Ratchet wrench with a locking release assembly

摘要

A socket release assembly for a ratchet drive or ratchet wrench that includes a ratchet gear housing, a ratchet head connected to the ratchet gear housing, a push button disposed within the ratchet gear housing and the ratchet head with a portion extending through an opening in the ratchet gear housing, a channel lock disposed within the ratchet gear housing above the ratchet head, a ball lock disposed within the ratchet head and in mating contact with the push button, a ball bearing disposed within the ratchet head between the ball lock and a ball bearing opening in the ratchet head, a release pin within the ball lock and in mating contact with the channel lock where sliding of the release pin causes the channel lock to be slidably positioned allowing the push button to be depressed into ratchet gear housing.

主权项

1. A socket release assembly for a ratchet drive or ratchet wrench, the assembly comprising:
a ratchet gear housing having a gear housing open end, a gear housing closed end having a closed end opening, and a housing internal space between the gear housing open end and the gear housing closed end, the closed end opening in fluid communication with the housing internal space; a ratchet head having an upper head portion, an upper head open end, a lower head portion having a substantially square-shaped cross-section, a lower head open end, and an internal head space extending between the upper head open end and the lower head open end, the upper head portion disposed in the gear housing open end and fixedly attached within the housing internal space, the lower head portion having a ball bearing opening adjacent to and spaced from the lower head open end and extending through a side of the lower head portion, the ball bearing opening in fluid communication with the internal head space; a push button having a first push button portion with a first button end, a second push button portion with a second button end, an internal channel extending longitudinally between the first button end and the second button end, and a button slot extending transversely through the first push button portion adjacent the second push button portion; a channel lock having a channel lock body, a channel lock top surface, a channel lock bottom surface, a first channel lock side, a second channel lock side, a channel lock slot extending between the first channel lock side and the second channel lock side, the channel lock slot extending angularly from the channel lock bottom surface a predefined distance towards the channel lock top surface, and an elongated lock body through slot extending between the channel lock top surface, the channel lock bottom surface, the first channel lock side, the second channel lock side, and containing the lock body through slot, the channel lock slidably disposed within the button slot between a push button locking position and a push button unlocking position; a ball lock having a ball lock body with a push button engaging end, a ball lock bottom end, a lock body flange extending transversely from a ball lock outer surface of the ball lock body adjacent to and spaced from the push button engaging end, a body side portion that extends longitudinally from the ball lock bottom end a predefined distance along the ball lock body defining a ball bearing locking notch and a ball bearing releasing notch, and a ball lock internal space having a lower space portion and an upper space portion, the ball lock being slidably disposed within the internal head space; a ball bearing disposed within the internal head space between the body side portion and the lower head portion with the ball bearing opening; and a release pin having an upper pin portion, a lower pin portion, and a release pin flange extending transversely between the upper pin portion and the lower pin portion, the release pin slidably disposed within the ball lock internal space and extending from the ball lock bottom end through the channel lock body and into the first button portion of the push button, the release pin having a pin dowel extending transversely from the upper pin portion and disposed within the channel slot of the channel lock to cause the channel lock to slide within the button slot between the push button locking position and the push button unlocking position when the release pin is slidably moved within the ball lock.