Patent Publication Number: US-11654535-B2

Title: Torque tool

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a torque tool. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     A torque tool capable of adjusting torque setting value is usually used in fastening or unfastening fasteners, which can avoid problems such as damage to the object or the fastener due to over-tightening. A working portion is provided at one end of a main body of the torque tool, a torque adjusting shaft is provided in the main body to adjust the torque setting value, a rotatable adjusting member is installed at the other end of the main body, and the rotatable adjusting member is screwed with the torque adjusting shaft. When turning the rotatable adjusting member, the torque adjustment shaft is driven by the rotatable adjusting member to move axially, thereby adjusting the torque setting value. However, it needs to turn the rotatable adjusting member for many turns for setting a torque between a lowest limit torque and a highest limit torque, and thus it is inconvenient in use. 
     The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a torque tool with which a predetermined torque can be considerably adjusted by less rotation of an adjusting mechanism. 
     To achieve the above and other objects, a torque tool is provided, including: a main body, defining an axial direction, an end of the main body on the axial direction including a working portion, the working portion being freely rotatable when receiving a torque larger than a predetermined torque; a torque assembly, including an abutting assembly, the abutting assembly being non-rotatably and slidably disposed in the main body in the axial direction for adjusting the predetermined torque; a shaft, including a first threaded portion and a second threaded portion, the first threaded portion and the second threaded portion extending spirally in opposing directions, the first threaded portion being screwed to the main body, the second threaded portion being screwed to the abutting assembly; an adjusting assembly, disposed on the main body and rotatable about the axial direction, connected with and non-rotatable relative to the shaft. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a stereogram of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a breakdown drawing of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional view of  FIG.  3   , taken along a line C-C; 
         FIG.  5    is a partial cross-sectional view of a grip member of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS.  6 - 8    are cross-sectional views of  FIG.  1   , taken along a line A-A, showing operation of a preferable embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG.  9    is a cross-sectional view of  FIG.  1   , taken along the line B-B, showing operation of a preferable embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIGS.  1  to  9    for a preferable embodiment of the present invention. A torque tool of the present invention includes a main body  1 , a torque assembly  2 , a shaft  3  and an adjusting assembly  4 . 
     The main body  1  defines an axial direction, an end of the main body  1  on the axial direction includes a working portion  11 , and the working portion  11  is freely rotatable when receiving a torque larger than a predetermined torque. 
     The torque assembly  2  includes an abutting assembly  21 , and the abutting assembly  21  is non-rotatably and slidably disposed in the main body  1  in the axial direction for adjusting the predetermined torque. In this embodiment, the torque assembly  2  further includes an elastic member  26 , the elastic member  26  is disposed in the main body  1 , and the abutting assembly  21  is abutted against the elastic member  26  and configured to urge the elastic member  26  to adjust the predetermined torque. 
     The shaft  3  includes a first threaded portion  31  and a second threaded portion  32 , the first threaded portion  31  and the second threaded portion  32  extend spirally in opposing directions, the first threaded portion  31  is screwed to the main body  1 , and the second threaded portion  32  is screwed to the abutting assembly  21 . In this embodiment, a positioning member  14  is fixedly disposed in the main body  1 , and the first threaded portion  31  is disposed through the positioning member  14  and screwed with the positioning member  14 . 
     The adjusting assembly  4  is rotatably disposed on the main body  1 , rotatable about the axial direction, and connected with and non-rotatable relative to the shaft  3 . 
     When the adjusting assembly  4  rotates relative to the main body  1 , the adjusting assembly  4  drives the shaft  3  to rotate relative to the main body  1  to move in the axial direction. Since the second threaded portion  32  of the shaft  3  is screwed with the abutting assembly  21 , the shaft  3  can drive the abutting assembly  21  to move. Since the abutting assembly  21  is non-rotatably and slidably disposed in the main body  1  in the axial direction, the abutting assembly  21  rotates relative to the shaft  3  during rotation of the shaft  3  relative to main body  1  so that the displacement of the abutting assembly  21  relative to the main body  1  is larger than the displacement of the shaft  3  relative to the main body  1 , thus increasing compression of the elastic member  26  by the abutting assembly  21 , Therefore, the predetermined torque can be considerably adjusted by less rotation of the adjusting assembly  4 . 
     Specifically, the abutting assembly  21  includes at least one first engagement member  22 , and the at least one first engagement member  22  is abutted against a root of the second threaded portion  32  so that the second threaded portion  32  can drive the first engagement member  22  and the abutting assembly  21  during rotation. In other embodiments, the abutting assembly may include a thread mashed with the second threaded portion. 
