Universal joint with quick release structure

Abstract

To provide a universal joint with a quick-release structure. [Solution] The device comprises a first body 10 having a square hole 12, a connecting block 20 pivotally attached to the first body, and a second body 30 pivotally attached to the connecting block and having a square hole. The square head 32 of the second body is provided with a movable groove along its axial direction, and the second body is provided with a pressing groove 34 and a ball groove 35 in its radial direction. A movable pin 40 is provided in the movable groove, an inclined groove 41 is formed near the rear end of the movable pin, and a deep groove 42 and a shallow groove 43 are formed near the front end of the movable pin, with the front side of the shallow groove communicating with the rear upper side of the deep groove. An elastic member 50 is positioned at the closed end of the movable groove, and one end of the elastic member presses against the rear end of the movable pin. A button 60 is provided in the pressing groove and is slidably positioned in the inclined groove. A steel ball 70 is spherical and is positioned in the ball groove, selectively located in either the deep groove or the shallow groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a universal joint, and particularly to a universal joint having a quick release structure.

Background Art

[0002] In many screw fastening operations, it is necessary to use a socket to accommodate bolts or nuts of different sizes. In a specific screw fastening environment, such as an automobile engine room, the working space is restricted by other obstacles, and it is often difficult to perform rotational operations for tightening or loosening with tools. Therefore, many universal joints can be found in the market.

[0003] Commercially available universal joints have a square hole end at one end and a square head end at the other end. The square head end contains a ball pressed by a spring, and by engaging with a socket through this ball, the socket can be temporarily connected to the square head end. When the user exchanges the size of the socket, the socket is removed from the square head end.

[0004] In universal joints provided by each manufacturer, the spring constants of the springs are different. If the spring is too soft, there is a risk that the socket will fly off during high-speed rotation, for example, during rotational operations by pneumatic or electric means. Such a situation may cause injury to the operator or damage to the automobile. On the other hand, if the spring is too hard, it will be difficult to remove the socket from the square head end, causing inconvenience to the user.

[0005] Therefore, designing a universal joint that can solve the above-mentioned problems is one of the important improvement directions required at present.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a universal joint having a quick release structure. The universal joint according to this invention includes a first body, a connecting block, a second body, a movable pin, an elastic member, a button, and a steel ball. By operating the button, the user can quickly engage or quickly release the universal joint from the socket. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A universal joint having a quick-release structure disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention includes the following components. The first body has a first pivot lug at one end. The connecting block has a first pivot hole at one end, and the first pivot hole is pivotally supported by the first pivot lug via a first pivot shaft. The connecting block has a second pivot hole at one end opposite to the first pivot hole, and the second pivot hole is positioned perpendicular to the first pivot hole and so as not to intersect with it. The second body has a second pivot lug at one end, and a square head at one end of the second body opposite to the second pivot lug, and the second pivot lug is pivotally supported by the second pivot hole via a second pivot shaft. A movable groove is formed in the square head of the second body along its axial direction. A pressing groove is formed in the middle part of the second body along its radial direction, and the pressing groove communicates with the middle part of the movable groove. Furthermore, a ball groove is formed in the square head of the second body along its radial direction, and the ball groove communicates with the front end of the movable groove. The movable pin is positioned in the movable groove and has an inclined groove near its rear end. The movable pin is provided with a deep groove and a shallow groove near its front end, with the front of the shallow groove communicating with the rear upper side of the deep groove. An elastic member is positioned at the closed end of the movable groove, with one end of the elastic member pressing against the rear end of the movable pin. A button is positioned within the pressing groove and is slidably mounted in an inclined groove. A steel ball is spherical and positioned within the ball groove, selectively located in either the deep or shallow groove.

[0008] One of the beneficial effects of this invention is that the user can quickly engage or disengage the universal joint from the socket simply by operating a button. The quick-release mechanism operates extremely quickly, providing a convenient engagement and disengagement function between the universal joint and the socket. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a three-dimensional perspective view of a universal joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a three-dimensional exploded perspective view of a universal joint according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 1, showing the state when the button is not pressed. [Figure 4] This figure follows Figure 3 and is a schematic diagram showing the state of use when the button is pressed. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a universal joint according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing the first body bent 90 degrees relative to the second body via a connecting block. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention as an example, with reference to the drawings. However, the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to any specific disclosed embodiment, and the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims, including alternatives, modifications, and equivalents. Furthermore, for the sake of ease of understanding and interpretation by those familiar with the art, the structural dimensions and sizes of each component shown in each drawing are shown schematically and do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the present invention provides a universal joint having a quick-release structure. The universal joint 100 includes a first body 10, a connecting block 20, a second body 30, a movable pin 40, an elastic member 50, a button 60, and a steel ball 70. By operating the button 60, the user can quickly engage or disengage the universal joint 100 from a socket. The quick-release structure operates very quickly, providing a simple engagement and disengagement function between the universal joint 100 and the socket.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a first pivot lug 11 is provided at one end of the first body 10, and a square hole 12 is provided at the other end of the first body 10 opposite to the first pivot lug 11.

