Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a wrench, and more particularly, to a wrench with a retractable ratchet. Background Art

[2] A wrench is a tool to tighten or loosen a bolt or a nut frequently used for assembling or disassembling mechanical components, and also called a spanner. The wrench is divided into an open type and a closed type according to a shape of a head thereof, and the open wrench is also divided into a one-ended type and a double-ended type.

[3] In general, the wrench includes a handle and a head. As an example, the one-ended wrench shown in FIG. 1 includes: a handle 10; and a head 20 having a first jaw 22 and a second jaw 22 extending from both sides of a base zone 21, which expands from one end of the handle 10, side by side with each other.

[4] Such a wrench has a problem in that the speed to tighten or loosen the bolt or nut is decreased since rotating strokes of several times must be applied and the wrench must be rearranged after the strokes are applied if a sufficient space to completely rotate the handle at an angle of 360 degrees is not secured when the wrench tightens or loosens the bolt or nut in one direction. In fact, if a working space in which the wrench is used is small or it is inconvenient to rotate the wrench, it is impossible to rapidly rotate the bolt or nut.

[5] In the meantime, as shown in FIG. 2, a wrench with a retractable ratchet is not restricted in the working space, and the rotating stroke can be applied without taking off the wrench from the bolt or nut.

[6] The conventional wrench with the retractable ratchet shown in FIG. 2 includes: a handle 10a; a head 20a having a first jaw 22a and a second jaw 22a respectively extending from both sides of a base zone 21a, which expands from one end of the handle 10a, side by side with each other; and a ratchet 24 retractably inserted into a slot 22al formed in the second jaw 22a and covered by cover plates 23. The ratchet 24 is pressurized toward the base zone 2a while compressing a coil spring 25 forcedly fit to the slot 22al. Furthermore, in a state where the ratchet 24 is retractably inserted into a front face of the coil spring 25 forcedly fit to the slot 22al, the cover plates 23 are welded to an upper portion and a lower portion of the slot 22a 1.

[7] The conventional wrench with the retractable ratchet 24 having the above-mentioned configuration is operated smoothly when the bolt or nut is rotated in a sliding- preventing direction by the ratchet 24, can maximize a contact area of the bolt or nut as the ratchet 24 retractably acting inside the slot 22al pushes and tightens the bolt or nut, and hence, can tighten and loosen the bolt or nut while securing a good contact area against the worn bolt or nut. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[8] As described above, the conventional wrench with the ratchet 24 retractably inserted into the slot 22al formed in the second jaw 22a and covered by the cover plates 23 has the follow problems.

[9] First, it is difficult to mass-produce the product since the slot 22al of the second jaw

22a is formed by cutting, and an error rate is high due to unevenness of the product since a size of the wrench is varied whenever the product is produced if the wrench is not produced by a precise cutting work.

[10] Second, there occurs a gap when the upper and lower cover plates 23 are fixed since the cutting work is not precise, and the wrench may be functionally disordered since foreign matters may be easily introduced into the gap.

[11] Third, the wrench has an inconvenience and the outward appearance is not good since the cover plates 23 are welded to the upper portion and the lower portion of the slot 22al.

[12] Fourth, the wrench may be easily broken since an edge portion of the slot 22al may be cracked.

[13] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above- mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a wrench with a retractable ratchet, which includes a ratchet fixing hole formed from a side to an inner face of one of jaws of the wrench, wherein a sealing member is welded to the ratchet fixing hole in a state where a ratchet, an elastic member for retractably moving the ratchet, and the sealing member for supporting the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole in order.

[14] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wrench with a retractable ratchet, which includes a ratchet fixing hole formed from a side to an inner face of one of jaws of the wrench, wherein a first sealing member is welded to the ratchet fixing hole in a state where a ratchet, an elastic member for retractably moving the ratchet, and the first sealing member for supporting the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole in order, and a space of the ratchet fixing hole formed at a rear end of the first sealing member is filled and finished with a second sealing member. Technical Solution

[15] To achieve the above objects, in an aspect, the present invention provides a wrench with a retractable ratchet comprising: a handle; and a head having a first jaw and a second jaw respectively extending from both sides of a base zone side by side with each other, the base zone expanding from one end of the handle, and a ratchet fixing hole formed from a side to an inner face of the second jaw, wherein a sealing member is welded to the ratchet fixing hole in a state where a ratchet, an elastic member for re- tractably moving the ratchet, and the sealing member for supporting the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole in order.

[16] In another aspect, the present invention provides a wrench with a retractable ratchet comprising: a handle; and a head having a first jaw and a second jaw respectively extending from both sides of a base zone side by side with each other, the base zone expanding from one end of the handle, and a ratchet fixing hole formed from a side to an inner face of the second jaw, wherein a first sealing member is welded to the ratchet fixing hole in a state where a ratchet, an elastic member for retractably moving the ratchet, and the first sealing member for supporting the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole in order, and a space of the ratchet fixing hole formed at a rear end of the first sealing member is filled and finished with a second sealing member.

