Patent ID: 7278339

Claim:
A reversible ratchet wrench comprising: a handle; a head extending from the handle, the head including a compartment and a receiving hole in communication with the compartment; a drive member rotatably mounted in the compartment of the head and including a first end and a second end for driving a fastener, the drive member further including a plurality of teeth in an outer circumference thereof; a pawl slidably mounted in the compartment of the head, the pawl including a toothed side with a plurality of teeth for engaging with the teeth of the drive member; a ring mounted in the compartment of the head and around the first end of the drive member, the ring including a tip piece; a reversing plate pivotably mounted to the first end of the drive member, the reversing plate being operatively connected to the ring to turn therewith; and a switching member pivotably mounted in the receiving hole of the head, the switching member being operatively connected to the tip piece of the ring to turn therewith, the switching member being operatively connected to the pawl to move the pawl for changing a driving rotating direction of the reversible ratchet wrench when the reversing plate is moved between two positions corresponding to two opposite driving rotating directions; the pawl further including a recessed portion in another side opposite to the toothed side of the pawl, with the switching member further including a receptacle, an elastic element being mounted in the receptacle, with the switching member further including a pressing member mounted in the receptacle and biased by the elastic element to press against the recessed portion of the pawl.