U.S. patent application number 10/425374 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-28 for rotatable connector.
Invention is credited to Chiou, Li Jiun.
Application Number | 20040214646 10/425374 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33299497 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040214646 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chiou, Li Jiun |
October 28, 2004 |
Rotatable connector
Abstract
A rotatable connector includes a mounting rod, and a rotatable
mounting sleeve. The mounting rod has a plug, a shoulder and a
concave neck portion. The plug is provided with a retractable
positioning ball. The mounting sleeve has an inner wall formed with
a receiving recess for rotatably receiving the plug. The receiving
recess has a wall formed with a plurality of positioning grooves
for locking and positioning the positioning ball. Thus, the
rotatable connector can be operated linearly to have a torque
output along its linear direction, and can be operated in an
angular manner to have an angular torque output and to change its
direction of operation.
Inventors: |
Chiou, Li Jiun; (Guoshing
Shiang, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHARLES E. BAXLEY, ESQ.
90 JOHN STREET
THIRD FLOOR
NEW YORK
NY
10038
US
|
Family ID: |
33299497 |
Appl. No.: |
10/425374 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
464/158 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 464/901 20130101;
F16D 3/16 20130101; F16D 1/116 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
464/158 |
International
Class: |
F16D 003/18; F16D
003/44 |
Claims
1. A rotatable connector, comprising a mounting rod, and a
rotatable mounting sleeve, wherein: the mounting rod has an end
formed with a plug, the mounting rod has a mediate portion formed
with a shoulder and a concave neck portion located between the plug
and the shoulder, the plug of the mounting rod has a periphery
provided with a retractable positioning ball; the mounting sleeve
has an end rotatably mounted on the plug of the mounting rod and
having an inner wall formed with a receiving recess for rotatably
receiving the plug of the mounting rod, the receiving recess of the
mounting sleeve has a wall formed with a plurality of positioning
grooves for locking and positioning the positioning ball of the
mounting rod; and the wall of the receiving recess of the mounting
sleeve has a distal end formed with a retaining portion, and the
shoulder of the mounting rod is detachably fixed on the retaining
portion of the receiving recess of the mounting sleeve.
2. (canceled).
3. (canceled).
4. The rotatable connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
retaining portion of the mounting sleeve has a tetragonal shape,
and the shoulder of the mounting rod has a tetragonal shape to mate
with that of the retaining portion of the mounting sleeve.
5. The rotatable connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
wall of the receiving recess of the mounting sleeve is formed with
an annular retaining groove, and the rotatable connector further
comprises a C-shaped snap ring closely fit and secured in the
retaining groove of the mounting sleeve and detachably mounted on
the neck portion of the mounting rod.
6. The rotatable connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein the
plug of the mounting rod has a hexagonal spherical shape, and the
wall of the receiving recess of the mounting sleeve has a hexagonal
spherical shape mating with that of the plug of the mounting
rod.
7. (canceled).
8. The rotatable connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein when
the shoulder of the mounting rod is fixed on the retaining portion
of the receiving recess of the mounting sleeve, the positioning
ball of the mounting rod is locked in one of the positioning
grooves of the mounting sleeve.
9. The rotatable connector in accordance with claim 1, wherein when
the shoulder of the mounting rod is detached from the receiving
recess of the mounting sleeve, the positioning ball of the mounting
rod is detached from the respective positioning groove of the
mounting sleeve.
10. The rotatable connector in accordance with claim 9, wherein
when the positioning ball of the mounting rod is detached from the
respective positioning groove of the mounting sleeve, the
positioning ball of the mounting rod is urged on and compressed by
the wall of the receiving recess of the mounting sleeve to produce
an urging force on the wall of the receiving recess of the mounting
sleeve, thereby providing a positioning effect to the mounting
sleeve during rotation of the mounting sleeve.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a rotatable connector, and
more particularly to a rotatable connector, wherein the mounting
rod is integrally combined with the mounting sleeve rigidly and
stably without detachment, thereby facilitating operation of the
rotatable connector.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional rotatable connector in accordance with the
prior art shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a mounting rod 40 having
an end formed with a concave portion 42, and a drive head 41
rotatably mounted on the concave portion 42 of the mounting rod 40.
Thus, the conventional rotatable connector can be operated linearly
can be operated in an angular manner. However, the drive head 41 is
easily detached from the concave portion 42 of the mounting rod 40
during operation, thereby causing inconvenience to the user. In
addition, the drive head 41 is rotated on the concave portion 42 of
the mounting rod 40 freely without providing any positioning device
to retain the drive head 41, thereby causing inconvenience to the
user in operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is to mitigate and/or obviate the
disadvantage of the conventional rotatable connector.
[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide
a rotatable connector, wherein the mounting rod is integrally
combined with the mounting sleeve rigidly and stably without
detachment, thereby facilitating operation of the rotatable
connector.
[0007] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a
rotatable connector that can be operated linearly to have a torque
output along its linear direction, and can be operated in an
angular manner to have an angular torque output and to change its
direction of operation.
[0008] A further objective of the present invention is to provide a
rotatable connector, wherein the positioning ball of the mounting
rod can produce an urging force on the wall of the receiving recess
of the mounting sleeve, thereby providing a positioning effect to
the mounting sleeve during rotation of the mounting sleeve.
[0009] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a rotatable connector, comprising a mounting rod, and a rotatable
mounting sleeve, wherein:
[0010] the mounting rod has an end formed with a spherical plug,
the mounting rod has a mediate portion formed with a shoulder and a
concave neck portion located between the plug and the shoulder, the
plug of the mounting rod has a periphery provided with a
retractable positioning ball; and
[0011] the mounting sleeve has an end rotatably mounted on the plug
of the mounting rod and having an inner wall formed with a
receiving recess for rotatably receiving the plug of the mounting
rod, the receiving recess of the mounting sleeve has a wall formed
with a plurality of positioning grooves for locking and positioning
the positioning ball of the mounting rod.