Advantageous Effects

[17] As described above, the wrench with the retractable ratchet according to the present invention is prevented from being easily damaged due to a crack (formed on the slot of the jaw of the conventional wrench) and can be mass-produced since the ratchet fixing hole, which is formed from the side to the inner face of one of jaws of the wrench, is formed integrally with the wrench by the casting work. In addition, the wrench with the retractable ratchet is more simplified in a manufacturing process and more improved in an assembly precision than the conventional wrench since the ratchet fixing hole is simply finished by the sealing member after the ratchet and the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole. Brief Description of the Drawings

[18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional wrench.

[19] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional wrench with a retractable ratchet.

[20] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of FIG. 2.

[21] FIG. 4 is a view showing a wrench with a retractable ratchet according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[22] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a separated state of FIG. 4.

[23] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a ratchet fixing hole of FIG. 5.

[24] FIG. 7 is a view showing a wrench with a retractable ratchet according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [25] Reference will be now made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

[26] FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate a wrench with a retractable ratchet according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[27] Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the wrench according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a handle 10b and a head 20b.

[28] The head 20b includes a first jaw 22b and a second jaw 22b respectively extending from both sides of a base zone 21b, which expands from one end of the handle 10b, side by side with each other.

[29] The head 20b includes a ratchet fixing hole 22b 1 formed from a side of the second jaw 22b to an inner face of the second jaw 22b and formed integrally with the wrench by a casting work. In a state where a ratchet 23 a, an elastic member for retractably moving the ratchet 23a, and a sealing member for supporting the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1 in order, the sealing member is welded to the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1.

[30] It is preferable that the elastic member is a coil spring 24a.

[31] It is also preferable that the sealing member is a metallic material 25a, which is weldable to the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1.

[32] FIG. 7 illustrates a wrench with a retractable ratchet according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[33] Referring to FIG. 7, the wrench according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a handle 10c and a head 20c.

[34] The head 20c includes a first jaw 22c and a second jaw 22c respectively extending from both sides of a base zone 21c, which expands from one end of the handle 10c, side by side with each other.

[35] The head 20c includes a ratchet fixing hole 22c 1 ranging from a side of the second jaw 22c to an inner face of the second jaw 22c and formed integrally with the wrench by a casting work. In a state where a ratchet 23b, an elastic member for retractably moving the ratchet 23b, and a first sealing member for supporting the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1 in order, the first sealing member is welded to the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1, and a space of the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1 formed at a rear end of the first sealing member is filled and finished with a second sealing member.

[36] It is preferable that the elastic member is a coil spring 24b.

[37] It is also preferable that the first sealing member is a plate-type metallic material, which is weldable to the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1, for example, a stainless steel plate 25b.

[38] It is preferable that the second sealing member is high-strength liquid polyurethane 26, which fills the space of the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1 and is hardened in the space.

[39] The wrench with the retractable ratchet according to the present invention operates as follows.

[40] The wrenches with the retractable ratchets according to the first and second preferred embodiments of the present invention are operated in the same manner.

[41] That is, each of the wrenches is operated smoothly when a bolt or a nut is rotated in a sliding preventing direction by the ratchet 23a or 23b, can maximize a contact area of the bolt or nut as the ratchet 23 a or 23b retractably acting inside the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1 or 22c 1 formed from the side of the second jaw 22b or 22c to the inner face of the second jaw 22b or 22c pushes and tightens the bolt or nut, and hence, can tighten and loosen the bolt or nut while securing a good contact area against the worn bolt or nut.

[42] In this instance, it is prevented that the ratchet 23a or 23b is completely pushed from the side of the second jaw 22b or 22c to the inner face of the second jaw 22b or 22c by a retaining jaw formed inside the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1 or 22c 1.

[43] Furthermore, in a state where the coil spring 24a is prevented from being completely pushed from the side to the inner face of the second jaw 22b by the retaining jaw formed inside the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1, the coil spring 24a according to the first preferred embodiment is supported by a sealing metallic material 25a welded to the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1. Accordingly, the ratchet 23a is pressurized toward the base zone 21b while compressing the coil spring 24a forcedly fit to the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1.

[44] Moreover, in a state where the coil spring 24b is prevented from being completely pushed from the side to the inner face of the second jaw 22c by the retaining jaw formed inside the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1, the coil spring 24b according to the second preferred embodiment is firstly supported by the stainless steel plate 25b welded to the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1, and second supported by the high- strength liquid polyurethane 26, which fills the space of the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1 and is hardened in the space. Accordingly, the ratchet 23b is pressurized toward the base zone 21c while compressing the coil spring 24b forcedly fit to the ratchet fixing hole 22c 1.

[45] As described above, the wrench with the retractable ratchet according to the present invention is prevented from being easily damaged due to a crack (formed on the slot of the jaw of the conventional wrench) and can be mass-produced since the ratchet fixing holes 22b 1 and 22c 1, each of which is formed from the side to the inner face of the second jaw 22b and 22c , is formed integrally with the wrench through the casting work.

[46] In addition, the wrench is more simplified in a manufacturing process and more improved in an assembly precision than the conventional wrench since the ratchet fixing hole 23a or 23b is simply finished by the sealing member after the ratchet 23a or 23b and the elastic member are inserted into the ratchet fixing hole 22b 1 or 22c 1. Industrial Applicability

[47] While the wrench with the retractable ratchet according to the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.