Patent Publication Number: US-11396087-B2

Title: Easily assembled ratchet wrench

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to ratchet wrenches and more particularly, to an easily assembled ratchet wrench. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the structure of a conventional ratchet wrench, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a wrench main body  1  is provided at an end thereof with an accommodating trough  3  for the installation of a ratchet wheel  2 . The wrench main body  1  is processed at the top end of the accommodating trough  3  with an annular track  5  for the installation of a retaining ring  4  and an annular groove  7  for the installation of a covering ring  6 . The ratchet wheel  2  is retained in the accommodating trough  3  by the retaining ring  4  and the covering ring  6 . Besides, the wrench main body  1  is processed at the bottom end of the accommodating trough  3  with a radial protrusion  8 . The ratchet wheel  2  is stopped by the radial protrusion  8 , thereby prevented from falling out of the accommodating trough  3 . 
     However, providing the wrench main body  1  with the features such as the annular track  5 , the annular groove  7  and the radial protrusion  8  needs a time-consuming and complicated processing, and the processing inaccuracy is liable to affect the following assembly accuracy, thereby resulting in unsmooth operation of the ratchet wheel  2 . 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a ratchet wrench which is easy in assembly and improved in processing convenience. 
     To attain the above objective, the ratchet wrench of the present invention includes a wrench main body, a ratchet wheel, a ratchet block and two retainers. The wrench main body is provided at an end thereof with a through hole penetrating through top and bottom surfaces of the wrench main body and an accommodating room radially communicating with the through hole. The ratchet wheel is rotatably disposed in the through hole of the wrench main body. The ratchet wheel has an upper ratchet portion, a middle ratchet portion, a lower ratchet portion, an upper annular groove and a lower annular groove. The upper ratchet portion and the lower ratchet portion both protrude out of the through hole. The middle ratchet portion is located in the through hole. The upper annular groove is located out of the through hole and located between the upper ratchet portion and the middle ratchet portion. The lower annular groove is located out of the through hole and located between the middle ratchet portion and the lower ratchet portion. The ratchet block is disposed in the accommodating room of the wrench main body and elastically engaged with the middle ratchet portion of the ratchet wheel for limiting the rotational direction of the ratchet wheel. One of the two retainers is disposed in the upper annular groove of the ratchet wheel, and the other of the two retainers is disposed in the lower annular groove of the ratchet wheel, so that the ratchet wheel is retained in the through hole by the two retainers. 
     It can be known from the above description that in the ratchet wrench of the present invention, the ratchet wheel is processed with the upper annular groove and the lower annular groove for cooperating with the two retainers to provide the positioning effect, so the wrench main body doesn&#39;t need much processing, thereby improved in processing convenience. Besides, the installation of the members is relatively more convenient and firmer, thereby benefiting the operation of the ratchet wheel. 
     Preferably, the axial height of the middle ratchet portion of the ratchet wheel is larger than the axial height of the upper ratchet portion of the ratchet wheel and larger than the axial height of the lower ratchet portion of the ratchet wheel. Besides, the axial height of the upper ratchet portion of the ratchet wheel is equal to the axial height of the lower ratchet portion of the ratchet wheel. 
     Preferably, each of the retainers is C-shaped and has rectangular or circular cross sections. 
     Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a conventional ratchet wrench. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a ratchet wrench of a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the ratchet wrench of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is partially sectional view of the ratchet wrench of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet wrench of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet wrench of a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     First of all, it is to be mentioned that throughout the specification, including the following embodiments and the claims, the directionality-related nouns are all based on the direction in the figures. Besides, same reference numerals used in the following embodiments and the figures designate same or similar elements or the structural features thereof. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a ratchet wrench  10  of the present invention includes a wrench main body  20 , a ratchet wheel  30 , a ratchet block  40 , and two retainers  50 . 
     The wrench main body  20  is provided at an end thereof with a through hole  22  penetrating through top and bottom surfaces of the wrench main body and an accommodating room  24  radially communicating with the through hole  22 . 
     The ratchet wheel  30  is provided from top to bottom thereof in order with an upper ratchet portion  31 , a middle ratchet portion  32  and a lower ratchet portion  33 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the axial height H 1  of the upper ratchet portion  31  is equal to the axial height H 3  of the lower ratchet portion  33 . The axial height H 2  of the middle ratchet portion  32  is larger than the axial height H 1  of the upper ratchet portion  31  and the axial height H 3  of the lower ratchet portion  33 . Besides, the ratchet wheel  30  further has an upper annular groove  34  and a lower annular groove  35 . The upper annular groove  34  is located between the upper ratchet portion  31  and the middle ratchet portion  32 . The lower annular groove  35  is located between the middle ratchet portion  32  and the lower ratchet portion  33 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when the ratchet wheel  30  is installed in the wrench main body  20 , the upper and lower ratchet portions  31  and  33  of the ratchet wheel  30  both protrude out of the through hole  22 , the middle ratchet portion  32  of the ratchet wheel  30  is located in the through hole  22 , and the upper and lower annular grooves  34  and  35  of the ratchet wheel  30  are both located out of the through hole  22 . 
     The ratchet block  40  is disposed in the accommodating room  24  of the wrench main body  20  and elastically engaged with the middle ratchet portion  32  of the ratchet wheel  30  for limiting the rotational direction of the ratchet wheel  30 . It should be additionally specified here that the ratchet block  40  may cooperate with different members to allow the ratchet wheel  30  one-directional rotation or two-directional rotation. The ratchet block  40  as shown in  FIG. 3  is used in company with a spring  43  disposed in a side hole  26  communicating with the accommodating room  24 , and an end of the spring  43  is abutted against the ratchet block  40 , so that the ratchet block  40  allows the ratchet wheel  30  to rotate in only one direction. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the ratchet block  40  may be used in company with a push block  44 , a ball  46  and a spring  47 . The ratchet block  40  is provided on the top surface thereof with an inserting hole  41  for a rod  45  of the push block  44  to be inserted therein, so that the ratchet block  40  can be moved by the push block  44  to deflect relative to the ratchet wheel  30 . Besides, the ratchet block  40  is provided on the rear surface thereof with two recesses  42 , and the spring  47  applies a force to abut the ball  46  against one of the recesses  42  for positioning the ratchet block  40 , so that the ratchet block  40  allows the ratchet wheel  30  two-directional rotation. The way the ratchet block  40  cooperates with the aforementioned members belongs to the prior art and not the key point of the present invention, so the detailed structure and operational theory thereof are not repeatedly mentioned here for saving the space. 
     Each of the retainers  50  is C-shaped and the cross sections thereof may be rectangular-shaped (as shown in  FIG. 3 ) or circular-shaped (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). One of the retainers  50  is disposed in the upper annular groove  34  of the ratchet wheel  30 , and the other retainer  50  is disposed in the lower annular groove  35  of the ratchet wheel  30 , so that the ratchet wheel  30  is retained in the through hole  22  of the wrench main body  20 . 
     It can be known from the above description that in the ratchet wrench  10  of the present invention, the ratchet wheel  30  is processed with the upper annular groove  34  and the lower annular groove  35  for cooperating with the two retainers  50  to retain the ratchet wheel  30  in the through hole  22 , so the wrench main body  20  doesn&#39;t need much processing, thereby improved in processing convenience. Besides, the installation of the members is relatively more convenient and firmer, thereby benefiting the operation of the ratchet wheel  30 .