Patent Publication Number: US-2006016296-A1

Title: Ratchet wrench apparatus for automobile jack and system comprising same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This patent application claims priority to co-pending United States Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 60/590,424 filed Jul. 22, 2004, entitled “Easy Jack”, having a common applicant herewith and being incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      The disclosures made herein relate generally to automotive tools and, more particularly, to automobile jacks and accessories for automobile jacks.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Tire punctures are a common cause of roadside automobile breakdowns. Therefore, automobile manufacturers supply an on-board means of repair. This repair typically entails using a jacking device to raise the tire off the ground to facilitate the replacement of a punctured tire assembly.  
      The ever-increasing pressure on automobile engineers to reduce costs and lower vehicle weight has prompted engineers to specify jacks of low cost and relatively small size at the expense of convenience and ease of use. A “scissors” jack, which is commonly supplied with vehicles by the vehicle manufacturer, is one example of such a low-cost and relatively small size jack.  
      An automotive scissors jack typically employs a threaded shaft that must be rotated with a handle. In low-clearance applications (e.g., a car having a flat tire), this handle swivels to allow the shaft to be rotated in ½-turn increments before the handle before repositioning for the next ½-turn. This process can be tedious, which is undesirable when a motorist is stranded on a busy highway or in harsh weather conditions. In addition, such a handle has a relatively short lever length. The relatively short lever length of the handle results in relatively low mechanical advantage in applying rotational torque, requiring the user to input a relatively large degree of force per turn to raise a vehicle. This characteristic is undesirable for motorists of less-than-average upper body strength.  
      Therefore, a device that overcomes the drawbacks associated with operating an automotive scissors jack would be useful and advantageous.  
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE  
      Embodiments of the present invention enable a person to raise the tire of an automobile off the ground more easily. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide for a relatively simple and convenient means of operating an automotive scissors jack. In doing so, embodiments of the present invention advantageously overcome one or more shortcomings associated with conventional operation of an automotive scissors jack.  
      In one embodiment of the present invention, a ratchet wrench apparatus comprises a drive member assembly and an extension arm. The drive member assembly includes a head portion, a drive member rotatably and ratchedly mounted on the head portion, a rotational force application arm attached at a first end thereof to the head portion, and an extension arm engagement member provided at a second end of the rotational force application arm. The extension arm has a first end configured for having a force applied thereon and a second end including an engagement member configured for being detachably engaged with the extension arm engagement member of the rotational force application arm.  
      In another embodiment of the present invention, a ratchet wrench system comprises a ratchet wrench apparatus and a plurality torque transfer attachments. The ratchet wrench apparatus includes a drive member assembly having a multi-piece rotational force application arm. The multi-piece rotational force application arm includes a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion detachably engagable with the first elongated portion. Each one of the torque transfer attachments is configured at a first end thereof for having a rotational force applied thereto by the drive member assembly and is configured at a second end thereof for engaging a respective different configuration of torque application member.  
      In another embodiment of the present invention, an automotive jack system comprises a manually-operable jack, a ratchet wrench apparatus and a plurality torque transfer attachments. The manually-operable jack includes a rotatable actuation member having a torque application member at an end thereof. The ratchet wrench apparatus includes a drive member assembly having a multi-piece rotational force application arm. The multi-piece rotational force application arm includes a first elongated portion and a second elongated portion detachably engagable with the first elongated portion. Each one of the torque transfer attachments is configured at a first end thereof for having a rotational force applied thereto by the drive member assembly and is configured at a second end thereof for engaging the torque application member of the manually operable jack.  
      Turning now to specific aspects of the present invention, in at least one embodiment, an elongated support handle attaches to a drive member assembly.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a longitudinal axis of the elongated support handle extends generally coincidental with a rotational axis of the drive member.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the elongated support handle is attached to a ratcheting direction control portion of the drive member assembly such that a ratcheting direction of the drive member assembly is selectable by twisting of the elongated support handle.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the engagement member of the extension arm and the extension arm engagement member of the rotational force application arm are jointly configured for causing a longitudinal axis of the extension arm to extend generally coincidental with a longitudinal axis of the rotational force application arm when the engagement member of the extension arm is engaged with the extension arm engagement member of the rotational force application arm.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the engagement member of the extension arm and the extension arm engagement member of the rotational force application arm include mating retention features that releasably secures the engagement member of the extension arm to the extension arm engagement member of the rotational force application arm.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the first elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm and the second elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm are jointly configured for causing a longitudinal axis of the first elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm to extend generally coincidental with a longitudinal axis of the second elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm when the first elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm is engaged with the second elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the first elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm and the second elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm include mating retention features that releasably secures the first elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm to the second elongated portion of the multi-piece rotational force application arm.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, each one of the torque transfer attachments includes a receptacle configured for engaging a drive member of the ratchet wrench apparatus.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the drive member and the receptacle of each one of the torque transfer attachments are jointly configured for enabling torque to be transferred from the drive member to an engaged one of the torque transfer attachments.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a first one of the torque transfer attachments is configured at a second end thereof with a hook-like engagement member.  
