Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1
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
in
6 rotation and movement to 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 With reference to Fig. 7, Fig. 7 shows a conventional socket holding
19 frame, wherein the positioning mounts can be positioned relative to the
track
base in movement. With reference to Fig. 8, Fig. 8 shows a conventional socket
21 holding frame, wherein the positioning mounts can be positioned relative
to the
22 track base in rotation. However, the conventional socket holding frames
shown
23 in Figs. 7 and 8 can only position the positioning mounts relative to
the track
24 base either in movement or in rotation but cannot position the
positioning
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1 mounts relative to the track base both in movement and in rotation at the
same
2 time.
3 To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional socket holding frame,
4 the present invention provides a socket holding frame to mitigate or
obviate the
aforementioned problems.
6 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
7 The present invention relates to a socket holding frame, and more
8 particularly to a socket holding frame that can provide a positioning
effect in
9 movement and rotation to sockets that are mounted on the socket holding
frame.
The socket holding frame has a track base, a positioning board, and at
11 least one positioning mount. The track base has a bottom panel and two
rails.
12 The bottom panel is elongated and has a top surface. The two rails are
disposed
13 respectively on two sides of the top surface of the bottom panel, each
one of the
14 two rails has a sliding channel having an opening, and the two openings
of the
two sliding channels of the two rails face each other. The positioning board
is
16 disposed on the track base and has two long opposite sides, a middle, a
top
17 surface, and multiple first engaging segments. The multiple first
engaging
18 segments are formed on the top surface of the positioning board at
spaced
19 intervals, and are aligned in a straight line. Each first engaging
segment has a
curved engaging groove and an engaging protrusion formed in the curved
21 engaging groove. The at least one positioning mount is slidably and
rotatably
22 mounted on the track base. Each one of the at least one positioning
mount has a
23 sliding seat and an extending element. The sliding seat is slidably and
rotatably
24 mounted in the sliding channels of the rails and is engaged selectively
with one
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1 of the multiple first engaging segments on the positioning board. The
sliding seat
2 has a bottom side, a top side, and an engaging flange formed on and
protruding
3 downwardly from the bottom side of the sliding seat. The engaging flange
has a
4 bottom surface and multiple second engaging segments. The second engaging
segments are formed on the bottom surface of the engaging flange at spaced
6 intervals and are arranged annularly. Part of the multiple second
engaging
7 segments are selectively engaged with one of the multiple first engaging
8 segments. The extending element is formed on and protrudes upwardly from
the
9 top side of the sliding seat.
Other advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more
11 apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with
12 the accompanying drawings.
13 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
14 Fig. I is a perspective view of a socket holding frame in accordance
with
the present invention;
16 Fig. 2A is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the socket holding
17 frame in Fig. 1;
18 Fig. 2B is another enlarged exploded perspective view of the socket
19 holding frame in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3A is an enlarged end view in partial section of the socket holding
21 frame in Fig. 1;
22 Fig. 313 is an enlarged end view in partial section of the socket
holding
23 frame in Fig. 3A;
24 Fig. 4 is an enlarged operational top view in partial section of the
socket
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1 holding frame along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3A;
2 Fig. 5A is an enlarged end side view in partial section of the socket
3 holding frame along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;
4 Fig. 5B is an enlarged end cross sectional side view of the socket
holding
frame in Fig. 5A;
6 Fig. 50 is another enlarged end cross sectional side view of the socket
7 holding frame in Fig. 5A;
8 Fig. 6 is an operational perspective view of the socket holding frame in
9 Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional socket holding
11 frame; and
12 Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of another conventional socket
13 holding frame.
14 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, a socket holding frame in accordance with
16 the present invention comprises a track base 10, a positioning board 20,
and at
17 least one positioning mount 30.
18 The track base 10
is elongated, is made of metal, and is preferably an
19 aluminum extrusion. The track base comprises a bottom panel 11 and two
rails 12. The bottom panel 11 is elongated and has a top surface. The two
rails 12
21 are respectively formed on and protrude from two sides of the top
surface of the
22 bottom panel 11. Each rail 12 has a sliding channel 14 and a positioning
channel
23 13. Each one of the sliding channels 14 and the positioning channels 13
has an
24 opening. The openings of the sliding channels 14 face each other and the
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1 openings of the positioning channels 13 also face each other. The
positioning
2 channel 13 of each rail 12 is located below the sliding channel 14 of the
rail 12.
3 The positioning board 20 is resilient, is mounted in the positioning
4 channels 13 in the rails 12 of the track base 10, and has two long
opposite sides,
5 two free ends, a middle, a top surface, a bottom surface, two rail bars
21, a recess
6 22, and multiple first engaging segments 24. The positioning board 20 is
bent
7 upwardly from the long opposite sides to the middle of the positioning
board 20.
8 The two rail bars 21 are formed on and protrude outwardly from the bottom
9 surface of the positioning board 20 respectively at the two long opposite
sides of
the positioning board 20 and are mounted respectively in the positioning
11 channels 13 of the rails 12. The recess 22 is formed in the bottom
surface of the
12 positioning board 20 at the middle of the positioning board 20 between
the free
13 ends of the positioning board 20, and is parallel with the long opposite
sides of
14 the positioning board 20 to define a space between the middle of the
positioning
board 20 and the top surface of the bottom panel 11. The space allows the
16 positioning board 20 to be deformed relative to the track base 10.
Alternatively,
17 the positioning board 20 may be formed with the track base 10 as a
single piece.