     Specifically, the abutting assembly  21  includes an inner sleeve  23  and an outer sleeve  24 , the inner sleeve  23  is rotatably disposed around the second threaded portion  32  and includes at least one through hole  231  disposed therethrough, each of the at least one first engagement member  22  is received within one of the at least one through hole  231 , the outer sleeve  24  is movable with and disposed around the inner sleeve  23 , and the at least one first engagement member  22  is abutted by the outer sleeve  24  to be radially protrusive out beyond an inner wall of the inner sleeve  23 . Preferably, an outer wall of the outer sleeve  24  includes a slot  241 , the slot  241  extends in the axial direction, the main body  1  further includes a second engagement member  25 , and the second engagement member  25  is engaged within the slot  241  so that the outer sleeve  24  can only slide in the axial direction relative to the main body  1  and cannot rotate relative to the main body  1 . In this embodiment, the second threaded portion  32  has a thread pitch larger than 1.5 times a thread pitch of the first threaded portion  31 , the second threaded portion  32  has an outer diametric dimension smaller an outer diametric dimension of the first threaded portion  31 , each of the at least one first engagement member  22  is a ball member. 
     A positioning member  12  is fixedly disposed on another end of the main body  1  opposite to the working portion  11 , the positioning member  12  includes a first toothed portion  121 , and the adjusting assembly  4  includes a second toothed portion  41  and is movable along the axial direction to be located in a locking position or a release position. When the adjusting assembly  4  is located in the locking position, the first toothed portion  121  and the second toothed portion  41  are engaged with each other such that the adjusting assembly  4  cannot rotate relative to the main body  1 ; when the adjusting assembly  4  is located in the release position, the first toothed portion  121  and the second toothed portion  41  are disengaged from each other such that the adjusting assembly  4  can rotate to adjust the predetermined torque. 
     Preferably, an outer wall of the positioning member  12  includes an annular groove  122 , a detent member  42  is disposed on an outer wall of the adjusting assembly  4 , the detent member  42  is movable to be located in an engaging position or a disengaging position. When the adjusting assembly  4  is located in the locking position and the detent member  42  is located in the engaging position, the detent member  42  is engaged within the annular groove  122  so that the adjusting assembly  4  cannot move toward the release position; and when the adjusting assembly  4  is located in the locking position and the detent member  42  is located in the engaging position, the detent member  42  is disengaged from the annular groove  122  so that the adjusting assembly  4  can move toward the release position. 
     One of the first toothed portion  121  and the second toothed portion  41  includes a plurality of teeth  411  tapered toward the other of the first toothed portion  121  and the second toothed portion  41 . In this embodiment, the second toothed portion  41  includes the plurality of teeth  411 , and the plurality of teeth  411  are tapered toward the first toothed portion  121 . When the adjusting assembly  4  moves from the release position toward the locking position, the plurality of teeth  411  can be inserted into the first toothed portion  121  easily without being exactly aligned with the first toothed portion  121 , which is easy to operate. 
     Furthermore, the adjusting assembly includes a grip member  43 , and the grip member  43  is rotatably disposed around the main body  1  and movable in the axial direction to be located in the locking position or the release position. The second toothed portion  41  is disposed on an inner wall of the grip member  43 , the grip member  43  is non-rotatably connected with the shaft  3 . 
     Specifically, the positioning member  12  further includes a first blocking member  13  projecting radially outward, the adjusting assembly  4  further includes a second blocking member  44  projecting radially inward, and the first blocking member  13  and the second blocking member  44  are blockable with each other circumferentially. The first blocking member  13  and the second blocking member  44  can limit the rotational angle of the adjusting assembly  4 , which prevents the first threaded portion  31  and the second threaded portion  32  being disengaged from the main body  1  and the abutting assembly  21 . In this embodiment, the second blocking member  44  is disposed on the inner wall of the grip member  43 . 
     In this embodiment, an end of the shaft  3  remote from the working portion  11  includes a non-circular section  33 , and the first threaded portion  31  is located between the second threaded portion  32  and the non-circular section  33 . The adjusting assembly  4  further includes a driving member  45 , the driving member  45  is movable with and disposed in the grip member  43 , and the driving member  45  includes a non-circular hole  451  in which the non-circular section  33  is disposed so that the adjusting assembly  4  can drive the shaft  3  to rotate smoothly. 
     Although particular embodiments of the 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 invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.