Hand tool and method of making same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a hand tool, comprising the steps of: setting a target socket size according to a first standard range and a second standard range; and forming a hand tool body according to the target socket size. One of the first standard range and the second standard range is a metric size range, and the other is an imperial size range. The hand tool body is provided with a socket and a plurality of side edges surrounding the socket, and the distance between two diametrically opposite side edges corresponds to the target socket size. The present invention also provides a hand tool manufactured by the method described above, wherein the hand tool is a wrench or a socket, and the socket is provided at one end of the hand tool body and is used for sleeving a fastening member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to hand tools, and more particularly to a hand tool and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Common hand tools, such as but not limited to open-end wrenches, closed-end wrenches, box wrenches, ratchet wrenches, sockets, etc., are provided with at least one socket for fitting a fastener. The dimensions of each socket conform to a metric or imperial size to accommodate the fastener to be rotated. Existing fasteners come in a variety of sizes and include both metric and imperial specifications, while existing hand tools can only provide a maximum of two sizes of sockets (double-ended). Therefore, operators need to prepare multiple hand tools of different specifications or sizes for their work, which is inconvenient to carry and has high purchase costs.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, there are hand tools available on the market that can accommodate fasteners of two different sizes using a single socket. However, the sidewalls surrounding the socket require additional machining to form arc-shaped convex surfaces, grooves, and abutment walls, resulting in a more complex structure and higher processing costs. Furthermore, the small contact area can easily lead to problems such as deformation and slippage of the fastener.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel and progressive hand tool and its manufacturing method to solve the above-mentioned problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a hand tool and its manufacturing method, which can be applied to fasteners of different specifications or sizes, and has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a hand tool, comprising the following steps: setting a target sleeve size according to a first standard range and a second standard range; wherein one of the first standard range and the second standard range is a metric size range and the other is an imperial size range; the first standard range includes a first upper limit value and a first lower limit value, and the second standard range includes a second upper limit value and a second lower limit value; when the first lower limit value is between the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, setting the target sleeve size to be not less than the first lower limit value and not greater than at least one of the first upper limit value and the second upper limit value; when the first lower limit value is greater than the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, setting the target sleeve size to be not less than the first lower limit value and not greater than the first upper limit value; and forming a hand tool body according to the target sleeve size, the hand tool body having a sleeve and a plurality of sides surrounding the sleeve, the distance between two radially opposite sides corresponding to the target sleeve size.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, when the target sleeve size corresponds to the first standard range but not to the second standard range, the difference between the target sleeve size and the second lower limit value is not greater than 0.8 mm.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, when the first lower limit is greater than the second lower limit and the second upper limit, the difference between the first lower limit and the second upper limit is not greater than 0.4 mm.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, it is preferable to further provide a first size mark corresponding to the metric size range and a second size mark corresponding to the imperial size range on the hand tool body, wherein the first size mark and the second size mark respectively include at least one of text, numbers and patterns.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, at least one identification structure is further provided on the hand tool body, wherein when the target sleeve size corresponds to the metric size range, the first size mark is provided with the identification structure; when the target sleeve size corresponds to the imperial size range, the second size mark is provided with the identification structure.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, a first identification part corresponding to the first size mark and a second identification part corresponding to the second size mark are further provided on the hand tool body, wherein when the target sleeve size corresponds to one of the metric size range and the imperial size range but does not correspond to the other of the metric size range and the imperial size range, the first identification part is different from the second identification part.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, when the target sleeve size corresponds to the first standard range but not to the second standard range, the difference between the target sleeve size and the second lower limit value is not greater than 0.8 mm; the hand tool is further formed by creating a plurality of notches connected to the sleeve, each notch being located between two adjacent sides; when the target sleeve size corresponds to both the metric and imperial size ranges, the first identification portion and the second identification portion have the same shape; when the target sleeve size corresponds to one of the metric and imperial size ranges but not to the other, the first identification portion and the second identification portion have different shapes; and the first identification portion and the second identification portion are respectively a circular, elliptical, or polygonal pattern.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, when the first lower limit value is between the second upper limit value and the second lower limit value, the target sleeve size is between the first lower limit value and the second upper limit value.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides another hand tool, which is manufactured using the hand tool manufacturing method described above, wherein the hand tool is a wrench or a sleeve, and the sleeve opening is provided at one end of the hand tool body for attaching a fastening member.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment of the above technical solution, preferably, the radial dimension of the sleeve is between a lower limit of one of the metric size range and an upper limit of the other of the imperial size range. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a side view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Wherein, 10, 10a, 10b: hand tool body; 11, 11a, 11b, 11c: socket; 12: side; 13: notch; 20: first dimension mark; 30: second dimension mark; 40: identification structure; 41: first identification part; 42: second identification part. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 The present invention shows a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method of manufacturing the hand tool of the present invention includes the following steps: setting a target sleeve size according to a first standard range and a second standard range; and forming a hand tool body 10 according to the target sleeve size.

