 ,  212  are respectively defined on two ends of the connecting portion  21  and extend outward the first and second neck portions  22 ,  23 . The second and third coupled portions  24 ,  25  are respectively coupled to the first and second neck portions  22 ,  23  opposite to the connecting portion  21 . The outer profiles of the second and third coupled portions  24 ,  25  correspond to the inner profile of the first coupled portion  11  and in this case, the second and third coupled portions  24 ,  25  are in form of sphere with polygonal corners. An end of each of second and third coupled portions  24 ,  25  is coupled to the related one of the first and second neck portions  22 ,  23  and the other end defines flat surface  241 ,  251 . 
         [0024]    In this case, the double-ended joint  20  is made of metal with magnet or the second and third coupled portions  24 ,  25  are both magnetic. A center point of each transverse cross-section of the double-ended joint  20  constitutes a central axis B. 
         [0025]    The interconnecting member  30  has first and second ends  301 ,  302  and forms with a fourth coupled portion  31  and a mounted portion  32  inside thereof The fourth coupled portion  31  and the mounted portion  32  are in communication with each other and the first and second ends  301 ,  302  of the interconnecting member  30  and both in form of polygonal holes. A positioning element  33  is disposed between the fourth coupled portion  31  and the mounted portion  32  and in form of magnet. An annular groove  311  is formed on the inner wall of an end of the fourth coupled portion  31  opposite to the mounted portion  32 . A blocked element  34  is provided at the annular groove  311  and in form of C-clip. An annular groove  303  is formed on the outer periphery of the interconnecting member  30  between the first and second ends  301 ,  302 . A retaining element  35  is provided at the annular groove  303  and in form of C-clip. A center point of each transverse cross-section of the interconnecting member  30  constitutes a central axis C. 
         [0026]    A through-hole  41  longitudinally pierces through two ends of the sliding sleeve  40  and a shoulder  411  is formed on the inner wall of an end of the through-hole  41 . An annular magnetic element  42  is provided at the shoulder  411  and has a through-hole  421  therethrough axially. A limited slider section  412  is formed on the inner periphery of the through-hole  41  between the two ends of the sliding sleeve  40  and concave toward inside of the sliding sleeve  40 . First and second held portions  4121 ,  4122  are respectively defined at two ends of the limited slider section  412 . A concaved section  43  is formed on the outer periphery of the sliding sleeve  40  and corresponds to the limited slider section  412  so that users can hold on the concaved section  43  to operate the hand tool. 
         [0027]    The second coupled portion  24  of the double-ended joint  20  is inserted into the first coupled portion  11  of the shaft  10 . The blocked element  13  prevents the second coupled portion  24  detaching from the first coupled portion  11  automatically. And then, the second coupled portion  24  is fixed inside of the first coupled portion  11  via the positioning element  12  in a magnetic manner. Therefore, the first abutted surface  211  of the double-ended joint  20  is abutted against the distal end of the free end  111  of the shaft  10  and the second axis B of the double-ended joint  20  is co-axial with the first axis A of the shaft  10 . 
         [0028]    The third coupled portion  25  of the double-ended joint  20  is inserted into the fourth coupled portion  31  of the interconnecting member  30 . The blocked element  34  prevents the third coupled portion  24  detaching from the fourth coupled portion  31  automatically. And then, the third coupled portion  25  is fixed inside of the fourth coupled portion  31  via the positioning element  33  in a magnetic manner. Therefore, the second abutted surface  212  of the double-ended joint  20  is abutted against the distal end of the first end  301  of the interconnecting member  30  and the second axis B of the double-ended joint  20  is co-axial with the third axis C of the interconnecting member  30 . 
         [0029]    The sliding sleeve  40  is mounted on the interconnecting member  30  and the distal end of the second end  302  of the interconnecting member  30  is abutted against the magnetic element  42 . The retaining element  35  is restricted in the limited slider section  412  and selectively engaged with the first and second held portions  4121 ,  4122 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the mounted portion  32  which is defined at the second end  302  of the interconnecting member  30  is adapted to couple to a bit  1 . The proximal end of the bit  1  is abutted against and fixed to the positioning element  33  in a magnetic manner. Further, a head of the bit  1  is connected to a bolt  2 . 
