Patent Publication Number: US-2022219294-A1

Title: Ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a screwdriver, in particular to a ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In general, conventional ratchet driven screwdrivers are not designed with an integrated ratchet housing and a ratchet set. As a result, it is impossible to provide a large torque of the screwdriver during forward rotation, reverse rotation or locking. If the screwdriver bits box is added to store bits of different types and sizes, the mechanism of the ratchet driven screwdriver should be more complicated. 
     Therefore, the ratchet driven screwdriver with modular design and easy disassembly design can facilitate assembly and replacement of modules for maintenance, and can also reduce the risk of assembly. 
     SUMMARY 
     An objective of the present invention is to provide a ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage. The ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage of the present invention selectively activates the clockwise and counterclockwise ratchet operation, or locks the ratchet. 
     The present invention achieves the above-indicated objective by providing a ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage. The ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage includes a screwdriver body, a ratchet driving device and a bits storage. The screwdriver body has a first screwdriver bit, a center rod, a steering wheel housing, a hollow handle and a back cover. The ratchet driving device is disposed in the steering wheel housing, and the ratchet driving device has a ratchet, a lever, a ratchet housing, a ratchet spring, two L-shaped ratchets, a steel ball and a compression spring. The bits storage is disposed in the hollow handle, and the bits storage has a spring seat, two torsion springs, a storage tube, an axis column, a bits box and a second screwdriver bit. 
     In a preferred embodiment, when the first screwdriver bit is to be replaced with the second screwdriver bit, the back cover is pulled to drive the storage tube, and a pressure of the two torsion springs can extend to a tapered end of the axis column to release a vertical force, and the back cover is pulled apart and the two torsion springs extend to the other end of the axis column, and the vertical force can make the bits box pushed to the open state and locked, so that the second screwdriver bit can be selected with turning the back cover. 
     In a preferred embodiment, when the steering wheel housing is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, a positioning groove of the steering wheel housing can drive the lever, and the lever also drives the L-shaped ratchets to overcome a spring force of the ratchet spring, which can pull one side of the two L-shaped ratchets away from the ratchet, so that the two-way locking of the ratchet can be released and the ratchet rotates clockwise or counterclockwise. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bits storage of the ratchet driven screwdriver according to the present invention when it is closed. 
         FIGS. 4A-4D  are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 5A-5H  are transverse cross-sectional views of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage of the present invention selectively activates the clockwise and counterclockwise ratchet operation, or locks the ratchet.  FIG. 1  is a perspective exploded view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage  100  has a screwdriver body  110 , a ratchet driving device  120  and a bits storage  130 . 
     The screwdriver body  110  has a first screwdriver bit  40 , a center rod  2 , a steering wheel housing  3 , a hollow handle  20  and a back cover  19 . Two ends of the first screwdriver bit  40  have a flat screwdriver bit and a cross screwdriver bit. The above-mentioned first screwdriver bit  40  is just an example. A shape of each the two ends of the first screwdriver bit  40  can be triangular, hexagonal, star-shaped or other shapes. 
     The ratchet driving device  120  is disposed in the steering wheel housing  3 . The ratchet driving device  120  has a bushing  4 , a ratchet  5 , a lever  6 , a ratchet housing  7 , a ratchet spring  8 , two L-shaped ratchets  9  and  10 , a steel ball  11  and a compression spring  12 . 
     The bits storage  130  is disposed in the hollow handle  20 . The bits storage  130  has a spring seat  16 , two torsion springs  14  and  15 , a storage tube  17 , an axis column  13 , a bits box  18 , a second screwdriver  42 , a third bit screwdriver bit  43  and a fourth screwdriver bit  44 . The two ends of each the second screwdriver  42 , the third bit screwdriver bit  43  or the fourth screwdriver bit  44  have a flat screwdriver bit and a cross screwdriver bit. The above-mentioned second screwdriver bit  42 , third screwdriver bit  43 , and fourth screwdriver bit  44  are just examples. The shape of the bit can be triangular, hexagonal, star-shaped or other shapes. There is no limit to the number of spare screwdriver bits. The variety of the spare screwdriver bits is not limited to the shape of both ends, most of which are single bit, depending on the design of the bits box  18  and the center rod  2  to contain the screwdriver bits. 
     When the steering wheel housing  3  is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise, a positioning groove  32  of the steering wheel housing  3  can drive the lever  6 , and the lever  6  also drives the two L-shaped ratchets  9  and  10  to overcome a spring force of the ratchet spring  8 , which can pull one side of the two L-shaped ratchets  9  and  10  away from the ratchet  5 . In this way, the two-way locking of the ratchet  5  can be released, so that the ratchet  5  rotates clockwise or counterclockwise. In addition to, the positioning groove  32  is disposed inside the steering wheel housing  3 . 
