Abstract:
An improved low profile ratchet wrench comprising a rotatable head and a handle, wherein a lever projecting from the free end of the handle permits selective adjustment of the unidirectional rotation of the ratchet wrench. The lever eccentrically rotates so as to urge a cam and cam teeth to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel, thereby selecting an appropriate unidirectional path. In use, the unidirectional path may be changed by eccentrically rotating the lever in the opposite direction previously selected, thus permitting reversal of the ratchet head.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present invention contains subject matter that was first described in Disclosure Document Registration 537,684 filed on Sep. 2, 2003 under 35 U.S.C. §122 and 37 C.F.R. §1.14. As such, it is respectfully requested that said Disclosure Document remain a permanent part of the file history of the present application and be relied upon during the pending prosecution, and for any other matters that may arise. 
   There are no previously filed, nor currently any co-pending applications, anywhere in the world. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to a ratchet wrench and, more particularly, to a thin or low-profile ratchet wrench for socket driving or removal having a socket reversing lever projecting from a terminal end of the ratchet wrench handle for adjusting the direction of socket driving or removal. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   When the automobile industry shifted production emphasis to economy size automobiles, the size of the engine and the concomitant space were significantly reduced. The reduction of size and space has carried over to mid-size and large vehicles. Although the reduction in engine size and space lowered production costs, and ultimately consumer prices, the ability of the do-it-yourself mechanic to perform maintenance on an auto was permanently hindered. The bolts, screws and nuts used on an engine are placed in spaces that are quite difficult to access with ordinary hand tools. Similarly, certified mechanics were required to purchase new tools and spend more time in disassembly and reassembly because of the compact space, increasing the labor costs to consumers. Thus, a need for an inexpensive hand tool appropriately sized to accommodate use in tightly spaced areas is apparent. 
   A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related: 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,310, issued in the name of Goldfein, discloses a low profile wrench; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,647, issued in the name of Eggert et al., discloses a reversible ratchet with remote reversing operating mechanism; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,049, issued in the name of Ju et al., discloses an improved ratchet tool with a swing head that is rotated within a small angle by an eccentric member connected to a rod in the shank; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,694, issued in the name of Spirer, discloses a hand wrench with torque augmenting means; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,390, issued in the name of Whiteford, discloses a reversible ratchet wrench having an axial opening to allow a bolt to pass through and extend beyond; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,220, issued in the name of Darrah et al., discloses an angle attachment tool having a drive element at a remote end to accommodate a power tool; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,476, issued in the name of Singleton, discloses a speed socket wrench with a T-shaped turning handle; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,072, issued in the name of Hudgins, discloses a speed handle ratchet wrench; 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,749, issued in the name of Lampke, discloses a gear operated power wrench; and 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,515, issued in the name of Orey et al., discloses a wrench having a pivoted handle and removable socket. 
   Consequently, there is a need for a thin or low-profile ratchet wrench with a socket reversing lever projecting from an end of the ratchet wrench handle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench. 
   It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench having a lever selectively adjustable to set the directional rotation of the ratchet wrench head. 
   It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench having a lever comprising a drive switch projecting from the free end of the wrench handle, the drive switch depending from a linearly elongated shaft, and a catch terminating the opposing end of the shaft. The catch mechanically communicates and operatively engages a cam. 
   It is a further feature of the present invention to provide an improved ratchet wrench comprising a cam, the cam having a plurality of cam teeth for engaging a ratchet wheel and ratchet wheel teeth, thereby setting the directional rotation of the ratchet wrench. The cam is bidirectionally pivotal about an axle, the cam urged to impinge with the ratchet wheel and promote unidirectional rotation of the ratchet head. The cam has a pair of margins depending from the inferior end, the margins engaging the catch of the lever, wherein the catch engages a margin and urges the cam in that direction. The cam is impinged in one of the positions via a ball exposed from an outwardly biased spring, the ball inserted into one of two concave hollows formed on the surface of the cam. 
   Briefly described according to one embodiment of the present invention, an improved low profile ratchet wrench comprising a rotatable head and a handle, wherein a lever projecting from the free end of the handle permits selective adjustment of the unidirectional rotation of the ratchet wrench. The lever eccentrically rotates so as to urge a cam and cam teeth to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel, thereby selecting an appropriate unidirectional path. In use, the unidirectional path may be changed by eccentrically rotating the lever in the opposite direction previously selected, thus permitting reversal of the ratchet head. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a low profile ratchet wrench; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the ratchet wrench taken along line II—II of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a front view of the ratchet wrench with a portion partially removed to expose the socket reversing lever and a cam for adjusting the direction; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the ratchet wrench similar to  FIG. 3 , wherein the cam is adjusted in the opposite direction of the cam in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5   a  is a magnified front view of the cam in a unengaged position; 
       FIG. 5   b  is a magnified front view of the cam engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel, the cam rotated to the left; and 
       FIG. 5   c  is a magnified front view of the cam engaging the teeth of a ratchet wheel, the cam rotated to the right. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within the  FIGS. 1–5   c.    
