Patent Publication Number: US-11020847-B2

Title: Bits received inside of a handle of screwdriver

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a handle of a screw driver, and more particularly, to a handle of a screwdriver that is able to sore plural bits inside of. 
     2. Descriptions of Related Art 
     The conventional screwdrivers are used to tighten or loosen objects such as bolts and nuts, and comprise a handle and a shank in a piece. Bit on the top of the shank can be defined in shapes such as flat, cross or hexagonal corresponding to the head shape of the screws. The users have to prepare and carry many screwdrivers with different bits. 
     A screwdriver known to applicant discloses a handle, a securing member, an adjustment member, and a bit, wherein the handle has an axial hole defined therein and the securing member is connected to one end of the axial hole so as to restrict the adjustment member. The securing member has positioning holes and the bits are inserted into the positioning holes. The securing member has at least one groove in the inside of the positioning hole so as to position the bit in the positioning hole. By rotating the adjustment member, a block is removed and the bit is accessed so that the user can pick the desired bit to use. However, the size of the handle has to be large enough to accommodate the bits, and the tool box is therefore large enough to carry the screwdrivers with the above-mentioned handles. 
     The present invention intends to provide a screwdriver handle that is able to accommodate multiple bits while the shortcomings mentioned above are eliminated. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a screwdriver and comprises a shank having a connector on one end and a handle on the other end of the shank. The connector is able to be connected on the narrow neck on one end of a bit and the other end of the bit is working end. A tubular portion is defined on the end of the handle and a ridge extends from the outside of the tubular portion. The ridge has at least one cut. The handle has a recess corresponding to location of the cut and communicating with the cut. An engaging flange extends from the distal end of the tubular portion. The handle has a polygonal room defined therein. 
     A collar is secured to the end of the handle and comprises a through hole. The collar has at least one resilient member extending from the underside thereof. The at least one resilient member is inserted in the recess of the handle. A stop extends from the underside of the collar and located beside the at least one resilient member. The stop is located in the cut of the ridge of the handle. At least one notch and at least one first block are formed on the top end of the collar. An annular groove extends from the inside of the collar, and the engaging flange on the handle is engaged with the annular groove. 
     A base is connected to the top of the collar and has a polygonal reception member extending from the underside thereof. The reception member is located in the room of the handle and has a tube extending therefrom. The tube has a stepped hole defined axially therein. At least one protrusion extends from the outside of the reception member and extends through the notch of the collar. A rod having a lip extending radially from the first end thereof, and the lip is secured in the stepped hole of the tube of the base. An insertion end is formed on the second end of the rod and extends beyond the tube. A stop flange extends radially outward from the second end of the rod and is located beside the insertion end. A positioning member is connected to the insertion end and has a hole with which the insertion end is engaged. The positioning member has multiple slots so as to hold bits therein. A cap is used to seal the end of the base. 
     Preferably, the collar has an anti-slip face defined in the outside thereof. 
     Preferably, the at least one first block has a vertical face formed on the first side thereof, and an inclined face is formed on the second side of the at least one first block. The base has multiple second blocks extending from the inside thereof. Each of the second blocks has a vertical face formed on the first side thereof. An inclined face is formed on the second side of each of the second blocks. The at least one first block of the collar contacts one of the second blocks. 
     Preferably, the base has at least one annular flange extending from the outside thereof. The cap has at least one annular groove defined in the inside thereof. The at least one annular flange is engaged with the at least one annular groove. 
