Patent Publication Number: US-2018043516-A1

Title: Screwdriver

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Chinese Patent Application No. CN 201610653665.1, filed on Aug. 10, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure relates generally to screwdrivers and, more particularly, to a hand screwdriver with a magnetic device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Screwdrivers are used to drive fasteners, for example bolts. 
     When a user operates the screwdriver, he usually holds the bolt with one hand and grips the screwdriver with another hand. So, both hands of the user are occupied and the user cannot do other operations with his hand. 
     The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect of the disclosure, a screwdriver is provided. The screwdriver includes bits, a handle for a user to grip and a magnetic device with magnetic performance, which can be engaged with the bit to attract a fastener, so that the fastener does not easily fall off when driven by the bit. The handle is formed with a containing recess, and the magnetic device is removably contained in the containing recess. 
     Further, the handle further may comprise a fixing element which can be attracted by the magnetic device. When the magnetic device is disposed in the containing recess, the fixing element is attracted by the magnetic device so as to hold the magnetic device in the containing recess. 
     Further, the magnetic device may comprise a sleeve for setting on the outer surface of the bit and a magnetic element with magnetic performance being fixed to the sleeve. 
     Further, the magnetic element may be disposed on one end of the sleeve, when the magnetic device is held in the containing recess, the magnetic element is located on the bottom of the containing recess. 
     Further, the handle may be formed with a drive recess allowing the bit to be detachably inserted therein so as to drive the bit to rotate, the drive recess being disposed on a front end of the handle, and the containing recess being disposed on a rear end of the handle. 
     Further, the drive recess may have an opening facing the front end of the handle, and the containing recess may have an opening facing the rear end of the handle. 
     Further, the handle may be formed with several receiving channels for storing the bits where the handle defines a central axis and the receiving channels are extended along a direction of the central axis and arranged circumferentially relative to the central axis. 
     Further, the handle may comprise a front portion being formed with the receiving channels, a rear portion being formed with the containing recess and a middle portion disposed between the front portion and the rear portion and allowing the bits received in the receiving channels to expose out of the handle. 
     Further, the handle may comprise a rubber ring for fixing the bits in the receiving channels. 
     Further, the handle may comprise a first element being formed with the receiving channels and a second element being formed with the containing recess, the second element being detachably connected with the first element. 
     The present invention has many advantages. The handle is formed with the containing recess for containing the magnetic device. The magnetic device can be contained in the containing recess so as to prevent it from being lost. The drive recess and the containing recess are respectively disposed on the two ends of the handle, so that the size of the screwdriver is reduced. 
     Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an exemplary screwdriver. 
         FIG. 2  an exploded view of the screwdriver in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a magnetic device in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing the use status of the magnetic device in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a handle in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a section view of the handle in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of several receiving channels of the handle in  FIG. 6  which receive bits. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a containing recess of the handle in  FIG. 6  which contains the magnetic device. 
     
    
    
