Patent Publication Number: US-9409284-B2

Title: Ratchet handle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a ratchet handle, and more particularly to a ratchet handle having a ratchet gear which is convenient to adjust its direction. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A conventional ratchet having a reversing structure comprises a wrench body. The wrench body has an axial trough to receive a ratchet gear and a control trough communicating with the axial trough. A detent member is provided in the control trough to mesh with the ratchet gear. An operating member is provided in a pivot trough to bring movement of a pin. The pin is biased by a spring to get contact with the detent member for the user to change the direction of the operating member to operate the detent member, so that the turning direction of the ratchet gear is changed to tighten or loosen a workpiece conveniently. The pin is used to operate the detent member for changing the turning direction of the ratchet gear and stopped by the trough wall of the control trough to fix its position so that the operating member is fixed in the pivot trough, preventing the parts from disengaging from the wrench body. 
     Because the contact area of the detent and the ratchet gear is less, the ratchet gear will cause a loud noise during turning. Besides, the force applied to the ratchet gear is a point force so the ratchet wrench may be damaged easily. 
     Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention has devoted himself based on his many years of practical experiences to solve these problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a ratchet handle to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. 
     In order to achieve the aforesaid object, the ratchet handle of the present invention comprises a handle and a detent. A front part of the detent has a first meshing portion and a second meshing portion to mesh with a ratchet gear. A first curved slide portion and a second curved slide portion are disposed behind the first meshing portion and the second meshing portion. An accommodation recess is provided between the first meshing portion and the second meshing portion. An auxiliary member is provided in the accommodation recess. The auxiliary member has a curved surface corresponding to an outer contour of the ratchet gear. A rear end of the auxiliary member has a first curved contact portion and a second curved contact portion. The handle has an axial trough at one end thereof. The ratchet gear is secured in the axial trough. One side of the axial trough is formed with a control trough to secure an operating device and the auxiliary member. The operating device controls the detent with the first meshing portion or the second meshing portion to mesh with the ratchet gear. After the first meshing portion meshes with the ratchet gear, the first curved slide portion is against the inner wall of the control trough and able to slide relative to the inner wall of the control trough, and the first curved contact portion is against the inner wall of the accommodation recess and able to slide relative to the accommodation recess. After the second meshing portion meshes with the ratchet gear, the second curved slide portion is against the inner wall of the control trough and able to slide relative to the control trough, and the second curved contact portion is against the inner wall of the accommodation recess and able to slide relative to the accommodation recess. 
     Preferably, the edges of the first curved contact portion and the second curved contact portion form an arc section of a first circle. The edges of the first curved slide portion and the second curved slide portion form two arc sections of a second circle. The first circle and the second circle are concentric circles. The edge of the inner wall of the control trough is located on the second circle, and the inner wall of the accommodation recess is located on the first circle. 
     Preferably, the operating device comprises a fixing seat. The fixing seat has a pivot trough thereon. An operating member has one end fitted in the pivot trough and another end able to engage with the detent. The operating device further comprises a spring. The spring is disposed in the pivot trough. The spring has two ends respectively positioned by the pivot trough and the operating member. 
     Preferably, a rear middle part of the detent has a trough. Two side walls of the trough respectively forms a first stop portion and a second stop portion. The operating member is moved in the trough to engage with a side wall of the groove so as to control the first meshing portion or the second meshing portion to mesh with the ratchet gear. When the first meshing portion engages with the ratchet gear, the fixing seat engages with the second stop portion. When the second meshing portion engages with the ratchet gear, the fixing seat engages with the first stop portion. 
     Preferably, the fixing seat has a fixing trough. The detent further has a detent support fitted in the fixing trough. The detent support is disposed in the fixing trough and rotatable relative to the fixing trough. 
     Preferably, the ratchet handle further comprises a stop member. The stop member is fixed to the bottom of the auxiliary member. A front end of the stop member has a curved surface to mate with the bottom of the ratchet gear. 
     Preferably, the stop member has a notch thereon to accommodate the bottom of the fixing seat. The notch and the bottom of the fixing seat have a curved shape. 
     Preferably, the fixing seat is connected with an operating handle. The fixing seat is adjusted to turn through the operating handle. 
