Abstract:
A ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure is provided, in particular to one combined a ratchet seat and a solar gear system. The ratchet seat controls the operating direction, and the solar gear system increases the output rpm for a user to choose high or low revolution to facilitate tightness or looseness of a screw.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure, and more particularly to one equipped with a ratchet seat and a solar gear system to facilitate operation. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    A conventional screwdriver is used to tighten or loosen fasteners, such as screws or nuts. However, the conventional screwdriver is unable to provide abilities of acceleration and orientation. 
         [0005]    Taiwanese Patent Published No. 533956 disclosed a rotating structure for a precise screwdriver, which provides an accelerating function. But, it is unable to provide the accuracy and the convenience of operation. 
         [0006]    The above-mentioned patent has some shortcomings, such as:
       1. A solar gear structure can only increase the speed of tool, which is unable to change direction and locate its position.   2. A lack of locating device will cause an inverse operation and decrease the speed.       
 
         [0009]    Another Taiwanese Patent Published No. M263195 disclosed a screwdriver having a locating structure. However, it lacks of lower torque, high revolution output, neither does it has the convenience of operation concept, other than the above shortcomings, it is able to control deviation without the locating means, thus the invention applies a high torque input to a lower torque requirement, which consumes a lot of energy. 
         [0010]    Although all of the above-mentioned screwdrivers are able to meet the basic requirements, as to tighten or loosen a screw/nut, however, in consideration of functionality, economy and convenience, more over to the production line, there still exists much space to be filled. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    The present invention is to promote the functionality, economy and convenience of prior art and to facilitate operation, meanwhile, the present invention increases the locating and accelerating abilities. 
         [0012]    According to the present invention, there is provided a ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure, comprising: 
         [0000]    a ratchet seat comprising a barrel, a ratchet, two blocks, two springs and a socket unit, said ratchet having a first through hole and two slots therein, said two slots interconnecting with said first through hole and disposed at two opposite sides of said ratchet;
 
a front handle connected to said ratchet seat, said front handle comprising a second chamber, a second through hole, and a third chamber, a circular inner gear meshing with a number of planet gears being provided in said third chamber, each said planet gear comprising a shaft connected with a pair of circular boards at upper and lower ends thereof;
 
a rear handle coupled to the front handle, said rear handle having a third through hole at one end and a fourth chamber at another end thereof, a number of holes being formed around said third through hole corresponding in position to said shaft of each said planet gear;
 
a sleeve connecting rod comprising a first end, a second end, and a pair of engaging blocks corresponding to and seating in said slots of said ratchet, said first end of said sleeve connecting rod being provided with a solar gear, said solar gear being disposed among said planet gears and meshing with said planet gears, said first end of said sleeve connecting rod being provided with a first connecting member behind said solar gear, said first connecting member passing through said third through hole of said rear handle and entering said fourth chamber of said rear handle, a second connecting member being connected with said first connecting member to secure said sleeve connecting rod to said rear handle; and
 
a tail cap coupled to said rear handle, said tail cap comprising a number of compartments therein.
 