         [0031]    The sliding sleeve  40  is able to axially slide with respect to the interconnecting member  30  between engagement and disengagement positions while users hold on the concaved section  43  of the sliding sleeve  40  to operate the sliding sleeve  40 . In the engagement position of the sliding sleeve  40 , the retaining element  35  is engaged with the first held portion  4121  and then the interconnecting member  30  is away from the magnetic element  42 . The head of the bit  1  is adjacent to the magnetic element  42  so that the bolt  2  which is coupled to the bit  1  is fixed to the magnetic element  42  in a magnetic manner. In the disengagement position of the sliding sleeve  40 , the retaining element  35  is engaged with the second held portion  4122  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) and then the second end  302  of the interconnecting member  30  is abutted against the magnetic element  42 . The head of the bit  1  is exposed from the sliding sleeve  40  outward. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the hand tool of the present invention has to be able to be used in a tiny space and bent to form various angled shapes for needs. Hence, the double-ended joint  20  can pivot with respect to the shaft  10  between first and second positions. While the double-ended joint  20  is in the first position, the first and second axes A, B are co-axial and the second coupled portion  24  is fixed to the positioning element  12  of the shaft  10 . While the double-ended joint  20  is in the second position, the first and second axes A, B form a first bent angle P 1 . 
         [0033]    For operating the double-ended joint  20  to be the second position, the flat surface  241  of the double-ended joint  20  should be detached from the positioning element  12  of the shaft  10  first so that the second coupled portion  24  is not fixed to the positioning element  12  in the magnetic manner and can pivot with respect to the first coupled portion  11  of the shaft  10 . And then, the distal end of the free end  111  of the first coupled portion  11  is in contact with the first neck portion  22  of the double-ended joint  20  such the first and second axes A, B intersect at the first bent angle P 1 . 
         [0034]    The first bent angle P 1  is changeable according to the needs of use of the environment so that the shaft  10  can be bent with respect to the double-ended joint  20  and the double-ended joint  20  can also be bent with respect to the interconnecting member  30 . And it will be described below in detail. 
         [0035]    Referring to  FIG. 8 , it shows that the interconnecting member  30  can pivot with respect to the double-ended joint  20  and is switchable between first and second positions. While the interconnecting member  30  is in the first position, the second and third axes B, C are co-axial and the third coupled portion  25  is fixed to the positioning element  33  of the interconnecting member  30 . While the double-ended joint  20  and the interconnecting member  30  are both in the second position, the first and third axes A, C form a second bent angle P 2 . 
         [0036]    For operating the interconnecting member  30  to be the second position, the flat surface  251  of the double-ended joint  20  should be detached from the positioning element  33  of the interconnecting member  30  first so that the third coupled portion  25  is not fixed to the positioning element  33  in the magnetic manner and can pivot with respect to the fourth coupled portion  31  of the interconnecting member  30 . And then, the distal end of the first end  301  of the interconnecting member  30  is in contact with the second neck portion  23  of the double-ended joint  20  such the first and second axes B, C intersect at an angle (not shown). Further the first and third axes A, C intersect at the second bent angle P 2 . The range of the second bent angle P 2  is between 90 degrees and the 135 degrees. In this case, the second bent angle P 2  is 110 degrees. 
         [0037]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , it shows a hand tool in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention similar to the first embodiment but except that a double-ended joint  50  replaces the double-ended joint  20  and the first and fourth coupled portions  11 ,  31  are in form of spheres with polygonal corners. The double-ended joint  50  has first and second ends  501 ,  502 . Second and third coupled portions  51 ,  52  are respectively defined at the first and second ends of the double-ended joint  50  and in communication with each other. The second and third coupled portions  51 ,  52  are in form of polygonal holes. A positioning element  53  is provided inside of the double-ended joint  50  between the second and third coupled portions  51 ,  52  and in form of magnet. Annular grooves  511 ,  521  are defined on the inner wall of the double-ended joint  50  and respectively formed adjacent to the distal ends of the first and second ends  501 ,  502 . Blocked elements  54 ,  55  are provided at the annular grooves  511 ,  521  respectively and in form of C-clips. The central axis B is through center points of all transverse cross-sections of the double-ended joint  50 . 
         [0038]    While several embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.