Ratchet tool structure

Abstract

To provide a ratchet tool structure that performs work of fastening or work of loosening a fastener for a bolt and a nut, whose head part is configured compact to make both lightness in operation of rotating a tool and stability in operation of switching ratchet functions compatible, while enhancing workability.SOLUTION: A ratchet tool structure comprises: a ratchet gear member 11 in a nearly cylindrical shape; a locking claw member 12 in a nearly crescentic piece-shape that engages with the ratchet gear member 11; and a switching member 13 that switches a position of the locking claw member 12. The switching member 13 is provided with a claw pressing member 14 as first pressing means that presses the locking claw member 12 and a switched position pressing member 15 as second pressing means that locks and fixes a rotation position of the switching member 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a so-called ratchet tool structure used when rotating fasteners such as bolts and nuts, and in particular to a ratchet tool structure having a compact head portion for improved workability. [Background technology]

[0002] Ratchet tools have been known for some time as tools that improve workability when tightening or loosening fasteners such as bolts and nuts. The head of a ratchet tool incorporates a ratchet mechanism that applies rotational force in one direction and rotates freely in the opposite direction.

[0003] There are various types of ratchet mechanisms, but one known example of a ratchet mechanism that reduces manufacturing costs and simplifies components is the one described in Patent Document 1 below.

[0004] In order to make the head portion of the tool compact, the ratchet mechanism described in Patent Document 1 has a single through hole (70) extending in the diameter direction for the switching pin (54) of the switching mechanism (40) that switches the locking claw member that meshes with the ratchet gear. Inside this through hole (70), a joint pin (80), a spring (72), and a locking ball (50) are arranged in series, and the joint pin (80) applies a biasing force to the locking claw member, while the locking ball (50) determines the position of the switching pin (54).

[0005] According to this structure, the switching pin that switches the position of the locking pawl member incorporates a component that applies a biasing force to the locking pawl member of the ratchet mechanism and a component that determines the position of the switching pin, thereby reducing the number of components and reducing manufacturing costs compared to conventional structures.In addition, according to this structure, the joint pin, spring, and locking ball are arranged inside the switching pin, so the head portion of the ratchet tool can be made compact, and the ratchet tool can be inserted and rotated even in tight spaces that were difficult to work in with conventional ratchets, improving workability. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-42440 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Ratchet tools require both agility in rotating the tool and stability in switching the ratchet mechanism. Specifically, when using a ratchet tool to tighten or loosen fasteners such as bolts and nuts, the tool must be able to be rotated smoothly, and the switching member that switches the rotation direction of the ratchet mechanism must be able to change position stably.

[0008] However, it is difficult to meet these two requirements with the structure of Patent Document 1. This is because the joint pin (80) that biases the locking claw member and the locking ball (50) that locks the position of the switching pin are biased by the same spring (72), which means that the joint pin and the locking ball are pressed with the same biasing force.

[0009] That is, for example, if emphasis is placed on the ease of rotating the tool, it is desirable to weaken the spring force, thereby reducing the pressing force of the joint pin and making it easier to disengage the locking pawl member from the ratchet gear. However, if the spring force is reduced, the pressing force of the locking ball also becomes weak, causing the position of the switching pin to switch unexpectedly, resulting in the problem of the rotation lock direction of the ratchet mechanism switching on its own.

[0010] On the other hand, if it is desired to prevent the position of the switching pin from being changed unexpectedly, it is desirable to increase the spring force and the pressing force of the locking ball so that the locking ball does not easily move in and out. However, if the spring force is increased, the pressing force of the joint pin increases, and the locking pawl member is pressed hard by the ratchet gear, resulting in a heavy idling torque, making operation difficult, and reducing the agility of rotating the tool.

[0011] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its object is to provide a ratchet tool structure for tightening or loosening fasteners such as bolts and nuts, which has a compact head portion to improve workability, while achieving both a light and easy rotation operation of the tool and stable switching operation of the ratchet function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve this object, this invention is characterized in that in a ratchet tool structure for tightening or loosening fasteners such as bolts and nuts, a switching member for switching the position of the locking claw member of the ratchet mechanism provided in the head portion of the ratchet tool is provided with a first pressing means for pressing the locking claw member that meshes with the ratchet gear, and a second pressing means for locking the rotational position of the switching member, and each pressing means is configured to be biased by a separate biasing member.

