Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02390758 2007-02-02
1 COMPACT DRIVER
2
3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
4
1. Field of the Invention
6
7 This invention relates to a compact tool for manu-
8 ally applying torque to a fastener, and more particularly
9 to such a tool with a ratcheting driver and which may
include a fixed driver.
11
12 2. Description of the Prior Art
13
14 Compact tools for manually applying torque to a
fastener by means of a ratcheting drive and driven
16 element, which may be a socket or a screwdriver tip, for
17 example, are known in the art. Typically, such tools
18 are designed to be hand-held and sufficiently small such
19 that the user may carry the tool in a pants or shirt
pocket. In some such devices, the tool handle, if any,
21 is too short to provide sufficient mechanical advantage
22 to permit the user to apply sufficient torque to the
1
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1 fastener to accomplish the required task. Patent No.
2 5,542,322, issued August 6, 1996 to R. L. Knox et al.,
3 attempted to solve this problem by providing a ratcheting head
4 which is pivotally attached to a handle, so as to be pivotal
between a folded position, in which the ratchating head is
6 substantially surrounded by the handle, and an operating
7 position, in which the ratchating head extends outwardly from
8 the handle in longitudinal alignment therewith. However,
9 because of the use of a pivotal attachment between the
ratcheting head and the handle, such devices are still limited
ll in the amount of torque which may be applied to the fastener
12 without breaking the pivotal connection. Also described, but
13 not shown, is an "alternative embodiment" utilizing tongues
14 projecting from the ratcheting head which are received in
grooves formed in the handle.
16
17 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
18 According to the present invention, a compact driver has
19 a handle connected at a first end to a ratcheting head portion
by a pair of coplanar guide rails extend into the handle to
21 engage a pair of complementary guide shoulders formed in the
22 interior of the handle and the head portion having ratcheting
2
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I means connected to a depending driver element for engaging and
2 driving an element to be driven. In one embodiment, the
3 handle includes a selectively manually actuated lighting means
4 which is operable, when actuated, to illuminate a work area in
which the driver element is to engage the driven element. In
6 a second, presently preferred, embodiment, the handle includes
7 a drive socket at a second end, opposite the first end, for
8 use with removable tools, such as screwdriver bits.
9
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
11 FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a compact ratcheting driver
12 according to the present invention with a selectively manually
13 operable lighting means and with its ratcheting head shown in
14 its extended positiont
FIG. 2 is a partial bottom plan view of the driver of
16 FIG. lt
17 FIG. 3 is a right side elevational view, in section, of
18 the driver of FIG. 1, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 11
19 FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view, in section, of
the driver of FIG. 1, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1y
21 FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the compact ratcheting
22 driver shown in FIG. 1 but with its ratcheting head in its
3
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1 retracted positionl
2 FIG. 6 is a right side elevational view of the ratcheting
3 driver of FIG. 1 but in its retracted disposition as shown in
4 FIG. 51
FIG. 7 is a partial front elevational view, in section,
6 taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 4, and illustrating its
7 electrical lighting system in its "'momentarily closedy
8 dispositiony
9 FIG. 8 is a partial front elevational view, in section,
of the driver as shown in FIG. 7, and illustrating its
11 electrical lighting system in its "open" dispositionj
12 FIG. 9 is a partial front elevational view, in section,
13 of the driver as shown in FIG. 7, and illustrating its
14 electrical lighting system in its "closed" dispositiony
FIG. 10 is a view, in perspective, of a presently
16 preferred alternate embodiment of a compact ratcheting driver
17 according to the present invention showa in its closed
18 disposition, in which the lighting system has been replaced by
19 a drive socket disposed in the driver so as to be remote from
its ratcheting headi
21 FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the compact ratcheting
22 driver of FIG. 101
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1 FIG. 12 is a right side elevational view of the compact
2 ratcheting driver of FIG. 10t
3 FIG. 13 is a right side elevational view, similar to FIG.
4 12, but with the ratcheting head in its retracted disposition~
FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the driver of FIG.
6 101
7 FIG. 15 is a rear elevational view of the driver of FIG.
8 10, illustrating the disposition of the drive socket,
9 illustrated as a hexagonal sockety
FIG. 16 is a view, in section, of the driver of FIG. 10,
11 taken along lines 16-16 of FIG. llr
12 FIG. 17 is a view, in section, of the driver of FIG. 10,
13 taken along lines 17-17 of FIG. 16y
14 FIG. 18 is a view, in perspective, of the extendible
drive portion of the driver of FIG. 10 which carries the
16 ratcheting head, but with the ratcheting head removedl
17 FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the upper body portion
18 of the compact ratchetinQ driver of FIG. 101 and
19 FIG. 20 is a top plan view of the lower body portion of
the compact ratcheting driver of FIG. 10.
