Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 SOCKET HOLDING FRAME
2 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
3 1. Field of the Invention
4 The present invention relates to a socket holding frame, and more
particularly to a socket holding frame that may provide a positioning effect
to
6 sockets that are mounted on the socket holding frame.
7 2. Description of Related Art
8 A conventional socket holding frame has a track base and multiple
9 positioning mounts slidably mounted on the track base. The positioning
mounts
are used to hold sockets on the track base to allow a user to look for the
marks of
11 sizes or model numbers on outer peripheries of the sockets by rotating
the
12 sockets. To move or rotate the sockets easily and quickly, the track
base is not set
13 up with any fixing structure for fixing the positioning mounts with the
track base.
14 Hence, the positioning mounts may be moved or rotated by impact or hit
by an
unexpected force, such that the user has to frequently and repeatedly look for
the
16 marks of sizes or model numbers of the sockets, which is very
inconvenient in
17 use.
18 To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional socket holding frame,
19 the present invention provides a socket holding frame to mitigate or
obviate the
aforementioned problems.
21 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
22 The present invention relates to a socket holding frame, and more
23 particularly to a socket holding frame that may provide a positioning
effect to
24 sockets that are mounted on the socket holding frame.
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1 The socket holding frame has a track base, a positioning board, and at
2 least one positioning mount. The track base has a bottom panel, a slide
rail, and a
3 connecting track. The positioning board is mounted in the connecting
track and
4 has multiple first engaging segments formed on a top surface of the
positioning
board. The at least one positioning mount is slidably and rotatably mounted on
6 the track base, and each one of the at least one positioning mount has a
sliding
7 seat and an extending element. The sliding seat is slidably and rotatably
in the
8 slide rail and has multiple second engaging segments. The multiple second
9 engaging segments engage with the multiple first engaging segments of the
positioning board. The extending element is formed on the sliding seat and
11 extends out of the slide rail.
12 Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become more
13 apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with
14 the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
16 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a socket holding
17 frame in accordance with the present invention;
18 Fig. 2 is an enlarged and exploded perspective view of the socket
19 holding frame in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the socket holding
21 frame in Fig. 1;
22 Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the socket holding
23 frame along line 4-4 in Fig. 3;
24 Fig. 5 is an operational enlarged cross sectional top view of the socket
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1 holding frame in Fig. 1;
2 Fig. 6 is an enlarged operational perspective view of the socket holding
3 frame in Fig. 1, shown with two sockets mounted on the socket holding
frame;
4 Fig. 7 is an enlarged and exploded perspective view of a second
embodiment of a socket holding frame in accordance with the present invention;
6 Fig. 8 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the socket holding
7 frame in Fig. 7; and
8 Fig. 9 is an operational enlarged cross sectional top view of the socket
9 holding frame in Fig. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
11 With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, a first embodiment of a socket holding
12 frame in accordance with the present invention comprises a track base
10, a
13 positioning board 20, and at least one positioning mount 30.
14 The track base 10 is made of aluminum, is an elongated seat and has a
bottom panel 11, a slide rail 12, a connecting track 13, and a closed track
14. The
16 bottom panel 11 is elongated and has a top surface, a bottom surface, a
front end,
17 and a rear end. The slide rail 12 is formed on and protrudes from the
top surface
18 of the bottom panel 11 between the front end and the rear end of the
bottom panel
19 11 and has a top side, a top opening 121, and a sliding recess 122. The
top
opening 121 is formed through the top side of the slide rail 12. The sliding
recess
21 122 is formed in the slide rail 12 between the top side of the slide
rail 12 and the
22 top surface of the bottom panel 11 and communicates with the top opening
121.
23 The connecting track 13 is formed on and protrudes from the bottom
24 surface of the bottom panel 11, and has a top side, a bottom surface, a
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1 communicating opening 131, and a connecting recess 132. The top side of
the
2 connecting track 13 is formed on and protrudes from the bottom surface of
the
3 bottom panel 11. The communicating opening 131 is formed through the top
side
4 of the connecting track 13 and the bottom surface of the bottom panel 11,
and
communicates with the sliding recess 122 of the slide rail 12. The connecting
6 recess 132 is formed between the bottom panel 11 and the connecting track
13
7 and communicates with the communicating opening 131.
