Patent Publication Number: US-6209425-B1

Title: Driving device for hexagonal wrenches

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a driving device for hexagonal wrenches of various sizes. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Hexagonal wrenches (i.e., Allen wrenches) are used to tighten or fasten bolts or screws of the type having a hexagonal socket in a head portion thereof. However, direct manual operation of the hexagonal wrench is inconvenient, and the six sharp edges of the hexagonal wrench may cause pain to the user&#39;s fingers. Devices have been proposed to hold and drive hexagonal wrenches, yet the holding effect is found unsatisfactory as the driving devices merely hold one end of the hexagonal wrench to be operated. The present invention is intended to provide an improved device to solve these problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved driving device that may hold both of a relatively longer section and a relatively shorter section of a hexagonal wrench to be operated. 
     A driving device in accordance with the present invention is provided for holding and driving a hexagonal wrench having two angled sections. The driving device comprises a hollow holding member including two portions. One portion of the hollow holding member has a retaining section formed on an intermediate section of an inner periphery thereof. The retaining section includes two mutually facing stepped surfaces that together define a tapered space therebetween for securely holding one of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. The stepped surfaces consist of consecutively connected step sections of different lengths, the stepped surfaces defining the tapered space being configured by a plurality of aligned and partially overlapped hexagons of different sizes that are aligned in sequence according to the sizes thereof such that the two mutually facing stepped surfaces are capable of holding hexagonal wrenches of various sizes. The other portion of the holding member includes a bottom wall that includes a notch defined therein for securely holding the other of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. 
     The notch has a central recessed section and two rectilinear sections provided on two sides of the central recessed section, respectively. 
     The holding member may further include a second retaining section formed on an outer periphery thereof. The second retaining section includes a plurality of spaced longitudinal grooves that extend along a longitudinal direction of the holding member for receiving said one of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. In addition, an outer sleeve may be mounted around the holding member to enclose the second retaining section of the holding member. 
     In an embodiment of the invention, a driving device is provided for holding and driving a hexagonal wrench having two angled sections. The driving device comprises a hollow holding member including two portions and a retaining section formed on an intermediate section of an inner periphery thereof and thus defining two chambers in the ends of the holding member, respectively. The retaining section includes two mutually facing stepped surfaces that together define a tapered space therebetween for securely holding one of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. Each end of the holding member further includes a bottom wall that defines a portion of an associated chamber. Each bottom wall includes a notch defined therein for securely holding the other of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. Each notch has a central recessed section and two rectilinear sections provided on two sides of the central recessed section, respectively. 
     The holding member further includes a second retaining section formed on an intermediate section of an outer periphery thereof. The second retaining section includes a plurality of spaced longitudinal grooves that extend along a longitudinal direction of the holding member for receiving said one of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. An outer sleeve is mounted around the holding member to enclose the second retaining section of the holding member. 
     In a second embodiment of the invention, a driving device is provided for holding and driving a hexagonal wrench having two angled sections. The driving device comprises a hollow holding member including a retaining section formed on an inner periphery thereof. The retaining section includes two mutually facing stepped surfaces that together define a tapered space therebetween for securely holding one of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. An outer sleeve is securely mounted around the holding member. The outer sleeve includes a bottom wall adjacent to the holding member. The bottom wall includes a notch defined therein for securely holding the other of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. The notch has a central recessed section and two rectilinear sections provided on two sides of the central recessed section, respectively. The holding member further includes a second retaining section formed on an intermediate section of an outer periphery thereof. The second retaining section includes a plurality of spaced longitudinal grooves that extend along a longitudinal direction of the holding member for receiving said one of the angled sections of the hexagonal wrench. 
    
