Patent Publication Number: US-2023150100-A1

Title: Torque tool using colors for identification

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation-in Part (CIP) of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 17/315,359, entitled “TORQUE TOOL USING COLORS FOR IDENTIFICATION”, filed on May 10, 2021, and is a Continuation-in Part (CIP) of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 17/315,358, entitled “ADJUSTABLE WRENCH USING COLORS FOR IDENTIFICATION”, filed on May 10, 2021, which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to torque tools and, more particularly, to a torque using colors for identification. 
     Related Prior Art 
     There are various tools such as box-ended wrenches, open-ended wrenches, adjustable wrenches, Allen keys, socket wrenches and related components. Pressing or printing is often used to provide a tool with an inscription to show a trademark, an aesthetic pattern or the size of the tool. 
     The use of the above-mentioned processes to make the inscription is not without any problem particularly where the inscription is used to show the size of the tool. For example, a user may have to wipe grease from the tool to read the inscription to know the size of the tool for the inscription is often covered entirely or partially by grease. Moreover, the user may have to flip the tool over to read the inscription since the inscription is often supported on a lower face of the tool in an operative position. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,627 discloses a tool-identifying system in which a color chart shows a range of ten colors and each color indicates a particular numeral. A sequence of indicated numerals represents the value of the size of a tool, in fractional inch or metric size. However, a user has to memorize the correspondence of the colors to the numerals. The user will experience troubles in picking bits of the right sizes might if he or she forgets the correspondence. Accordingly, the user may bring bits of wrong sizes to a working site and fail a task. Alternatively, the user may be forced to bring bits of all sizes to the working site, and this is quite a burden. In operation, the user may pick bits of wrong sizes before getting the bit of the right size, and this is a waste of time. 
     CN 2118617 discloses an adjustable wrench including a handle, a jaw formed on the handle, another jaw movably connected to the handle, a scale in fractional inch, and another scale in metric size. Each scale provides the correspondence of the value of each size to an actual with of a gap between the jaws. However, the scales could be covered with grease or steins. 
     Moreover, no wrench has been provided with anything to let a user know an adequate value of torque to be imposed on a workpiece such as a nut and a threaded bolt without causing damages to the workpiece. Hence, the user might not exert an inadequate value of torque to engage a nut with a threaded bolt so that the nut could easily be disengaged from the threaded bolt because of vibration. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a torque tool using colors for identification. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the torque tool includes a handle, a pointer and a color ring. The handle is operable to set limits of torque. The pointer is formed on the handle. The color ring includes colored areas corresponding to the limits of torque. The color ring is rotatable around the handle to align one of the colored areas with the pointer to indicate that the handle is ready to transfer torque no larger than a corresponding one of the limits of torque. 
     Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a handle of a torque tool according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is an enlarged, partial and exploded view of the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is an enlarged, partial and cut-away view of the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIGS.  4  through  7    are enlarged top views of an indicating unit of the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  8    is an enlarged, partial and perspective view of a first bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  9    is an enlarged, partial and perspective view of a second bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  10    is an enlarged, partial and perspective view of a third bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  11    is an enlarged, partial and perspective view of a fourth bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  12    is an enlarged, partial and exploded view of a fifth bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  13    is an enlarged, partial and exploded view of a sixth bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  14    is an enlarged, partial and perspective view of a seventh bit for use with the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  15    is an enlarged perspective view of a torque tool including the handle shown in  FIG.  1    and the first bit shown in  FIG.  8   ; 
         FIG.  16    is an enlarged, partial and cross-sectional view of the torque tool shown in  FIG.  15   ; 
         FIG.  17    is a perspective view of a box for packing the handle shown in  FIG.  1   ; and 
         FIG.  18    is a perspective view of a tag/hanger for the handle shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , a wrench  10  includes a handle  30  operable to rotate a bit  11  that can be in various sizes as shown in  FIGS.  8  through  14   . The handle  30  includes a rod  35  inserted in a pipe  38  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The rod  35  is pivotally connected to the pipe  38  by a pivot  37 . A wheel  36  is connected to a rear end of the rod  35 , which is inserted in the pipe  38 . A joint  31  is formed in one piece with a front end of the rod  35 , which is located out of the pipe  38 . Thus, the joint  31  is located out of the pipe  38 . The joint  31  includes a bore  32  in a front end. Two apertures  33  are respectively made in two opposite sides of the joint  31  so that the apertures  33  are in communication with the bore  32 . A button  34  is inserted in each of the apertures  33 . The buttons  34  are kept on the joint  31  and away from the bore  32 . 