21
22 DBTAILBD DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
5
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1 Referring first to FIGS. 1- 6, a compact ratcheting
2 driver 10 has a handle portion 12 and an extensible ratcheting
3 drive portion 14. The drive portion 14 had a i=atchet drive
4 mechanism 16, which is conventional in design, has a driver
element 16A, of any conventional configuration, and is mounted
6 in a drive head 18. The drive head 18 has a central web 20
7 and an pair of guide rails 22A, 22B (shown in dotted lines in
8 FIG. 1), disposed on opposite sides of the web 20, so that the
9 web 20 is intermediate thereof. Reinforcing flanges 20A, 20B
l0 extend from the web 20 to the guide rails 22A, 22B,
ll respectively to maintain the rails 22A, 22B in a parallel
12 disposition to one another and in a coplanar disposition with
13 the handle 12. The guide rails extend into a hollow central
l4 portion 24 formed in the handle 12 so as engage a pair of
complementary guide shoulders 24A, 24B (see FIG. 4).
16 The handle portion 12 has an upper element: 12A and a
17 lower element 12B (see FIGS. 3 and 4), which are attached
18 together by any conventional means, such as a rtut and bolt
19 combination (not shown). A pair of spring loaded balls 28A,
28B are disposed in the handle upper element 12A and engage
21 the rails 22A, 22B, respectively. Each of the rails 22A, 22B
22 has a pair of recesses 22C, 22D and 22E, 22F, respectively,
c=
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I which are adapted to receive the spring loaded balls 28A, 28B,
2 respectively to function as conventional spring loaded detent
3 mechanisms, whose operation in stopping the extensible
4 ratchating drive aechaniam 14 between its extended disposition
shown in FIG. 1 and its retracted disposition shown in FIGS. 5
6 and 6 is obvious. As is best seen in FIG. 5, the shoulders
7 24A, 24B have slotted portions 24C, 34D, respectively. The
8 guide rails 22A, 22B extend into the slotted portions 24C,24D,
9 respectively wbile continuing to abut the shoulders 24A,24B,
:0 when the extensible ratchating drive portion 14 is retracted
from its extended disposition shown in FIG. 1 tc, its retracted
2 disposition shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 by manually overcoming the
13 aforementioned spring loaded detent mechanisms.
l4 The compact ratcheting driver 10 has selectively actuated
lighting means 30 contained in the handle portion lower
l6 element 12B, as is seen in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 6 - 9. As is
l7 best seen in FIG. 4, the lighting means 30 has a light bulb 32
18 disposed at an angle in a passageway 12C formed in the lower
19 element 12B. The angle of the passageway 12C is preselected
?0 so as to cause light from the bulb 32 to illuminate a work
?1 area adjacent the driver element 16A. The lighting means 30
Z2 includes a battery 34 and a pair of electrical leads 36A, 36B
7
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1 for selectively connecting the bulb 32 to the battery 34 by a
2 switch mechanism 38. The switch mechanism 38 is attached to
3 the handle lower element 12B by an attaching plate 40, and
4 four fasteners 42, and functions to hold the battery 34 in
position. The switch mechanism 38 is shown in FIG. 4 in its
6 actuated position, in which an electrical circuit is completed
7 between the light bulb 32 and the battery 34 though the
8 electrical leads 36A, 36B. The lead 36A is always in physical
9 contact with a first battery terminal comprised by an upper
battery face 34A of the disc-shaped battery 34, and the lead
11 36B has a contact element 36C which is shown in FIG. 4 as
12 being pressed into physical contact with the other battery
13 terminal comprised by a lower battery face 34B of the disc-
14 shaped battery 34 by the chamfered face of an actuator slide
44 formed on a slide switch 46.
[6 The slide switch 46 extends through an aperture 48 formed
17 in the attaching plate 40, so as to permit limited transverse
18 movement of the slide switch 46 between its various operating
19 positions, as will now be explained. The slide switch 46 is a
three position switch, that is, it is laterally slidable
21 between three positions, a "neutral" position, as shown in
22 FIG. 7, and "off" position, as shown in FIG. 8, and an "on"
8
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1 position as shown in FIG. 9.