[0012] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed
description with appropriate reference to the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a side plan partially cross-sectional view of a
conventional rotatable connector in accordance with the prior
art;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic operational view of the conventional
rotatable connector as shown in FIG. 1 in use;
[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a rotatable
connector in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side plan partially cross-sectional assembly
view of the rotatable connector as shown in FIG. 3;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic operational view of the rotatable
connector as shown in FIG. 4 in use;
[0018] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the rotatable
connector in accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 3-5, a
rotatable connector in accordance with the preferred embodiment of
the present invention comprises a mounting rod 10, and a rotatable
mounting sleeve 20.
[0020] The mounting rod 10 has a first end connected to a motorized
tool, pneumatic tool or a wrench (not shown), and a second end
formed with a tetragonal spherical plug 11. The mounting rod 10 has
a mediate portion formed with a tetragonal shoulder 12 and a
concave neck portion 13 located between the plug 11 and the
shoulder 12. The plug 11 of the mounting rod 10 has a periphery
provided with a retractable positioning ball 14.
[0021] The mounting sleeve 20 has a first end formed with a
mounting shaft 21 for mounting a socket (not shown), and a second
end rotatably mounted on the plug 11 of the mounting rod 10. The
second end of the mounting sleeve 20 has an inner wall formed with
a receiving recess 22 for rotatably receiving the plug 11 of the
mounting rod 10. The receiving recess 22 of the mounting sleeve 20
has a wall formed with a plurality of positioning grooves 221 for
locking and positioning the positioning ball 14 of the mounting rod
10.
[0022] Preferably, the wall of the receiving recess 22 of the
mounting sleeve 20 has a distal end formed with a tetragonal
retaining portion 220, and the shoulder 12 of the mounting rod 10
is detachably fixed on the retaining portion 220 of the receiving
recess 22 of the mounting sleeve 20.
[0023] The wall of the receiving recess 22 of the mounting sleeve
20 is formed with an annular retaining groove 222. The rotatable
connector of the present invention further comprises a C-shaped
snap ring 30 secured in the retaining groove 222 of the mounting
sleeve 20 and mounted on the neck portion 13 of the mounting rod
10.
[0024] In assembly, the C-shaped snap ring 30 is initially mounted
on the neck portion 13 of the mounting rod 10. Then, the plug 11 of
the mounting rod 10 is inserted into the receiving recess 22 of the
mounting sleeve 20, with the C-shaped snap ring 30 being snapped
into the retaining groove 222 of the mounting sleeve 20, so that
the mounting rod 10 is integrally combined with the mounting sleeve
20 rigidly and stably.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 4, the shoulder 12 of the mounting rod 10
is fixed in the wall of the receiving recess 22 of the mounting
sleeve 20, and the positioning ball 14 of the mounting rod 10 is
locked in one of the positioning grooves 221 of the mounting sleeve
20, so that the rotatable connector of the present invention can be
operated linearly and has a torque output along its linear
direction.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 5, the mounting rod 10 is pulled outward
relative to the mounting sleeve 20, so that the shoulder 12 of the
mounting rod 10 is detached from the wall of the receiving recess
22 of the mounting sleeve 20. In such a manner, the mounting sleeve
20 can be pivoted on the neck portion 13 of the mounting rod 10.
Thus, the mounting sleeve 20 can be pivoted relative to the
mounting rod 10, so that the rotatable connector of the present
invention can be operated in an angular manner and has an angular
torque output to change its direction of operation.
[0027] In addition, when the shoulder 12 of the mounting rod 10 is
detached from the wall of the receiving recess 22 of the mounting
sleeve 20, the positioning ball 14 of the mounting rod 10 is
detached from the respective positioning groove 221 of the mounting
sleeve 20, so that the mounting sleeve 20 can be rotated relative
to the mounting rod 10 through 360 degrees. When the positioning
ball 14 of the mounting rod 10 is detached from the respective
positioning groove 221 of the mounting sleeve 20, the positioning
ball 14 of the mounting rod 10 is compressed by the wall of the
receiving recess 22 of the mounting sleeve 20 to produce an urging
force on the wall of the receiving recess 22 of the mounting sleeve
20, thereby providing a positioning effect to the mounting sleeve
20 during rotation of the mounting sleeve 20.
[0028] Accordingly, the mounting rod 10 is integrally combined with
the mounting sleeve 20 rigidly and stably without detachment,
thereby facilitating operation of the rotatable connector of the
present invention.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 6, a rotatable connector in accordance
with another embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein
the plug 11A of the mounting rod 10A has a hexagonal spherical
shape, and the wall of the receiving recess 22A of the mounting
sleeve 20A has a hexagonal spherical shape mating with that of the
plug 11A of the mounting rod 10A. In addition, the wall of the
receiving recess 22A of the mounting sleeve 20A has a distal end
formed with a hexagonal retaining portion 220A, and the shoulder
12A of the mounting rod 10A is detachably fixed on the retaining
portion 220A of the receiving recess 22A of the mounting sleeve
20A. Further, the first end of the mounting sleeve 20A is formed
with a hexagonal recess 21A for mounting a hexagonal driver head
(not shown).
[0030] While the preferred embodiment(s) of the present invention
has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled
in the art that various modifications may be made in the
embodiment(s) without departing from the spirit of the present
invention. Such modifications are all within the scope of the
present invention.
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