Patent Publication Number: US-2007102382-A1

Title: Ratchet wrench and display rack thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application is a Continuation-In-Part Application of Ser. No. 10/975,485, filed 29 Oct. 2004, and entitled “TOOL DISPLAY RACK HAVING HOLDING AND ROTATION TEST FUNCTIONS”, now pending. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a ratchet wrench and a display rack thereof, and more particularly to a ratchet wrench and a display rack thereof, wherein the display rack has holding and rotation test functions without detaching the ratchet wrench from the display rack.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      A conventional tool display rack in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  comprises a main body ( 40 ) formed with a circular hole ( 41 ) for mounting a square drive stud ( 310 ) of a drive head ( 31 ) of a ratchet wrench ( 30 ), and a pressing member ( 42 ) secured on the main body ( 40 ) and urged on a neck portion ( 32 ). However, the ratchet wrench ( 30 ) cannot not be rotated relative to the main body ( 40 ) of the tool display rack to test the rotation angle of the drive stud ( 310 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 30 ).  
      Another conventional tool display rack in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIGS. 12-13  comprises a main body ( 50 ) formed with a circular hole ( 51 ), and a locking member ( 60 ) extending through a drive head ( 31 A) of a ratchet wrench ( 30 A) and having a first end formed with a hexagonal positioning portion ( 62 ) secured in the drive head ( 31 A) of the ratchet wrench ( 30 A) and a second end formed with a locking hook ( 61 ) extending through the circular hole ( 51 ) and locked on a bottom of the main body ( 50 ) to secure the drive head  31 A) of the ratchet wrench ( 30 A) on the main body ( 50 ). In such a manner, the hexagonal positioning portion ( 62 ) of the locking member ( 60 ) is secured in the drive head ( 31 A) of the ratchet wrench ( 30 A), and the ratchet wrench ( 30 A) is rotated relative to the main body ( 50 ) of the tool display rack to test the rotation angle of a ratchet wheel ( 32 A) of the drive head ( 31 A) of the ratchet wrench ( 30 A). However, the tool display rack needs to provide a locking member ( 60 ), so that the tool display rack has a complicated construction, thereby increasing costs of fabrication. In addition, the locking hook ( 61 ) of the locking member ( 50 ) cannot hold the main body ( 50 ) closely, so that the locking member ( 60 ) is easily rotated with the drive head ( 31 A) of the ratchet wrench ( 30 A), thereby decreasing the testing precision.  
      A convention holding unit (U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,783 by Hayashi) comprises an article holding portion and a mounting portion, and is applied for holding a chuck handle for an electric drill. The holding unit is provided with a plurality of resilient thin plates or segments which are arranged in the radial directions with slits being formed between the adjacent thin plates. Consequently, the plates disclosed by Hayashi are radially deformed relative to an insert direction of the object and restitute to the original condition only detaching the inserted object. The thin plates only provided to prevent the inserted object from detaching from the holding unit such that the inserted object can be freely rotated relative to the article holding portion.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional tool display racks and holding unit.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved ratchet wrench display rack that has holding and rotation test functions without detaching the ratchet wrench from the display rack.  
      To achieve the objective, the ratchet wrench display rack in accordance with the present invention comprises a main body, a mounting portion mounted on the main body to allow passage of the drive stud of the ratchet wrench and having a periphery wall provided with a plurality of locking portions urged on corners of the drive stud, and a holder mounted on the main body and urged on the neck portion. Thus, the locking portions are urged on the corners of the drive stud of the ratchet wrench to retain the drive stud in the retaining portions closely, so that the drive stud of the ratchet wrench is secured on the mounting portion of the ratchet wrench display rack rigidly and stably.  
      Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a ratchet wrench and a display rack thereof in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the ratchet wrench and the display rack thereof as shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the ratchet wrench and the display rack thereof as shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the ratchet wrench and the display rack thereof as shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a top plan operational view of the ratchet wrench and the display rack thereof as shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a second top plan operational view of the ratchet wrench and the display rack thereof as shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of a ratchet wrench and a display rack thereof in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet wrench and a display rack thereof in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet wrench and a display rack thereof in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional tool display rack in accordance with the prior art;  
       FIG. 11  is a plan cross-sectional assembly view of the conventional tool display rack as shown in  FIG. 8 ;  
       FIG. 12  is an exploded perspective view of another conventional tool display rack in accordance with the prior art; and  
       FIG. 13  is a plan cross-sectional assembly view of the conventional tool display rack as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-6 , a display rack ( 20 ) in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is used for mounting a ratchet wrench ( 10 ). The ratchet wrench ( 10 ) includes a handle ( 100 ) having a drive head ( 11 ) disposed in one end thereof and a neck portion ( 12 ) defined in the handle ( 100 ) near the drive head ( 11 ). The drive head ( 11 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) has a square drive stud ( 110 ) extending therefrom for driving a socket (not shown) in a single direction.  
