Abstract:
A screwdriver gripping tool is disclosed, comprising a sheath having an integrated unibody structure, and symmetrical elastic pinchers disposed at a tip of the sheath. The sheath is used for wrapping around a screwdriver handle; the elastic pinchers are used for holding on the screw head. The elastic pinchers also extendedly stretch to form two symmetrical, inwardly curving flanges that face each other, for use to capture a screw head so as to assist a driving motion of a screwdriver to set a screw into a work piece.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Fields of the Invention 
         [0002]    The current invention is directed to a screwdriver gripping tool for use as fastener tool for assisting a screwdriver driving a screw head. More particularly, the current invention provides an accessory apparatus to a screwdriver for retaining a screw, the apparatus comprising a sheath having an integrated unibody structure, and symmetrical elastic pinchers disposed at a tip of the sheath. 
         [0003]    2. Descriptions of Related Art 
         [0004]    According to a United Kingdom patent GB 1507022, which was related to a screw holder system, it is already disclosed the screw holder system provides a function to grip firmly onto a screw and the handle of a screwdriver. Structurally the system comprises a sheath and pinchers, the sheath has cylindrical holding region throughout the sheath, pinchers on a tip of the sheath, which are arranged in such a way that two pinchers are established as an extension from a tip of the sheath. A construction of the invention involves the tips of the pinchers formed into protruding ends protruding inwardly and the their centers formed into concaved openings; another embodiment of the invention has the retaining portion of the pincher formed into conical ends extending inwardly; the sheath conformably disposes circumferentially on the wall of the docketing region three fan sheets spaced along the circumferential direction. The fan sheets can reach the position of the screwdriver handle and press axially against the handle; and in another embodiment, there is composed of collectors, the collectors are separated along the circumference, and provide the screwdriver with a significantly long retaining portion, such that the screwdriver can be prevented from titling when the screwdriver is being embedded for installation, in which the screwdriver handle is retained under the retaining effect in three axial directions. 
         [0005]    The foregoing cited invention has been criticized for several disadvantages, including but not limited to, the following. Its docketing region is of a cylindrical shape, which can only provide for accommodation that is exclusively available for introduction of a special screwdriver handle. For example it can be accepting for a cross head screwdriver, but not a flat head screwdriver. The reason for this is because the driving portion of the flat head screwdriver is flat and has a width wider than the outer diameter of the screwdriver handle, and as a result of the driving portion cannot pass through the docketing region. This patent can, by or in itself, present a blockage limiting the types of usable screwdrivers. 
         [0006]    Additionally, fan sheets and collectors all operate to retain the handles of the screwdrivers in three axial directions. Therefore the surrounding surface of the handles are not entirely secured in a pressed position, and such can still incur a shaky and tilting problem. 
         [0007]    Also, with regards to the technical features in the cited prior art wherein it is cited that the tips of the pinchers are formed into protruding ends protruding inwardly and their centers are formed into concaved opening; or, in another embodiment of the cited prior invention, the retaining portion of the pincher is formed into conical ends extending inwardly, it is conceivable that the pinchers do not have sufficient elasticity to allow outward expansion. Consequently, after the pinchers are ensured to be fully gripping onto a screw head, after the screwdriver passes through the docketing region and rests onto the screw head to begin driving, next when the screw drills into a work piece and sinks into the work piece to finally reveal only the screw head, the protruding ends of the pinchers are still found to be securely enclosing the screw head. This situation would call for a requirement for the user to remove the pinchers by hands to detach from the screw head before the screw head becomes abutting against the work piece, and further that after the sheath is detached from the screwdriver, the user would be required to take extra effort to fasten the screw into the work piece with a screwdriver. This is heavily complained for operational inconvenience. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a gripping tool for holding on a screwdriver handle. The gripping tool can enclose a handle firmly and avert tilting or vibration, can pinch and detach easily a screw head, and can be applied for use with various kinds of screwdrivers. 
         [0009]    According to the present invention, the screwdriver gripping tool comprises a sheath having an integrated unibody structure, and symmetrical elastic pinchers disposed at a tip of the sheath. The sheath is used for housing a screwdriver handle, the elastic pinchers are used for holding a screw head, and ends of the elastic pinchers are formed into two symmetrical, inwardly curving flanges that face each other. 
