Patent Publication Number: US-2022219292-A1

Title: Adjustable Wrench

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an adjustable wrench, and more particularly to an adjustable wrench that can be adjusted conveniently and that does not easily cause wear on an assembly part. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     As technology develops, many different types of adjustable wrenches have been developed to match various assembly parts such as nuts or screws of different sizes. Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates an operation view of the adjustable wrench of the prior art. 
     In the prior art, a monkey wrench  90  which has a movable jaw  91 , a stationary jaw  92  and a worm  93  has been developed. The movable jaw  91  and the stationary jaw form the shape of an opening. The worm  93  and the movable jaw  91  cooperate with each other to adjust the position of the movable jaw  91  so as to change the size of the opening. In this way, the monkey wrench  90  can be applied to assembly parts N of different sizes. 
     However, because the shape of the opening does not match the hexagon of the assembly part N, when the monkey wrench  90  of the prior art rotates the assembly part N, the monkey wrench  90  contacts the assembly part N only at certain points, wherein the number of contact points may be only two to three. When the monkey wrench  90  applies force only to the contact points of assembly part N for a long time, abrasion of the assembly part N can easily occur. 
     Therefore, it is necessary to invent a new adjustable wrench to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an adjustable wrench that is capable of being adjusted conveniently and that does not easily cause wear on an assembly part. 
     To achieve the above objective, an adjustable wrench of the present invention is used for an assembly part. The adjustable wrench comprises a frame and an adjustable member. An inner side of the frame has a first rack. The adjustable member has a second rack meshed with the first rack. The adjustable member and the frame are meshed with each other by the first rack and the second rack such that the adjustable member forms a first space inside the frame, wherein the adjustable member adjusts a meshing position of the second rack and the first rack to change the size of the first space such that the first space can match assembly parts of different specifications. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an operation view of an adjustable wrench of the prior art. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a stereogram of an adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates an exploded view of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2C  illustrates an operation view of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates a front view of a first state of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 3A . 
         FIG. 3C  illustrates a front view of a second state of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3D  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 3C . 
         FIG. 3E  illustrates a front view of a third state of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3F  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 3E . 
         FIG. 4A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4B  illustrates a side view of the adjustable wrench in the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4C  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the second embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 4B . 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the third embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 5A . 
         FIG. 5C  illustrates a front view of another state of the adjustable wrench in the third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the fourth embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 6A . 
         FIG. 6C  illustrates a front view of another state of the adjustable wrench in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the fifth embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 7A . 
         FIG. 7C  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the fifth embodiment of the present invention along the B-B direction of  FIG. 7B . 
         FIG. 8A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the sixth embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 8A . 
         FIG. 8C  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the sixth embodiment of the present invention along the B-B direction of  FIG. 8B . 
         FIG. 9A  illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in a seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9B  illustrates a partial exploded schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in an eighth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10B  illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in a ninth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10C  illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in a tenth embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10D  illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The advantages and innovative features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed descriptions when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     Hereafter, please refer to  FIG. 2A , which illustrates a stereogram of an adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2B , which illustrates an exploded view of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the first embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable wrench  1   a  comprises a frame  10 , an adjustable member  20 , and an engaging element  51  used for engaging the frame  10  with the adjustable member  20 . The adjustable member  20  has a second rack  21 . The second rack  21  is meshed with the first rack  11 . Therefore, the adjustable member  20  is meshed with the frame  10  to form a first space  31  and a second space  32  inside the frame  10 . The first space  31  and the second space  32  are formed on both sides of the adjustable member  20 . The adjustable member  20  adjusts a meshing position of the second rack  21  and the first rack  11  to change the size of the first space  31  and the second space  32 . It should also be noted that the adjustable wrench  1   a  may also form a single space due to the relationship between the frame  10  and the shape of the adjustable member  20 . As a result, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the minimum shape of the first space  31  and the second space  32  can be a quadrilateral, and after adjustment, the first space  31  and the second space can be adjusted to form a hexagon. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 2C , which illustrates an operation view of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention. 
