Impact wrench socket adapter

Abstract

To provide a socket adaptor which prevents unintended slide in an operation ring.SOLUTION: A socket adaptor 10 for an impact wrench in the present invention includes: a main body 11 which has a cylinder part 20 provided with an engagement hole 21 mounted at an insertion angle 90, a shaft part 40 to which a socket 80 is attachable and detachable and a barrel part 30 between the cylinder part and the shaft part; and a ball locking mechanism 50 which can switch a socket slip-off unable locking state and a socket attachable-detachable unlocking state by protruding and retreating of a ball 51 accommodated in the shaft part. Therein, the ball locking mechanism is the socket adaptor for impact wrench in which protruding and retracting of the ball is controlled by an operation ring 60 set to the barrel part so as to be slidable in axial direction, and the adaptor is provided with starting resistance applying means 70 which enlarges starting resistance of the operation ring when the operation ring is slid from a locking position where the ball is protruded to an unlocking position where tha ball is retractable .SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a socket adapter for mounting a socket, which can be attached to the drive of an impact wrench and allows easy attachment and detachment of a socket or the like. [Background technology]

[0002] In an impact wrench, a socket is attached to the drive shaft (anvil), and fastening members such as bolts and nuts are tightened or loosened using the socket.

[0003] The socket has a pin insertion hole that is orthogonal to the axial direction to lock the socket in place. The socket is attached to the socket by aligning it with the pin insertion hole in the socket and inserting a pin.

[0004] Sockets of various diameters and shapes must be used depending on the fastening material. However, it is time-consuming to attach and detach sockets with pin locks to the drive. This can lead to pins falling or getting lost, especially when working at height.

[0005] Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a socket adapter is interposed between the drive and the socket. The socket adapter uses a pin lock mechanism for the drive, but a ball lock mechanism for the socket attached to the tip.

[0006] The ball lock mechanism controls the appearance and disappearance of the built-in ball by sliding the operating ring on the socket adapter in the axial direction, allowing the socket to be switched between a locked state in which it cannot be removed and an unlocked state in which it can be removed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3148876 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, with socket adapters, there is a risk that the operating ring may slide unintentionally due to vibrations during the tightening operation or contact with an obstacle, causing the lock to be released and the socket to fall.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a socket adapter for an impact wrench that can prevent an operating ring that controls a ball lock mechanism from sliding unintentionally. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the socket adapter for impact wrench according to the present invention comprises: a main body having a cylindrical portion at one end having an engagement hole to be attached to the drive angle of the impact wrench, a shaft portion at the other end to which a socket can be detachably attached, and a body portion between the cylindrical portion and the shaft portion; a ball lock mechanism that can switch between a locked state in which the socket cannot be removed and an unlocked state in which the socket can be removed by the appearance and disappearance of a ball housed in the shaft portion; The ball lock mechanism controls the protrusion and retraction of the ball by an operation ring fitted to the body portion so as to be slidable in the axial direction. A socket adapter for an impact wrench, The device includes a starting resistance applying means for increasing the starting resistance of the operating ring when the operating ring is slid from a locked position where the balls protrude to an unlocked position where the balls can retract.

[0011] The starting resistance applying means is a groove formed on the outer periphery of the body; a substantially C-shaped spring ring wound in the groove portion, The spring ring abuts against the tip of the operating ring in the locked position, providing starting resistance for the operating ring.

[0012] The groove is formed to be as deep as or deeper than the wire diameter of the spring ring.

[0013] The tip of the operating ring has an inner surface that is tapered so that the diameter thereof increases toward the tip, and when the operating ring is in the locked position, the tapered surface abuts against the outer periphery of the spring ring.

[0014] When the operation ring is slid toward the unlock position, the outer diameter of the spring ring is compressed by the tapered surface of the operation ring.

[0015] The ball lock mechanism is a push rod that fits into an insertion hole that is opened in the axial direction of the shaft portion and the body portion and is slidable within the insertion hole; The ball is accommodated in a ball accommodating hole that is opened from a side surface of the shaft portion so as to be perpendicular to the insertion hole, and the ball is controlled to protrude from and retract into the ball accommodating hole by the push rod. The operating ring is connected to the push rod, The push rod or the operating ring is provided with a biasing means for biasing the push rod or the operating ring in the direction in which the ball protrudes.