[0013] Specifically, in the first invention, there is provided a ratchet tool structure which comprises a head portion having a ratchet mechanism and a handle portion which is connected to the head portion and which is rotated by an operator, and which is used to tighten or loosen fasteners such as bolts and nuts, and the ratchet mechanism comprises a circular ratchet gear member having an operating portion which applies a rotational force to the fastener, a locking pawl member which meshes with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member and determines the rotation lock direction or the rotation free direction of the ratchet gear member depending on the meshing position, and a switching member which switches the meshing position between the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member and the locking pawl member, The switching member is provided with first pressing means for pressing the locking pawl member meshing with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member, and second pressing means for locking and fixing the rotational position of the switching member, and the first pressing means and the second pressing means are configured to be biased by separate first and second biasing members, respectively, the first pressing means is configured by a bullet-shaped first pressing pin having a barrel receiving portion, the second pressing means is configured by a bullet-shaped second pressing pin having a barrel receiving portion, the first biasing member is disposed inside the barrel receiving portion of the first pressing pin, and the second biasing member is disposed inside the barrel receiving portion of the second pressing pin. The first pressing means and the second pressing means are provided offset in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching member, and the first pressing means is set closer to the center of the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching member than the second pressing means, the second pressing means is set at one axial end side of the rotation shaft of the switching member, and a switching lever for operating the switching member is provided at the other axial end side of the rotation shaft of the switching member so as to extend in the same direction as the second pressing means. It is something.

[0014] According to this configuration, the switching member that switches the meshing position between the gear of the ratchet gear member and the locking pawl member is provided with a first pressing means that presses the locking pawl member and a second pressing means that locks and fixes the rotational position of the switching member, and the first pressing means and the second pressing means are respectively biased by separate first and second biasing members, so the biasing force of the first pressing means and the biasing force of the second pressing means can be freely set by each biasing member without being affected by the respective biasing forces.

[0015] Therefore, while the meshing state between the locking pawl member pressed by the first pressing means and the ratchet gear member can be freely adjusted, the pressing force of the second pressing means to lock and fix the switching member can also be freely adjusted separately.

[0016] Furthermore, the switching member may have any shape as long as it can rotate (spin) at that position and press the locking pawl member. For example, the operating lever that operates the switching member may be formed as an integral part or as a separate part.

[0017] Furthermore, the first and second biasing members may have any shape as long as they can apply a biasing force, and the first and second biasing members may be spring members of different shapes or may be spring members of the same shape. Also, they may be made of rubber.

[0018] In the second invention, the biasing force of the first biasing member that biases the first pressing means is set to be weaker than the biasing force of the second biasing member that biases the second pressing means.

[0019] According to this configuration, by setting the biasing force of the first biasing member to be weaker than the biasing force of the second biasing member, the biasing force on the locking claw member pressed by the first pressing means can be made smaller than the rotational operation reaction force (force to maintain position) of the switching member pressed by the second pressing means.

[0020] This makes it possible for the locking pawl member to easily disengage from the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member, ensuring that the tool can be rotated smoothly, while also making it difficult for the switching member to rotate, thereby preventing the position of the switching member from being accidentally switched and the rotation lock direction of the ratchet mechanism from being accidentally switched.

[0021] Therefore, it is possible to more reliably achieve both a light and easy rotation operation of the tool and a stable switching operation of the ratchet function. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] As described above, according to the present invention, the meshing state between the locking pawl member pressed by the first pressing means and the ratchet gear member can be freely adjusted, and the pressing force with which the switching member is locked and fixed by the second pressing means can also be freely adjusted separately.

[0023] Therefore, in a ratchet tool structure used to tighten or loosen fasteners such as bolts and nuts, the head portion can be made compact to improve workability, while also achieving both a light and easy rotation operation of the tool and stable switching of the ratchet function. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view of a ratchet tool structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ratchet tool structure according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a detailed bottom view showing a ratchet mechanism of a head portion of the ratchet tool structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] XX cross-sectional view of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0026] (Embodiment 1) First, the overall structure of the ratchet tool structure T of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0027] The ratchet tool structure T of this embodiment comprises an approximately oval-shaped head portion 1 provided at the tip end and a long handle portion 2 provided at the base end, and is configured so that an operator can grasp the grip portion 3 provided on the handle portion 2 and rotate it left and right to apply a rotational torque to the head portion 1.

[0028] The head portion 1 described above incorporates a so-called ratchet mechanism 10. As is well known, this ratchet mechanism 10 is configured to transmit rotational torque by restricting rotation (locking rotation) in one direction, and to prevent transmission of rotational torque by allowing free rotation (free rotation) in the opposite direction.

