Patent ID: 8104382

Claim:
A universal joint comprising, in combination: a coupling member including first and second ends spaced along a first axis, with the first end of the coupling member adapted to be coupled to a tool; a body including a rounded base and a drive column spaced along a second axis, with the rounded base being pivotably mounted to the second end of the coupling member about a pivot axis perpendicular to the first axis, allowing adjustment in an angle between the first and second axes, with the body further including a reinforcing section intermediate the rounded base and the drive column along the second axis and a neck intermediate the rounded base and the reinforcing section, with the reinforcing section including an outer periphery about the second axis of a radial extent greater than the drive column and the neck, with the outer periphery of the reinforcing section including a recessed portion having a receptacle extending in a radial direction perpendicular to the second axis, with the drive column including a bore extending along the second axis and in communication with the receptacle, with the drive column further including a detent hole extending in a transverse direction transverse to and in communication with the bore, with a mover movably received in the bore along the second axis, with a detent member movably received in the detent hole in the transverse direction, with the detent member operably connected to the mover so that movement of the mover along the second axis allows movement of the detent member in the transverse direction between a protruded position at least partially outside of the detent hole and a retracted position in the detent hole, with the drive column being adapted to couple with an object to be driven when the detent member protrudes out of the detent hole, with the drive column disengageable from the object when the detent member is received in the detent hole; and a control member moveably received in the receptacle between first and second positions spaced in the radial direction, with the control member including inner and outer ends spaced in the radial direction, with the outer end of the control member in the first position having a first spacing to the second axis in the radial direction larger than a second spacing from the outer end of the control member in the second position to the second axis in the radial direction, with the first spacing being substantially not larger than a third spacing from the outer periphery of the reinforcing section to the second axis in the radial direction, with the inner end of the control member operably engaged with the mover, so that movement of the control member in the radial direction between the first and second positions allows movement of the detent member in the transverse direction between the protruded position and the retracted position through movement of the mover along the second axis.