Patent Abstract:
A tool to screw/unscrew a screwing element, having a module comprising a lever extending radially from and rotatable around a drive axis, a first transmission element rotatable around the drive axis by the lever, a transmission module comprising a second transmission element cooperating with the first element, a third transmission element rotatable around a screwing/unscrewing axis parallel to, and spaced from, the drive axis, a transmission system comprising an element transmitting the second element rotation to the third element, and an adapter with a fourth transmission element cooperating with the third element, and a cavity confirming to the screwing element. The tool includes a wedge with at least one rotatable adapter mounted thereon. The wedge comprises two support surfaces on planes parallel to the drive axis and disposed opposite one another to define a groove receiving an end of the transmission module on the third element side.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the French patent application No. 1450747 filed on Jan. 30, 2014, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by way of reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a screwing/unscrewing tool. 
         [0003]    In order to screw/unscrew a screwing element, such as, for example, a screw or a nut, a technician conventionally uses a screwing/unscrewing tool, such as a spanner for example. 
         [0004]    In a crowded environment, a tool of this type is not always appropriate, since the angular clearance of the tool is incompatible with the presence of the other components which constitute the environment of the screwing element, since the tool strikes against these components. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An objective of the present invention is to propose a screwing/unscrewing tool which does not have the disadvantages of the prior art, and which in particular makes it possible to screw/unscrew a screwing element which is disposed in a crowded environment. 
         [0006]    For this purpose, a screwing/unscrewing tool is proposed which is designed to screw/unscrew a screwing element, and comprises:
       a screwing/unscrewing module comprising a lever which extends radially relative to a drive axis, and is mobile in rotation around the said drive axis, and a first transmission element which is rotated around the drive axis by the lever; and   a transmission module comprising a second transmission element which is designed to cooperate with the first transmission element, a third transmission element which is mobile in rotation around a screwing/unscrewing axis parallel to, and spaced from, the drive axis, a transmission system comprising an element for transmission of the rotation of the second transmission element to the third transmission element, and an adapter with a fourth transmission element which is designed to cooperate with the third transmission element, and a cavity, the form of which is adapted to the screwing element,       
 
         [0009]    the tool being characterized in that it additionally comprises a wedge on which at least one adapter is mounted such as to be mobile in rotation, in that, for each adapter, the wedge comprises two support surfaces which are contained on planes parallel to the drive axis and are disposed opposite one another such as to define a groove which is designed to receive an end of the transmission module situated on the third transmission element side. 
         [0010]    A tool of this type thus makes it possible to offset the drive axis from the screwing/unscrewing axis, and therefore facilitate access to the screwing element. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The aforementioned characteristics of the invention, as well as others, will become more apparent from reading the following description of an embodiment, the said description being provided in relation with the appended drawings, in which: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a screwing/unscrewing tool according to the invention in the position of use; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows the tool in  FIG. 1  in exploded view. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0014]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show a screwing/unscrewing tool  100  which is designed to screw/unscrew a screwing element, such as, for example, a screw or a nut. 
         [0015]    The tool  100  comprises a screwing/unscrewing module  102  and a transmission module  104 . 
         [0016]    The screwing/unscrewing module  102  has a lever  106  which extends radially relative to a drive axis  50 , and is mobile in rotation around the said drive axis  50  and a first transmission element  208 , which is rotated around the drive axis  50  by the lever  106 . 
         [0017]    The transmission module  104  comprises a second transmission element  212 , a third transmission element  214 , a transmission system  216 , and an adapter  116 . 
         [0018]    The second transmission element  212  constitutes the input of the transmission module  104 . The second transmission element  212  cooperates with the first transmission element  208 , and is thus rotated around the drive axis  50  by the latter. 
         [0019]    The third transmission element  214  constitutes the output of the transmission module  104 , and is mobile in rotation around a screwing/unscrewing axis  52 , which is parallel to, and spaced from, the drive axis  50 . 
         [0020]    The transmission system  216  comprises elements to transmit the rotation of the second transmission element  212  to the third transmission element  214 . 
         [0021]    The adapter  116  has a fourth transmission element  118 , which cooperates with the third transmission element  214 , and is thus rotated around the screwing/unscrewing axis  52  by the latter. 
         [0022]    The adapter  116  also has a cavity, the form of which is adapted to the screwing element to be screwed/unscrewed. 
         [0023]    The rotation of the lever  106  will thus, by means of successive driving operations, rotate the adapter  116 , which will screw/unscrew the screwing element. 
         [0024]    The offsetting between the drive axis  50  and the screwing/unscrewing axis  52  makes it possible to space the lever  106  from the screwing element, and therefore to be clear from the crowded area around the screwing element. 
         [0025]    The transmission module  104  has an elongate form, one of the ends of which is situated on the second transmission element  212  side, and the other end of which is situated on the third transmission element  214  side. 
         [0026]    In order to obtain a substantial screwing torque at the level of the adapter  116  without needing to have a lever  106  with a long length, the screwing/unscrewing module  102  comprises a torque multiplier  110 , which is placed between the lever  106  and the first transmission element  208 . The torque multiplier  110  thus has an input which is driven by the lever  106 , and an output which drives the first transmission element  208 . 