[0016] a mounting pin hole that reaches the insertion hole and extends along the axial direction between the lock position and the unlock position of the operation ring, on a side surface of the body; The operating ring and the push rod are connected by a mounting pin that passes through the mounting pin hole and is slidable within the mounting pin hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] In the impact wrench socket adapter of the present invention, a start-up resistance is applied to the operating ring by a start-up resistance applying means. Therefore, the operating ring is less likely to start when sliding from the locked position to the unlocked position. Therefore, even if the impact wrench vibrates or it comes into contact with an obstacle, the operating ring will not move from the locked position, maintaining the locked state and preventing the socket from unintentionally falling off.

[0018] After the operating ring is started from the locked position and slid toward the unlocked position, the starting resistance applying means provides almost no resistance to the sliding of the operating ring. Therefore, the user can hold the operating ring in the unlocked position with one hand, and the biasing means allows the operating ring to be smoothly returned from the unlocked position to the locked position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is (a) a cross-sectional view and (b) a side view of a socket adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention in a locked state with a socket attached thereto. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is (a) a cross-sectional view and (b) a side view of the socket adapter in an unlocked state according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the spring ring. [Figure 4] 4(a) is an enlarged view of the circled portion A in FIG. 1(a), and FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged view of the circled portion B in FIG. 2(a). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, a socket adapter for impact wrench (hereinafter referred to as "socket adapter") 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] 1 and 2 show (a) a cross-sectional view and (b) a side view of a socket adapter 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a locked state in which a ball 51 protrudes and an attached socket 80 (shown in Fig. 1(a)) cannot be removed, and Fig. 2 shows an unlocked state in which the ball retracts and the socket can be removed.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the socket adapter 10 has a tubular section 20 at the base end into which an insertion angle 90 (shown in Figure 1(a)) fits, and a shaft section 40 at the tip end into which a socket 80 (shown in the same figure), and has a main body 11 in which the tubular section 20 and the shaft section 40 are connected by a cylindrical body section 30.

[0023] As shown in Figure 1(a), the cylindrical portion 20 on the base end side has an engagement hole 21 into which a rectangular pillar-shaped drive 90 (also called an "anvil") of an impact wrench can be inserted. The socket adapter 10 and the drive 90 can be detachably connected by a pin lock mechanism 25, for example.

[0024] 1(a), the pin lock mechanism 25 is configured to lock the socket adapter 10 to the drive angle 90 by aligning a pin insertion hole 91, which is opened perpendicular to the axis of the drive angle 90, with a pin insertion hole 22, which is opened perpendicular to the engagement hole 21 of the socket adapter 10, and inserting a pin 26. To prevent the pin 26 from falling out, an O-ring 27 is fitted into a circumferential groove 23 on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 20, which passes through the open end of the pin insertion hole 22. A retraction groove 24 is recessed directly to the side of the circumferential groove 23, and the pin 26 can be attached or detached by shifting the O-ring 27 into the retraction groove 24.

[0025] 1(a), a socket 80 is detachably attached to the tip of the socket adapter 10. The socket adapter 10 has a ball lock mechanism 50, and can be configured to allow the socket 80 to be detachably attached.

[0026] Ball-lock mechanism 50 is a mechanism that detachably holds socket 80 by ball 51 that protrudes from and retracts from shaft 40, and socket 80 has locking hole 81 into which ball 51 fits. Locking hole 81 can also be used as a pin insertion hole into which pin 26 of pin lock mechanism 25 is inserted when socket 80 is directly attached to drive 90.

[0027] Socket adapter 10 has an insertion hole 41 formed in the axial direction from shaft portion 40 toward body portion 30, and a ball accommodating hole 42 formed in the side of shaft portion 40, which is perpendicular to insertion hole 41 and reaches insertion hole 41. A ball 51 is accommodated in ball accommodating hole 42, and a portion of ball 51 can protrude from and retract to the outside through the reduced-diameter edge of ball accommodating hole 42.

[0028] A push rod 52 is slidably housed in the insertion hole 41. The push rod 52 controls the protrusion and retraction of the ball 51. A deep unlock groove 53 and a shallow lock groove 54 are formed in a staggered manner on the side surface of the push rod 52. In the illustrated embodiment, the unlock groove 53 is recessed on the base end side of the push rod 52, and the lock groove 54 is recessed on the tip end side.