     The handle  30  further includes a torque-adjusting mechanism  40  including a grip  41 , a threaded rod  43 , a threaded sleeve  44 , a spring  45 , a wedge  46 , a bearing  47 , a connector  48  and a controller  49 . The spring  45  is inserted in the pipe  38 . The wedge  46  is connected to a front end of the spring  45 . Thus, the spring  45  abuts the wedge  46  against the wheel  36 , which is connected to the rod  35 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the grip  41  extends around a rear section of the pipe  38  so that the former is allowed to rotate around the latter. The rear section of the pipe  38  receives the threaded rod  43  and the threaded sleeve  44 . The threaded rod  43  includes a shank  431  supported by the bearing  47 , which is fitted in the rear section of the pipe  38 . The threaded sleeve  44  includes a thread  441  formed on an internal face and a groove  442  longitudinally made in an external face. The thread  441  of the threaded sleeve  44  is engaged with a thread (not numbered) of the threaded rod  43 . A front end of the threaded sleeve  44  is abutted against a spring  45  that is inserted in rear section of the pipe  38 . A pin  39  is inserted in the groove  442  via the pipe  38  to prevent the threaded sleeve  44  from rotation in the pipe  38  but allow the threaded sleeve  44  to translate in the pipe  38 . The pin  39  is used to abut against a closed end of the groove  442  to set an end for the translation of the threaded sleeve  44  in the pipe  38 . A positioning collar  443  is inserted in the grip  41 . Moreover, the positioning collar  443  is fitted on the rear section of the pipe  38  so that they are not movable relative to each other. Furthermore, the positioning collar  443  keeps the pin  39  in the pipe  38 . 
     The connector  48  is an annular element that is fitted between the grip  41  and on the shank  431  so that the grip  41  is rotatable with the threaded rod  43 . The shank  431  is inserted in the controller  49 , which is an annular element. The controller  49  is allowed to translate in the grip  41  in a longitudinal direction of the handle  30  between a locking position and an unlocking position. In the locking position, the controller  49  prevents the grip  41  from rotation around the pipe  38 . In the unlocking position, the controller  49  allows the grip  41  to rotate around the pipe  38 . Details of the structure of the controller  49  and its relation to the other elements are not the spirit of the present invention and hence will not be given here. However, details of the structure of the controller  49  and its relation to the other elements can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,836,781. 
     The handle  30  further includes an indicating unit  50  including an indicating ring  51 , a lens  70  and a color ring  80 . The indicating ring  51  includes a pointer  54  on an external face. A middle section of the pipe  38  is inserted in the indicating ring  51 . Two screw holes (not numbered) are made in the middle section of the pipe  38 . The indicating ring  51  includes two apertures  57 . Two screws  58  are respectively inserted in the screw holes of the pipe  38  via the apertures  57 , thereby keeping the middle section of the pipe  38  in the indicting ring  51 . 
     A section of the indicating ring  51  is inserted in the color ring  80  so that the color ring  80  is located between the pointer  54  and the positioning collar  443  in the longitudinal direction of the handle  30 . The color ring  80  is allowed to rotate on the indicating ring  51 , but not translate on the indicating ring  51 . The color ring  80  is formed with teeth  81  on an external face. The teeth  81  are engaged with teeth  42  formed on an internal face of the grip  41  so that the color ring  80  is rotatable with the grip  41 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  4  to  7   , four colored areas  82 ,  83 ,  84  and  85  are located in a recess  87  made in an external face of the color ring  80 . 
     The lens  70  is an annular element formed with two open ends  71  and  72 . The lens  70  extends around the indicating ring  51 . The lens  70  includes an internal flange  74  inserted in a groove  52  made in the external face of the indicating ring  51 , thereby keeping the lens  70  in position on the indicating ring  51  in the longitudinal direction of the handle  30 . At the open end  71 , the lens  70  is formed with a notch (not numbered) to receive the pointer  54  to prevent the lens  70  from rotation on the indicating ring  51 . The lens  70  extends around and hence protectively covers the color ring  80 . The open end  72  of the lens  70  is pointed at the grip  41 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  through  4   , the grip  41  is rotated relative to the pipe  38  in a sense of direction so that the threaded rod  43  translates the threaded sleeve  44  toward the bearing  47 , thereby reducing the load in the spring  45 . For the engagement of the teeth  81  with the teeth  42 , the color ring  80  is rotated around the indicating ring  51  to show a limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30 . 
     The pointer  54  is pointed at the colored area  85  of the color ring  80  for example. Hence, the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 65 Nm. In practice, there are inevitably errors in the making of the torque-adjusting mechanism  40  so that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 65±5 Nm when 65 Nm is shown. 
     The limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is determined by the load in the spring  45 . The wheel  36  moves beyond the wedge  46 , which is connected to the spring  45  to provide a sound when the value of torque transferred by the handle  30  reaches the limit, e.g., 65 Nm. Hence, a user knows that the value of torque transferred by the handle  30  reaches the limit. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2 ,  3  and  5   , the grip  41  rotates the threaded rod  43  to translate the threaded sleeve  44  backward to reduce the load in the spring  45 . Due to the engagement of the teeth  81  with teeth  42 , the color ring  80  is rotated with the indicating ring  51  to immediately represent the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30 . 