         [0027]    In this case, the first transmission element  208  is in the form of a male square, and in this case the second transmission element  212  is in the form of a female square, in which the first transmission element  208  fits. 
         [0028]    In this case, the third transmission element  214  is in the form of a male square. 
         [0029]    In this case, the adapter  116  is in the form of a bush, the fourth transmission element  118  of which is in the form of a female square in which the third transmission element  214  fits. 
         [0030]    In order to block the rotation of the screwing/unscrewing module  102  relative to the transmission module  104  during the manipulation of the lever  106 , the screwing/unscrewing module  102  has first blocking element  120  and the transmission module  104  has second blocking element  122 . The first blocking element  120  and the second blocking element  122  are thus designed to cooperate together in order to block this rotation. 
         [0031]    In this case the first blocking element  120  are in the form of a male element  224 , and in this case the second blocking element  122  are in the form of a female element  226  in which the male element  224  fits. The male element  224  and the female element  226  have a longitudinal axis which is parallel to the drive axis  50 , but is offset relative to the latter. It will be appreciated that it is possible to envisage that the first blocking element  120  take the form of a female element, and the second blocking element  122  take the form of a male element. 
         [0032]    In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 2 , the transmission system  216  comprises a housing  130 , on which the female element  226  is arranged, and a gear train  228 , which is accommodated in the housing  130 , and comprises a first gear  228  which is integral with the second transmission element  212 , a final gear  228  which is integral with the third transmission element  214 , and optionally at least one other gear  228  between the first gear  228  and the final gear  228 . In this case, there are three gears  228  between the first gear  228  and the final gear  228 . 
         [0033]    Each gear  228  is mounted such as to be mobile in rotation in the housing  130  around its axis of rotation which is parallel to the drive axis  50 . 
         [0034]    According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the lever  106  is in the form of a digital torque wrench which makes it possible to carry out screwing with precision of approximately 2%. 
         [0035]    The torque multiplier  110  has for example a ratio of  22  between its input and its output. 
         [0036]    In order to ensure the stability of the transmission module  104 , the tool  100  comprises a support module  132  which has securing elements  134  and at least one support wing  136   a - b  integral with the securing elements  134 . 
         [0037]    The securing elements  134  are designed to secure the support module  132  on a surrounding fixed component (not represented in the figures). In the installation case in which an aircraft engine is secured to a strut, the surrounding fixed component is the engine support system known as a “BOOTSTRAP” in aeronautical jargon. 
         [0038]    The or each support wing  136   a - b  makes it possible to support the transmission module  104 , and more particularly the housing  130 , when in use. The supporting of the transmission module  104  on the support wing  136   a - b  is carried out by the end which is situated on the second transmission element  212  side. 
         [0039]    In this case, the securing elements  134  comprise two jaws  138 , and a screwing system  140  which is designed to screw the jaws  138  against the fixed component. In this case, the screwing system  140  comprises a threaded rod  142  and two nuts  144   a - b . The two jaws  138  are fitted between the two nuts  144   a - b  on the threaded rod  142 . Thus, the screwing of the nuts  144   a - b  will screw the jaws  138  on both sides of the fixed component. 
         [0040]    In order to take up the screwing counter-torque at the level of the adapter  116 , the tool  100  comprises a wedge  146  on which the said adapter  116  is fitted such as to be mobile in rotation. The wedge  146  comprises retention elements which are designed to prevent it from rotating around the screwing/unscrewing axis  52 , and two support surfaces  148   a - b.    
         [0041]    The retention elements can comprise any appropriate elements. For example, they can be contact surfaces  150   a - b  which are supported against surrounding fixed components. According to the environment of the screwing element, the wedge  146  can thus have different forms. 
         [0042]    Each of the two support surfaces  148   a - b  is contained on a plane parallel to the drive axis  50 . The two support surfaces  148   a - b  are disposed opposite one another, and define a groove in which there is placed the transmission module  104 , and more particularly the end of the transmission module  104  which is situated on the third transmission element  214  side. Thus, the rotation of the transmission module  104  is blocked by the two support surfaces  148   a - b  which are placed on both sides of the transmission module  104 . 
         [0043]    In order to carry out faster screwing/unscrewing when there is a plurality of adjacent screwing elements, the wedge  146  has an adapter  116  for each of the screwing elements, and the form of the wedge  146  is designed such that, when it is put into place, each adapter  116  is placed opposite the screwing element which it is designed to screw/unscrew. For each adapter  116 , the wedge  146  comprises two support surfaces  148   a - b.    
         [0044]    Thus, the technician can screw/unscrew each screwing element without displacing the wedge  146 , and by displacing only the screwing/unscrewing module  102  and the transmission module  104 . 
         [0045]    The wedge  146  thus comprises at least one adapter  116 , and, for each adapter  116 , two support surfaces  148   a - b.    
         [0046]    In the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the wedge  146  comprises three adapters  116 , which correspond to three different screwing elements disposed adjacent to one another. When the wedge  146  with its adapters  116  and the support module  132  are put into place, the technician can place the screwing/unscrewing module  102  and the transmission module  104  in succession in the three positions which are defined by each pair of support surfaces  148   a - b , such as to screw/unscrew each of the screwing elements. 
         [0047]    While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms “comprise” or “comprising” do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms “a” or “one” do not exclude a plural number, and the term “or” means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1