2 In FIG. 7, the actuator slide 44 is in electrical contact
3 with the lead 36B through the contact element 36C, but the
4 lead 36B is not in electrical contact with the battery
terminal 34B because the lead 36B is of the leaf spring type
6 and is biased away from the battery terminal 34B. Therefore,
7 there is no electrical circuit continuity between the battery
8 34 and the light bulb 32, and the bulb 32 is not illuminated.
9 However, if the slide switch 46 is pressed inwardly manually
i0 toward the battery 34, the chamfered surface on the actuator
ll slide 44 will press the electrical contact 36C and so the lead
12 36B against the battery terminal 34B, causing the electrical
0 circuit to be completed and the bulb 32 to be lit (see FIG.
l4 4). When the inward manual pressure on the slide switch is
released, the spring biasing of the lead 36B causes the lead
16 36B to move away from the battery terminal 36B, thereby
17 opening the electrical circuit as shown in FIG. 7 and
l8 extinguishing the lighting of the bulb 32. This manual
19 selective inward and outward movement of the slide switch 46
is illustrated by the bidirectional arrow 50 in FIG. 7.
21 In FIG. 8, the actuator slide 44 has been moved laterally
22 with respect to its disposition in FIG. 7 so as to offset the
9
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1 actuator slide 44 from the contact element 36C. In this
2 disposition, depression of the slide switch as described with
3 respect to FIG. 7 will not result in the completion of an
4 electrical circuit through the lead 36B to the battery
terminal 34B, because no portion of the actuator slide 44
6 physically contacts the electrical contact 36C or lead 34B,
7 and so the bulb 32 is unlit. This disposition of the slide
8 switch 46 is achieved by lateral movement of the slide switch
9 46 from the disposition shown in FIG. 7 in the direction as
indicated by the arrow 52.
11 In FIG. 9, the actuator slide 44 has been moved laterally
12 with respect to its disposition in FIG. 7 so as to cause the
13 actuator slide 44 to force the contact element 36C toward the
14 battery face 34B, causing the lead 36B to be in continuous
contact with the battery terminal 34B even though the slide
16 switch 46 is not depressed. In this disposition, the lateral
17 movement of the slide switch 46 results in the continuous
18 completion of an electrical circuit through the lead 36B to
19 the battery terminal 34B, and the bulb 32 remains lit after
the removal of the manual pressure on the slide switch causing
21 its lateral movement to the disposition shown in FIG. 9 from
22 the disposition shown in FIG. 7, and is indicated by the arrow
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1 54 in FIG. 9. When it is desired to extinguish the light 32,
2 the slide switch 46 is manually moved laterally from the
3 disposition shown in FIG. 9 to that shown in either FIG. e or
4 FIG. 7.
Referring now to the presently preferred embodiment of
6 the compact ratcheting driver of the present invention shown
7 in FIGS. 10 through 20, and where like reference numbers refer
8 to like elements with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 1
9 through 9, a compact ratcheting driver 100 according to the
l0 present invention shown in FIG. 10 in its closed disposition.
11 The driver 100 has an upper body portion 102 and a lower body
12 portion 104 which are attached together by any conventional
13 means so as to form a handle portion 106. The driver includes
14 an extensible ratcheting drive portion 108, which has a
ratchet drive mechanism 16, mounted in a ratcheting drive head
16 118. The drive head has a central web portion 120 and a pair
17 of guide rails 122A,122B, which are coplanar with the web 120
18 so as to be normal to the longitudinal axis of the driver
19 element 16A. The guide rails 122A,122B extend into a hollow
central portion 124 formed between the body portions 102,104
21 of the handle 106 so as to engage a pair of complementary
22 guide shoulders 124A,124B,124C,124D (see FIGS. 19,20).
11
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1 A pair of spring loaded detent ball assemblies 128A,128B
2 are formed, one each, in the rails 122A,122B, respectively.
3 The spring loaded detent ball assemblies 128A,128B are adapted
4 to engage a pair of laterally disposed cylindrical recesses
126A,126B formed in the upper body portion 102 (see FIG. 19)
6 when the extensible drive portion 108 is in its extended
7 disposition as shown in FIG. 16, and to engage a pair of
8 laterally disposed cylindrical recesses 126C,126D formed in
9 the upper body portion 102 (see FIG. 19) when the extensible
drive portion 108 is in its retracted disposition as shown in
11 FIG. 12. The spring loaded detent ball assemblies 128A,128B
12 include springs 128C,128D and balls 128$,128F, respectively,
13 disposed in cylindrical recesses 128G,128H formed in the rails
14 122A,122B respectively (see FIG. 18). The guide rails
122A,122B each have a rectangular recess 130A, 130B, extending
16 longitudinally therealong on the lower outside surfaces
17 thereof (see FIG. 18), which terminate in shoulders 132A,132B.
