Patent Publication Number: US-11027409-B2

Title: Wrench handle and wrench

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to wrench handles and wrenches including ratchet wrenches that can be used with a variety of different sockets and/or socket extension bars. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Wrenches, ratchet wrenches, sockets, and socket extension bars have been around for many years. Typically, a user will use a socket extension bar with a ratchet wrench to improve accessibility to a work-piece such as a nut or bolt and/or to provide additional user knuckle clearance. A user will search for, find and attach a socket extension bar to a ratchet wrench when wanted but often the desired socket extension bar is not handy. Accordingly, the inventor herein contemplates detachably securing a socket extension bar to a ratchet wrench so that the socket extension bar is always handy for use with the ratchet wrench. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An example embodiment of the present invention is a wrench handle that is elongated in a predetermined direction. At least a portion of the wrench handle is hollow. The hollow portion has a front part and a rear part. The hollow portion is also configured to substantially house and detachably secure a socket extension bar therein. 
     It is an objective of the present invention described herein that it provides convenience to wrench users by substantially housing and detachably securing a socket extension bar within the handle of a wrench, particularly ratchet wrenches. 
     It is another objective of the present invention described herein that the socket extension bar is substantially housed and secured within the wrench handle without compromising existing wrench features including ergonomics, size, swing-arc clearance, etc. 
     It is another objective of the present invention that the socket extension bar is attachable to and detachable from a wrench in a simple labor-efficient way. 
     And, it is another objective of the present invention that it is commercially viable, simple in design, and cost-efficient to manufacture. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is more fully understood when the specification herein is taken in conjunction with the drawings appended hereto, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a left side elevation view of a present invention ratchet wrench and socket extension bar; 
         FIG. 2  shows a left side elevation view of the socket extension bar shown in  FIG. 1 , but removed from the ratchet wrench; 
         FIG. 3  shows a rear elevation view of the socket extension bar shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a front elevation view of the socket extension bar shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a cut cross-sectional view of the handle of the present invention ratchet wrench shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  shows a rear end-view of the handle of the present invention ratchet wrench shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . 
         FIG. 7  shows a left side elevation view of another present invention wrench and socket extension bar, with the handle cut away in a cross-sectional view to better show the socket extension bar substantially housed and secured within the handle of a swivel-head ratcheting wrench. 
         FIG. 8  shows a left side elevation view of another present invention wrench and socket extension bar, with the handle cut away in a cross-sectional view to better show the socket extension bar substantially housed and secured within the handle of a flex-head ratcheting wrench. 
         FIG. 9  shows a left side elevation cut cross-sectional view of another present invention wrench handle showing a socket extension bar substantially housed and secured therein. 
         FIG. 10  shows a left side elevation view of another present invention ratchet wrench and socket extension bar. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The various drawings provided herein are for the purpose of illustrating examples of the present invention and not for the purpose of limiting same. Therefore, the drawings herein represent only a few of the many possible examples, embodiments, variations and/or applications of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a left side elevation view of a present invention ratchet wrench and socket extension bar;  FIG. 2  shows a left side elevation view of the socket extension bar shown in  FIG. 1 , but removed from the ratchet wrench;  FIG. 3  shows a rear elevation view of the socket extension bar shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 ;  FIG. 4  shows a front elevation view of the socket extension bar shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 ;  FIG. 5  shows a cut cross-sectional view of the handle of the present invention ratchet wrench shown in  FIG. 1 ; and,  FIG. 6  shows a rear end-view of the handle of the present invention ratchet wrench shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5  with the socket extension bar removed. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6  together, ratchet wrench  1  has a wrench head  3  and a handle  5 . Wrench  1  has a ratcheting mechanism (not seen in this view) inside wrench head  3  and a driving member  7  formed with a predetermined configuration. Wrench handle  5  is elongated in a predetermined direction  6  as shown and has at least a portion thereof that&#39;s substantially hollow which is best seen in  FIG. 5 . Hollow portion  11  has a front part  13  and a rear part  15 . The rear part  15  has a distal open end  17 . 
     Elongated socket extension bar  21  has a head  23  at one end and a driving member  25  at the other end thereof. The head  23  has a cavity  29  formed therein with a predetermined configuration which is square shaped in this embodiment as shown in  FIG. 3 . The driving member  25  of socket extension bar  21  is formed with a predetermined configuration and square shaped in this embodiment as shown in  FIG. 4 . Socket extension bar  21  has predetermined length and width dimensions. 
     Hollow portion  11  of ratchet wrench handle  5  is also configured with predetermined length and width dimensions, whereby, socket extension bar  21  may be substantially housed and detachably secured within the hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5 . This is best seen in  FIG. 5 . Accordingly, if the objective of one embodiment of the present invention is to house and detachably secure a socket extension bar entirely within the hollow portion of the wrench handle as shown in  FIG. 9 , then, the length and width dimensions of each of the socket extension bar and the hollow portion of the wrench handle must be predetermined to achieve that structural objective. If the objective of another present invention embodiment is to house and detachably secure a socket extension bar with at least a small portion of the socket extension bar exposed from the rear distal open end of the hollow portion of the wrench handle as shown in  FIGS. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 10  for example, then, the length and width dimensions of each of the socket extension bar and the hollow portion of the wrench handle must also be predetermined to accomplish that structural objective. Note that the present invention includes preferred embodiments wherein at least a small portion of the socket extension bar is exposed outside of the hollow portion of the wrench handle while the socket extension bar is substantially housed and detachably secured therein. This structural arrangement facilitates insertion and removal of the socket extension bar into and out of the hollow portion of the wrench handle by a user. In some of these preferred embodiments of the present invention, just the head of the socket extension bar is substantially exposed as shown in  FIGS. 1, 5, 7, 8 and 10 . For example, in  FIGS. 1 and 5  just the head  23  of socket extension bar  21  is substantially exposed outside of the hollow portion  11  of handle  5  while socket extension bar  21  is substantially housed and secured within the hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5 . 