8 The closed track 14 is formed on and protrudes from the bottom surface
9 of the connecting track 13 and has a bottom side and a bottom opening
141. The
bottom opening 141 is formed through the bottom side of the closed track 14.
In
11 addition, the closed track 14 and the slide rail 12 are formed on the
bottom panel
12 11 as a single piece.
13 The positioning board 20 is elastic, is mounted in the connecting track
14 13 of the track base 10, and has two long opposite sides, two free ends,
a middle,
a top surface, a bottom surface, two rail bars 21, a through recess 22,
multiple
16 first engaging segments 23, and multiple engaging spaces 24. The
positioning
17 board 20 is bent upwardly from the long opposite sides of the
positioning board
18 20 to the middle of the positioning board 20. Then, the top surface of
the
19 positioning board 20 at the middle of the positioning board 20 extends
at the
communicating opening 131 of the connecting track 13. In addition, the
21 positioning board 20 may be formed with the track base 10 as a single
piece.
22 The two rail bars 21 are formed on and protrude outwardly from the
23 bottom surface of the positioning board 20 respectively at the two long
opposite
24 sides of the positioning board 20 and are mounted in the connecting
recess 132 of
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1 the connecting track 13. The through recess 22 is formed in the bottom
surface of
2 the positioning board 20 at the middle of the positioning board 20
between the
3 free ends of the positioning board 20, is parallel with the long opposite
sides of
4 the positioning board 20, and communicates with the connecting recess 132
of
5 the connecting track 13. Then, a space is folined between the connecting
track 13
6 and the middle of the positioning board 20, and the space may allow the
middle
7 of the positioning board 20 to deform relative to the track base 10.
8 The multiple first engaging segments 23 are formed on and protrude
9 from the top surface of the positioning board 20 at spaced intervals
between the
two free ends of the positioning board 20. The first engaging segments 23 are
11 aligned in a straight line and are formed at the middle of the top
surface of the
12 positioning board 20 at spaced intervals. Each one of the multiple
engaging
13 spaces 24 is formed between two adjacent first engaging segments 23.
14 The at least one positioning mount 30 is slidably and rotatably mounted
on the track base 10, and each one of the at least one positioning mount 30
has a
16 sliding seat 31 and an extending element 32. The sliding seat 31 is
round and
17 elastic, is slidably and rotatably mounted in the sliding recess 122 of
the slide rail
18 12, and engages with two of the multiple first engaging segments 23 of
the
19 positioning board 20. The sliding seat 31 has a bottom side, a top side,
and an
engaging flange 311. The bottom side of the sliding seat 31 faces the
21 communicating opening 131 of the connecting track 13 and engages with
the two
22 of the multiple first engaging segments 23 of the positioning board 20.
The top
23 side of the sliding seat 31 faces the top opening 121 of the slide rail
12.
24 With further reference to Fig. 5, the engaging flange 311 is formed on
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1 and protrudes downwardly from the bottom side of the sliding seat 31 and
has a
2 bottom surface, an inner ring 312, an outer ring 313, and multiple second
3 engaging segments 314. The inner ring 312 is formed on the bottom surface
of
4 the engaging flange 311, and has an outer diameter d and a bottom
surface. The
outer ring 313 is foimed on the bottom surface of the engaging flange 311 and
6 around the inner ring 312, engages with two of the multiple engaging
spaces 24,
7 and has an outer diameter D. The outer diameter D of the outer ring 313
is larger
8 than the outer diameter d of the inner ring 312 to enable the outer ring
313 to
9 mount around the inner ring 312. The multiple second engaging segments
314
are continuously formed in the bottom surface of the inner ring 312 of the
11 engaging flange 311 of the sliding seat 31 at spaced intervals, and are
along the
12 inner ring 312 of the engaging flange 311. Each one of the multiple
second
13 engaging segments 314 engages with the two of the multiple first
engaging
14 segments 23. Additionally, each one of the multiple second engaging
segments
314 is a groove.