[0024] The first standard range and the second standard range are, respectively, a metric size range and an imperial size range. The first standard range includes a first upper limit value and a first lower limit value, and the second standard range includes a second upper limit value and a second lower limit value. When the first lower limit value is between the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, the target socket size is set to be no less than the first lower limit value and no greater than at least one of the first upper limit value and the second upper limit value. When the first lower limit value is greater than the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, the target socket size is set to be no less than the first lower limit value and no greater than the first upper limit value. The hand tool body 10 is provided with a socket 11 and a plurality of sides 12 surrounding the socket 11. The distance between two radially opposite sides 12 corresponds to the target socket size. Thus, the socket 11 can be used for fasteners of both metric and imperial dimensions, which is convenient for processing, has a wide range of applications, and provides good operational stability.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first standard range is the imperial size range, and the second standard range is the metric size range. Taking an imperial 11 / 16” inch and a metric 17 mm size as an example, the imperial size range that conforms to the standard is 17.51 ​​mm (the first lower limit) to 17.76 mm (the first upper limit), and the metric size range that conforms to the standard is 17.05 mm (the second lower limit) to 17.30 mm (the second upper limit). The target socket size can be set between 17.51 ​​mm and 17.76 mm (e.g., 17.67 mm). Thus, the socket 11 of the hand tool conforms to the imperial size range and can be used for 11 / 16” inch fasteners, while being close to the metric size range and can be used for 17 mm fasteners, which is convenient to manufacture without additional processing.

[0026] Preferably, when the target sleeve size corresponds to the first standard range but not the second standard range, the difference between the target sleeve size and the second lower limit value is no greater than 0.8 mm; when the first lower limit value is greater than the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, the difference between the first lower limit value and the second upper limit value is no greater than 0.4 mm, to avoid excessive size differences and ensure stable contact and movement of the fastener within the corresponding size range. It should be noted that the hand tool is manufactured by configuring the distance between the two radially opposite sides of the sleeve to conform to the target sleeve size. The target sleeve size is selected in the above manner, allowing the same two sides to abut against fasteners of different sizes during operation. The multiple sides do not require additional processing or special shapes, thus providing stable contact. The fastener is less prone to slippage and wear, resulting in excellent performance.

[0027] The manufacturing method of this hand tool further includes a first dimension mark 20 corresponding to the metric size range and a second dimension mark 30 corresponding to the imperial size range on the hand tool body 10. The first dimension mark 20 and the second dimension mark 30 respectively include at least one of text, numbers, and patterns, such as... Figure 1 As shown, this facilitates user selection. Preferably, the hand tool is further provided with at least one identification structure 40 on the hand tool body 10. When the target sleeve size corresponds to the metric size range, the first size mark 20 is provided with one identification structure 40; when the target sleeve size corresponds to the imperial size range, the second size mark 30 is provided with one identification structure 40, so as to facilitate the user in identifying the standard size conforming to the sleeve 11. In this embodiment, the at least one identification structure 40 includes a first identification portion 41 corresponding to the first size mark 20 and a second identification portion 42 corresponding to the second size mark 30; the first identification portion 41 and the second identification portion 42 may, for example, be a circular, elliptical, or polygonal pattern, respectively. When the target sleeve size corresponds to one of the metric size range and the imperial size range but not to the other of the metric size range and the imperial size range, the first identification portion 41 is different from the second identification portion 42, such as... Figure 1 The hexagonal and circular borders shown indicate that the shapes of the first identification portion 41 and the second identification portion 42 are different. This allows the user to easily determine that the size of the sleeve 11 conforms to the imperial size range of 11 / 16 inches and can also be used in the metric size range of 17 millimeters. In other embodiments, the at least one identification structure may also include patterns, embossed structures, color blocks, text coloring, etc. For example, the first and second markings conforming to the standard range may be red, and those not conforming to the standard range may be green; the first and second markings conforming to the standard range may also have a circular border, and those not conforming to the standard range may not have a border, all of which can be used for identification.

[0028] The hand tool is preferably manufactured by separately forming a plurality of notches 13 connected to the sleeve 11. Each notch 13 is located between two adjacent sides 12, which facilitates the fitting of the fastener and prevents wear at the corners of the fastener. Preferably, each side 12 is a continuously extending flat surface, and the width of each side 12 defining the spacing is not less than the width of the other side 12, thereby providing stable contact with the fastener.