   1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 4 , a thin or low-profile ratchet wrench  10  is shown in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The ratchet wrench  10  comprises a head  12 , a linearly elongated handle  14  and a lever  16  projecting from the free end of the handle  14 . The lever  16  is selectively adjustable and permits the user to change the rotational direction of the ratchet wrench  10  without having to remove the ratchet wrench  10  from a fastener. 
   The head  12  includes a ratchet socket driving shaft  18  (hereinafter “driving shaft”) for attachment with an appropriately sized driving socket (not shown) selectively chosen to drive or remove a correspondingly sized fastener (such as a bolt, for example). As best illustrated in  FIG. 2  through  FIG. 4 , the head  12  includes a rotatable ratchet wheel  20  depending from the rear of the driving shaft  18  and internally housed by the head  12 . The ratchet wheel  20  urges the driving shaft  18  along a unidirectional rotation path depending upon the directional selection of the lever  16  and the corresponding rotational or radial displacement of the handle  14 , the details of which are discussed below. The ratchet wheel  20  comprises a plurality of ratchet wheel teeth  22  circumscribing the circumference of the ratchet wheel  20 . The teeth  22  are provided to engage a pivotal cam  24  and the corresponding cam teeth  26  provided thereon, thereby permitting only unidirectional rotation of the ratchet wheel  20  and the dependent driving shaft  18 . 
   The cam  24  comprises a plurality of cam teeth  26  engaging the ratchet wheel teeth  22 , a first margin  28  and a second margin  30  each depending from an inferior end of the cam  24  and separated by a distance. The first margin  28  and the second margin  30  are provided to operatively communicate or engage the lever  16 . The cam  24  is bidirectionally pivotal about an axle  32 , thus allowing the cam teeth  26  to engage the ratchet wheel teeth  22  to inhibit either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation as desired. 
   The lever  16  comprises a drive switch  34  projecting from the free end of the handle  14 , a linearly elongated shaft  36  upstanding or upwardly depending from the drive switch  34  and housed within the handle  14 , and a catch  38  depending from the shaft  36  opposite the drive switch  34 . The catch  38  engages the first margin  28  and/or the second margin  30  of cam  24 . The drive switch  34  is eccentrically rotated for selectively choosing a rotational direction for the ratchet wheel  20  and driving shaft  18 . Upon selective rotation of the drive switch  34 , the shaft  36  is rotated in the same rotational direction, and thereby causes the catch  38  to rotate as well. As a result, the catch  38  engages and urges the first margin  28  or the second margin  30  along a rotational direction away from the centerline “C—C”, thereby urging the cam  24  accordingly along pivotal axle  32 . The urging of the cam  24  results in the engagement of the cam teeth  26  with the ratchet wheel teeth  22 , thus providing unidirectional rotation thereof. 
   As best seen in  FIG. 5   a  through  FIG. 5   c , in order to impinge the cam  24  at a specified position chosen by the user to impart a particular rotational direction on the driving shaft  18 , impingement means are provided to securely maintain the unidirectional rotation selected by eccentric rotation of the lever  16 . Impingement means (as shown) includes concave hollows  40   a  and  40   b  (concave defined relative to the observer looking into the hollow), and a ball  42  and spring  44 . The hollows  40   a  and  40   b  are positioned along the same marginal side and are adjacently spaced, one hollow  40   a  superior to the other hollow  40   b . The hollows  40   a  and  40   b  are sized to correspond to and accommodate the ball  42 . The spring  44  is outwardly biased and is affixed about its end to the inside wall of the head  12 . The ball  42  is partially housed in the opposing free end of the spring  44  so that the ball  42  is partially exposed out that free end. As the cam  24  is pivotally urged in either direction (see  FIG. 5   b  and  FIG. 5   c , respectively), the ball  42  will insert into either one of the appropriate hollows  40   a  or  40   b  (depending upon which direction the cam  24  is pivotally urged). The outward bias of spring  44  will firmly impinge the ball  42  within the appropriate hollow  40   a  or  40   b . The impingement of the cam  24  (via the hollows  40   a  or  40   b , the ball  42  and spring  44 ) is overcome by sufficient force applied to the catch  38  to release engagement between the catch  38  and the margin  28  or  30 , and permit displacement of the cam  24  in the opposing rotational direction. 
   2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
   A user will place an appropriately sized socket onto the ratchet socket driving shaft  18 , and then position the socket over the fastener. The user will then eccentrically rotate the lever  16  (by drive switch  34 , shaft  36  and catch  38 ) to set the desired rotational or radial direction that the shaft  18  and socket shall be turned. If the user needs to reverse the directional rotation, the drive switch  34  is eccentrically rotated to selectively position the internal components to reflect directional rotation opposite the previous direction. 
   The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.