      In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a second one of the torque transfer attachments is configured at a second end thereof with a receptacle having a non-circular cross-sectional profile.  
      These and other objects, embodiments, advantages and/or distinctions of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification, associated drawings and appended claims.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  depicts an automotive jack system in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  depicts a ratchet wrench apparatus in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  depicts a ratchet wrench system in accordance with the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  depicts an embodiment of an automotive jack system configured in accordance with the present invention, which is referred to herein as the automotive jack system  10 . The automotive jack system comprises a manually-operable jack  12 , a ratchet wrench apparatus  13  and a torque transfer attachment  14 . The manually-operable jack  12  includes a rotatable actuation member  15  having a torque application member  16  at an end thereof. The ratchet wrench apparatus  13  includes a multi-piece rotational force application arm  22 .  
      The multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  includes a first elongated portion  24  and a second elongated portion  26  detachably engagable with the first elongated portion  24 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the first elongated portion  24  of the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  is in combination with a drive member assembly  20  of the ratchet wrench apparatus  13 . The first elongated portion  24  of the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  and the second elongated portion  26  of the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  are jointly configured for being engaged in end-to-end fashion, thereby enhancing mechanical advantage when applying a rotational force to the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  of the ratchet wrench apparatus  13 .  
      The torque transfer attachment  14  includes a first end  30  and a second end  32 . The first end  30  includes a non-circular drive member receptacle  29  that is configured for being engaged by a drive member  31  of the drive member assembly  20 . Though engagement of the drive member  31  with the drive member receptacle  29  a rotational force may be transferred from the ratchet wrench apparatus  13  to the torque transfer attachment  14 . The second end  32  is configured with a hook shaped member  33  that is engagable with the torque application member  16  of the manually-operable jack  12 . It is disclosed herein that an overall length of the torque transfer attachment  14  may be substantially longer than shown or shorter than shown.  
      As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the manually-operable jack  12  is an automotive scissors-type jack, which is a well-known and commercially available type of jack and, thus, its construction will be discussed only to the extent necessary to understand the operation and usefulness of the present invention. The manually-operable jack  12  is configured such that rotation of the rotatable actuation member  14  translates to a corresponding change in distance between the jack base  34  and jacking surface  36 , thereby enabling the manually-operable jack  12  to be used for lifting a vehicle. While the automotive jack system  10  is disclosed as including a specific configuration of an automotive scissors-type jack, it is disclosed herein that the automotive jack system  10  may include a different configuration of scissors-type jack or may include a different type of jack that is operable via rotational input force.  
      The depicted components of the automotive jack system  10  are specifically configured for being interoperable with each other. Thus, there is no need for multiple torque transfer attachments. Furthermore, the torque transfer attachment  14  may be non-detachably attached to the drive member assembly (e.g., integral with the drive member  31 ) such that, in effect, the drive member assembly  20  of the ratchet wrench apparatus  13  directly engages the torque application member  16  of the manually-operable jack  12 . Detachability of the torque transfer attachment  14  from the drive member  31  is provided for the benefit of space savings particularly in the case where the torque transfer attachment  14  is substantially longer than depicted. Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the drive member assembly  20  of the ratchet wrench apparatus  13  includes a head portion  54 . The drive member assembly  20  is rotatably and ratchetdly mounted on the head portion  54 . The first elongated portion  24  of the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  is attached at a first end  55  to the head portion  54 , thereby serving as a rotational force application arm of the drive member assembly  20  (i.e., the rotational force application arm  24 ). Preferably, but not necessarily, the head portion  54  and the first elongated portion  24  are formed as a single structural piece. An extension arm engagement member  60  is provided at a second end  61  of the rotational force application arm  24 . The second elongated portion  26  of the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  is an extension arm (i.e., extension arm  26 ). The extension arm  26  has a first end  64  configured for having a force applied thereon. A second end  65  of the extension arm  26  includes an engagement member  66  configured for being detachably engaged with the extension arm engagement member  60  of the rotational force application arm  24 .  
      The engagement member  66  of the extension arm  26  and the extension arm engagement member  20  of the rotational force application arm  24  are jointly configured for causing a longitudinal axis  74  of the extension arm  26  to extend generally coincidental with a longitudinal axis  76  of the rotational force application arm  24  when the engagement member  66  of the extension arm  26  is engaged with the extension arm engagement member  60  of the rotational force application arm  24 . The engagement member  66  of the extension arm  26  has a retention feature  38  that releasably engages a mating retention feature  78  of the extension arm engagement member  60  of the rotational force application arm  24 , thus releasably securing the engagement member  66  of the extension arm  26  to the extension arm engagement member  60  of the rotational force application arm  24 .  