18 The shoulders 132A,132B engage stops 134A,134B formed in the
19 lower body portion 104 (see FIG. 20).
In FIG. 15, the driver 100 is seen to have a drive socket
21 110, which may be of any conventional cross-section and is
22 illustrated in FIG. 15 as a hexagonal drive socket. The socket
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1 110 is disposed in a socket housing 112 formed in the driver
2 lower body portion 106 (see FIG. 20) so as to be remote from
3 the ratcheting drive head 118. As will be apparent, the drive
4 socket 110 is fixed with respect to the driver 100. In FIGS.
10 and 11, a drive bit 114, shown as a flat blade screwdriver
6 bit for purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation,
7 is shown in dotted lines as being in engagement with the drive
8 socket 110. As will be apparent, manual rotation of the
9 driver 100 about its longitudinal axis, which is coincident
i0 with the line 16 - 16 of FIG. 11, will rotate the drive bit
ii 110 accordingly.
[2 Referring now to FIGS. 19 and 20, the upper body portion
13 102 and lower body portion 104 each have a pair of
14 complementary guide shoulders 124A,124B (upper body portion
102) and 124C,124D (lower body portion 104). When the body
16 portions 102,104 are joined together as shown so as to contain
l7 the extendible ratcheting drive portion 108, as shown in FIG.
18 16, the complementary guide shoulders 124A,124B,124C,124D
l9 provide vertical surfaces which abut the guide rails 122A,122B
(see FIG. 18). The stops 134A,134B engage the guide rail
21 shoulders 132A,132H to prevent the extendible ratchating drive
22 portion 108, when in its extended disposition shown in FIGS.
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1 11, 13 and 16, from being withdrawn from the haiidle 106. When
2 in this extended disposition, as is best seen in FIGS. 16 and
3 17, the spring loaded detent balls 128A,1288 engage their
4 respective recesses 126A,126B so as to hold the ratcheting
drive portion 108 in this extended disposition until the
6 biasing of the balls 128A,128B is manually overcome to move
7 the ratcheting drive portion 108 to its retracted disposition,
8 shown in FIGS. 10 and 12. As will be apparent, when in this
9 retracted disposition, the detent balls 1281-,128B engage the
recesses 126C,126D(see FIG. 20) to maintain the drive portion
11 in this retracted disposition until manually moved to its
12 extended disposition.
13 The upper body portion 102 and lower body portion 104 are
14 formed, preferably, of a durable moldable or injectable
plastic material, such as fiberglass reinforced nylon. As is
16 seen in FIG. 19, the upper body portion 102 has lateral
17 reinforcing ribs 140 extending between a pair of longitudinal
18 reinforcing ribs 142
19 As is seen in FIG. 20, the lower body portion 104 has
lateral reinforcing ribs 144 extending between a pair of
21 longitudinal reinforcing ribs 146. The upper body portion 102
22 and lower body portion 104 have complementary semicircular
14
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1 recesses 150,152, respectively, formed at one end thereof, the
2 recess 152 being formed so as to be remote from lower body
3 portion end containing the socket housing 112. As will be
4 apparent, when the upper and lower body portions are mated,
the recesses 150,152 permit the ratchet drive head 18 to be
6 retracted into the compact driver as shown in FI:G. 10. The
7 upper body portion 102 has a cutout 154 at its end which is
8 remote from the cut out 152, and is complementary in
9 configuration to the socket housing so as to permit the upper
and lower body portions 102,104 to abut one another, as is
11 shown in FIG. 15.
12 As will be apparent from the foregoing, the present
13 invention provides for an extremely compact and strong
14 ratcheting driver in which the selective illumination of the
work area adjacent the driver element is readily accomplished
16 by the user by the selective manual actuation of the lighting
17 means as described herein.
18 The present invention is illustrated for explanatory
19 purposes, and not by way of limitation, as being utilized in
conjunction with a square drive ratchet mechanism. However,
21 the invention is equally applicable to other types of drives,
22 including direct drives, and it to be understood to be
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1 applicable generally to hand-held tools utilized to rotatably
2 drive fasteners in general.
3 Although the presently preferred embodiment of the
4 invention has been set forth herein in detail for illustrative
purposes, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
6 variations and modifications thereof, including the
7 rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present
8 invention, which is not limited to the specific structures of
9 the embodinent shown or described herein, but only by the
i0 scope of the folloving claims.
16
