Patent Publication Number: US-9849569-B2

Title: Clench wrench

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a wrench and, particularly, to a clench wrench. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     TW Pat. No. M476030 teaches a ratcheting box wrench. The wrench includes a ratchet wheel and an engaging hole adapted to receive the socket or an object to be wrenched and defined by an inner periphery of the ratchet wheel. The socket is prevented from disengaging from the wrench by a resilient C-clip. Likewise, the C-clip can be used to prevent the object to be wrenched from disengaging from the wrench. In order to receive the C-clip, a groove is defined by an outer periphery of the ratchet wheel, and a plurality of openings extends through the inner and outer peripheries of the ratchet wheel, such that the C-clip is partially disposed in the hole and can abut an outer periphery of the socket. In this regard, the ratchet wheel has a more complex design, and more costs and manufacturing processes are incurred. Furthermore, forcing the object to be wrenched, which is stuck in the hole, to disengage from the hole can easily cause the C-clip to disengage from the ratchet wheel. However, it is difficult to reengage the C-clip with the ratchet wheel. Furthermore, users often encounter difficulty to overcome the C-clip&#39;s restraining force to disengage the socket or the object from the hole if the socket or the object is too slippery to grasp. 
     The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a clench wrench includes a body defining a first body defining a handle for a user of the clench wrench to grasp and a second body integrated with the first body and defining an engaging head respectively. The second body has two opposite sides, with one side defining a front side and with the other side defining a back side respectively and including an engaging space for engaging an object to be driven by the clench wrench. The engaging space extends through the front and back sides, and an opening is defined on both the front and back sides. One of the front and back sides includes a clenching member of a clenching device connected thereto. The clenching member is selectively movable between a first position blocking the opening of the engaging space adjacent to one of the front and back sides and being capable of preventing the object engaged with the engaging space from disengaging therefrom, and a second position in which the opening of the engaging space adjacent to one of the front and back sides is not blocked. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
     It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a clench wrench capable of preventing an object engaged therewith to disengage therefrom. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to allow a user to disengage the object from the clench wrench effortlessly. 
     Other objectives, advantages, and new features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanied drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a clench wrench in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a partial exploded perspective view of the clench wrench of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the clench wrench of the present invention and a socket to be engaged with the clench wrench. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the clench wrench of the present invention and the socket shown in  FIG. 3 , with the clench wrench preventing the socket from disengaging therefrom. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the clench wrench of the present invention and an object to be engaged with the clench wrench. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the clench wrench of the present invention and the object shown in  FIG. 5 , with the clench wrench preventing the object from disengaging therefrom. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1 through 6  show a clench wrench  10  in accordance with the present invention capable of preventing a socket or an object engaged therewith from disengaging therefrom. 
     The clench wrench  10  includes a structure  20  defining a first body  21  defining a handle for a user of the clench wrench  10  to grasp and a second body  22  integrated with the first body  21  and defining an engaging head respectively. The first and second bodies  21  and  22  are pivotally connected together. However, integrating the first and second bodies  21  and  22  as a one-piece structure is within the scope of the present invention. 
     The second body  22  has two opposite sides with one side defining a front side  221  and with the other side defining a back side  222  respectively. The distance between the front and back sides  221  and  222  defines the thickness of the second body  22 . The second body  22  includes an engaging space  23  for engaging an object to be driven by the clench wrench  10 . The engaging space  23  extends through the front and back sides  221  and  222 , and an opening is defined on both the front and back sides  221  and  222 . The engaging space  23  is defined by an inner periphery of a ratchet wheel  26 . The ratchet wheel  26  is disposed in a compartment defined by an inner periphery of the second body  22 . The ratchet wheel  26  is rotatable and has a center of rotation on an axis L. The axis L extends in a thickness direction of the second body  22 . The inner periphery of the ratchet wheel  26  is polygonal, and ridges formed by the peripheral sides can facilitate turning of the object by the clench wrench  10 . 
     One of the front and back sides  221  and  222  includes a clenching member  31  of a clenching device  30  connected thereto. The clenching member  31  is connected to one of the front and back sides  221  and  222  of the second body  22  by a pivot  32  of the clenching device  30  and is pivotal about a pivot axis L 1 , with the pivot  32  inserting through a through hole  313  defined by the clenching member  31  and fixed to a first engaging hole  24  defined by the second body  22 . The clenching member  31  is a thin plate that has a substantially smaller thickness than a thickness of the second body  22 . Therefore, the clenching device  30  is configured to avoid making the clench wrench  10  too thick or not compact. The pivot axis L 1  is parallel to the axis L. The pivot  32  and the first engaging hole  24  are in thread engagement. 
     The clenching member  31  is selectively movable between a first position blocking the opening of the engaging space  23  adjacent to one of the front and back sides  221  and  222  and being capable of preventing the object engaged with the engaging space from disengaging therefrom, and a second position in which the opening of the engaging space  23  adjacent to one of the front and back sides  221  and  222  is not blocked. The clenching member  31  has a main body  311  selectively blocking the opening of the engaging space  23 . The opening of the engaging space  23  is selectively blocked by a bottom side of the main body  311  as well as by a segment  315  of a lateral edge of the main body  311 . The lateral edge extends upwardly from the bottom side and on a periphery of the bottom side. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a socket  90  is engaged with the clench wrench  10  and is prevented from disengaging therefrom. The socket  90  includes a joining end configured to be insertable into the engaging space  23 . Furthermore, the socket  90  includes at least one recess  91  configured to be adapted to catch the segment  315  of the lateral edge of the main body  311  of the clenching member  31 , such that the socket  90  is restrained by the segment  315  of the lateral edge of the main body  311  of the clenching member  31 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , an object  92  is engaged with the clench wrench  10  and is prevented from disengaging therefrom. The object  92  includes a head  93  configured to be insertable into the engaging space  23 . The distal end of the head can be blocked by the bottom side of the main body  311  of the clenching member  31 . 
     The clenching member  31  forms a lever  312  protruding upwardly from the main body  311  thereof. The lever  312  facilitates the operation of the clenching member  31 . 
     A positioning device is interacted with the clenching device  30  and is configured to limit positions of the clenching member  31  between the first and second positions thereof. The clenching member  31  is limited by a limiter  33  of the positioning device, with the limiter  33  inserting through a groove  314  defined by the clenching member  31  and fixed to a second engaging hole  25  defined by the second body  22 . The limiter  33  is disposed on an axis L 2 . The axis L 2 , the axis L and the pivot axis L 1  are parallel to one another. The groove  314  is curved and elongated and has a center of curvature located on the pivot axis L 1 . 
     A switch device  40  interacts with the ratchet wheel  26  and is configured to releasably stop the ratchet wheel  26  from rotation. The switch device  40  includes an input control exposed on the second body  22 . Therefore, a user of the clench wrench  10  can easily operate the switch device through the input control. Furthermore, the clenching member  31  has a thickness not greater than that of the input of the switch device  40 . Therefore, the clenching device  30  is configured to avoid making the clench wrench  10  too thick or not compact. 
     In view of the forgoing, the clench wrench  10  is configured to be engagable with an object, and the clenching device  30  can move to a position capable of preventing the object from disengaging from the clench wrench  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . Furthermore, the clenching device  30  can detach from the object. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.