[0029] 2, the ratchet mechanism 10 of this embodiment is made up of multiple components, including a substantially cylindrical ratchet gear member 11, a substantially crescent-shaped locking pawl member 12 that meshes with the ratchet gear member 11, and a switching member 13 that switches the position of the locking pawl member 12. The switching member 13 is provided with a pawl pressing member 14 as first pressing means that presses the locking pawl member 12, and a switching position pressing member 15 as second pressing means that locks and fixes the rotational position of the switching member 13.

[0030] The head portion 1 also includes a socket attachment / detachment mechanism 20 for attaching and detaching a socket S (see Figure 4) that fits onto the head of a bolt or nut, a cover member 4 that seals these components after storing them inside the head portion, and two fixing screws 5, 5 that fasten and fix this cover member 4 to the head portion 1.

[0031] First, the ratchet gear member 11 has ratchet teeth 11A formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper cylindrical portion and a rectangular socket insertion portion 11B serving as an operating portion for applying a rotational force to the bolt and nut at the bottom. The ratchet teeth 11A are composed of mountain-shaped teeth with a predetermined width in the vertical direction. The ratchet teeth 11A are formed with a large number of teeth to minimize the feed angle of the ratchet rotation.

[0032] The socket insertion portion 11B has a ball hole 11C formed on one of its four peripheral surfaces, through which the locking ball 21 of the socket detachment mechanism 20 can be inserted and removed.

[0033] The aforementioned locking claw member 12 has mountain-shaped claw teeth 12A with a predetermined width in the vertical direction formed on its inner peripheral surface, and a pressure receiving portion 12B that is partially recessed in the center of its outer peripheral surface.

[0034] The switching member 13 includes a switching pin portion 13A having a generally cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction (axial direction), and a switching lever portion 13B provided at the upper end of the switching pin portion 13A. The switching lever portion 13B is configured as an integral member with the switching pin portion 13A to avoid an increase in costs.

[0035] The claw pressing member 14 described above is configured with a bullet-shaped first pressing pin 14A with a spherical tip, and a coil-shaped first spring member 141 is disposed behind this first pressing pin 14A as a first biasing member that applies a biasing force. This first pressing pin 14A and first spring member 141 are movably housed in a first recess 132 provided in the switching pin portion 13A.

[0036] The switching position pressing member 15 described above is also configured with a bullet-shaped second pressing pin 15A with a spherical tip, and a coil-shaped second spring member 151 is disposed behind this second pressing pin 15A as a second biasing member that applies a biasing force. This second pressing pin 15A and second spring member 151 are also housed movably in a second recess 133 (see FIG. 4, described later) provided in the switching pin portion 13A.

[0037] The socket attachment / detachment mechanism 20 is composed of a push button column 22 that is disposed inside the ratchet gear member 11, a coil-shaped button spring 23 that is fitted into the push button column 22 and generates an upward biasing force on the push button column 22, and a spherical locking ball 21 that appears and disappears depending on the vertical position of the push button column 22.

[0038] The push button column 22 has a circular button portion 22A at the top and a circular column portion 22B extending in the vertical direction, and a guide groove 22C is formed at the bottom of the column portion 22B to determine the position at which the locking ball 21 appears and disappears. By moving the push button column 22 up and down using this guide groove 22C, the locking ball 21 can appear and disappear from the ball appearance hole 11C of the socket insertion portion 11B.

[0039] The cover member 4 is made of a generally oval flat plate that corresponds to the generally oval shape of the head portion 1. A circular opening 4a corresponding to the socket insertion portion 11C is formed in the center, and two through holes 4b, 4b for inserting fixing screws 5, 5 are formed on the base end side.

[0040] Next, the detailed structure of the ratchet mechanism 10 of the ratchet tool structure T of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0041] Fig. 3 is a detailed bottom view of the head portion 1 with the cover member 4 removed. As shown in Fig. 3, the ratchet mechanism 10 can be operated by meshing the pawl teeth 12A of the locking pawl member 12 with the ratchet teeth 11A of the ratchet gear member 11. The operating direction of the ratchet mechanism 10 can be reversed by switching the meshing position of the pawl teeth 12A of the locking pawl member 12 with the switching member 13.