16 The extending element 32 is formed on and protrudes upwardly from the
17 top side of the sliding seat 31 and extends out of the slide rail 12 via
the top
18 opening 121. Furthermore, the extending element 32 of each one of the at
least
19 one positioning mount 30 is an insertion button. The extending element
32 is
hollow, is rectangular, and has a side surface and a protruding ball 321. The
21 protruding ball 321 is mounted in and extends outwardly from the side
surface of
22 the insertion button.
23 With reference to Figs. 5 and 6, when the first embodiment of the socket
24 holding frame in the present invention is in use, the socket holding
frame has
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1 multiple positioning mounts 30 mounted on the track base 10, and multiple
2 sockets 60 are respectively and detachably mounted around the extending
3 elements 32 of the positioning mounts 30. When each socket 60 is mounted
4 around the extending element 32 of a corresponding positioning mount 30,
the
protruding ball 321 of the extending element 32 engages with a recess in an
inner
6 wall of the socket 60. Consequently, the sockets 60 are positioned on the
7 extending elements 32 of the positioning mounts 30. When numbers or signs
on
8 the sockets 60 are not aligned at a same direction to face a user, the
user may
9 rotate the sockets 60 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction
relative to the
track base 10 as shown in Fig. 6 to enable the numbers or signs of the sockets
60
11 to face the user. During the above-mentioned rotating process, the
sliding seats
12 31 of the positioning mounts 30 may be rotated with the sockets 60
relative to the
13 positioning board 20 by the engagement between the extending elements 32
of
14 the positioning mounts 30 and the sockets 60.
When the sockets 60 are rotated to enable the number or sign on the
16 sockets 60 to face the user, the engagement between the multiple second
17 engaging segments 314 and the multiple first engaging segments 23 and
the
18 engagement between the outer ring 313 and the multiple engaging spaces
24
19 enable the sliding seats 31 to engage with the positioning board 20.
That is, the
engagement between the multiple second engaging segments 314 and the
21 multiple first engaging segments 23 and the engagement between the outer
ring
22 313 and the multiple engaging spaces 24 provide a positioning effect to
the
23 positioning mounts 30 on the positioning board 20 relative to the track
base 10.
24 Therefore, the positioning mounts 30 may be positioned securely on the
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1 positioning board 20, and the user may recognize the sizes of the sockets
60 by
2 the numbers or signs easily and conveniently.
3 With reference to Figs. 7 to 9, a second embodiment of a socket
4 holding frame in accordance with the present invention is substantially
the same
as the first embodiment except for the following features. The multiple first
6 engaging segments 23A are formed in the top surface of the positioning
board
7 20A at spaced intervals between the two free ends of the positioning
board 20A.
8 Each one of the multiple first engaging segments 23A is a groove. The
multiple
9 second engaging segments 314A are continuously formed on and protrude
downwardly from the inner ring 312A of the engaging flange 311A of the sliding
11 seat 31A at spaced intervals, and are along the inner ring 312A of the
sliding seat
12 31A. Each one of the multiple second engaging segments 314A engages with
13 two of the multiple first engaging segments 23A. The outer ring 313A of
the
14 engaging flange 311A abuts two of the multiple engaging spaces 24A. The
operation procedure of the second embodiment is the same as the first
16 embodiment, and the detailed description thereof will be omitted.
17 According to the above-mentioned operations of the two embodiments
18 in the present invention, each one of the multiple second engaging
segments 314,
19 314A of the engaging flange 311, 311A of the sliding seat 31, 31A
engages with
two of the multiple first engaging segments 23, 23A of the positioning board
20,
21 20A. The outer ring 313, 313A of the engaging flange 311, 311A of the
sliding
22 seat 31, 3IA engages or abuts two of the multiple engaging spaces 24,
24A.
23 Therefore, the at least one positioning mount 30, 30A is securely
mounted on the
24 track base 10.