     When the pointer  54  is pointed at the colored area  84 , it is easily observed that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 55±5 Nm. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2 ,  3  and  6   , the above-described process is repeated to change the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30 . The pointer  54  is pointed at the colored area  83 . It is easily observed that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 42±5 Nm. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2 ,  3  and  7   , the above-described process is repeated to change the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30 . The pointer  54  is pointed at the colored area  82 . It is easily observed that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 18±5 Nm. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  8  through  11   , the bit  11  can be in various sizes. The bit  11  includes a U-shaped head  12  formed with two stationary jaws  13  separated from each other by a distance  15 . Each of the stationary jaws  13  is formed with a contact face  14  so that the contact faces  14  of the stationary jaws  13  extend parallel to each other. The head  12  includes a raised portion  16  formed on an upper face and an insert  17  extending backward from the raised portion  16 . The insert  17  is formed with a recess ( FIG.  16   ) in a lower face to receive a spring  18  and a ball  19 . The spring  18  is compressed between a closed end of the recess of the insert  17  and a first portion of the ball  19  so that a second portion of the ball  19  extends from the insert  17  via an open end of the recess of the insert  17 . The first portion of the ball  19  is kept in the recess of the insert  17 . 
     Referring to  FIGS.  15  and  16   , the insert  17  is inserted in the bore  32 . The second portion of the ball  19  pushes a first portion of a selected one of the buttons  34  into a selected one of the apertures  33  so that the second portion of the ball  19  enters the selected aperture  33  to keep the insert  17  in the bore  32 . Now, a second portion of the selected button  34  sticks out of the selected aperture  33 . 
     When the second portion of the selected button  34  is pushed in the selected aperture  33 , the first portion of the button  34  pushes the second portion of the ball  19  out of the selected aperture  33  to allow movement of the insert  17  from the bore  32 . Then, the bit  11  can be replaced with another bit. 
     The bit  11  including the stationary jaws  13  is in the form of a head of an open-ended wrench. Thus, the combination of the bit  11  with handle  30  becomes an open-ended wrench  10 . 
     In operation, the contact faces  14  of the stationary jaws  13  are expected to contact two opposite facets of a workpiece such as a nut or a head or a threaded bolt. The workpiece cannot be located between the stationary jaws  13  if the distance between the opposite facets of the workpiece is larger than the distance between the contact faces  14  of the stationary jaws  13 . The opposite facets of the workpiece cannot be in proper contact with the contact faces  14  of the stationary jaws  13  if the distance between the opposite facets of the workpiece is excessively smaller than the distance between the contact faces  14  of the stationary jaws  13 . That is, the bit  11  is only useful for rotating a workpiece in a size. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  4  and  15   , the identification symbol  27  is located in the colored layer  23 . The color of the colored layer  23  is identical or similar to the color of the colored area  85 . Hence, it is obvious that the color ring  80  should be rotated to align the colored area  85  of the color ring  80  with the pointer  54  so that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is set to be 65±5 Nm when the bit  11  of 29 mm is used. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  4  and  8   , a colored layer  23  covers an upper face of the raised portion  16  of the bit  11  and an upper face of the insert  17 . An identification symbol  27  is supported on the upper face of the raised portion  16  of the bit  11 . The symbol  27  shows “29.” 
     Referring to  FIGS.  5  and  9   , the bit  11  is in a second size. The bit  11  in the second size is like the bit  11  in the first size except for two more things. Firstly, a colored layer  22  is supported on the head  12  instead of the colored layer  23  supported on the raised portion  16  of the bit  11 . Secondly, an identification symbol  26  is supported on the raised portion  16  of the bit  11  instead of the identification symbol  27 . The symbol  26  shows “26.” The color of the colored layer  22  is identical or similar to the color of the colored area  84 . Hence, it is obvious that the color ring  80  should be rotated to align the colored area  84  of the color ring  80  with the pointer  54  so that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is set to be 55±5 Nm when the bit  11  of 26 mm is used. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  6  and  10   , the bit  11  is in a third size. The bit  11  in the third size is like the bit  11  in the first size except for two more things. Firstly, a colored layer  21  is supported on the raised portion  16  of the bit  11 . Secondly, an identification symbol  25  is supported on the raised portion  16  of the bit  11  instead of the identification symbol  27 . The symbol  25  shows “22.” The color of the colored layer  21  is identical or similar to the color of the colored area  83 . Hence, it is obvious that the color ring  80  should be rotated to align the colored area  83  of the color ring  80  with the pointer  54  so that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is set to be 42±5 Nm when the bit  11  of 22 mm is used. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  7  and  11   , the bit  11  is in a fourth size. The bit  11  in the fourth size is like the bit  11  in the first size except for two more things. Firstly, a colored layer  20  is supported on the head  12  and the raised portion  16  of the bit  11  instead of the colored layer  23  supported on the raised portion  16  of the bit  11 . Secondly, an identification symbol  24  is supported on the raised portion  16  of the bit  11  instead of the identification symbol  27 . The symbol  24  shows “17.” The color of the colored layer  20  is identical or similar to the color of the colored area  82 . Hence, it is obvious that the color ring  80  should be rotated to align the colored area  82  of the color ring  80  with the pointer  54  so that the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is set to be 18±5 Nm when the bit  11  of 17 mm is used. 