     The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention hereinafter claimed, its application, or uses. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , a screwdriver  100  includes a magnetic device  10 , a handle  20  and bits  30 . The handle  20  defines a central axis  101 . The handle  20  is capable of engaging with the bit  30 . When the handle  20  is rotated about the central axis  101 , it can drive the bit  30  to rotate. The screwdriver  100  is a hand screwdriver. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-4 , the magnetic device  10  includes a sleeve  11  and a magnetic element  12 . The sleeve  11  can be set on the outer surface of the bit  30 . The magnetic element  12  attracts a fastener, so that the fastener does not easily fall off when driven by the bit  30 . The magnetic element  12  is disposed on one end of the sleeve  11 . The magnetic device  10  is thus arranged so that a user does not need to hold the fastener, such as a bolt, when he tights the fastener. The magnetic device  10  attracts the bolt and keeps the bolt upright so as to have an effect of holding the bolt. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5-6 , the handle  20  is formed with a drive recess  201 , a containing recess  202  and several receiving channels  203 . The handle  20  has a front end and a rear end along a direction of the central axis  101 . The drive recess  201  is located in the front end of the handle  20 , and the containing recess  202  is located on the rear end of the handle  20 . The drive recess  201  has an opening facing the front end of the handle  20 , and the containing recess  202  has an opening facing the rear end of the handle  20 . The drive recess  201  is used for the user to insert the chosen bit  30 . The user grips and rotates the handle  20  about the central axis  101  so as to drive the bit  30  mounted in the drive recess  201  to rotate about the central axis  101 . The containing recess  202  is used to contain the magnetic device  10 . When the user does not need to use the magnetic device  10 , the magnetic device  10  can be stored in the containing recess  202 , which can prevent the magnetic device  10  from being lost. The receiving channels  203  are used to receive the spare bits  30 . The receiving channels  203  are extended along the direction of the central axis  101 , and arranged circumferentially relative to the central axis  101 . When the user operates the handle  20 , the spare bits  30  can be stored in the receiving channels  203 . 
     The handle  20  includes a front portion  23 , a middle portion  25  and a rear portion  24 . The receiving channels  203  are formed in the front portion, and the containing recess  202  is formed in the rear portion  24 . The middle portion  25  is disposed between the front portion  23  and the rear portion  24 , so that the bits  30  received in the receiving channels  203  are exposed out of the handle  20 . The spare bits  30  received in the receiving channels  203  are exposed out of the handle  20  from the middle portion  25  or from one end of the receiving channels  203 , which makes the user be able to take out the bit  30  conveniently. The middle portion  25  has a size in a radial direction of the central axis  101  which is less than the size of the front portion  23  or the rear portion  24  in the radial direction. The receiving channels  203  go through the front portion  23  along the direction of the central axis  101 . The bits  30  can slide in the receiving channels  203 . The containing recess  202  with a step structure has the opening and a bottom, the opening has a size greater than the size of the bottom. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 and 6-7 , the handle  20  includes a first element  21  and a second element  22 . The first element  21  is formed with the receiving channels  203 , and the second element  22  is formed with the containing recess  202 . The handle  20  further includes a rubber ring  26  for fixing the bits  30  in the receiving channels  203 . The rubber ring  26  is fixed to the middle portion  25  and disposed between the first element  21  and the second element  22 . The second element  22  is detachably connected with the first element  21 . The user can separate the first and second elements  21 ,  22  to take the bit  30  out of the receiving channels  203 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7-8 , when the magnetic device  10  is held in the containing recess  202 , the magnetic element  12  is located on the bottom of the containing recess  202 . One end of the sleeve  11  having the magnetic element  12  faces the front of the handle  20 , and the other end of the sleeve  11  faces the rear of the handle  20 . 
     The handle  20  further includes a fixing element  27  which can be attracted by the magnetic element  12 . When the magnetic device  10  is disposed in the containing recess  202 , the fixing element  27  is attracted by the magnetic element  12  so as to fix the magnetic device  10 . 
     The fixing element  27  is fixed to the second element  22 . The fixing element  27  is made of a metal material, so it also can be called a metal element. Specifically, the fixing element  27  is made of a metal material which can be attracted by the magnetic element  12 . As another embodiment, the fixing element  27  is a magnet. The magnet has a magnetic pole which is arranged to be able to attract the magnetic device  10 . 
     The first element  21  is made of a plastic material, and the second element  22  is also made of the plastic material. The first element  21  and the second element  22  are connected together by insertion. 
     As another embodiment, the fixing element can be used to connect the first element and the second element. 
     As another embodiment, the second embodiment is made of metal material, and the fixing element can be omitted. The magnetic element attracts the second element directly so as to hold the magnetic device. 
     The above illustrates and describes basic principles, main features and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that the above embodiments do not limit the invention hereinafter claimed in any form. Technical solutions obtained by equivalent substitution or equivalent variations are all intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.