         [0010]    The shape of the sheath is presented to be long, flat and tubular, it has an axially extending docketing region throughout the sheath, and has on one side of the sheath a longitudinally reaching securing mechanism. There are thin slits on two sides of the securing mechanism. The securing mechanism has a protruding gripping rib at the inside of the docketing region, for use in abutting against a screwdriver handle, and making the sheath less susceptible to tilting or vibration; the top view of the foregoing docketing region shows a long and flat space configuration, which is used for facilitating settling onto screwdriver handle. The docketing region has a first docketing region and a second docketing region, in which the second docketing region is included in the center of the first docketing region, and the length of the first docketing region is longer than that of the second docketing region, but the width of the second docketing region is larger than the width of the first docketing region; and elastic pinchers are two symmetrical and inwardly curving flanges formed as a result of the extension of a tip of the sheath coming from the sheath&#39;s integrated unibody structure, wherein the pinchers are used for enclosing a screw head. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of an example 1 of the present invention that is inserted with a screwdriver. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of an example 2 of the present invention that is inserted with a screwdriver. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a view showing an operational example 1 using the present invention that is inserted with a screwdriver. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a view showing an operational example 2 using the present invention that is inserted with a screwdriver. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an isometric view of another example of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows an isometric view of another example of the elastic pinchers of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows a frontal view of another example of the plastic pinches of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    In order to fully understand the present invention, operational advantages of the present invention, and objects achieved by the implementation of the present invention, the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contents described in the accompanying drawings need to be referred to. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, such that one skilled in the art will be able to practice the present invention using the application as a guide. The application is not intended to be restrictive of the technical scope of the present invention. 
         [0023]    First, in reference to  FIG. 1 , a screwdriver gripping tool is shown, The screwdriver gripping tool comprises a sheath  11  made from a plastic material and formed into an integrated unibody structure, and a pair of elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b . The sheath  11  is used in enclosing a screwdriver handle  15 , the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  are used for holding on a screw head  16   a  of a screw  16  and ends of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  are two symmetrical inwardly curving flanges  121   a ,  121   b . Because the elastic pinchers are made of elastic plastic materials, the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  are capable of elastic deformation, which can provide a means for holding a screw head  16   a , and can also expand outwardly to release the screw head  16   a  when the pinchers are subject to external forces. 
         [0024]    The sheath  11  has a long tubular shape, which has an axially extending docketing region  14  throughout the sheath  11 , has on one side of the sheath  11  a longitudinally reaching securing mechanism  13 , and has inside the sheath  11  a protruding securing mechanism  13 , the securing mechanism  13  has thin slits  13   a ,  13   b  on two sides of the securing mechanism  13 , by way of the disposition of the thin slits  13   a ,  13   b , the securing mechanism  13  is elastic, such that the docketing region  14  can expand and suppress when the screwdriver handle  15  is inserted into the docketing region  14 , so the sheath  11  can grip firmly the screwdriver handle  15  and prevent vibration. The securing mechanism  13  is a narrowly long and has longitudinal length that can press against a side perimeter of the screwdriver handle  15 . 
         [0025]    Reference is now drawn to incorporation of  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 , as well as the abovementioned top view of the docketing region appearing as a long spatial configuration, which is used for enclosing the screwdriver handle  15 , which comprises a first docketing region  14   a  and a second docketing region  14   b , wherein the second docketing region  14   b  is included in the center of the first docketing region  14   a , and a length of the first docketing region  14   a  is longer than a length of the second docketing region  14   b , but a width of the second docketing region  14   b  is larger than a width of the first docketing region  14   a ′; and the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  are formed in a unibody structure from an extension of the sheath, and an end of the sheath  11  forms inwardly curving flanges  121   a ,  121   b , which are adapted for use for enclosing a screw head  16   a . Each of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  has a side that together defines a free spatial opening by a clamp opening  122   a . The clamp opening  122   a  is configured to expand the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  so as to allow introduction of the screw head  16   a  from any side of the two sides of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b . The flanges  121   a ,  121   b  have a flat, curving shape, and are formed into a simple passage  122  such that the passage  122  is applicable for allowing introduction of a screw  16 . 
         [0026]    Next,  FIG. 6  shows an example for actual use of the gripping tool of the present invention. The screwdriver handle  15  is inserted into the sheath  11  of the gripping tool. The driving blade  15   a  protrudes and stretches to elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b , screw head  16   a  is enclosed from the clamp opening  122   a , where the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  capture the screw stem below the screw head  16   a . When the screwdriver drives the screw  16  into the work piece A, when the screw  16  gradually sinks into work piece A until there is left with the screw head  16   a , which is shown in  FIG. 7 , the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  abut against the surface of the work piece A, and because the screwdriver handle  15  gradually applies pressure downward to make the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  to change shape and expand outwardly, the sheath  11  would also gradually move upwardly in the longitudinal direction toward the screwdriver handle  15 . Finally, the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  detach from the screw head  16   a , and the screw head  16   a  is continually worked upon to sink into the work piece A by the driving motion of the screwdriver handle  15 , until the screw stem is entirely sunk into the interior of the work piece A. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIG. 8  for another embodiment of the present invention, there is disposed an abutting portion  11   a  on a surface opposite to the securing mechanism  13  on the sheath  11 . The foregoing abutting portion  11   a  is a protruding block formed in a unibody structure sharing with an upper surface of the sheath  11 . By way of this setup, the user can the abutting portion  11   a  to operate the gripping tool to remove the screwdriver handle  15 . 
