| 摘要 |
A ratchet mechanism includes a base and a shaft having gear teeth rotatably mounted on the base. A bearing is mounted on the base and is rotatable to clockwise and counterclockwise positions, and includes first and second bearing magnets. First and second pawls are slidably positioned on the base, and are slidable between engaged and disengaged positions in which the pawls engage and disengage, respectively, the gear teeth. First and second pawl magnets are embedded in the first and second pawls in magnetic relation to the first and second bearing magnets such that when the bearing is rotated to the clockwise or counterclockwise positions, the first and second bearing magnets bias the first and second pawl magnets to cause the first and second pawls to slide to respective engaged and disengaged positions, or disengaged and engaged positions, thereby enabling the shaft to rotate one of clockwise or counterclockwise directions. |
| 主权项 |
1. A ratchet mechanism comprising:
a base mountable to a handle, the base defining a first pawl cavity, a second pawl cavity, and a shaft bore; a shaft rotatably positioned in the shaft bore, the shaft including gear teeth circumscribing at least a portion of the shaft proximate to the first and second pawl cavities; an upper bearing mounted on the base, the upper bearing being selectively rotatable to at least a clockwise position for imparting torque in a clockwise direction from a handle to the shaft, the upper bearing being further selectively rotatable to at least a counterclockwise position for imparting torque in a counterclockwise direction from a handle to the shaft, and the upper bearing including a first bearing magnet and a second bearing magnet; a first pawl slidably positioned in the first pawl cavity, the first pawl being slidable between an engaged position in which the first pawl engages the gear teeth, and a disengaged position in which the first pawl is not engaged with the gear teeth; a second pawl slidably positioned in the second pawl cavity, the second pawl being slidable between an engaged position in which the second pawl engages the gear teeth, and a disengaged position in which the second pawl is not engaged with the gear teeth; a first pawl magnet embedded in the first pawl in magnetic relation to the first bearing magnet such that when the upper bearing is rotated to the clockwise position, the first bearing magnet biases the first pawl magnet to slide the first pawl to the engaged position, and when the bearing is rotated to the counterclockwise position, the first bearing magnet biases the first pawl magnet to slide the first pawl to the disengaged position; and a second pawl magnet embedded in the second pawl in magnetic relation to the second bearing magnet such that when the bearing is rotated to the clockwise position, the second bearing magnet biases the second pawl magnet to slide the second pawl to the disengaged position, and when the bearing is rotated to the counterclockwise position, the second bearing magnet biases the second pawl magnet to slide the second pawl to the engaged position. |