     Preferably, the bit has a tip and an insertion end respectively formed on two ends thereof. The reception member of the base accommodates the tip of the bit, and the insertion end of the bit has a neck defined in the outside thereof. The neck is engaged with one of the slots of the positioning member. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a screwdriver with a handle able to store at least one bit inside so as to be easily carried. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the screwdriver of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows that the bits together with the base are removed from the handle of the screwdriver of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the collar and the screwdriver of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the bits and the base of the screwdriver of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the handle with the base, the collar and the bits connected thereto; 
         FIG. 6  shows that the resilient member of the collar is located in the recess of the handle of the screwdriver of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view, taken along line A-A of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view, taken along line B-B of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view to show that the collar is located at the released position; 
         FIG. 10  shows that the resilient member of the collar located in the recess of the handle of the screwdriver of the present invention is compressed; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross sectional view, taken along line C-C of  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross sectional view, taken along line D-D of  FIG. 9 , and 
         FIG. 13  shows that one of the bits is removed from the positioning member of the base. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the screwdriver of the present invention comprises a shank  1  having a connector  10  able to be connected with a bit  4  or other part at first end of the shank  1  and a handle  11  is defined on the second end of the shank  1 . A tubular portion  12  extends outwardly from the handle  11  and a ridge  13  is defined on the tubular portion  12 , wherein the ridge  13  has two cuts  14 . Two recesses  15  are defined on the end of the handle  11  and respectively located corresponding to the two cuts  14  and communicate with the cut  14 . An engaging flange  16  extends longitudinally from the distal end of the tubular portion  12 . The handle  11  has a polygonal room  17  defined therein. 
     A collar  2  is rotatably secured to the end of the handle  11  of the shank  1  and has a through hole  21  in the middle of the collar  2 . Two resilient members  22  extend from the underside of the collar  2  and are respectively inserted in the two recesses  15  of the handle  11 . Two respective stops  23  extend from the underside of the collar  2  and each are located beside the resilient member  22  corresponding thereto. The stops  23  are respectively located in the two cuts  14  of the ridge  13  of the handle  11 . Multiple notches  24  and multiple first blocks  25  are formed on the top end of the collar  2 . Each of the first blocks  25  has a vertical face  250  formed on the first side thereof. An inclined face  251  is formed on the second side of each of the first blocks  25 . An annular groove  26  extends from the inside of the collar  2 . The engaging flange  16  on the handle  11  is engaged with the annular groove  26 . The collar  2  has an anti-slip face  20  defined in the outside thereof. 
     A base  3  is connected to the top of the collar  2  and a polygonal reception member  30  extends from the underside of the base  3 . The reception member  30  is located in the room  17  of the handle  11  and has a tube  31  extending therefrom. The tube  31  has a stepped hole  32  defined axially therein. Two protrusions  33  extend from the outside of the reception member  30  and extend through the notches  24  of the collar  2 . The base  3  further has multiple second blocks  34  extending from the inside thereof. Each of the second blocks  34  has a vertical face  340  formed on the first side thereof, and an inclined face  341  is formed on the second side of each of the second blocks  25 . The base  3  has at least one annular flange  35  extending from the outside thereof. 
     One end of a rod  36  is secured in the stepped hole  32  of the tube  31  of the base  3  and the other end of the rod  36  extends from the tube  31  of the base  3 , wherein a lip  360  defined on one end of the rod  36  with a slot  361  and a conical insertion end  362  formed on the other end of the rod  36 . A gap  363  is defined in the insertion end  362  so as to form two tapered parts on the insertion end  362 . A stop flange  364  is defined at rear end of the insertion end  362 . 
     A positioning member  37  is connected to the insertion end  362  and has a hole  370  with which the insertion end  362  is engaged. The positioning member  37  has multiple slots  371 . A cap  38  is used to seal the end of the base  3 . The cap  38  has at least one annular groove  380  defined in the inside thereof. The at least one annular flange  35  is engaged with the at least one annular groove  380 . 
     Multiple bits  4  each have a tip  40  and an insertion end  41  separately formed on two ends of each of the bits  4 . The reception member  30  of the base  3  accommodates the tip  41  of the bits  4 . The insertion end  41  of each of the bits  4  has a narrow neck  42  defined in the outside thereof. The neck  42  is engaged with one of the slots  371  of the positioning member  37 . The bits  4  can be optionally connected to the connector  10  on the shank  1 . 