     When the steering wheel housing  3  is not rotated, the ratchet wheel  5  is locked. Since the ratchet housing  7  is of one-piece design, it can provide greater torque for the screwdriver. The screwdriver of the present invention adopts the design of an integrated ratchet housing  7  and a set of the ratchet wheel  5 , which can provide a larger torque of the screwdriver when rotating forward, backward or locked. In addition, the steering wheel housing  3  is positioned by the positioning groove  32  of the steering wheel housing  3  in cooperation with the steel ball  11  and the compression spring  12 . 
     When replacing the screwdriver bits, the back cover  19  is pulled to drive the storage tube  17 . Currently, a pressure of the two torsion springs  14  and  15  can extend to a tapered end  34  of the axis column  13  to release a vertical force, and the back cover  19  is pulled apart. The two torsion springs  14  and  15  extend to the other end  36  of the axis column  13 , and the vertical force can make the bits box  18  pushed to the open state and locked, so that an alternate screwdriver bit can be selected with turning the back cover  19 . 
     When the bits box  18  is inside the hollow handle  20 , the two torsion springs  14  and  15  of the spring seat  16  are twisted, and one end of the two torsion springs  14  and  15  is restricted to a recess  38  of the storage tube  17 . And, a pressure is applied to the tapered end  34  of the axis column  34 , so that the bits box  18  cannot be detached, and the back cover  19  can still be rotated in use. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the bits storage of the ratchet driven screwdriver according to the present invention when it is closed. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the bits storage  130  is housed in the hollow handle  20 . 
       FIGS. 4A-4D  are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention.  FIG. 4A  is the longitudinal cross-sectional position of A-A, D-D and G-G of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention.  FIG. 4B  is an A-A cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention.  FIG. 4C  is a D-D cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention.  FIG. 4D  is a G-G cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention. 
       FIGS. 5A-5H  are transverse cross-sectional views of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention.  FIG. 5A  is the transverse cross-sectional position of B-B, C-C, E-E and F-F of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention. B-B is the cross-sectional position of the L-shaped ratchet  9 , C-C is the cross-sectional position of the steel ball  11 , and E-E is the cross-sectional position of the lever  6 .  FIG. 5B  is a B-B cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention when the ratchet wheel is locked, and  FIG. 5B  is the cross-sectional position of the L-shaped ratchet  9  when the steering wheel housing  3  is not rotating and the ratchet wheel  5  is locked.  FIG. 5C  is a B-B cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention, and  FIG. 5C  is the cross-sectional position of the L-shaped ratchet  9  when the steering wheel housing  3  is rotating.  FIG. 5D  is a C-C cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention when the ratchet wheel is locked, and  FIG. 5D  is the cross-sectional position of the steel ball  11  when the steering wheel housing  3  is not rotating and the ratchet wheel  5  is locked.  FIG. 5E  is the C-C cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention, and  FIG. 5E  is the cross-sectional position of the steel ball  11  when the steering wheel housing  3  is rotating.  FIG. 5F  is an E-E sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention when the ratchet wheel is locked, and  FIG. 5F  is the cross-sectional position of the lever  6  when the steering wheel housing  3  is not rotating but the ratchet wheel  5  is locked.  FIG. 5G  is an E-E cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention, and  FIG. 5G  is a cross-sectional position of the lever  6  when the steering wheel housing  3  is rotating.  FIG. 5H  is an F-F cross-sectional view of the ratchet driven screwdriver with bits storage according to the present invention, and  FIG. 5H  is a cross-sectional position of the two torsion springs  14  and  15 . 
     In summary, a notch storage is used to store various screwdriver bits, and the bits box  18  is enclosed inside the hollow handle  20  of the screwdriver  100 . When the back cover  19  of the hollow handle  20  is pulled, the bits box  18  is pulled out along the axis column  13  of the screwdriver  100 . The screwdriver bits are stored in the bits storage  130  and are located on the circumference of the storage tube  17  reciprocating relative to the screwdriver  100 . When the bits box  18  is completely removed, the screwdriver bits can be easily viewed, and they can be removed or replaced separately from the bits box  18  with a simple radial force. 
     Compared to a conventional ratchet driven screwdriver, the present invention has several advantages: 
     1. The present invention uses a modular design, which can be assembled into semi-finished modules first, and then related modules can be placed in accordance with shipping requirements. Each module of the present invention has a replaceable module for maintenance.
 
2. The invention uses an easy-to-disassemble design, easy assembly can reduce the risk of assembly press-fitting, and the design of the ratchet driven device can effectively increase the torque by 15-20%.