[0029] Please also refer to Figure 3In the second preferred embodiment shown, when the first lower limit value is between the second upper limit value and the second lower limit value, the target sleeve size is between the first lower limit value and the second upper limit value. In this embodiment, the first standard range is the metric size range, and the second standard range is the imperial size range; taking an imperial 5 / 8” inch or metric 16 mm size as an example, the standard imperial size range is 15.91 mm (the second lower limit value) to 16.16 mm (the second upper limit value), and the standard metric size range is 16.05 mm (the first lower limit value) to 16.27 mm (the first upper limit value). The target sleeve size can then be set between 16.05 mm and 16.16 mm (e.g., 16.15 mm). Therefore, the socket 11a simultaneously conforms to both the imperial and metric size ranges, making it suitable for multiple sizes and convenient to use. When the target socket size corresponds to both the metric and imperial size ranges, the first identification part 41 and the second identification part 42 have the same shape, indicating that the socket 11a conforms to both size specifications and can be simultaneously applied to the corresponding fastener. It is understood that the hand tool body 10a may have a plurality of sockets 11a, 11b, and the shape, specifications, and size of the plurality of sockets 11a, 11b may be set to be the same or different as required.

[0030] The present invention also provides a hand tool, manufactured using the method described above, wherein the hand tool is a wrench (e.g., Figure 1-3 (as shown in the first and second embodiments) or a sleeve (such as Figure 4 In the third embodiment shown, the sleeves 11, 11a, 11b, and 11c are located at one end of the hand tool body 10, 10a, and 10b and are used to attach a fastener. The radial dimension of the sleeve 11a is preferably between a lower limit of one of the metric size range and an upper limit of the other of the imperial size range, thereby simultaneously conforming to both the metric and imperial size ranges, and thus being better suited for fasteners of different specifications and sizes.

[0031] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a hand tool, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: A target sleeve size is set based on a first standard range and a second standard range; wherein one of the first standard range and the second standard range is a metric size range and the other is an imperial size range; the first standard range includes a first upper limit value and a first lower limit value, and the second standard range includes a second upper limit value and a second lower limit value; when the first lower limit value is between the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, the target sleeve size is set to be no less than the first lower limit value and no greater than at least one of the first upper limit value and the second upper limit value; when the first lower limit value is greater than the second lower limit value and the second upper limit value, the target sleeve size is set to be no less than the first lower limit value and no greater than the first upper limit value; and A hand tool body is formed according to the target opening size. The hand tool body has an opening and a plurality of sides surrounding the opening. The distance between two radially opposite sides corresponds to the target opening size. The hand tool body is provided with a first size mark corresponding to the metric size range and a second size mark corresponding to the imperial size range, wherein the first size mark and the second size mark respectively include at least one of text, numbers and patterns; The hand tool body is provided with a first identification part corresponding to the first size mark and a second identification part corresponding to the second size mark. When the target sleeve size corresponds to one of the metric size range and the imperial size range but does not correspond to the other of the metric size range and the imperial size range, the first identification part is different from the second identification part.

2. The method for manufacturing hand tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the target sleeve size corresponds to the first standard range but not to the second standard range, the difference between the target sleeve size and the second lower limit value is no greater than 0.8 mm.

3. The method for manufacturing hand tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first lower limit is greater than the second lower limit and the second upper limit, the difference between the first lower limit and the second upper limit is no greater than 0.4 mm.

4. The method for manufacturing hand tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the target sleeve size corresponds to the first standard range but not the second standard range, the difference between the target sleeve size and the second lower limit value is no greater than 0.8 mm; the method of manufacturing the hand tool further forms a plurality of notches connected to the sleeve, each notch being located between two adjacent sides; when the target sleeve size corresponds to both the metric and imperial size ranges, the first identification portion and the second identification portion have the same shape; when the target sleeve size corresponds to one of the metric and imperial size ranges but not the other, the first identification portion and the second identification portion have different shapes; and the first identification portion and the second identification portion are respectively a circular, elliptical, or polygonal pattern.

5. The method for manufacturing hand tools according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the first lower limit is between the second upper limit and the second lower limit, the target sleeve size is between the first lower limit and the second upper limit.

6. A hand tool, manufactured using the method for making a hand tool according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The hand tool is a wrench or a socket, with the socket located at one end of the hand tool body for attaching a fastener.

7. The hand tool according to claim 6, characterized in that, The radial dimension of the socket lies between a lower limit of one of the metric size range and an upper limit of the other of the imperial size range.

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