[0042] The rotational position of the switching pin 13A of the switching member 13 is determined by a switching position pressing member 15 and a pair of left and right positioning recesses 6, 6 provided on the head 1. That is, arc-shaped positioning recesses 6, 6 are formed on the base end of the head 1 adjacent to the switching pin 13A at positions tilted approximately 37.5° to the left and right. The rotational position of the switching pin 13A of the switching member 13 is determined by fitting a second pressing pin 15A, which is a switching position pressing member 15 provided on the switching pin 13A, into these positioning recesses 6, 6.

[0043] Furthermore, since the second pressing pin fits into this positioning recess, even if the switching pin portion is rotated significantly by the switching lever portion 13B, further rotation is suppressed, so that the claw pressing member 14 can reliably press the locking claw member 12 without interfering with the head portion 1.

[0044] The switching position pressing member 15 and the claw pressing member 14 are both provided on the switching pin portion 13A of the switching member 13, but are offset in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching pin portion 13A, as shown in Fig. 4. By providing the switching position pressing member 15 and the claw pressing member 14 offset in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching pin portion 13A in this way, it is possible to ensure the stroke amount of the switching position pressing member 15 and the claw pressing member 14 without increasing the diametric size of the switching pin portion 13A, and also to ensure sufficient space to accommodate the first spring member 141, the second spring member 151, etc.

[0045] 4, the pawl pressing member 14 is provided closer to the center in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching pin portion 13A than the switching position pressing member 15. By providing the pawl pressing member 14 at the center in this manner, the position at which the pawl pressing member 14 presses the locking pawl member 12 can be at the center of the vertical width of the locking pawl member 12, rather than at the end. Therefore, the pressing force on the locking pawl member 12 is not biased in the vertical direction, and the locking pawl member 12 can be prevented from being obliquely engaged with the ratchet teeth 11A.

[0046] Furthermore, switching position pressing member 15 is provided at the lower end of switching pin 13A in the axial direction. This is on the opposite side of switching pin 13A when viewed from the position of switching lever 13B. By providing switching position pressing member 15 in this position, the operating force from switching lever 13B is transmitted to switching position pressing member 15 via the entire switching pin 13A. This ensures that the operating force of switching lever 13B is also transmitted to the axial center of switching pin 13A, and the position of pawl pressing member 14 changes reliably when switching lever 13B is rotated.

[0047] The positions of the claw pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 on the switching pin portion 13A are determined by a first recess 132 and a second recess 133 provided on the switching pin portion 13A. These recesses 132, 133 are recesses formed at opposing positions on the switching pin portion 13A, and house the first pressing pin 14A and the first spring member 141, and the second pressing pin 15A and the second spring member 151 inside.

[0048] The first pressing pin 14A, which is the claw pressing member 14, and the second pressing pin 15A, which is the switching position pressing member 15, both have internal spaces 14Aa, 15Aa, and the first spring member 141 and the second spring member 151 are housed in the internal spaces 14Aa, 15Aa.

[0049] The biasing force of the first spring member 141 and the biasing force of the second spring member 151 are set so that the biasing force of the first spring member 141 is weaker than the biasing force of the second spring member 151 .

[0050] As a result, the first pressing pin 14A, i.e., the pawl pressing member 14, which is biased by the first spring member 141, is weakly biased, the pressing force of the pawl pressing member 14 is weakened, and the engaging pawl member 12 becomes easier to disengage from the ratchet teeth 11A, thereby improving the agility of rotating the tool.

[0051] On the other hand, the second pressing pin 15A, i.e., the switching position pressing member 15, which is biased by the second spring member 151, is strongly biased, increasing the pressing force of the switching position pressing member 15 and preventing the switching member 13 from switching unexpectedly.

[0052] In this way, by biasing the claw pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 with separate spring members, namely the first spring member 141 and the second spring member 151, it becomes possible to separately adjust the biasing force required for the claw pressing member 14 and the biasing force required for the switching position pressing member 15, thereby improving the operability of the ratchet tool structure T.

[0053] 4, the socket attachment / detachment mechanism 20 is disposed so as to penetrate the inside of the ratchet gear member 11 with the push button column 22 inserted into the button spring 23. This penetrated state is maintained by making the diameter of the ball inlet / outlet hole 11C smaller than the diameter of the locking ball 21 to prevent it from falling out.

[0054] In the socket attachment / detachment mechanism 20 configured in this manner, when an operator pushes the push button column 22 downward against the biasing force of the button spring 23, as shown by the arrow, the guide groove 22C of the push button column 22 changes from the shallow groove portion 22Ca to the deep groove portion 22Cb, and the locking ball 21 sinks into the socket insertion portion 11B. This allows the socket S to be attached to or detached from the socket insertion portion 11B.

