Patent Publication Number: US-2023139064-A1

Title: Hex tool

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application having U.S. Ser. No. 17/832,963, which is a conversion of U.S. Provisional Application having U.S. Ser. No. 63/274,279, filed Nov. 1, 2021, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present disclosure relates to a hex tool with a spherical joint to provide the hex tool with more accessibility to certain spaces, more approach angles, more operation angles and can work in conjunction with other tools. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Typical hex tools, such as Allen wrenches, are rigid tools where an engagement end is perpendicular to the handle. Thus, the accessibility of the typical hex tool is limited due to the rigid design. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a hex tool with a design that provides more accessibility to certain spaces and increased operability. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure is directed to a hex tool. The hex tool including a hex head having a hex portion for engaging socket head cap screws or wrenches. The hex portion also having a body portion extending from the hex portion. The body portion having a cavity disposed therein. The hex tool also includes a handle with an end and a primary handle portion. The end disposed in the cavity to provide the hex tool a significant range of motion during use. 
     The present disclosure is also directed to another type of hex tool. The hex tool having a hex head having a hex cavity for engaging a hex head bolt. The hex head also having a body portion extending from the hex cavity. The body portion having a cavity disposed therein. The hex tool also including a handle with an end and a primary handle portion. The end disposed in the cavity to provide the hex tool a significant range of motion during use. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a hex tool constructed in accordance with the present disclosure and a wrench. 
         FIG.  2    is a perspective view of a portion of the hex tool constructed in accordance with the present disclosure and a portion of the wrench. 
         FIG.  3    is a perspective view of a cross-sectional view of the portion of the hex tool shown in  FIG.  2   . 
         FIG.  4    is an exploded, perspective view of one embodiment of the hex tool constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of another embodiment of a hex tool constructed in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates to a hex tool  10  for engaging a socket head cap screw or a wrench that can be engaged with a hex head bolt. For example, the hex tool  10  can engage with an open end  12  or a box end  14  of a combination wrench  16 , a box end wrench or an open ended wrench. The hex tool  10  can engage with a wrench  16  to provide additional torque on a screw or bolt or to provide additional length to the wrench  16 . The hex tool  10  can also permit the wrench  16  functional access to a screw or bolt due to the functional aspects of the hex tool  10 . 
     The hex tool  10  can include a hex head  18  for engaging directly with the socket head cap screw or the wrench  16  and a handle  20  extending from the hex head  18  for providing a user of the hex tool  10  a place to grip and control the hex tool  10 . The hex head  18  can be spherically jointed with the handle  20 . The hex head  18  can have a hex portion  22  that directly engages with the socket head cap screw on one end of a wrench and a body  24  attached to the hex portion  22 . The hex portion  22  includes a base  26  with six sides  28  extending therefrom. The six sides  28  have equal lengths. The body  24  can be securely attached to the hex portion  22  of the hex head  18 . In one embodiment, the hex portion  22  and the body  24  can be formed from one homogenous piece of material. The hex portion  22  of the hex head  18  can be made in various sizes so as to be able to fit multiple different sized socket head cap screws or wrenches. The hex portion  22  of the hex head  18  can come in imperial or metric sizes. 
     The body  24  of the hex head  18  has a spherical-shaped cavity  30  disposed therein for receiving a ball end  32  of the handle. It should be understood and appreciated that the spherical-shaped cavity  30  is not a full sphere. The size of the spherical-shaped cavity  30  is limited by an opening  34  in the side of the body  24  that permits the handle  20  to extend therethrough and away from the body  24  of the hex head  18 . The ball end  32  of the handle  20  in the spherical-shaped cavity  30  allows the handle  20  of the hex tool  10  to rotate and swivel therein. The ball end  32  of the handle  20  will be able to completely rotate in some directions, and only partially rotate in other directions. The size of the opening  34  in the body  24  partially determines the extent of the movement of the handle  20  relative to the body  24 . The size of the handle  20  at the opening  34  in the body  24  also contributes to the extent of the movement of the handle  20  relative to the body  24  of the hex head  18 . The diameter of the opening  34  can vary but the diameter has to be larger than the part of the handle  20  that passes through the opening  34  and smaller than the diameter of the ball end  32  of the handle  20 . The body  24  of the hex head  18  can have removed portions  35  adjacent to the opening  34  to permit the handle  20  even more range of motion. Another way to say this is that the opening  34  is inset in the body portion  24  of the hex head  18 . 
     The hex head  18  and handle  20  can be put together in any manner known in the art. For example, the hex head  18  could come in two parts  36  wherein each part  36  has a cavity  38  disposed therein. The cavity  38  in each part  36  of the hex head  18  cooperated, once the two parts  36  of the hex head  18  are secured together, to create the spherical-shaped cavity  30 . The two parts  36  of the hex head  18  could be vertically disposed parts  36  or horizontally disposed parts  36 . The two parts  36  of the hex head  18  could be secured together in any manner known in the art, such as welded, screwed, etc. 
     In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the ball end  32  of the handle  20  (and possibly some small extended part) can be separate from a primary handle portion  40  wherein the primary handle portion  40  of the handle  20  and the ball end  32  of the handle  20  can be selectively secured together. For example, the primary handle portion  40  can have a screw element  42  extending therefrom that can engage a threaded opening  44  in the ball end  32  of the handle  20  (or the small extended part of the ball end). With the hex tool  10 , or more specifically the handle  20 , designed this way, it would permit a hex tool kit to be generated. A hex tool kit could include one primary handle portion  40  and multiple different sized hex heads  18  wherein each hex head  18  has a separate ball end  32  of the handle  20  disposed therein. This would allow a user to take the primary handle portion  40  and secure it to a desirously sized hex head  18 . In yet another embodiment, the ball end  32  of the handle  20  and the primary handle  40  can be selectively secured together with a quick disconnect style connection. The quick disconnect style connection can be any type known by one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     In a further embodiment of the present disclosure, the hex head tool  10  could have a hex cavity  46  extending from the body  24  to engage a hex head bolt. The hex cavity  46  would have internal sidewalls  48  that create six equally-sized internal sidewalls  48 . 
     From the above description, it is clear that the present disclosure is well-adapted to carry out the objectives and to attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the disclosure. While presently preferred embodiments have been described herein, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the disclosure and claims.