    
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a driving device for hexagonal wrenches in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the driving device; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a holding member of the driving device, which is partly cutaway to show detailed structure; 
     FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the driving device in use; 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  in FIG. 4; 
     FIGS. 7-9,  10 - 12 ,  13 - 15 , and  16 - 18  each are sectional views similar to FIGS. 4-6, respectively, illustrating application of the driving device on hexagonal wrenches of different sizes; 
     FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view partly cutaway, of a second embodiment of the driving device in accordance with the present invention; and 
     FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating a half portion of the driving device in FIG.  19 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1 to  3 , a driving device for hexagonal wrenches in accordance with the present invention generally includes an outer sleeve  20  and a holding member  10  securely held in a compartment  21  in the outer sleeve  20  (C-shaped in this embodiment). The holding member  10  is substantially a hollow cylinder and includes a first retaining section  11  formed on an intermediate section of an inner periphery thereof and thus defining a first chamber  13  and a second chamber  14  in two ends of the holding member  10 , respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the first retaining section  11  includes two mutually facing stepped surfaces  111  that together define a tapered space  112  therebetween. It is appreciated that each step of the stepped surfaces  111  is oblique and extends in a direction having an angle with a longitudinal, vertical plane on which the longitudinal axis of the holding member  10  is located (FIG.  5 ). In addition, each end of the holding member  10  further includes a bottom wall  18 ,  19  that defines a portion of the associated chamber  13 ,  14 . Each bottom wall  18 ,  19  includes a notch  16 ,  15  having a central recessed section  162 ,  152  and two rectilinear sections  161 ,  151  provided on two sides of the central recessed section  162 , respectively, best shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. The holding member  10  may further include a second retaining section  12  formed on an intermediate section of an outer periphery thereof. The second retaining section  12  includes a number of spaced longitudinal grooves  121  and  122  (FIG. 5) that extend along a longitudinal direction of the holding member  10 . The holding member  10  may be formed by extrusion or power metallurgic process, while the outer sleeve  20  may be made of steel. 
     In assembly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holding member  10  is fittingly held by the outer sleeve  20 , with two protruded portions  17  of the holding member  10  extending outside the sleeve  20 . 
     In use, as shown in FIGS. 4 to  6 , a relatively shorter section  101  of an Allen wrench  100  is securely held by the first retaining section (FIG.  5 ), while a relatively longer section  102  of the Allen wrench  100  is securely held by the rectilinear sections  161  of the notch  16  (FIG.  6 ). Thus, the holding member  10  securely holds both sections  101  and  102  of the Allen wrench  100 , which is more reliable than conventional designs. FIGS. 7 to  15  are schematic views illustrating application of the driving device of the present invention to Allen wrenches of other sizes. 
     Referring to FIGS. 16 to  18 , for a relatively small Allen wrench, the relatively shorter section  101  of the Allen wrench  100  is securely held by the second retaining section (FIGS.  16  and  17 ), while the relatively longer section  102  of the Allen wrench  100  is securely held by the central recessed section  162  of the notch  16  (FIG.  18 ). Thus, the holding member  10  securely holds both sections  101  and  102  of the Allen wrench  100  of a relatively small size. 
     It is appreciated that the bottom wall  19  and the notch  15  may be omitted. 
     FIGS. 19 and 20 illustrates a second embodiment of the driving device of the present invention. In this embodiment, the driving device includes a holding member  30  that includes a first retaining section  32  defined in an inner periphery thereof and a second retaining section  34  defined in an outer periphery thereof. The first retaining section  32  and the second retaining section  34  are identical to the first retaining section  11  and the second retaining section  12  in the first embodiment and therefore not further described. The holding member  30  further includes at least one longitudinal hole  36  defined therein. The driving device further includes an outer sleeve  40  that includes a recess  41  (FIG. 19) defined in an inner periphery thereof for receiving the holding member  30 . The outer sleeve  40  includes two bottom walls  47  and  49  provided on both sides of the recess  41 , respectively. Each bottom wall  47 ,  49  includes a notch  46 ,  48  defined therein. Each notch  46 ,  48  has a central recessed section  462 ,  482  and two rectilinear sections  461 ,  481  provided on two sides of the central recessed section  462 ,  482  respectively. Operation of the first retaining section  32 , the second retaining section  34 , and the notches  46  and  48  are identical to that of the first embodiment. Namely, the angled sections (i.e., the relatively shorter section and the relatively longer section) of an Allen wrench can be respectively, securely held by one of the notches  46  and  48  and one of the first retaining section  32  and the second retaining section  34 , as described above. The outer sleeve  40  may include at least one longitudinal hole (see aligned holes  42  and  44  in FIG. 19) that aligns with the longitudinal hole  36  of the holding member  30  received in the recess  41 , and a steel rod  50  may be extended through the holes  42  and  44  as well as  36  to secure the holding member  30  to the outer sleeve  40 . The holding member  30  is made by power metallurgic process, while the outer sleeve  40  can be formed of plastic material to reduce weight. The steel rod  50  may increase strength and provide increased torque when holding and driving an Allen wrench. Operation of the second embodiment of the driving device is identical to the first embodiment and therefore not redundantly described. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.