Patent Publication Number: US-2012031242-A1

Title: Anti-Rolling Socket

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The present invention relates to a socket and, more particularly, to an anti-rolling socket. 
     2. Related Prior Art 
     A conventional socket includes a smooth circular periphery. When the conventional socket is located on a planar face of a table or a bench for example, the conventional socket often rolls on the planar face and, in the worst scenario, falls onto the ground or a floor from the table or the bench. A user has to pay attention to the conventional socket and gets distracted from what he or she is doing. 
     To avoid rolling, some sockets include polygonal peripheries. To make such a socket, a piece of metal is made into a socket with a circular periphery by casting. The circular periphery is cut into a polygonal periphery. Then, the socket is subjected to thermal treatment and electroplating. The portion of the metal that is cut from the socket is however a waste since materials are quite expensive. The thermal treatment and the electroplating further increase the cost of the socket. 
     As disclosed in Taiwanese Patent No. M374393, a socket  20  includes a circular periphery  26 . A plastic ring  30  is located in an annular groove  28  defined in the circular periphery  26 . The plastic ring  30  includes facets  32 . One of the facets  32  is supposed to contact a planar face and prevent the socket  20  from rolling on the planar face. However, the socket  20  often rolls on the planar face for reasons. At first, the plastic ring  30  sticks out from the periphery  26 . Secondly, the ring  30  is narrow so that an end of the socket  20  is in contact with the planar face when the socket  20  is laid on the planar face. Thirdly, the length of each of the facets  32  is inadequate. Thus, even formed with the facets  32 , the ring  30  acts like a wheel to facilitate the rolling of the socket  20 , with the end of the socket  20  in contact with the planar face. 
     The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide an anti-rolling socket. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the anti-rolling socket includes ribs extending thereon in parallel to an axis thereof. Two adjacent ones of the ribs are in contact with a planar face when the anti-rolling socket is laid on the planar face. 
     In an aspect, the ribs are merged with the anti-rolling socket. 
     In another aspect, the ribs are formed on a ring located on the anti-rolling socket. 
     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 five embodiments referring to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an anti-rolling socket according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the anti-rolling shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is another cross-sectional view of the anti-rolling shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an anti-rolling socket according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an anti-rolling socket according to the third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of an anti-rolling socket according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of an anti-rolling socket according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , there is shown an anti-rolling socket  10  according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The anti-rolling socket  10  includes a small section  11 , a large section  14  and a waist  17  formed between the small section  11  and the large section  14 . The diameter of the small section  11  is smaller than that of the large section  14 . The waist  17  is tapered toward the small section  11  from the large section  14 . The anti-rolling socket  10  includes a hexagonal cavity  13  defined in an end face  12  of the small section  11  and a square cavity  16  defined in an end face  15  of the large section  14 . The hexagonal cavity  13  is in communication with the square cavity  16 . The anti-rolling socket  10  includes ribs  18  longitudinally extending on the periphery of the large section  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the height of each of the ribs  18 , which is measured from the periphery of the large section  14  to the peak of the rib  18  along a radius of the anti-rolling socket  10 , is adequate. Thus, two of the ribs  18  and a portion of the periphery of the large section  14  contact a planar face  21  of a table  20  when the anti-rolling socket  10  is laid on the planar face  21 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the length of each of the ribs  18 , which is measured from an end to an opposite end along the axis of the anti-rolling socket  10 , is adequate. Thus, the axis of the anti-rolling socket  10  is always in parallel to the planar face  21  when the anti-rolling socket  10  is laid on the planar face  21 . Hence, the anti-rolling socket  10  does not roll on the planar face  21 , and none of the ends of the anti-rolling socket  10  is in contact with the planar face  21 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown an anti-rolling socket  10 A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The anti-rolling socket  10 A is like the anti-rolling socket  10  except two things. At first, another section  14  is used instead of the small section  11 . The hexagonal cavity  13  is defined in one of the sections  14 . Secondly, a waist  17 A is used instead of the waist  17 . The diameter of the waist  17 A remains the same along the axis of the anti-rolling socket  10 A. The ribs  18  are formed on the waist  17 A. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , there is shown an anti-rolling socket  10 B according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The anti-rolling socket  10 B is identical to the anti-rolling socket  10  except that the hexagonal cavity  13  is defined in the large section  14  while the square cavity  16  is defined in the small section  11 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is shown an anti-rolling socket  10 C according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The anti-rolling socket  10 C is like the anti-rolling socket  10 A except including ribs  31  formed on a ring  30  located thereon instead of the ribs  18  formed on the waist  17 A. The ring  30  is preferably made of plastics so that it is elastic and tightly wraps the anti-rolling socket  10 C. An adhesive material can be used to ensure the attachment of the ring  30  to the anti-rolling socket  10 C. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown an anti-rolling socket  10 D according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The anti-rolling socket  10 D is identical to the anti-rolling socket  10 C except that the ring  30  is located in a groove  40  defined therein. 
     The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.