         [0028]    In reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  of another embodiment of the present invention are shown. These are used when the work piece A does not have a planar platform, for example, when the work piece A may have a default trough, or it may have an uneven trough. For these situations, ends of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  of the preset invention are disposed with outwardly extending protruding ribs  123   a ,  123   b . The protruding ribs  123   a ,  123   b  are disposed at a reverse position respective to each other, and a bottom end of the protruding rib is an angled surface and has flanges  121   a ,  121   b . The inner ends of the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  are disposed with depressed tips  124   a ,  124   b . The depressed tips  124   a ,  124   b  have a depressed arc shape, such that the depressed pattern is adapted for use for a position limiting purpose subject to the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  are holding the screw head  16   a  in place. In other words, in compliance with the circular feature of the screw head  16   a , depressed tips  124   a ,  124   b  having a depressed arc shape are selected so that the screw head  16   a  can be restricted to its position subject to their circular diameter, such that the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  can easily hold on the screw head  16   a  and make it less easy to fall off. Additionally, the protruding ribs  123   a ,  123   b  operate to abut against the larger area of the upper surface of the work piece A. When the screwdriver handle  15  gradually applies pressure downwardly to let the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  to outwardly expand to open, the sheath  11  also gradually provides a window for the screwdriver handle  15  to move upwardly in a longitudinal direction. At last, the flanges  121   a ,  121   b  will detach the screw head  16   a , the screw head  16   a  will continually sinks into the work piece A as a result of the screwdriver handle&#39;s driving motion, up until a point when the screw stem of the screw is entirely buried in the work piece A. 
         [0029]    In view of the above disclosure, a skilled person in the relevant art would recognize that the present invention has the following advantages: 
         [0030]    1. The clamp opening  122   a  is a spatial opening defined by the two sides each disposed by each of the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b . This can make the screw head  16   a  highly susceptible to coverage between elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b . Flanges  121   a ,  121   b  are flat and inwardly curving, and can help in holding on the screw head  16   a , and give the elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  with an abutting ability in outward expansion, thereby achieving a goal of helping elastic pinchers  12   a ,  12   b  to expand outwardly and release the screw head  16   a.    
         [0031]    2. The docketing region  14  presents a long spatial configuration seen from a top view, which comprises a first docketing region  14   a  and a second docketing region  14   b , wherein the second docketing region  14   b  is included in the center of the first docketing region  14   a , and a length of the first docketing region  14   a  is longer than a length of the second docketing region  14   b , but a width of the second docketing region  14   b  is larger than a width of the first docketing region  14   a ′ such that a variation of screwdriver handles  15  can be applied onto, as shown in  FIG. 4  which shows a situation where a cross head screwdriver handle is coupled into a docketing region  14 . The drawing shows that the two sides of the screwdriver handle  15  abuts against the second docketing region  14   b , and the securing mechanism on the protruding part on the inside of a docketing region  14  is set up to abut against screwdriver handle  15  such that the handle  15  is not prone to vibration.  FIG. 5  further shows a situation where a flat head screwdriver handle is coupled into a docketing region  14 . The width of the screwdriver driving blade  17   a  is substantially longer than the second docketing region  14   b , but matches the length of the first docketing region  14   a . Therefore by way of demonstration the gripping tool can be used for both flat head screwdriver and cross head screwdriver. 
         [0032]    3. The sheath  11  of the gripping tool can work to lasso the screwdriver handle  15 , and the securing mechanism  13  protruding from the inside of the docketing region can abut against the outer wall of the handle  15  such that the screwdriver handle  15  does not vibrate, but can freely move longitudinally. 
         [0033]    4. The securing mechanism  13  is disposed on its side an abutting portion  11   a , which can help release the sheath away from the screwdriver handle  15 . The abutting portion  11   a  can have a knurled or a sawtoothed protruding rib structure, or have a roughened structure for the purpose of increasing coefficient of friction of the abutting portion  11   a.    
         [0034]    The invention has been described herein by illustration of a preferred exemplary embodiment. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Further, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments having equivalent modification and change are possible within the scope of the invention.