[0055] Furthermore, when the operator releases the push of the push button column 22, the push button column 22 rises due to the biasing force of the button spring 23, the guide groove 22C of the push button column 22 changes from the deep groove portion 22Cb to the shallow groove portion 22Ca, and the locking ball 21 protrudes from the inside of the socket insertion portion 11B, making it impossible to attach or detach the socket S from the socket insertion portion 11B.

[0056] In this way, by using the socket attachment / detachment mechanism 20, sockets S of various sizes can be easily attached and detached.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, the ratchet tool structure T includes the head portion 1 having the ratchet mechanism 10, and the handle portion 2 connected to the head portion 1 and rotated by an operator. The ratchet mechanism 10 includes the circular ratchet gear member 11 having the socket insertion portion 11B to be inserted into the socket S, the locking pawl members 12 that mesh with the ratchet teeth 11A of the ratchet gear member 11 and determine the rotation lock direction and the rotation free direction of the ratchet gear member 11 depending on the meshing position, and the switching member 13 that switches the meshing position between the ratchet teeth 11A of the ratchet gear member 11 and the locking pawl member 12. The switching member 13 includes the pawl pressing member 14 that presses the locking pawl member 12 that meshes with the ratchet teeth 11A of the ratchet gear member 11, and the switching position pressing member 13 that locks and fixes the rotation position of the switching member 13. The claw pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 are configured to be biased by a first spring member 141 and a second biasing member 151, respectively.

[0058] As a result, the switching member 13, which switches the meshing position between the ratchet teeth 11A of the ratchet gear member 11 and the locking pawl member 12, is provided with a pawl pressing member 14 that presses the locking pawl member 12 and a switching position pressing member 15 that locks and fixes the rotational position of the switching member 13, and since the pawl pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 are each biased by a separate spring member, the biasing force of the pawl pressing member 14 and the biasing force of the switching position pressing member 15 can be freely set by the first spring member 141 and the second spring member 151 without being affected by the respective biasing forces.

[0059] Therefore, while the meshing state of the locking claw member 12 pressed by the claw pressing member 14 with the ratchet gear member 11 can be freely adjusted, the pressing force of the switching position pressing member 15 to lock and fix the switching member 13 can also be freely adjusted separately.

[0060] Therefore, in the ratchet tool structure T used to tighten or loosen fasteners such as bolts and nuts, the head portion 1 is made compact to improve workability, while also achieving both agility in rotating the tool and stability in switching the ratchet function.

[0061] In this embodiment, the biasing force of the first spring member 141 that biases the claw pressing member 14 is set to be weaker than the biasing force of the second spring member 151 that biases the switching position pressing member 15.

[0062] This allows the pressing force applied to the locking claw member 12 by the claw pressing member 14 to be smaller than the rotational operation reaction force (position-maintaining force) of the switching member 13 pressed by the switching position pressing member 15.

[0063] This allows the locking pawl member 12 to be easily disengaged from the ratchet teeth 11A of the ratchet gear member 11, ensuring a light and easy rotation operation of the tool, while preventing the switching member 13 from rotating easily, thereby preventing the position of the switching member 13 from being unexpectedly switched and the rotation direction of the ratchet mechanism from being unexpectedly switched.

[0064] Therefore, it is possible to more reliably achieve both a light and easy rotation operation of the tool and a stable switching operation of the ratchet function.

[0065] In addition, in this embodiment, the claw pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 are arranged offset in the axial direction of the switching pin 13A of the switching member 13, and of these, the claw pressing member 14 is set closer to the center of the axial direction of the switching pin 13A than the switching position pressing member 15.

[0066] This makes it possible to ensure a sufficient amount of movement (stroke amount) between the pawl pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 without increasing (thickening) the radial size of the switching pin portion 13A of the switching member 13. Also, by setting the pawl pressing member 14 closer to the center in the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching pin portion 13A than the switching position pressing member 15, the pawl pressing member 14 presses the locking pawl member 12 at the center rather than at the end in the width direction, which prevents the locking pawl member 12 from being obliquely engaged with the ratchet teeth 11A.

[0067] Therefore, while the size of the switching member 13 is configured to be compact, it is possible to easily adjust the pressing force between the pawl pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15. In addition, since the locking pawl member 12 does not engage obliquely with the ratchet teeth 11A, the function of the ratchet mechanism can be stabilized.

