Patent Publication Number: US-6339979-B1

Title: Adjustable tool handle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tool handle, and more particularly to an adjustable tool handle. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,711,145 to Inoue discloses a typical tool handle having a bolt rotatably received in the handle body and rotated relative to the handle body to actuate a pawl to engage with a driving head and to secure the driving head relative to the handle at the required angular position. The bolt may not be slided or extended relative to the handle body such that the tool handle may not be adjusted to different lengths. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tool handles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable tool handle which may be easily and quickly adjusted or extended or retracted to the required length. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an adjustable tool handle comprising a barrel including a first end, a handle body slidably received in the barrel and extendible and adjustable relative to the barrel, the handle body including a first end slidably received in the barrel and including a channel formed in the first end thereof, the channel of the handle body including two narrower ends and a greater middle portion, and a rod received in the channel of the handle body. The barrel is allowed to be slided relative to the handle body when the rod is engaged in the greater middle portion of the channel of the handle body, and the barrel is clamped between the barrel and the handle body to secure the barrel and the handle body together when the rod is engaged in either of the narrower ends of the channel of the handle body. The barrel may thus be easily and quickly adjusted or moved relative to the handle body and may be easily and quickly secured to the handle body by rotating the barrel relative to the handle body. 
     A retaining, means is further provided for retaining the barrel to the handle body and to prevent the barrel from being disengaged from the handle body, and includes an inner peripheral chamber formed in the first end of the barrel, a catch received in the handle body, and means for biasing the catch to engage into the inner peripheral chamber of the barrel. The barrel may thus be prevented from being disengaged from the handle body inadvertently by engaging the catch into the inner peripheral chamber of the barrel. 
     The barrel includes an inclined inner peripheral surface formed in the first end thereof for defining the inner peripheral chamber thereof. The handle body includes a longitudinal axis, and includes a reference surface perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the handle body, and includes a recess formed therein for receiving the catch, and includes a first inclined surface for defining the recess of the handle body, the catch includes a surface engaged with the first inclined surface of the handle body for allowing the catch to be biased to engage with the inclined inner peripheral surface of the barrel. 
     A ferrule is secured to the first end of the barrel and includes a peripheral flange extended therefrom for engaging with the catch and for preventing the barrel from being disengaged from the handle body. 
     The handle body includes a second end, the adjustable tool handle further includes a coupler rotatably secured to the second end of the handle body with a pivot shaft and having a stud extended therefrom, a driving tool, and means for latching the driving tool to the stud of the coupler. 
     The latching means includes an orifice formed in the stud, a ball received in the orifice of the stud, a latch slidably received in the stud and having a cavity formed therein for receiving the ball, and means for biasing the latch to force the ball outward of the orifice of the stud and to engage with the driving tool. 
     The handle body includes an ear provided in the second end thereof and having a bulge formed therein and defined by at least one surface, the latch is moved against the biasing means by the bulge when the coupler is rotated relative to the handle body and when the latch is engaged with the bulge of the handle body. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an adjustable tool handle in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of the driving mechanism of the tool; 
     FIG. 3 is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  4 — 4  of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the adjustable tool handle. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, an adjustable tool handle in accordance with the present invention comprises a handle body  40  including an ear  41  formed on one end including a recess  42  and a channel  46  formed in the other end thereof. The ear  41  includes a bulge  411  formed thereon, particularly formed on the outer and middle portion thereof and defined by a pair of opposite depressions or flat surfaces  48 , best shown in FIG. 2. A coupler  60  includes a slot  66  formed therein for rotatably receiving the ear  41  which is rotatably or pivotally secured to the coupler  60  with a pivot shaft  64 . The coupler  60  includes a stud  67  extended therefrom for coupling to a driving tool, such as a driving socket  70 , the stud  67  includes an orifice  68  formed therein for receiving a ball  62  therein. A latch  61  is slidably received in the stud  67  and extended inward of the slot  66  of the coupler  60  for engaging with the bulge  411  of the ear  41 . The latch  61  includes a cavity  69  formed therein for receiving the ball  62 , best shown in FIG. 2, and for allowing the driving tool  70  to be engaged onto or disengaged from the stud  67 . A spring  63  is engaged with the latch  61  for biasing the latch  61  to force the ball  62  outward through the orifice  68  of the stud  67  and to engage with the driving tool  70  in order to solidly secure the driving tool  70  to the coupler  60 . 