[0029] 1(a), when the push rod 52 is in the locked position where it has moved toward the base end of the insertion hole 41, the shallow lock groove 54 abuts against the ball 51, causing the ball 51 to partially protrude from the ball receiving hole 42 and assume a locked state in which it cannot retract. In the locked state, the ball 51 enters the lock hole 81 of the socket 80, making it impossible for the socket 80 to come off the socket adapter 10.

[0030] 2(a), when the push rod 52 is moved toward the tip of the insertion hole 41, the deep unlock groove 53 faces the ball 51, and the ball 51 assumes an unlocked state in which it can retract into the ball receiving hole 42. In the unlocked state, the ball 51 retracts into the ball receiving hole 42, allowing the socket 80 to be attached or detached.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(a), the push rod 52 described above has a mounting pin 57 that penetrates vertically at the base end. A flange 55 is formed distally of the mounting pin 57, and a biasing means 56 is stretched between the flange 55 and a step 32 formed in the insertion hole 41 so as to face the flange 55. The biasing means 56 can be exemplified by a compression spring, and biases the push rod 52 toward the base end. That is, in an unloaded state, the push rod 52 is held in a locked position where the lock groove 54 abuts against the ball 51, as shown in Figure 1(a).

[0032] Both ends of the mounting pin 57 of the push rod 52 fit into mounting pin holes 31 formed on the side of the body 30. The mounting pin holes 31 can be round holes, elongated holes, or other shapes. The mounting pin holes 31 are formed on the side of the body 30 along the axial direction of the socket adapter 10 and have a length that allows the push rod 52 to slide between the locked and unlocked positions.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , an operating ring 60 that slides the push rod 52 from the locked position to the unlocked position is attached to the body 30. The operating ring 60 has an operating portion 61 on its circumferential surface to facilitate user finger operation. In the illustration, the operating portion 61 is located at the tip of the operating ring 60, with its circumferential surface slightly protruding outward. The operating ring 60 has a mounting hole 62 that faces the base end of the operating portion 61, and the mounting pin 57 penetrates and engages with it. A recessed groove 63 that passes through the open end of the mounting pin 57 is formed on the circumferential surface of the body 30. A pin disengagement prevention member 64 is fitted into the recessed groove 63 to prevent the mounting pin 57 from disengaging from the operating ring 60. While the pin disengagement prevention member 64 is illustrated as a coil spring, it may also be a circular leaf spring, an O-ring, or other fastener.

[0034] 1, the operating ring 60 is biased to the lock position on the base end side (the cylindrical portion 20 side) in an unloaded state by the biasing means 56 that biases the push rod 52. When the user pushes the operating portion 61 toward the tip end side from this state, the operating ring 60 moves against the biasing force of the biasing means 56.

[0035] Since the biasing means 56 biases the operating ring 60 to the locked position with a constant biasing force, if the biasing force is weak, the operating ring 60 will easily move to the unlocked position due to vibration of the impact wrench or collision with an obstacle. Therefore, the biasing means 56 is required to have a large biasing force.

[0036] However, the user must hold the operating ring 60 with their fingers while attaching or detaching the socket 80. If the biasing force of the biasing means 56 is large, the user must continue to hold the operating ring 60 with a strong force. On the other hand, when attaching or detaching the socket 80, the user must also hold the socket 80 with one hand. This forces the user to hold the operating ring 60 and the impact wrench with one hand and continue to press the operating ring 60 with their fingers. Therefore, if a large biasing force is constantly applied to the operating ring 60, operability will be poor.

[0037] Therefore, a configuration is required that avoids a strong biasing force acting on the operation ring 60 at all times and makes it difficult for the operation ring 60 to slide only at the start portion when operating the operation ring 60 from the locked position to the unlocked position. Once the operation ring 60 passes the start portion, it is required that it can slide smoothly and can be held down with a light force at the unlocked position.

[0038] For the above reasons, the present invention is provided with starting resistance applying means 70 that increases the starting resistance of the operating ring 60. The starting resistance applying means 70 applies a large starting resistance to the operating ring 60 at the starting portion where the operating ring 60 is operated from the locked position to the unlocked position, and is configured to provide almost no sliding resistance to the operating ring 60 once the starting portion has been exceeded.