[0068] Therefore, the head part 11 can be made more compact to improve workability, The stability of the rotation operation of the tool can be improved.

[0069] In addition, in this embodiment, a switching position pressing member 15 is set on one axial end side (lower side) of the switching pin portion 13A of the switching member 13, and a switching lever portion 13B that operates the switching member 13 is provided on the other axial end side (upper side) of the switching member 13.

[0070] As a result, the operating force from the switching lever portion 13B is transmitted to the switching position pressing member 15 via the entire switching member 13.

[0071] Therefore, the operating force of the switching lever portion 13B is reliably transmitted to the axial center position of the switching pin portion 13A where the claw pressing member 14 is set, and when the switching lever portion 13B is rotated, the position of the claw pressing member 14 also reliably changes.

[0072] Therefore, the biasing force of the pawl pressing member 14 can be applied to the locking pawl member 12 at an accurate position, so that the ratchet mechanism 10 can function reliably.

[0073] (Other embodiments) Next, other embodiments will be described.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the claw pressing member 14 and the switching position pressing member 15 are both configured with bullet-shaped first pressing pin 14A and second pressing pin 15A, but the present invention is not limited to such bullet-shaped pin bodies. For example, the claw pressing member and the switching position pressing member may be configured with ball-shaped spherical bodies. Also, one of them may be configured with a bullet-shaped pin body and the other with a ball-shaped spherical body.

[0075] Moreover, the switching member 13 may have any shape as long as it can rotate (spin) at that position and press the locking claw member 12. For example, the operating lever portion 13B may also be configured as a separate body from the switching pin portion 13A.

[0076] Furthermore, the first spring member 141 and the second spring member 151 may have any shape as long as they can apply a biasing force, and may be formed integrally with the first pressing pin 14A or the second pressing pin 15A. The first spring member and the second spring member may be spring members of different shapes or may be spring members of the same shape. Furthermore, they may be formed of rubber members that apply a biasing force.

[0077] Furthermore, the ratchet gear member 11 does not have to have the socket insertion portion 11B that is inserted into the socket S, but may have a recess on the ratchet gear member and a protrusion on the socket. Also, the ratchet gear member 11 may be provided directly with a rotation acting portion so as to apply a rotational force directly to fastening members such as bolts and nuts. [Industrial Applicability]

[0078] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention is useful in ratchet tools used for rotating fasteners such as bolts and nuts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] T...Ratchet tool structure S...Socket 1...Head section 2...Handle 10...Ratchet mechanism 11...Ratchet gear member 11A...Ratchet teeth 12...Latching claw member 13...Switching member 14...First pressing means 15...Second pressing means 141...First spring member (first biasing member) 151...Second spring member (second biasing member)

Claims

1. A ratchet tool structure comprising a head portion equipped with a ratchet mechanism and a handle portion connected to the head portion and rotated by an operator, for tightening or loosening fasteners such as bolts and nuts, The ratchet mechanism includes a circular ratchet gear member having an operating portion that applies a rotational force to the fastener; a locking pawl member that meshes with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member and determines the rotation lock direction and the rotation free direction of the ratchet gear member depending on the meshing position; a switching member that switches the meshing position between the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member and the locking pawl member, the switching member is provided with a first pressing means for pressing the locking pawl member meshing with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet gear member, and a second pressing means for locking and fixing a rotational position of the switching member, The first pressing means and the second pressing means are configured to be biased by separate first and second biasing members, respectively; The first pressing means is configured by a bullet-shaped first pressing pin having a barrel receiving portion, and the second pressing means is configured by a bullet-shaped second pressing pin having a barrel receiving portion, the first biasing member is disposed inside the cylindrical receiving portion of the first pressing pin, and the second biasing member is disposed inside the cylindrical receiving portion of the second pressing pin; the first pressing means and the second pressing means are provided so as to be offset in an axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching member, and the first pressing means is set closer to the center of the axial direction of the rotation shaft of the switching member than the second pressing means; The second pressing means is provided on one axial end side of the rotation shaft of the switching member, A switching lever for operating the switching member is provided on the other axial end side of the rotation shaft of the switching member so as to extend in the same direction as the second pressing means. A ratchet tool structure characterized by:

2. The biasing force of the first biasing member that biases the first pressing means is set to be weaker than the biasing force of the second biasing member that biases the second pressing means.

2. The ratchet tool structure of claim 1.

Images