     The adjustable wrench  1   a  can be suitable for an assembly part N, which may be parts such as screws, nuts, etc. The present invention does not limit the types of the assembly part N. The shape of the assembly part N in  FIG. 2C  is hexagonal as an example, but the shape of the assembly part N can also be a circle or other polygons. The present invention is not limited thereto. The sizes of the first space  31  and the second space  32  are matched with the specifications of the assembly part N. When the assembly part N is placed into the first space  31  and the second space  32 , the first space  31  and the second space  32  are in contact with the assembly part N on at least four sides. Therefore, when the adjustable wrench  1   a  rotates, the force applied to each side of the assembly part N can be more even, and the wear on the assembly part N can be greatly reduced. Further, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the long handle  40  of the adjustable wrench  1   a  is used to connect the two frames  10  at the same time. The sizes of the two frames  10  can be different. By matching of the size of the first space  31  and the second space  32  of each frame  10 , the adjustable wrench  1   a  can be applied to assembly parts N of at least four different specifications. Furthermore, the shapes of the first space  31  and the second space  32  can also be adjusted, so the applicable specifications of the assembly parts N are more diverse. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 3A to 3F  for the method of adjusting the position of the adjustable member  20 , wherein  FIG. 3A  illustrates a front view of a first state of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 3A ,  FIG. 3C  illustrates a front view of a second state of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3D  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 3C ,  FIG. 3E  illustrates a front view of a third state of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 3F  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the first embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 3E . 
     In the first embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable wrench  1   a  utilizes its engaging element  51  to engage the frame  10  and the adjustable member  20  with each other. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  51  comprises a bulge part  22  and a first elastic element  23 . The bulge part  22  extends from the left and right sides of the adjustable member  20  and cooperates with the frame  10 . Moreover, the first elastic element  23  is disposed on the bulge part  22  so as to abut against the frame  10  vertically. At this time, as shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , when the pressing portion  20   a  and the first elastic element  23  disposed on one side of the adjustable member  20  are pressed, the first elastic element  23  is compressed. Thus, the first rack  11  and the second rack  21  can be separated up and down, as shown in  FIG. 3C  and  FIG. 3D . Then the adjustable member  20  can be moved. When the adjustable member  20  is moved to the position, the pressing portion  20   a  of the adjustable member  20  is no longer pressed, and the first elastic element  23  provides an elastic force so that the second rack  21  and the first rack  11  are meshed with each other. 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 4A to 4C , wherein  FIG. 4A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a second embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 4B  illustrates a side view of the adjustable wrench in the second embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4C  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the second embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 4B . 
     In the second embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  52  of the adjustable wrench  1   b  comprises a fixing ring  12 . The fixing ring  12  has elasticity, is disposed on a part of the periphery of the frame  10 , and passes through the frame  10  and the first rack  11  to contact the second rack  21  so as to engage the adjustable member  20 . Therefore, the adjustable member  20  can be separated from or assembled with the frame  10 . When the adjustable member  20  is assembled with the frame  10 , the adjustable member  20  engages the second rack  21  with the first rack  11  and fixes the adjustable member  20  by the elastic force of the fixing ring  12 . 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 5A to 5C , wherein  FIG. 5A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a third embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 5B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the third embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 5A , and  FIG. 5C  illustrates a front view of another state of the adjustable wrench in the third embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the third embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  53  of the adjustable wrench  1   c  comprises a bulge part  22  and a baffle  24 . The baffle  24  is pivotally connected to the adjustable member  20  so as to be rotatable. As shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C , when the baffle  24  is horizontal, the adjustable member  20  can be fixed to the frame  10  by using the bulge part  22  and the baffle  24 . The baffle  24  can further have a bump  241 , which can be engaged with the hole  27 . After the baffle  24  is rotated to vertical or other inclined angles, the adjustable member  20  can be released from the frame  10 . Then when the adjustable member  20  is moved to the position, the second rack  21  and the first rack  11  are meshed with each other. Finally, the baffle  24  is rotated back to the horizontal to fix the adjustable member  20 . Thus, the sizes of the first space  31  and the second space  32  can be adjusted. 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 6A to 6C , wherein  FIG. 6A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a fourth embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 6B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the fourth embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 6A , and  FIG. 6C  illustrates a front view of another state of the adjustable wrench in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  54  of the adjustable wrench  1   d  comprises the bulge part  22 , a first rotation fixing member  251 , and a second rotation fixing member  252 . The first rotation fixing member  251  and the second rotation fixing member  252  are pivotally connected to the adjustable member  20  and engaged with each other such that they are able to rotate with each other. Therefore, when the first rotation fixing member  251  and the second rotation fixing member  252  are both turned to the horizontal direction, the adjustable member  20  can be fixed to the frame  10  by the bulge part  22 , the first rotation fixing member  251 , and the second rotation fixing member  252 . When the first rotation fixing member  251  and the second rotation fixing member  252  are rotated to vertical or other inclined angles, the adjustable member  20  can be separated from the frame  10 . Then when the adjustable member  20  is moved to the position, the second rack  21  and the first rack  11  are meshed with each other. Finally, the first rotation fixing member  251  and the second rotation fixing member  252  are rotated back to the original horizontal state to fix the adjustable member  20  and the frame  10 . In this way, the sizes of the first space  31  and the second space  32  can be adjusted. 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 7A to 7C , wherein  FIG. 7A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a fifth embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 7B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the fifth embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 7A , and  FIG. 7C  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the fifth embodiment of the present invention along the B-B direction of  FIG. 7B . 