         [0013]    Preferably, said barrel has a first chamber therein, two levers being provided in said first chamber, said blocks and said springs being disposed in said first chamber, said ratchet having a number of ratchet teeth outwardly, said ratchet further comprising a pair of circular grooves and a pair of fasteners corresponding to said circular grooves at two ends thereof, said socket unit comprising a nut at one end and a sleeve at another end thereof, said nut being inserted into said barrel, said sleeve comprising protruding strips outwardly. 
         [0014]    Preferably, said fasteners of said ratchet are shaped like an English letter C. 
         [0015]    Preferably, said second chamber has recesses corresponding to said protruding strips of said socket unit for connecting said front handle with said ratchet seat. 
         [0016]    Preferably, said second end of said sleeve connecting rod is formed with a compartment. 
         [0017]    Preferably, said first connecting member is a screw and said second connecting member is a nut. 
         [0018]    It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure, which is simple in structure, cost-effective and easy to maintain. 
         [0019]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure, which provides a solar gear system and a ratchet seat to achieve the locating and accelerating mode. This design also saves the time of operation. 
         [0020]    It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure, which uses a ratchet seat to keep the present invention in a correct direction when operating on a screw or a nut. 
         [0021]    It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a ratchet screwdriver with an accelerating structure, which uses a solar gear system to accelerate its output as well as torque. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view showing a ratchet restrained by two blocks; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  is an illustrative view showing a solar gear system of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing the ratchet engaged with one side of the barrel and a block at one side in a released status; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  showing the solar gear system in an operating status. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0028]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the present invention comprises a ratchet seat  1 , a front handle  2 , a rear handle  3 , a sleeve connecting rod  4 , and a tail cap  5 . 
         [0029]    The ratchet seat  1  comprises a barrel  11 , a ratchet  12 , two blocks  13 , two springs  14 , and a socket unit  15 . The barrel  11  has a first chamber  111  therein. Two levers  112 , the blocks  13  and the springs  14  are disposed in the first chamber  111 . The ratchet  12  comprises a number of ratchet teeth  125  outwardly, a first through hole  121  and two slots  122 . The two slots  122  are interconnected with the first through hole  121  and disposed at two opposite sides of the ratchet  12 . The ratchet  12  further comprises a pair of circular grooves  123  and a pair of fasteners  124  at two ends thereof. The socket unit  15  comprises a nut  151  at one end and a sleeve  52  at the other end thereof. The nut  151  is inserted into the barrel  11 . The sleeve  152  comprises protruding strips  153  outwardly. The fasteners  124  of the ratchet  12  are shaped  20  like an English letter C. 
         [0030]    The front handle  2  comprises a second chamber  21 , a second through hole  22  and a third chamber  23 . The second chamber  21  has recesses  211  to accommodate the protruding strips  153  of the socket unit  15  so that the front handle  2  is connected with the ratchet seat  1 .  25  A circular inner gear  24  and a number of planet gears  25  meshing with the circular inner gear  24  are provided in the third chamber  23 . Each of the planet gears  25  comprises a shaft  251  to connect with a pair of circular boards  26  at upper and lower ends thereof. 
         [0031]    The rear handle  3  is coupled to the front handle  2  and comprises a third through hole  31  at one end and a fourth chamber  33  at another end thereof. A number of holes  32  are formed around the third through hole  31  corresponding in position to the shafts  251  of the planet gears  25 . 
         [0032]    The sleeve connecting rod  4  has a first end  41 , a second end  42 , and a pair of engaging blocks  43 . The engaging blocks  43  are located in the two slots  122  of the ratchet  12 , respectively. The first end  41  of the sleeve connecting rod  4  is provided with a solar gear  44 . The solar gear  44  is disposed among the planet gears  25  and meshes with the planet gears  25 . The sleeve connecting rod  4  is provided with a first connecting member  45  located behind the solar gear  44 . The first connecting member  45  is inserted through the third through hole  31  of the rear handle  3  and into the fourth chamber  33 . A second connecting member  46  is connected with the first connecting member  45  so that the sleeve connecting rod  4  is coupled to the rear handle  3 . The second end  42  of the sleeve connecting rod  4  has a compartment  421 . The first connecting member  45  is a screw, and the second  20  connecting member  46  is a nut. 
         [0033]    The tail cap  5  is coupled to the rear handle  3  and has a number of compartments  51  adapted to accommodate screwdriver heads  6  therein. 
         [0034]    To assemble the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the engaging blocks  43  of the sleeve connecting rod  4  engage with the two slots  122  of the ratchet  12 . The first connecting member  45  is inserted through the third through hole  31  and into the fourth chamber  33  of the rear handle  3 . The second connecting member  46  is threaded to the first connecting member  45  so that the sleeve connecting rod  4  is connected to the rear handle  3 . This completes the assembly of the present invention. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 3 through 6  show the locating operation of the ratchet seat  1  and accelerating rotation of the solar gear system. The solar gear system includes the circular inner gear  24  and the planet gears  25  of the front handle  2  and the solar gear  44  of the sleeve connecting rod  4 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 , when the barrel  11  is in the position of homing, the blocks  13  will engage with the ratchet teeth  125  of the ratchet  12  and the engaging blocks  43  of the sleeve connecting rod  4  will be locked in the two slots  122  of the ratchet  12 , respectively. The sleeve connecting rod  4  is confined from movement with respect to the ratchet  12 , which means that the sleeve connecting rod  4  and the screwdriver move at the same time. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the solar gear system remains steady, thus there is no accelerating function. The present invention is able to provide with more torque force to loosen or to tighten a screw. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the barrel  11  is rotated counterclockwise/clockwise, one of the blocks  13  will mesh with the ratchet teeth  125  of the ratchet  12 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , while the other block  13  will be blocked by the lever  112  of the barrel  11  to release from the ratchet teeth  125  of the ratchet  12 , so that the present invention is in a one way locked status. The two engaging blocks  43  of the sleeve connecting rod  4  are located in the two slots  122  of the ratchet  12  so that the sleeve connecting rod  4  may be rotated clockwise with respect to the ratchet  12 , which means upon the rear handle  3  is turned clockwise, causing the sleeve connecting rod  4  and the front handle  2  to rotate, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The rotation of the rear handle  3  links the shafts  251  of the planet gears  25  to rotate due to the planet gears  25  meshing with the circular inner gear  24  of the front handle  2 . The planet gears  25  are rotated to link the solar gear  44  of the sleeve connecting rod  4  to rotate in clockwise direction, thus accelerating the rotation speed of the sleeve connecting rod  4 . In other words, when the rear handle  3  rotates one cycle, the sleeve connecting rod  4  will rotate more than one cycle, thus the screwdriver of the present invention can tighten or loosen a screw quickly. 
         [0038]    According to the above description, it is understood that the screwdriver of the present invention is able to control the orientation by the ratchet seat and to accelerate rotation by the solar gear system so as to facilitate tightness or looseness of a screw.