18 The multiple first engaging segments 24 are formed on the top surface of
19 the positioning board 20 at spaced intervals between the two free ends
of the
positioning board 20. The 'first engaging segments 24 are aligned in a
straight
21 line and are formed at the middle of the top surface of the positioning
board 20 at
22 spaced intervals. Each one of the multiple engaging segments 24 has a
curved
23 engaging groove 242 and an engaging protrusion 244. Preferably, the
curved
24 engaging groove 242 has a depth gradually increasing from two ends to
the
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1 middle of the curved engaging groove 242. The engaging protrusion 244 is
2 formed in the curved engaging groove 242. Preferably, the engaging
protrusion
3 244 is formed on a middle of the curved engaging groove 242, and the
engaging
4 protrusions 244 of the first engaging segments are aligned with each
other.
The at least one positioning mount 30 is slidably and rotatably mounted
6 on the track base 10, and each one of the at least one positioning mount
30 has a
7 sliding seat 31 and an extending element 32. The sliding seat 31 is round
and
8 resilient, is slidably and rotatably mounted in the sliding channels 14
in the rails
9 12, and is selectively engaged with one of the multiple first engaging
segments
24 of the positioning board 20. The sliding seat 31 has a bottom side, a top
side,
11 and an engaging flange 311. The engaging flange 311 is formed on and
protrudes
12 downwardly from the bottom side of the sliding seat 31 and has a bottom
surface
13 and multiple second engaging segments 312. The multiple second engaging
14 segments 312 are continuously formed in the bottom surface of the
engaging
flange 311 at spaced intervals, and are arranged annularly. Part of the
multiple
16 second engaging segments 314 are engaged with the curved engaging groove
17 242 of one of the multiple first engaging segments 24, and adjacent two
of said
18 part of the multiple second engaging segments 314 engage with the
engaging
19 protrusion 244 of the first engaging segment 24.
The extending element 32 is formed on and protrudes upwardly from the
21 top side of the sliding seat 31. Furthermore, the extending element 32
of each one
22 of the at least one positioning mount 30 is an insertion button. The
extending
23 element 32 is hollow, is rectangular, and has a side surface and a
protruding ball
24 321. The protruding ball 321 is mounted in and extends outwardly from
the side
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1 surface of the insertion button.
2 With reference to Figs. 3 to 5, to dispose the positioning mount 30 onto
3 the track base 10, the engaging flange 311 of the positioning mount 30 is
inserted
4 into the sliding channels 14 in the rails 12 from one of the ends of the
track base
10. Consequently, the positioning mount 30 can be slid along the positioning
6 board 20 to a desired position to engage part of the second engaging
segments
7 312 with the curved engaging groove 242 of a corresponding one of the
first
8 engaging segments 24. With the engagement between the parts of the second
9 engaging segments 312 and the corresponding curved engaging groove 242,
the
positioning mount 30 can be positioned at the desired position. At this time,
11 adjacent two of said parts of the second engaging segments 312 are
engaged with
12 the engaging protrusion 244 in the corresponding engaging groove 242.
With the
13 engagement of the adjacent two second engaging segments 312 and the
engaging
14 protrusion 244, the angular position of the positioning mount 30 can be
fixed.
With reference to Fig. 6, multiple sockets 60 are respectively and
16 detachably mounted around the extending elements 32 of the positioning
mounts
17 30. When each socket 60 is mounted around the extending element 32 of a
18 corresponding positioning mount 30, the protruding ball 321 of the
extending
19 element 32 is engaged with a recess in an inner wall of the socket 60.
Consequently, the sockets 60 are positioned on the extending elements 32 of
the
21 positioning mounts 30.
22 When numbers or signs on the sockets 60 are not aligned at a same
23 direction to face a user, the user may rotate the sockets 60 in a
clockwise or
24 counterclockwise direction relative to the track base 10 to make the
numbers or
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1 signs of the sockets 60 face the user. During the above-mentioned
rotating
2 process, the sliding seats 31 of the positioning mounts 30 maybe rotated
with the
3 sockets 60 relative to the positioning board 20 by the engagement between
the
4 extending elements 32 of the positioning mounts 30 and the sockets 60.
When
the socket 60 is rotated, the two second engaging segments 312 will be
6 disengaged from the corresponding engaging protrusion 244 due to the
resilience
7 of the engaging flange 311 of the positioning mount 30. When the socket
60 is
8 rotated to a desired angle, another adjacent two of the second engaging
segments
9 312 will engage with the engaging protrusion 244. The positioning mount
can be
positioned in rotation relative to the track base 10 to make the numbers or
signs
11 on the sockets 60 face the user.
12 In addition, to adjust the position of the positioning mount 30 relative
to
13 the track base 10, the socket 60 of the positioning mount 30 can be
moved along
14 the track base 10 directly. With the resilience of the engaging flange
311 of the
positioning mount 30, the engaged parts of the second engaging segments 312
16 can be disengaged from the corresponding engaging groove 242. When the
17 positioning mount 30 is moved to a desired position, the positioning
mount 30
18 can be positioned in movement relative to the track base 10 by the
engagement
19 between said part of the second engaging segments 312 and another
engaging
groove 242.
21 To conveniently move or rotate the positioning mount 30, at least one or
22 both of the positioning board 20 and the sliding seats 31 of the
positioning
23 mounts 30 is/are resilient. Accordingly, the second engaging segments
312 can
24 be easily engaged with or disengaged from the first engaging segments
24. Thus,
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1 to move or to rotate
the positioning mount 30 is easy and convenient.
2