      The display rack ( 20 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) comprises a main body ( 21 ), a mounting portion ( 211 ) mounted on the main body ( 21 ) to allow passage of the drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) and a peripheral wall provided with a plurality of locking portions ( 212 ) urged on corners of the square drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ), and a holder ( 22 ) mounted on the main body ( 21 ) and urged on the neck portion ( 12 ) of the handle ( 100 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ).  
      The main body ( 21 ) has a first end formed with a hanging portion ( 210 ) for hanging the main body ( 21 ). The mounting portion ( 211 ) in mounted on a mediate portion of the main body ( 21 ) and is preferably a through hole. Preferably, the main body ( 21 ) is integrally formed with the mounting portion ( 211 ).  
      Preferably, the mounting portion ( 211 ) is integrally formed with the locking portions ( 212 ) which are extended radially inward therefrom. In addition, the peripheral wall of the mounting portion ( 211 ) is provided with a plurality of recessed retaining portions ( 213 ) mounted between the locking portions ( 212 ). Preferably, the mounting portion ( 211 ) is integrally formed with the retaining portions ( 213 ).  
      With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when the square drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) is inserted into the mounting portion ( 211 ) of the display rack ( 20 ), the locking portions ( 212 ) are urged on the corners of the square drive studs ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) to retain the square drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) in the retaining portions ( 213 ) closely, so that the square  110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) is secured on the mounting portion ( 211 ) and cannot be rotated relative to the main body ( 21 ) of the display rack ( 20 ).  
      The holder ( 22 ) has one end pivotally connected to a second end of the main body ( 21 ) and has an inside formed with a presage ( 220 ) to allow passage of the neck portion ( 12 ) of the handle ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ). Preferably, the passage ( 220 ) of the holder ( 22 ) has a side having two ends each formed with an limit portion ( 221 ) to limit a further movement of the handle ( 100 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) when testing the ratchet function of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ).  
      In such a manner, the neck portion ( 12 ) of the handle ( 100 ) is movable in the passage ( 220 ) of the holder ( 22 ) between the two limit portions ( 221 ) of the passage ( 220 ), so that drive head ( 11 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) is rotatable relative to the main body ( 21 ) of the display rack ( 20 ). As a result, the buyer can test the rotation angle and the ratchet function of the drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) in the display place without detaching the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) from the display rack ( 20 ). It is a convenient design for buyer to selective a suitable ratchet wrench in the display place, such as a market.  
      With reference to  FIG. 7 , each of the locking portions ( 212 ) has a reduced neck portion to enhance the elasticity of each of the locking portions ( 212 ).  
      Accordingly, the main body ( 21 ) of the display rack ( 20 ) is integrally formed with the mounting portion ( 211 ), the locking portions ( 212 ) and the retaining portions ( 213 ), so that the display rack ( 20 ) has a simplified construction, thereby decreasing costs of fabrication. In addition, the locking portions ( 212 ) are urged on the corners of the square drive head ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) to retain the square drive head ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) in the retaining portions ( 213 ) closely, so that the drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) is secured on the mounting portion ( 211 ) of the display rack ( 20 ) rigidly and stably. Further, the square stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench is closely secured on the mounting portion ( 211 ) and the cannot be rotated relative to the main body ( 21 ) of the display rack ( 20 ), so that the drive head ( 11 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) is rotated relative to the main body ( 21 ) of the display rack ( 20 ) to test the rotation angle and the ratchet function of the square drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) exactly. Further, the passage ( 220 ) of the holder ( 22 ) includes a side having two ends each formed with a limit portion ( 221 ) to increasing the testing travel of ratchet wrench ( 10 ), so that the rotation angle and the ratchet function of the square drive stud ( 110 ) of the ratchet wrench ( 10 ) is tested more exactly.  
      With reference to  FIG. 8 , the display rack ( 20 ) further comprises an attachment ( 214 ) detachably mounted on the main body ( 21 ) and integrally formed with the mounting portion ( 211 ), the locking portions ( 212 ) and the retaining portions ( 213 ). The main body ( 21 ) is formed with a positioning hole ( 216 ) for mounting the attachment ( 214 ) and two opposite locking holes ( 217 ) located beside the positioning hole ( 216 ). The attachment ( 214 ) has a periphery formed with two opposite locking stubs ( 215 ) each locked in a respective one of the two opposite locking holes ( 217 ) of the main body ( 21 ), so that the attachment ( 214 ) is secured on the main body ( 21 ) closely.  
      With reference to  FIG. 9 , the holder ( 22 A) is directly detachably engaged to the main body ( 21 ) for increasing the testing travel of ratchet wrench ( 10 ).  
      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.