[0039] As one embodiment of the starting resistance applying means 70, as shown in Fig. 1(a), a groove 33 that goes around the entire body 30 is formed in the body 30 on the tip side of the operating ring 60 when the operating ring 60 is in the locked position, and a spring ring 71 is wound around the groove 33. The spring ring 71 can be exemplified by a C-shaped spring, and has a restoring force in the outward expanding direction as shown by the arrow in Fig. 3.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1(a) and the enlarged view 4(a) of the circled portion A in Fig. 1(a), the groove portion 33 is formed in a position that overlaps with the tip of the operating ring 60 when the operating ring 60 is in the locked position. The depth of the groove portion 33 is formed to be the same as or deeper than the wire diameter of the spring ring 71, and the spring ring 71 can be retracted into the groove portion 33 by having its outer peripheral surface pressed down, as shown in Fig. 2(a) and the enlarged view 4(b) of the circled portion B in Fig. 2(a).

[0041] As shown in Figures 1(a) and 4(a), the inner surface of the operating ring 60 at the tip end is formed with a tapered surface 65 that is inclined so that the diameter expands toward the tip end, so that the spring ring 71 can be compressed.

[0042] 1(a) and enlarged view 4(a), the spring ring 71 is attached to the groove 33 in a state where it is pressed inward against the restoring force, and the operating ring 60 is attached to the body 30 so that the tapered surface 65 at the tip faces the spring ring 71 and the groove 33. In the locked position, the outer circumferential surface of the spring ring 71 protrudes from the groove 33 and abuts against the tapered surface 65 of the operating ring 60, and the operating ring 60 abuts against the spring ring 71, preventing it from moving to the unlocked position. Therefore, when the socket 80 is attached, the ball 51 fits into the lock hole 81 of the socket 80, maintaining a state in which the socket 80 cannot be removed.

[0043] From this state, the user pushes the operating portion 61 toward the tip of the socket adapter 10 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1 to move the operating ring 60 to the unlocked position. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the outer peripheral surface of the spring ring 71 of the operating ring 60 protrudes from the groove portion 33, so in order to move the operating ring 60 to the unlocked position, the spring ring 71 must be compressed so that its outer diameter becomes smaller. This force compressing the outer diameter of the spring ring 71 becomes the starting resistance of the operating ring 60. This starting resistance acts only at the starting portion when the operating ring 60 is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position.

[0044] 1(a), the tapered surface 65 presses the outer peripheral surface of the spring ring 71 inward due to its inclination, causing the spring ring 71 to contract in diameter and enter the groove portion 33. At this time, the biasing force of the biasing means 56 also acts on the operating ring 60 in a direction returning it to the locked position.

[0045] To perform this operation, the user must apply a strong operating force to the operating ring 60 at the starting point. In other words, the operating ring 60 will not move from the locked position due to vibrations from the impact wrench or contact with an obstacle, preventing the operating ring 60 from unintentionally sliding to the unlocked position and causing the socket 80 to fall off.

[0046] When the operating ring 60 is further pushed out and the tapered surface 65 passes over the spring ring 71, as shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 4(b), the outer circumferential surface of the spring ring 71 comes into sliding contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the operating ring 60. This sliding resistance is much smaller than the starting resistance, and the operating ring 60 is essentially subjected only to the biasing force of the biasing means 56 that biases the push rod 52. As described above, the biasing force of the biasing means 56 can be relatively small, so the operating ring 60 can be moved smoothly to the unlocked position. This allows the operating ring 60 to be maintained in a pressed state while holding the impact wrench in one hand.

[0047] In this state, the ball lock mechanism 50 allows the ball 51 to retract, so the user can attach or detach the socket 80 with one hand.

[0048] When the operating force on the operating ring 60 is released after the socket 80 is attached or detached, the operating ring 60 and push rod 52 move toward the locked position due to the biasing force of the biasing means 56. When the tapered surface 65 of the operating ring 60 faces the spring ring 71, the spring ring 71 abuts against the tapered surface 65 due to a restoring force that tends to expand outward, and together with the biasing force of the biasing means 56, it biases the operating ring 60 toward the locked position. Therefore, the operating ring 60 can be reliably returned to the locked position. This allows the ball-lock mechanism 50 to maintain the locked state shown in FIG. 1, in which the ball 51 protrudes.