     Preferably, the operating handle is exposed out of the control trough. The handle has a first limit portion and a second limit portion. The operating handle is disposed in a movement trough defined between the first limit portion and the second limit portion. 
     Preferably, the stop member has a curved rear. The rear of the stop member mates with a trough wall of the control trough and slides relative to the trough wall of the control trough. 
     The advantage of the present invention is that the ratchet wrench can be used to save time and labor by adjusting the operating device at different positions, without changing the working conditions. 
     When the detent is turned, the ratchet gear will be turned with less noise and moved stably because the auxiliary member mates with the outer contour of the ratchet gear and the stop member is against the bottom of the detent. When in use, the force applied to the ratchet gear will be transmitted to the handle evenly, namely, the force from the ratchet gear will be transmitted to the handle evenly through the auxiliary member and the stop member. The inner sides of the auxiliary member and the stop member are curved surface to bear great stress when applied with a force. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of  FIG. 1 , without the handle; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing the auxiliary member of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is another schematic view of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the detent of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the operating device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of  FIG. 7 , without the operating member; 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view showing the handle of the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of  FIG. 9 ; and 
         FIG. 11  is a schematic view of the structure explosion second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the ratchet handle according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a handle  6 . The handle  6  has an axial trough at a front end thereof and a ratchet gear  1  fixed in the axial trough. The present invention further comprises a detent  2 . The detent  2  is controlled by an operating device  4  to mesh with the ratchet through a first meshing portion or a second meshing portion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , the handle of the present invention has an axial trough at one end thereof and a control trough  61  at one side of the axial trough. The control trough  61  includes a first control trough  611  and a second control trough  612 . The detent  2  is secured in the first control trough  611 . The operating device is secured in the second control trough  612 . The handle has a first limit portion  6121  and a second limit portion  6122  adjacent the second control trough  612 . The operating handle of the operating device is exposed out of the second control trough and movable in a movement trough defined between the first limit portion and the second limit portion and confined by the first limit portion and the second limit portion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , a front part of the detent  2  of the present invention has a first meshing portion  21 , a second meshing portion  22  and an accommodation recess  23  between the first meshing portion  21  and the second meshing portion  22 . A rear middle part of the detent  2  of the present invention has a trough  27 . Two side walls of the trough  27  respectively form a first stop portion  25  and a second stop portion  24 . A first curved slide portion  28  and a second curved slide portion  29  are disposed behind the first meshing portion  21  and the second meshing portion  22  and adjacent two ends of the trough  27 . The detent  2  further has a detent support  26 . The detent support  26  of the present invention is to form the bottom wall of the trough  27 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the present invention further comprises an auxiliary member  3 . The auxiliary member  3  comprises a main body  32 . The front of the main body  32  has a curved surface  31  corresponding to an outer contour of the ratchet gear. The rear of the auxiliary member  3  has a first curved contact portion  33  and a second curved contact portion  34 . The present invention further comprises a stop member  5 . The stop member  5  is fixed to the bottom of the main body  32  of the auxiliary member  3 . The front of the stop member  5  has a curved surface  51  to mate with the bottom of the ratchet gear  1 . The stop member  5  has a curved notch  53  thereon. The stop member  5  has a curved rear  52 . The rear of the stop member mates with the trough wall of the control trough and slides relative to the trough wall of the control trough. The arc of the rear of the stop member and the arc of the wall of the control trough have the same radius. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the operating device  4  of the present invention is to control the detent with the first meshing portion  21  or the second meshing portion  22  to mesh with the ratchet gear  1 . After the first meshing portion  21  meshes with the ratchet gear  1 , the first curved slide portion  28  is against a first trough wall  6111  of the first control trough and able to slide relative to the first trough wall  6111  of the first control trough, and the first curved contact portion  33  is against the inner wall of the accommodation recess  23  and able to slide relative to the accommodation recess  23 . After the second meshing portion  22  meshes with the ratchet gear  1 , the second curved slide portion  29  is against a second trough wall  6112  of the first control trough and able to slide relative to the second trough wall  6112  of the first control trough, and the second curved contact portion  34  is against the inner wall of the accommodation recess  23  and able to slide relative to the accommodation recess  23 . The operating device comprises a fixing seat  44 . The fixing seat  44  has a pivot trough  42  thereon. An operating member  41  has one end fitted in the pivot trough  42  and another end able to engage with the detent. A spring  43  is provided in the pivot trough  42 . One end of the spring  43  is limited through the pivot trough, and another end of the spring  43  is limited through the operating member  41 . The fixing seat  44  is connected with an operating handle  45 . The fixing seat  44  is adjusted to turn through the operating handle  45 . The fixing seat  44  of the present invention further has a fixing trough  46 . 
