Patent ID: 8397606

Claim:
A ratchet wrench comprising: a body including a head, a handle, and a connecting section between the head and the handle, with the head defining a rotating axis, with the head adapted to drive a workpiece to rotate, with the head including first and second sides spaced along the rotating axis, with the first side having a spacing to the workpiece larger than the second side, with the head further including an outer periphery extending between the first and second sides and surrounding the rotating axis, with the outer periphery including an arcuate section, with an extension extending outward from a section of the outer periphery outside of the arcuate section in a radial direction perpendicular to the rotating axis, with the head further including a first compartment extending from the first side through the second side of the head along the rotating axis, with the first compartment having circular cross sections and including an inner periphery, with a second compartment formed in a portion of the inner periphery of the first compartment aligned with the extension, with the second compartment extending towards the extension, with the connecting section including a vertical connecting portion at an end thereof, with the vertical connecting portion integrally connected to the first side of the head, with another end of the connecting section integrally connected to an end of the handle; a drive member rotatably received in the first compartment of the head, with the drive member rotatable relative to the head about the rotating axis; a pawl device mounted in the second compartment of the body, with the pawl device selectively engageable with the drive member in either of first and second engagement relations corresponding to two driving directions of the ratchet wrench driving the workpiece; a switch pivotably mounted to the drive member and operatively connected to the pawl device in the second compartment, with the switch including a ring exposed outside of the first side of the head for manual operation to control the pawl device to be in one of the first and second engagement relations with the drive member; and a positioning device mounted between the switch and the vertical connecting portion of the connecting section, with the ring including first and second positioning portions, with the positioning device engaged with one of the first and second positioning portions to retain the ring, maintaining the pawl device in one of the first and second engagement relations with the drive member.