     When considering various preferred embodiments of the present invention that combine a socket bar extension with a wrench, the predetermined configuration of the cavity  29  in the head  23  of socket extension bar  21 , and, the predetermined configuration of the driving member  7  of the ratchet wrench head  3  are each preferably formed to interlock with the other, whereby, the ratchet wrench may control rotation of the socket extension bar. In other words, driving member  7  of wrench head  3  shown in  FIG. 1  is configured to fit inside of and interlock with the cavity  29  in the head  23  of socket bar extension  21  so that ratchet wrench  1  can control rotation of socket extension bar  21 . Such an arrangement is preferred but not required. 
     When considering various preferred embodiments of the present invention that combine a socket extension bar with a wrench, the socket extension bar is preferably formed with a predetermined interlocking means, and, the wrench handle is preferably formed with a predetermined interlocking means, whereby, the interlocking means of the socket extension bar can interlock with the interlocking means of the wrench handle to detachably secure the socket extension bar within the hollow portion of the wrench handle. For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , socket extension bar  21  has a spring-loaded ball  31  protruding from the driving end  25  thereof. And, as shown in  FIG. 6 , hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5  has a substantially square shaped opening  35  when the hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5  is viewed from a rear end-view thereof. Square shaped opening  35  has four walls (such as wall  37 ) extending in the direction of which the wrench handle  5  is elongated. If, at least one of the four walls such as wall  37  surrounding the square shaped opening  35  at the front part  13  of hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5  is notched such as with notch  33  (seen in  FIG. 5 ) to receive the spring-load ball  31  of socket extension bar  21 , then, socket extension bar  21  is effectively and efficiently detachably secured within the hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5 . A user would simply insert the socket extension bar  21  into the open distal end  17  of hollow portion  11  of wrench handle  5  to frictionally lodge spring-loaded-ball  31  into notch  33  to detachably secure socket extension bar  21  within wrench handle  5  which is seen best in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a left side elevation view of another present invention swivel-head ratcheting wrench  41  and socket extension bar  43 , with the handle  45  cut away in a cross-sectional view to better show the socket extension bar  43  substantially housed and secured within the handle of a swivel-head ratcheting wrench  41 . Socket extension bar  43  is substantially housed and secured within wrench handle  45  in the same way that socket extension bar  21  is housed and secured within handle  5  of wrench  1  shown and fully described in  FIGS. 1-6  herein. However, the socket extension bar  43  in this  FIG. 7  is much longer relative to the length of wrench  41  than the socket extension bar  21  is to wrench  1  shown and described in  FIGS. 1-6 . Accordingly, the socket extension bar component of a present invention embodiment may be of any practical length (short, medium or long) relative to the length of the wrench and wrench handle, provided that the socket extension bar can be substantially housed and detachably secured within the hollow portion of the wrench handle. It&#39;s possible to have multiple socket extension bars substantially housed and detachably secured within a present invention wrench handle if the hollow portion of the handle is configured to accommodate multiple socket extension bars. 
       FIG. 8  shows a left side elevation view of another present invention flex-head ratcheting wrench  51  and socket extension bar  55 , with the wrench handle  53  cut away in a cross-sectional view to better show the socket extension bar  55  substantially housed and secured within the handle  53 . As described previously herein, when considering various preferred embodiments of the present invention that combine a socket extension bar with a wrench, the socket extension bar is preferably formed with a predetermined interlocking means, and, the wrench handle is preferably formed with a predetermined interlocking means, whereby, the interlocking means of the socket extension bar can interlock with the interlocking means of the wrench handle. In this  FIG. 8 , socket extension bar  55  has threads  59  that are formed to cooperate and interlock with the threads  61  of handle  53  so that a user can insert and screw socket extension bar  55  into the hollow portion  57  of handle  53  to substantially house and detachably secure socket extension bar  55  within wrench handle  53 . To access the socket extension bar  55  for use, a user would simply unscrew the socket extension bar  55  out of the hollow portion  57  of handle  53 . 
     As described previously herein, the present invention includes preferred embodiments wherein at least a small portion of the socket extension bar is exposed outside of the hollow portion of the wrench handle while the socket extension bar is substantially housed and detachably secured therein. This structural arrangement facilitates insertion and removal of the socket extension bar into and out of the hollow portion of the wrench handle by a user as shown and described here in  FIG. 8 . 
       FIG. 9  shows a left side elevation cut cross-sectional view of another present invention wrench handle  71  showing a socket extension bar  73  substantially housed and secured therein. In this example embodiment of the present invention, wrench handle  71  has a removable threaded cap  75  at the rear part of the hollow portion  77  of wrench handle  71  to detachably secure socket extension bar  73  within handle  71 . A spring  79  is added at the front part of the hollow portion of the handle to assist a user with the removal and insertion of socket extension bar  73  from and into the hollow portion  77  of handle  71 . 
       FIG. 10  shows a left side elevation view of another present invention ratchet wrench and socket extension bar. This ratchet wrench and socket extension bar are similar to the ratchet wrench and socket extension bar shown in  FIGS. 1-6 , however, in this  FIG. 10  ratchet wrench  81  has a handle  85  that has a raised area  87  formed around the handle and close to the rear distal open end  89  to preclude an accidental pull-out of socket extension bar  83  from handle  85  during high torque applications to handle  85  by a user. 
     Upon reading and understanding the specification of the present invention described above, modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the patent as claimed or the equivalence thereof.