     In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  55  of the adjustable wrench  1   e  comprises a second elastic element  13  and a roller pin  14 . The second elastic element  13  can be a strip or sheet, which is abutting against the first rack  11 . The roller pin  14  is arranged on the first rack  11  such that the adjustable member  20  can be moved along the roller pin  14 . After the adjustable member  20  is moved to the position, the elastic force provided by the second elastic element  13  causes the second rack  21  and the first rack  11  to be meshed with each other. Therefore, the meshing position of the second rack  21  and the first rack  11  can be adjusted. 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 8A to 8C , wherein  FIG. 8A  illustrates a front view of the adjustable wrench in a sixth embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 8B  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the sixth embodiment of the present invention along the A-A direction of  FIG. 8A , and  FIG. 8C  illustrates a cutaway drawing of the adjustable wrench in the sixth embodiment of the present invention along the B-B direction of  FIG. 8B . 
     In the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  56  of the adjustable wrench  1   f  comprises a third elastic element  26  which is horizontally arranged in the adjustable member  20 . The third elastic element  26  comprises a first end  261  and a second end  262 . The first end  261  and the second end  262  are protruded from the second rack  21  to abut against the first rack  11  respectively. The third elastic element  26  provides the required elastic force when the first end  261  and the second end  262  abut against the first rack  11 . Therefore, when the adjustable member  20  is assembled with the frame  10 , the elastic force provided by the third elastic element  26  can cause the adjustable member  20  and the frame  10  to engage with each other. Thus, the adjustable member  20  can adjust the meshing position of the second rack  21  and the first rack  11 . 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 9A , which illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in a seventh embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 9B , which illustrates a partial exploded schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in the seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the seventh embodiment of the present invention, the engaging element  57  of the adjustable wrench  1   g  comprises a fixture  15  and a fourth elastic element  16 . The fixture  15  further comprises a pivot point  151  and a positioner  152 . The fixture  15  is pivotally connected to the frame  10  via the pivot point  151 . The fourth elastic element  16  is located on the frame  10  and contacts the fixture  15  via the positioning member positioner  152  of the fixture  15  so as to provide an elastic force. Therefore, the fixture  15  can clamp the adjustable member  20 . Specifically, the fixture  15  will block the meshing position between the first rack  11  and the second rack  21 , so the adjustable member  20  will not be loosened. After the clamp fixture  15  is pressed, the clamp fixture  15  can loosen the adjustable member  20  so that the adjustable member  20  can be moved to adjust the meshing position of the second rack  21  and the first rack  11 . 
     It should be noted that at least a portion of the engaging elements  51  to  57  of the present invention can be disposed on the frame  10  or on the adjustable member  20  to be engaged with the middle section or on the outside of the frame  10  or on the adjustable member  20  so as to achieve the function of engaging or clamping by stretching or rotating. The present invention is not limited to the engaging elements  51  to  57  as shown in the first to seventh embodiments. 
     Now please refer to  FIG. 10A , which illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in an eighth embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the eighth embodiment of the present invention, the handle  40  of the adjustable wrench  1   h  is connected to a single frame  10 . 
     Please refer to  FIG. 10B , which illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in a ninth embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the ninth embodiment of the present invention, the adjustable wrench  1   i  has only the frame  10  and the adjustable member  20 . The frame  10  only provides a single-sided first rack  11 , and the adjustable member  20  also provides a single-sided second rack  21 . Thus, the user can more easily carry the adjustable wrench  1   i.    
     Please refer to  FIG. 10C , which illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in a tenth embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the tenth embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the frame  10  of the adjustable wrench  1   j  remains hexagonal, but the shape of the adjustable member  20 ′ is similar to a rectangle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shapes of the first space  31  and the second space  32  are both close to triangular. 
     Please refer to  FIG. 10D , which illustrates a schematic diagram of the adjustable wrench in an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the eleventh embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the frame  10 ′ of the adjustable wrench  1   k  is a rectangle, the shape of the adjustable member  20 ′ is also a rectangle, and the shapes of the first space  31  and the second space  32  are also rectangles. 
     In addition to the above-mentioned elements, the adjustable wrenches  1   a  to  1   k  of the present invention may also include other elements. Since the technology of other elements is not the focus of the present invention, it will not be further described here. Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the above-mentioned adjustable wrenches  1   a  to  1   k.    
     It can be seen from the above description that the adjustable wrenches  1   a  to  1   k  of the present invention allows adjustment of the size of the first space  31  and the second space  32  to match different assembly parts N and reduce the degree of wear on the assembly parts N, so the disadvantages of the prior art can be effectively corrected. 
     It is noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are only for illustration. It is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. Therefore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.