     A color coding is shown in a table as follows: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                 Limit of  
               
               
                 Color 
                 Size 
                 Torque (Nm) 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                 colored layer 20 and colored area 82 
                 17 
                 18 
               
               
                 colored layer 21 and colored area 83 
                 22 
                 42 
               
               
                 colored layer 22 and colored area 84 
                 26 
                 55 
               
               
                 colored layer 23 and colored area 85 
                 29 
                 65 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     As discussed above, the bit  11  can be in various sizes indicated by different colored layers and symbols corresponding to different values of the distance between the contact faces  14  of the stationary jaws  13 . Thus, they are operable to exert different limits of torque on workpieces in different sizes. 
     Referring to  FIG.  12   , there is a bit  11   b  for use with the handle  30 . The bit  11   b  is like the bit  11  except for including a C-shaped head  12   b  instead of the U-shaped head  12 . The head  12   b  includes two arched jaws (not numbered) each of which includes a free end so that the free ends of the jaws of the head  12   b  are separated from each other by a distance  15   b . The head  12   b  includes contact facets  14   b  arranged like a star instead of the contact faces  14 . For example, a colored layer  20   b  is supported on an upper face of the head  12   b . According to the color coding, the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 18±5 Nm when the handle  30  is used with the bit  11   b.    
     Referring to  FIG.  13   , there is a bit  11   c  for use with the handle  30 . The bit  11   c  is like the bit  11   b  except for including an annular head  12   c  instead of the C-shaped head  12   b . The head  12   b  includes contact facets  14   c  arranged like a star. For example, a colored layer  21   b  is supported on an upper face of the head  12   c . According to the color coding, the limit of torque that can be transferred by the handle  30  is 42±5 Nm when the handle  30  is used with the bit  11   c.    
     Referring to  FIG.  14   , there is a bit  11   a  for use with the handle  30 . The bit  11   a  is in the form of a head of an adjustable wrench including a head  12   a , a stationary jaw  13   a  formed in one piece with the head  12   a , and a movable jaw  14   a  movably connected to the head  12   a . Thus, there is an adjustable distance  15   a  between the stationary jaw  13   a  and the movable jaw  14   a . The head  12   a  includes a groove  29   a  in communication with an opening  19   a . The movable jaw  14   a  is formed with a rack  16   a  including teeth  17   a . The rack  16   a  is movably inserted in the groove  29   a . A worm  18   a  is rotationally inserted in the opening  19   a . The worm  18   a  is engaged with the rack  16   a  so that the worm  18   a  is rotated to move the rack  16   a  in the groove  29   a . Accordingly, the movable jaw  14   a  is moved relative to the stationary jaw  13   a.    
     The bit  11   a  includes colored layers  20   a ,  21   a ,  22   a  and  23   a  respectively connected to identification symbols  24   a ,  25   a ,  26   a  and  27   a . The movable jaw  14   a  is provided with a pointer  28   a  in the form of a triangle or arrow head for alignment with one identification symbols  24   a ,  25   a ,  26   a  and  27   a . The colored layer  20   a  and the identification symbol  24   a  are in a same color. The colored layer  21   a  and the identification symbol  25   a  are in a same color. The colored layer  22   a  and the identification symbol  26   a  are in a same color. The colored layer  23   a  and the identification symbol  27   a  are in a same color. The colored layers  20   a ,  21   a ,  22   a  and  23   a  are in different colors corresponding to the colored layers  82 ,  83 ,  84  and  85 . 
     The above-mentioned table shows the relation of each of the colored areas  82 ,  83 ,  84  and  85  to a corresponding one of the limits of torque. The above-mentioned table or a similar table can be shown on a reference material such as a packing material  60  ( FIG.  17   ), a user&#39;s manual, a sticker, a tag/hanger  65  ( FIG.  18   ), a web site or application software. The packing material  60  can be a box, a bag or piece of paper. The user does not have to strive to memorize the relation. Instead, the user will memorize the relation by and by. The user can cast away the reference material after memorizing the relation. 
     The present invention has been described via the illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.