[0049] As described above, in the present invention, ball-lock mechanism 50 can control the sliding movement of operating ring 60 by starting resistance applying means 70 so that only the starting resistance of operating ring 60 is increased, thereby preventing unintentional movement of operating ring 60 due to vibration of the impact wrench or contact with an obstacle while socket 80 is attached, causing socket 80 to fall off. Furthermore, when attaching or detaching socket 80, only the starting resistance of operating ring 60 is large, and subsequent sliding operation requires little force, so operation can be performed sufficiently with one hand, and socket 80 can be attached or detached safely even at high places, etc.

[0050] The above description is for the purpose of explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or narrowing its scope. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0051] For example, in the above embodiment, the ball-lock mechanism 50 is unlocked by pushing the operation ring 60 toward the distal end, but the ball-lock mechanism 50 may also be unlocked by pulling the operation ring 60 toward the proximal end. In this case, the starting resistance applying means 70 may be configured to apply starting resistance when the operation ring 60 moves toward the proximal end. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10 Socket Adapter 11 Main unit 20 Cylinder part 21 Engagement hole 30 Torso 33 Groove 40 Shaft 50 Ball lock mechanism 51 Ball 70 Starting resistance applying means 71 Spring Ring 80 sockets 90 socket angle

Claims

1. a main body having a cylindrical portion at one end having an engagement hole to be attached to the drive angle of the impact wrench, a shaft portion at the other end to which a socket can be detachably attached, and a body portion between the cylindrical portion and the shaft portion; a ball lock mechanism that can switch between a locked state in which the socket cannot be removed and an unlocked state in which the socket can be removed by the appearance and disappearance of a ball housed in the shaft portion; a biasing means for biasing the ball lock mechanism in a direction in which the ball protrudes; and The ball lock mechanism controls the protrusion and retraction of the ball by an operation ring fitted to the body portion so as to be slidable in the axial direction. A socket adapter for an impact wrench, a start-up resistance applying means for applying a large start-up resistance to the operation ring when the operation ring is slid from a locked position where the ball protrudes to an unlocked position where the ball can retract, and for applying a constant sliding resistance smaller than the start-up resistance once the operation ring has passed a start-up portion, and for returning the operation ring to the locked position by the biasing force of the biasing means when the operation ring moves from the unlocked position to the locked position; Socket adapter for impact wrench.

2. The starting resistance applying means is a groove formed on the outer periphery of the body; a substantially C-shaped spring ring wound in the groove portion, a tip end of the operation ring has an inner surface that is tapered so that the diameter thereof increases toward the tip end, and a base end side of the operation ring from the tapered surface has an inner cylindrical surface with a constant inner diameter in a range where the spring ring slides; The spring ring abuts against the tip of the operating ring when the operating ring is in the locked position, providing a starting resistance to the operating ring, but once the spring ring passes the tapered surface, it comes into sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical shape having a constant inner diameter, providing a resistance smaller than the starting resistance. The socket adapter for an impact wrench according to claim 1.

3. The groove is formed to be the same as or deeper than the wire diameter of the spring ring. The socket adapter for an impact wrench according to claim 2.

4. When the operating ring is in the locked position, the tapered surface abuts against the outer periphery of the spring ring. The socket adapter for an impact wrench according to claim 2 or 3.

5. When the operation ring is slid toward the unlock position, the outer diameter of the spring ring is compressed by the tapered surface of the operation ring.

5. The socket adapter for an impact wrench according to claim 2.

6. The ball lock mechanism is a push rod that fits into an insertion hole that is opened in the axial direction of the shaft portion and the body portion and is slidable within the insertion hole; The ball is accommodated in a ball accommodating hole that is opened from a side surface of the shaft portion so as to be perpendicular to the insertion hole, and the ball is controlled to protrude from and retract into the ball accommodating hole by the push rod. The operating ring is connected to the push rod, a biasing means for biasing the push rod or the operating ring in a direction in which the ball protrudes; 6. The socket adapter for an impact wrench according to claim 1.

7. a mounting pin hole that reaches the insertion hole and extends along the axial direction between the lock position and the unlock position of the operation ring, on a side surface of the body; The operating ring and the push rod are connected by a mounting pin that passes through the mounting pin hole and is slidable within the mounting pin hole. The socket adapter for an impact wrench according to claim 6.

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