[0013] A first pivot hole 21 is provided at one end of the connecting block 20, and the first pivot hole 21 is pivotally supported on the first pivot lug 11 via a first pivot shaft 22. A first damper member 23 is provided inside the first pivot hole 21, and the first damper member 23 applies frictional resistance between the connecting block 20 and the first pivot lug 11 by pressing against it. A second pivot hole 24 is provided at the end of the connecting block 20 opposite to the first pivot hole 21, and the second pivot hole 24 is perpendicular to the first pivot hole 21 and is positioned so as not to intersect with it.

[0014] A second pivot lug 31 is provided at one end of the second body 30, and a square head 32 is provided at the other end of the second body 30 opposite to the second pivot lug 31. The square head 32 is engageable with a socket (the socket is a well-known configuration and is therefore not shown). The second pivot lug 31 is pivotally supported in the second pivot hole 24 via a second pivot shaft 25. A second damper member 26 is provided inside the second pivot hole 24, and the second damper member 26 applies frictional resistance between the connecting block 20 and the second body 30 by pressing between the connecting block 20 and the second pivot lug 31. A movable groove 33 is formed in the square head 32 of the second body 30 along its axial direction, and the movable groove 33 is a circular blind hole. A pressing groove 34 is formed in the middle part of the second body 30 along its radial direction, and the pressing groove 34 communicates with the middle part of the movable groove 33. In addition, a ball groove 35 is formed in the square head 32 of the second body 30 along its radial direction, and the ball groove 35 communicates with the front end of the movable groove 33. In this embodiment, the pressing groove 34 and the ball groove 35 are parallel to each other and are arranged perpendicular to the second pivot shaft 25.

[0015] The movable pin 40 is positioned in the movable groove 33. An inclined groove 41 is formed near the rear end of the movable pin 40, and a deep groove 42 and a shallow groove 43 are formed near the front end. The front side of the shallow groove 43 communicates with the upper rear side of the deep groove 42. A concave corner portion 44 is formed on the lower rear side of the deep groove 42, and a convex corner portion 45 is formed at the connection point between the front side of the shallow groove 43 and the upper rear side of the deep groove 42.

[0016] The elastic member 50 is positioned at the closed end of the movable groove 33, and one end of the elastic member 50 presses against the rear end of the movable pin 40. The elastic member 50 provides a force to move the movable pin 40 forward. In this embodiment, a conical compression spring is used for the elastic member 50, and when compressed, the smaller diameter end of the elastic member 50 fits into the larger diameter end, thereby saving axial space.

[0017] The button 60 is positioned within the pressing groove 34 and is slidably mounted in the inclined groove 41. By pressing the button 60, the movable pin 40 moves backward, and the elastic member 50 is compressed. A reduction plane 61 is formed on the rear side of the button 60. This reduction plane 61 allows the button 60 to be easily assembled into the inclined groove 41, and also increases the contact width between the rear side of the button 60 and the inclined groove 41, making the linked operation during pressing more agile. Moreover, the design of the reduction plane 61 has the effect of saving axial space.

[0018] The steel ball 70 is spherical and positioned within the ball groove 35, selectively located in either the deep groove 42 or the shallow groove 43. When the steel ball 70 is located in the deep groove 42, it is completely non-contact with the concave corner portion 44. Therefore, when the steel ball 70 contacts the bottom of the deep groove 42 and the convex corner portion 45, the angle between these two contact points and the center of the steel ball 70 exceeds 45 degrees. With this design, when the steel ball 70 moves from the deep groove 42 to the shallow groove 43, the contact trajectory between the steel ball 70 and the movable pin 40 is entirely formed on the convex corner portion 45, and the steel ball 70 traces a point contact motion trajectory with the convex corner portion 45 as its center of movement. Similarly, when the steel ball 70 moves from the shallow groove 43 to the deep groove 42, it also traces a point contact motion trajectory with the convex corner portion 45 as its center of movement. This rapid release structure allows the steel ball 70 to operate more sensitively and quickly, and the concave corner portion 44 also provides an axial space saving effect even in the deep groove 42.

[0019] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 shows the state in which the button 60 is not pressed, and Figure 4 shows the state in which the button 60 is pressed. In the state shown in Figure 3, the steel ball 70 is located in the shallow groove 43, and the universal joint 100 securely engages the socket (the socket is a well-known component and is therefore not shown) with the square head 32 via the steel ball 70, preventing the socket from falling out of the square head 32. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, when the button 60 is pressed, the movable pin 40 moves and the elastic member 50 is compressed, causing the deep groove 42 to fit snugly with the ball groove 35. At this time, the steel ball 70 enters the deep groove 42 and is fitted inward from the surface of the square head 32. When the steel ball 70 moves from the shallow groove 43 to the deep groove 42, the steel ball 70 uses the convex corner portion 45 as its center of motion, tracing a motion trajectory with point contact between the steel ball 70 and the movable pin 40. Furthermore, the design of the concave corner portion 44 ensures complete non-contact with the steel ball 70, thus forming a rapid release structure. This makes the movement of the steel ball 70 to the deep groove 42 more agile and rapid, while simultaneously providing an axial space saving effect.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 5, it is a diagram showing the operation of the universal joint 100 which is an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where the second main body 30 is bent 90 degrees with respect to the first main body 10 via the connecting block 20. Since the second pivot hole 24 of the connecting block 20 is perpendicular to the first pivot hole 21 and is arranged so as not to intersect with each other, the second main body 30 and the connecting block 20 can pivot 90 degrees, and thus the total pivot angle in two directions reaches 180 degrees. Similarly, the first main body 10 can also pivot 90 degrees with respect to the connecting block 20, and the total pivot angle in two directions reaches 180 degrees. With such a structural design, a rotational pivot effect of a universal angle occurs between the first main body 10 and the second main body 30. Therefore, the universal joint 100 according to the present invention has a wide applicable working range and can be used in various screw fastening working environments. [[ID=I]]