     When in assembling, as shown in  FIGS. 1 to 12 , the two resilient members  22  of the collar  2  are inserted into the recesses  15  of the handle  11  as shown in  FIG. 6 , and each of the stops  23  located beside the resilient member  22  is located in the cut  14  as shown in  FIG. 7 . The engaging flange  16  on the handle  11  is engaged with the annular groove  26  of the collar  2  to rotatably connect the collar  2  to the handle  11 . The first end with the lip  360  of the rod  36  is inserted into the stepped hole  32  of the base  3 , because of the slot  361  so that the lip  360  is narrowed and passes through the stepped hole  32  of the base  3 . The second end of the rod  36  extends beyond the tube  31 . The cap  38  is used to be sealed outside of the base  3 . The at least one annular flange  35  is engaged with the at least one annular groove  380 . The cap  38  prevents the rod  36  from extending through the base  3 . The positioning member  37  is connected to the rod  36  beyond the tube  31  and the insertion end  362  of the rod  36  extends through the hole  370  of the positioning member  37  so that the positioning member  37  is located between the insertion end  362  and the stop flange  364 . The bits  4  are then positioned by the slots  371  of the positioning member  37  by engaging the necks  42  with the slots  371 . The combination of the base  3  and the bits  4  is inserted into the room handle  11 , wherein the bits  4  and the rod  36  are located in the room  17  of the handle  11 . The tips  40  of the bits  4  are inserted in the reception member  30  which is also located in the room  17 . The collar  2  is slightly rotated, the two resilient members  22  of the collar  2  are compressed as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , so that the notches  24  of the collar  2  are located corresponding to the protrusions  33  of the base  3  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The protrusions  33  of the base  3  are inserted into the notches  24  and the collar  2  is released, the resilient members  22  pivot the collar  2  to its initial position as shown in  FIG. 6 . The protrusions  33  on the base  3  are disengaged from the notches  24  of the collar  2  as shown in  FIG. 8 , the base  3  is engaged with the collar  2  to complete the assembly. 
     When picking one of the bits  4  from the handle  11 , as shown in  FIGS. 5 to 13 , the collar  2  is rotated as shown in  FIGS. 9 to 13 , the two resilient members  22  of the collar  2  are compressed as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , and the notches  24  of the collar  2  are located corresponding to the protrusions  33  of the base  3  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The inclined face  251  of each first block  25  contacts the inclined face  341  of each second block  34 , the first blocks  25  on the collar  2  push the second blocks  34  on the base  3  to move the base  3  outward as shown in  FIG. 9 . The base  3  is no longer secured to the collar  2 , the protrusions  33  of the base  3  are removed from the notches  24  and the collar  2 . The protrusions  33  of the base  3  are not connected to the collar  2 , the base  3  then can be removed from the handle  11 . The bits  4  and the rod  36  are moved as shown in  FIG. 13 , the tip  40  of the desired bit  4  can be removed from the reception member  30 , and the bit  4  can be picked from the positioning member  37 . The bit  4  that is removed from the connector  10  can be positioned by the slot  371  of the positioning member  37 . The rod  36  and the bits  4  are again inserted into the room  17  of the handle  11 , and the tips  40  of the bits  4  are located in the reception member  30 . The collar  2  is rotated again as shown in  FIG. 11  to compress the two resilient members  22  as shown in  FIG. 10  and to align the notches  24  with the protrusions  33  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The protrusions  33  are then engaged with the notches  24 . Then the collar  2  is released, the resilient members  22  pivot the collar  2  to its initial position as shown in  FIGS. 6, 7 . The protrusions  33  on the base  3  are disengaged from the notches  24  of the collar  2  as shown in  FIG. 8 , the base  3  is engaged with the collar  2 . 
     The present invention provides a compact handle  11  that is able to accommodate multiple bits  4  and the bits  4  can be easily replaced and stored. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.