Bidirectional ramped disposable torque limiting device

摘要

A bidirectional torque limiting driver with a handle, internal wall, movable head and a tool mounted thereon, with flexible torque limiting flex ramp(s) formed on said internal wall, whereby said ramps move under sufficient force to impart a predetermined torque to a tip is disclosed.

主权项

1. A bidirectional torque limiting device comprising:
a hollow body (110) with and open proximal end (115) and open distal end (120) forming a handle; the hollow body including: an internal circular wall (122) separating the hollow body into a cylindrical front section (120) and a back section (220); at least one generally elongated torque limiting flex ramp (210) integrally formed on a first side of the internal circular wall; the elongated torque limiting flex ramp having a first ramped projection connected to the internal circular wall via first living hinge and a second ramped projection connected to the internal circular wall via a second living hinge, both at an incline relative to the internal circular wall and oriented to intersect at a raised peak bridging the two ramped surfaces;
the raised peak spaced outward from the first side of the internal circular wall and comprising a third living hinge;a cavity formed in a second side the internal circular wall opposite the at least one generally elongated torque limiting flex ramp, the cavity generally sized to match both the ramped projections and the three living hinges of the at least one generally elongated torque limiting flex ramp; a plug channel (188) formed through the internal wall fluidly connecting the cylindrical front and the back sections; a tool head (170) having a front side with a nose (165) extended therefrom which has a tool (140) mounted therein; the tool head having an annular back side surface located between an outermost annular wall sized to movably fit inside the cylindrical front section of the hollow body and an innermost annular peg wall sized to fit inside the plug channel hole, the innermost annular peg having a catch feature formed thereon, the annular back side surface containing at least one bump stop (202) protruding therefrom; a head plug having a base sized to fit inside the back section of the hollow body but sized to be larger than the plug channel hole, the head plug having an extended latch protruding from the base that is sized and shaped to fit through the plug channel hole and fasten to the catch feature on the innermost annular peg to secure the outermost annular wall of the tool head to the first side of the internal circular wall and the base of the head plug to the second side of the internal circular wall; whereby when the handle is twisted relative to the tool, the at least one generally elongated torque limiting flex ramp on the hollow body will rotate toward the at least one bump stop on the tool head to an engagement point where the bump stop contacts the at least one generally elongated torque limiting flex ramp, at the engagement point additionally twisting of the handle will result in a twisting of the tool with a torque limited at level where the at least one bump stop deflects the first and second ramp portions into the cavity allowing the bump stop to rotate past the at least one generally elongated torque limiting flex ramp.