[0021] Each embodiment described in the present invention is for illustrative purposes only. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field will understand that the various features, components or steps of the present invention are not mutually exclusive, and can be combined, changed or replaced in various forms as needed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In particular, unless otherwise explicitly stated, one or more features included in any embodiment can be freely combined with the features of other embodiments to form new embodiments. All embodiments obtained by such combinations or changes of features are understood to be included within the scope of the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0022] 100 Universal joint 10 First main body 11 First pivot ear part 12 Square hole 20 Connecting block 21 First pivot hole 22 First pivot shaft 23 First damper member 24 Second pivot hole 25 Second pivot shaft 26 Second damper member 30 Second body 31 Second pivot ear 32 square head 33 Movable groove 34 Pressing groove 35 ball grooves 40 movable pins 41 Slant groove 42 deep groove 43 Shallow groove 44 Concave corner section 45 Convex corner section 50 Elastic members 60 buttons 61 Reduced plane 70 Steel Balls

Claims

1. A universal joint having a quick-release structure comprising a first body, a connecting block, a second body, a movable pin, an elastic member, a button, and a steel ball, One end of the first main body is provided with a first pivot lug, A first pivot hole is provided at one end of the connecting block, and the first pivot hole is pivotally supported by the first pivot lug via a first pivot shaft, and a second pivot hole is provided at the other end of the connecting block opposite to the first pivot hole, and the second pivot hole is perpendicular to the first pivot hole and does not intersect with each other. A second pivot lug is provided at one end of the second body, and a square head is provided at the other end of the second body opposite to the second pivot lug. The second pivot lug is pivotally supported in the second pivot hole via a second pivot shaft. A movable groove is provided in the square head along its axial direction. A pressing groove is provided in the middle part of the second body along its radial direction, and the pressing groove communicates with the middle part of the movable groove. A ball groove is provided in the square head along its radial direction, and the ball groove communicates with the front end of the movable groove. The movable pin is positioned in the movable groove, an inclined groove is provided near the rear end of the movable pin, and a deep groove and a shallow groove are provided near the front end of the movable pin, with the front side of the shallow groove communicating with the upper rear side of the deep groove. The elastic member is positioned at the closed end of the movable groove, and one end of the elastic member presses against the rear end of the movable pin. The aforementioned button is positioned in the pressing groove and is slidably mounted in the inclined groove, A universal joint having a rapid release structure characterized in that the steel ball is spherical, arranged in the ball groove, and selectively located in either the deep groove or the shallow groove.

2. The universal joint having a quick release structure according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a conical compression spring, and the small-diameter end of the elastic member can be inserted into the large-diameter end of the elastic member when compressed.

3. A concave corner portion is provided on the lower rear side of the deep groove, a convex corner portion is formed at the connection point between the front side of the shallow groove and the upper rear side of the deep groove, and when the steel ball is located in the deep groove, the steel ball does not come into contact with the concave corner portion at all, and when the steel ball comes into contact with the bottom of the deep groove and the convex corner portion, the angle connecting the two contact points and the center of the steel ball exceeds 45 degrees, as described in claim 2 for the quick release structure of the universal joint.

4. A universal joint having a quick release structure according to claim 3, characterized in that a reducing plane is provided on the rear side of the aforementioned button.

5. A universal joint having a quick release structure according to claim 4, characterized in that a first damper member is provided in the first pivot hole, the first damper member presses between the connecting block and the first pivot lug, a second damper member is provided in the second pivot hole, the second damper member presses between the connecting block and the second pivot lug, the movable groove is a circular blind hole, the pressing groove and the ball groove are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the second pivot shaft, and the first body has a square hole at one end opposite to the first pivot lug.

6. A concave corner portion is provided on the lower rear side of the deep groove, a convex corner portion is formed at the connection point between the front side of the shallow groove and the upper rear side of the deep groove, and when the steel ball is located in the deep groove, the steel ball does not come into contact with the concave corner portion at all, and when the steel ball comes into contact with the bottom of the deep groove and the convex corner portion, the angle connecting the two contact points and the center of the steel ball exceeds 45 degrees, as described in claim 1.

7. The universal joint according to claim 6, characterized in that a reduction plane is provided on the rear side of the aforementioned button.

8. A universal joint having a quick release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that a reducing plane is provided on the rear side of the aforementioned button.

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