Patent Publication Number: US-2011049816-A1

Title: Quick connecting device structure

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a quick connecting device structure, comprising a shaft body, a set of front and rear movement rings, a spring element, a stop collar and a cylindrical sleeve wherein the cylindrical sleeve operates in counterforce with an assembly portion of the shaft body, and the stop collar and the internal surface of the cylindrical sleeve are respectively equipped with an abutment ringed surface which can bi-directionally press against the front or rear movement ring along with the spring element, forming a two-way pressing-and-bouncing operation so that a driver shank can be easily slid in or out for quick installment or replacement thereof. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 . A conventional connector  20  applied to couple with a driver shank  10  is equipped with a shaft body  21  having an extensible bore  211  drilled through at the outer periphery thereon for the accommodation of a steel ball  22  therein. The shaft body  21  also includes a fixed stop flange  212  extending at the outer circumference to which a spring  23  is mounted thereon. A cylindrical sleeve  24  defined by an indented oblique surface  241  is fitted to the shaft body  21  to abut against the stop flange  212  thereof. When a driver shank  10  defined by a ringed groove  101  thereon is to be inserted into the connector  20 , the cylindrical sleeve  24  is squeezed by force to compress the single spring  23 , permitting the steel ball  22  to accommodate into the indented oblique surface  241  so that the driver shank  10  can be slid inwards in a second. Then, the spring  23  will automatically rebound, actuating the steel ball  22  to return into the extensible bore  211  and insert to the ringed groove  101  for location of the driver shank  10  thereby. However, the spring  23  pressing in one-way direction is utilized and the cylindrical sleeve  24  must be constantly pushed so as to mount the driver shank  10  thereto. As a result, the cylindrical sleeve  24  must be repeatedly pressed so as to release the driver shank  10  there-from for withdrawal or replacement purpose thereof. Thus, the conventional connector  20  thereof fails to provide an easy and fast change of the driver shank  10 , which makes it uncompetitive on the market. 
     SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
     It is, therefore, the primary purpose of the present invention to provide a quick connecting device structure, comprising a shaft body, a set of front and rear movement rings, a spring element, a stop collar and a cylindrical sleeve wherein the stop collar and the internal surface of the cylindrical sleeve are respectively equipped with an abutment ringed surface which can bi-directionally press against the front or rear movement ring along with the spring element to slide inwards or outwards and abut against either restricting surface defining both end edges of a ring guide section of the shaft body so that a steel ball can be accommodated into a first or a second annular insert groove of the cylindrical sleeve, and, thus, a driver shank having a ringed groove without being restricted by the steel ball can be easily slid in or out the connecting device for quick installment or replacement purpose thereof. 
     It is, therefore, the second purpose of the present invention to provide a quick connecting device structure wherein the cylindrical sleeve operates in counterforce with an assembly portion of the shaft body, and the front and rear movement rings are respectively pressed by one abutment ringed surface to form a bi-directional pressing-and-bouncing operation; whereby the driver shank can be easily and firmly installed without the cylindrical sleeve being repeatedly pressed, providing a convenient and quick connecting device thereby. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a conventional connector. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of the conventional connector in application. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled perspective view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled cross sectional view of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the operation of a driver shank mounted into the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is another diagram showing the operation of the driver shank mounted into the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a third diagram showing the operation of the driver shank mounted into the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing the operation of the driver shank releasing from the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to  FIG. 3  showing an exploded perspective view of the present invention (accompanied by  FIGS. 4 to 5  inclusive). The present invention relates to a quick connecting device structure, comprising a shaft body  30 , a set of front and rear movement rings  31 ,  31 ′, a spring element  32 , a stop collar  40 , and a cylindrical sleeve  50 . The shaft body  30  has a proper-length ring guiding section  33  defining the appropriate position of the outer periphery thereon, and both end edges of the ring guiding section  33  have a restricting surface  331  defining thereon respectively to which both front and rear movement rings  31 ,  31 ′ are mounted and abutted thereby. Meanwhile, the spring element  32  is mounted between the front and rear movement rings  31 ,  31 ′. The shaft body  30  has the internal surface defined by a hexagonal-shaped storing socket  34  therein, and the external periphery of one end equipped with an assembling portion  35  to which the stop collar  40  having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the assembly portion  35  is mounted thereon. The cylindrical sleeve  50  has the internal surface of one end defined by a stepwise abutment ringed surface  51 , and a coupling cavity  52  indented at the opening edge to which the stop collar  40  is precisely joined at the outer periphery and squeezed tight thereto to form another abutment ringed surface  41  thereby. The cylindrical sleeve  50  has the internal surface of the other end defined by a pair of appropriate-depth first and second annular insert grooves  53 ,  53 ′ to mount to one end of the shaft body  30  having an extensible bore  36  drilled at the external periphery thereon. The extensible bore  36  is molded into an arched annular shape to house a steel ball  37  therein and form an accommodation space thereby. Therefore, the cylindrical sleeve  50  can be bi-directionally pushed to actuate the two abutment ringed surfaces  41 ,  51  respectively, squeezing at the front or the rear movement ring  31 ,  31 ′ along with the spring element  32  to form a two-way pressing-and-bouncing operation thereby. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 6 to 8  inclusive. To install a driver shank  60  (like a double-end driver), the driver shank  50  is directly forced into the storing socket  34  of the shaft body  30 , permitting the cylindrical sleeve  50  to operate in counterforce with the assembly portion  35  thereof. Then, the abutment ringed surface  41  of the stop collar  40  will push against the front movement ring  31 , squeezing at the spring element  32  and the rear movement ring  31 ′ to abut at one side against the restricting surface  331  extending at one side thereon. Meanwhile, the first annular insert groove  53  is matched to the extensible bore  36 , permitting the steel ball  37  to precisely accommodate into the first annular insert groove  53  therein. Thus, the driver shank  60  having a ringed groove  601  defining thereon will be released from the restriction of the steel ball  37  to slide into the storing socket  34  in a second. Then, via the rebound of the spring element  32 , the front movement ring  31  is allowed to automatically bounce backwards to abut against the restricting surface  331  extending at the other side thereon. Meanwhile, the steel ball  37  will be relocated back to the extensible bore  36  and firmly fitted into the ringed groove  601  for stable location thereby, completing the installment of the driver shank  60 . To change or release the driver shank  60  thereof, the driver shank  60  is directly withdrawn to form a counterforce with the assembly portion  35  thereby. The abutment ringed surface  51  extending at the internal wall of the cylindrical sleeve  50  will press against the rear movement ring  31 ′ and squeeze at one side of the spring element  32 , permitting the steel ball  37  to precisely fit into the second annular insert groove  53 ′ thereby. Then, the ringed groove  601  of the driver shank  60  can be released from the restriction of the steel ball  37  and the driver shank  60  can be smoothly withdrawn thereby as shown in  FIG. 9 . Therefore, the driver shank  60  can be bi-directionally slid in or out the connecting device without the cylindrical sleeve  50  being repeatedly pressed for easy installment or replacement thereof, achieving a convenient and quick connecting device structure thereby.