Patent Publication Number: US-6213620-B1

Title: Assembled opener with an illumination device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an assembled opener having an illumination device, and especially relates to an assembled opener having a simple structure, which may be assembled easily, thereby, the front portion of a tool portion has a preferred illumination so that a user may easily operate a screw. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A prior art assembled opener with an illumination device is shown in FIG.  7 . The primary structure thereof includes a handle a, a linkage portion b, and a tool portion c. The tool portion c may be a flat head opener, a cruciform opener, or a hexagonal opener, for example. An embedding head is installed in front of the handle a, which serves to directly or indirectly be combined with the tail portion of the linkage portion b. Another embedded head at the other end of the linkage portion b is for combining with the tool portion c. Therefore, a practical manual tool is formed. 
     The linkage portion is a hollow cylinder, and the rear end thereof is installed with a lamp set d. The front end of the lamp set d has a light guide structure e. The light guide structure has a defect in that due to the construction of the linkage portion b, while light within the linkage portion b transmits to the tool portion c from the light guide structure e (or a trench in the lateral side), a part of the light will be blocked by the tool portion c, and thus a shadow is formed. This is a defect in need of improvement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide an assembled opener having an illumination device such as a lamp installed in the assembled opener. After the lamp is actuated, light will pass through a plurality of through holes of the front portion thereof and the tool portion so as to project to a screw head to be rotated, thus no shadow area is formed and the user may conveniently operate a screw. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembled opener with an illumination device having a simple structure. The battery can be easily changed and the lamp is easily enabled and disabled. 
     In order to attain the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides an assembled opener with an illumination device comprising a handle, a linkage portion, and a tool portion, wherein an illumination device is installed within the linkage portion for forming an assembled opener with an illumination device. A polygonal combining groove is formed on the rear side of the front portion of the linkage portion and a hole penetrating to the embedding head is formed on the center of the combining groove. The front end of the rear portion has a junction with respect to the combining groove, the depth of the junction being shorter than that of the combining groove. Thus, a lamp set and a battery set, are sequentially installed therebetween. In addition, a through hole is formed on the center of the tool portion. 
     By the aforementioned structure, when the front portion and rear portion of the linkage portion according to the present invention are combined in a predetermined position, the lamp set of the present invention will be actuated. Then, light will pass through the through holes of the front portion and the tool portion, avoiding a shadow area for convenient use. Moreover, an insulating cover covers the outer side of the battery. Other than the aforementioned insulating effect, batteries can be connected in series regardless of the number of the batteries. Thus the user may conveniently remove and replace the batteries. Moreover, manufacturing costs can be greatly reduced. 
     The present invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by referencing to the following drawings in which: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective, exploded view of the embodiment according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an assembled cross sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 a  is a cross sectional view showing that the present invention is assembled to a predetermined position. 
     FIG. 3 b  is another embodiment of FIG. 3 a  according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is another embodiment showing the front portion of the linkage portion according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective, exploded view of the linkage portion in one embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the linkage portion in another embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a prior art structure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the assembled opener with an illumination device of the present invention is illustrated. The opener of the present invention primary includes a handle  1 , a linkage portion  2 , and a tool portion  3 . An illumination device is installed therewithin for forming an assembled opener with an illumination device. A polygonal combining groove  24  is formed on the rear side of the front portion  23  of the linkage portion  2 . A hole  25  penetrating to the embedding head  21  is formed on the center of the combining groove, while the front end of the rear portion  22  has a junction  26  with respect to the combining groove  24 . The depth of the junction  26  is shorter than that of the combining groove  24 . Thus, a lamp  4  and a battery set  6  may be sequentially installed therebetween. The outer side of the battery  6  is enclosed by an insulator cover  61 . A through hole  31  is formed in the tool portion  3 . 
     By the aforementioned structure, in general, the embedding head of a general sleeve spanner has a structure to buckle the tool portion by steel ball bearings. While in the present invention, the buckling action is performed by a C ring  27  made of a steel line. 
     Of course, an O ring or magnet may be used as a positioning structure during embedding or a plurality of slender slits  211  may be cut in the embedding head  21  as shown in FIG.  4 . Then rings  27 ′ made of identical material cover the neck portions, by the elasticity of the hole  25  and the slender slits  211 , the ring  27 ′ will firmly buckle the tool portion  3 . 
     In addition, for the positioning of the front portion  23  and rear portion  22  of the linkage portion  2 , the front portion  23  and the tool portion  3  may have identical structures. A ring shaped groove  28  is formed in a proper position in the combining groove  24 , while the junction of the rear portion  22  is installed with elastic positioning structure  29 , including a C ring, an O ring, or a magnet, for example. Therefore, the object of the present invention is achieved. 
     By the aforementioned description, when the front portion  23  and rear portion  22  of the linkage portion  2  according to the present invention are combined in a predetermined position, the battery  6  is isolated from the insulating cover  61  so that the positive electrode and negative electrode are insulated. Since one conducting end of the lamp  4  directly contacts the head of the battery  6 , the tail of the battery  6  will be connected with the lamp by the pressing of the junction of the rear portion  22 . Thus, the lamp  4  and the battery  6  are electrically connected and thus the lamp lights up. After the lamp  4  is actuated, light will pass through the through holes  25  and  31  of the front portion  23  thereof and the tool portion  3  so as to project to a screw head to be rotated, thus no shadow area is formed and the user may conveniently operate the tool. 
     Further, referring to FIG. 3 b , the linkage portion  2  can be unitary through another construction so that the front portion of the handle  1  is directly encased in the combining groove  24  of the linkage portion  2  and will contact the battery  6  so as to achieve the object of the present invention. 
     Further referring to FIG. 1, an insulating cover  61  covers the outer side of the battery  6 , and in addition to the aforementioned insulating effect, batteries can be connected in series regardless of the number of batteries. Thus, a user may conveniently remove and replace the batteries. Moreover, manufacturing costs can be reduced greatly. 
     With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, a different variation of the linkage portion in another embodiment according to the present invention is illustrated. In FIG. 5, the embedding head of front portion  22  of the linkage portion  2  is formed with a shape matching with a general cruciform opener and a flat head opener and thus is designed with an embedding hole  21 ′. While the through hole  25  for transmitting light is installed in the side shifted from the embedding hole  21 ′. The lamp  4  is moved laterally to a side. When this structure is used, the object of the present invention can also be achieved. Moreover, the rear end of the rear portion  23  in this embodiment may have a post shape or it may combine with a chuck or a handle  1  with a combining hole. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, another modified embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The front portion  22  is made as a hollow post and is detachable, and the rear portion  23  is made as a concave combining groove  26 ′ so that in the combining groove  26 ′ may be sequentially installed with a battery  6  and a lamp  4 . Then the battery and lamp are sealed by the junction  24 ′ at the rear end of the front portion  22  so as to achieve the object of the present invention. 
     Although the present invention has been described using specified embodiments, the examples are meant to be illustrative and not restrictive. It is clear that many other variations would be possible without departing from the basic approach, demonstrated by the present invention.