     The edges of the first curved contact portion  33  and the second curved contact portion  34  of the present invention form an arc section of a first circle. The edges of the first curved slide portion  28  and the second curved slide portion  29  form two arc sections of a second circle. The first circle and the second circle are concentric circles. The edges of the first trough wall  6111  and the second trough wall  6112  of the first control trough of the control trough are located on the second circle. 
     The operating handle of the present invention is exposed out of the control trough. The handle has a first limit portion  6121  and a second limit portion  6122 . The operating handle is movable in a movement trough defined between the first limit portion and the second limit portion and confined by the first limit portion and the second limit portion. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the detent  2  of the present invention is disposed at the exterior of the ratchet gear  1 . The auxiliary member  3  is disposed inside the accommodation recess  23  at the middle of the detent  2 . The rear of the auxiliary member  3  engages with the detent  2 . The curved surface  31  at the front of the auxiliary member engages with the ratchet gear  1 . The stop member  5  is against the bottom of the detent  2 . The detent support  26  is disposed in the fixing trough  46  and rotatable relative to the fixing trough. The operating member  41  of the operating device is biased by the spring  43  to extend out of the pivot trough  42  and engage with the detent  2 . The bottom of the fixing seat  44  is secured in the notch  53  of the stop member  5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , the schematic view of a second embodiment of the invention, the difference with the first embodiment of the invention is that the bottom of auxiliary member does not contain the stop member. 
     When in use, the fixing seat is driven to turn through the operating handle, and the detent support  26  of the detent is moved in the fixing trough of the fixing seat. The bottom of the fixing seat is moved in the notch of the stop member. The bottom of the fixing seat and the notch of the stop member are curved so as to decrease friction when turned. During turning, the operating member is moved in the trough. When the operating member is moved to the middle of the trough, the spring will be compressed to retract into the pivot trough. When the operating member is moved to pass the middle of the trough, the operating member biased by the spring will be moved to engage with the second stop portion at the side wall of the trough. This moment, the first meshing portion of the detent meshes with the ratchet gear, and the fixing seat engages with the first stop portion, and the first curved contact portion is against the accommodation recess, and the first curved slide portion is against the first trough wall of the first control trough. During the same procedure, the operating member is driven by the operating handle to move in the trough. When the operating member is moved to the middle of the trough, the operating member will compress the spring to retract into the pivot trough. When the operating member is moved to pass the middle of the trough, the operating member biased by the spring will be moved to engage with the first stop portion at the side wall of the trough. This moment, the second meshing portion of the detent meshes with the ratchet gear, and the fixing seat engages with the first stop portion, and the second curved contact portion is against the accommodation recess, and the second curved slide portion is against the second trough wall of the first control trough. When the detent is turned, the ratchet gear will be turned with less noise and moved stably because the auxiliary member mates with the outer contour of the ratchet gear and the stop member is against the bottom of the detent. When in use, the force applied to the ratchet gear will be transmitted to the handle evenly, namely, the force from the ratchet gear will be transmitted to the handle evenly through the auxiliary member and the stop member. The first curved slide portion and the first trough wall of the first control trough as well as the second curved slide portion and the second trough wall of the first control trough are disposed on the concentric circle. The first curved contact portion and the second curved contact portion and the trough wall of the accommodation recess are disposed on the same concentric circle. Thus, all parts are always engaged during movement. When applied with a force, the force will be dispersed to bear great force; the rear of the stop member has a third contact portion and a four contact portion. Both the third contact portion and the four contact portion are against the control trough and can move relative to the control trough. 
     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.