     In operation, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, when the coupler  60  is rotated relative to the handle body  40  to the position in line with the handle body  40 , the bulge  411  of the ear  41  may engage with the latch  61  and may move the latch  61  against the spring in order to receive the ball  61 , in the cavity  69  of the latch  61 . At this moment, the driving tool  70  may be easily disengaged from the stud  67  of the coupler  60  and may be replaced with the other driving tool  70 . When the coupler  60  is rotated relative to the handle body  40  to disengage the bulge  411  of the ear  41  from the latch  61 , as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, the latch  61  may be forced to engage with the depressions or the surfaces  48  of the ear  41  and may be biased to engage with the ball  62  and to force the ball  62  to engage with the driving tool  70  and to solidly retain the driving tool  70  to the stud of the coupler  60 . 
     Referring next to FIGS. 3,  4  and again to FIG. 1, a barrel  50  is rotatably engaged on the handle body  40  and includes an outer thread  51  formed on one end, such as the front end, thereof and includes a frustum-shaped or an inclined inner peripheral surface  52  formed in the front end thereof for defining or for forming a peripheral chamber  57  between the handle body  40  and the front end of the barrel  50  (FIGS. 3,  5 ). A ferrule  53  is threaded to the outer thread  51  of the barrel  50  and includes one end, such as the front end, thereof having an inner peripheral flange  530  formed thereon or extended radially inward therefrom for forming an inner peripheral shoulder  531  therein (FIGS. 3,  5 ). A rod  47  is received in the channel  46  of the handle body  40 . The channel  46  includes two narrower ends  461  having a width smaller than the outer diameter of the rod  47 , and includes a greater middle portion  463  (FIG. 4) having a width no less than the outer diameter of the rod  47 . 
     In operation, when the barrel  50  is rotated relative to the handle body  40  to receive the rod  47  in the greater middle portion  463  of the channel  46  of the handle body  40 , the barrel  50  may be slided relative to the handle body  40  to any suitable or selected position relative to the handle body  40 . When the barrel  50  is rotated relative to the handle body  40 , the rod  47  may be forced to engage in either of the narrower ends  461  of the channel  46  of the channel body  40  and to be engaged between the barrel  50  and the handle body  40  in order to secure the barrel  50  and the handle body  40  together. The barrel  50  may thus be easily and quickly extended or adjusted relative to the handle body  40  and may be easily and quickly secured to the handle body  40  at the required relative position when the rod  47  is forced to be engaged or clamped between the barrel  50  and the handle body  40 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the handle body  40  includes one or more surfaces  421  for defining the recess  42  thereof, and includes an aperture  43  formed therein and communicating with the recess  42  thereof for receiving a spring  44  therein. A catch  45  is slidably received in the recess  42  of the handle body  40  and engaged with the spring  44  and includes one or more surfaces  451  for engaging with the corresponding surfaces  421  of the handle body  40 . The catch  45  may be biased inward of the peripheral chamber  57  of the barrel  50  (FIG. 5) when the barrel  50  is slided relative to the handle body  40 . As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the surfaces  431 ,  451  of the handle body  40  and of the catch  45  are not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  71  of the handle body  40  and are inclined relative to a reference line or surface  73  that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  71  of the handle body  40 , such that the catch  45  may be biased into the peripheral chamber  57  of the barrel  50  and to engage with the inclined inner peripheral surface  52  of the barrel  50  and to engage with the peripheral shoulder  531  and the peripheral flange  530  of the ferrule  53 . 
     In operation, as shown in FIG. 5, when the barrel  50  is moved relative to the handle body  40  until the catch  45  is biased to engage into the peripheral chamber  57  of the barrel  50  and to engage with the peripheral flange  530  of the ferrule  53 , the catch  45  may limit the further relative movement between the barrel  50  and the handle body  40  and may prevent the barrel  50  from being disengaged from the handle body  40 . 
     Accordingly, the adjustable tool handle in accordance with the present invention may be easily and quickly adjusted or extended or retracted to the required length and may prevent the barrel from being disengaged from the handle body. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.