      An elongated support handle  68  is attached to the drive member assembly  20 . The longitudinal axis  70  of the elongated support handle  68  extends generally coincidental with a rotational axis of the drive member  31 . More specifically, the elongated support handle  68  is attached to a ratcheting direction control portion  72  of the drive member assembly  20  such that a ratcheting direction of the drive member  31  is selectable by twisting of the elongated support handle  68 . As is typical with conventional ratchet wrench operation, ratcheting direction of the force application assembly  20  is selected between clockwise and counter-clockwise by twisting the ratcheting direction control portion  72  accordingly. In view of attachment of the elongated support handle  68  to the ratcheting direction control portion  72  of the drive member assembly  20 , twisting the elongated support handle  68  is performed for facilitating changes to the ratcheting direction. The drive member assembly  20  may be configured and/or constructed in a manner similar to any known configuration of ratchet wrench. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the drive member assembly  20  is of a well-known and commonly-available type. Various drive member assemblies and their various constructions are well-known and the internal construction of a drive member assembly in accordance with the present invention may be substantially the same as that of such known drive member assemblies.  
      As depicted in  FIG. 2 , the drive member  31  is of a square cross-section. However, the drive member  31  may have a non-circular cross section other than circular.  
      In practice, the user grasps the elongated support handle  68  with one hand and applies force to the first end  64  of the extension arm  26  with the other hand. Thus, the elongated support handle  68  provides for support of the ratchet wrench apparatus  13  while applying a rotational force to the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22 . Without implementation of the elongated support handle  68 , the act of developing relatively high rotational force on the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  is significantly more difficult.  
      As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  is made up of a plurality of elongated portions (e.g., the first elongated portion  24  and the second elongated portion  26 ). However, it is contemplated herein that the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  could consist of any number of discrete elongated portions of relative equal or unequal length.  
      Alternatively, the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  disclosed herein could be a telescoping arrangement, where the first elongated portion  24  is co-axial with the second elongated portion  26 . The second elongated portion  26  may be selectively lockable to the first elongated portion  24  via any number of common methods (i.e., an interlock structure mating to a plurality of spaced-apart interlock features, or a frictional lock such as a collet). Such an arrangement would allow the length of the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  to be varied. Such variable length enables the user to extend the multi-piece rotational force application arm  226  to reduce the force required to operate the ratchet wrench apparatus  13 , or retract the multi-piece rotational force application arm  22  for operation in a restricted space. It is also disclosed herein that the second elongated portion  26  may collapse inside of the first elongated portion  24  to reduce the overall storage space necessary when the ratchet wrench apparatus  13  is not in use  
       FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of a ratchet wrench system configured in accordance with the present invention, which is referred to herein as the ratchet wrench system  100 . The ratchet wrench system  100  includes a ratchet wrench apparatus  102  and a set  103  of torque transfer attachments. The ratchet wrench apparatus  102  is configured substantially the same as the ratchet wrench apparatus  13  discussed above in reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Each torque transfer attachment  103  of the set  103  is configured at a first end  104  thereof for having a rotational force applied thereto by a drive member  106  of the ratchet wrench apparatus  102 . Each torque transfer attachment  103  of the set  103  is configured at a second end  108  thereof for engaging a respective different configuration of torque application member (e.g., of a jack).  
      Through inclusion of the set  103  of torque transfer attachments, the ratchet wrench system  100  is configured and intended for enabling a user to adapt the ratchet wrench apparatus  102  to a host of different manually-operable jacks (e.g., the jack  12  depicted in  FIG. 1 ).  
      Each torque transfer attachment of the set  103  includes a receptacle  110  at the first end  104  configured for engaging the drive member  106  of the ratchet wrench apparatus  102 . The drive member  106  and the receptacle  110  of each one of the torque transfer attachments are jointly configured for enabling torque to be transferred from the drive member  106  to an engaged one of the torque transfer attachments.  
      As depicted in  FIG. 3 , a first one  112  of the torque transfer attachments is configured at the second end  108  with a hook-like engagement member. A second one  116  of the torque transfer attachments is configured at a second end  108  with a hexagonal-shaped receptacle. A third one  118  of the torque transfer attachments is configured at the second end  108  with a square-shaped receptacle. A fourth one  120  of the torque transfer attachments is configured at the second end  108  with circular receptacle with a pin (i.e., a force application member) extending across the receptacle. Though the second ends  108  of the torque transfer attachments depicted in  FIG. 3  are of specific non-circular profiles, the present invention is not limited to a particular configuration of torque transfer structure at the second end of a torque transfer attachment.  
      As depicted in  FIG. 3 , each torque transfer attachment has a first end  104  and a second end  108 . However, it is contemplated herein that multiple non-circular cross-sectional profiles may be incorporated into a single torque transfer attachment, thereby reducing the number of discrete torque transfer attachments.  
      In the preceding detailed description, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments, and certain variants thereof, have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical, mechanical, chemical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of such inventive disclosures. To avoid unnecessary detail, the description omits certain information known to those skilled in the art. The preceding detailed description is, therefore, not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.