TOOL HANDLE WITH BIT CARRIER

• US 20060288531A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bobby Hu
• Original Assignee: Bobby Hu
• Inventors: Hu, Bobby
• Granted Patent: US 7,281,455 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/111.100
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/085 for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners

Abstract

A tool handle includes a body, a bit carrier, and an actuating member. An end of the body includes a compartment. One of two lateral sides of the body has an opening in communication with the compartment. The bit carrier is mounted in the compartment of the body and movable relative to the body in a longitudinal direction. The bit carrier includes a bit-holding section for holding at least one bit. A retaining member is mounted to the bit carrier for retaining the bit carrier to the body. The actuating member is mounted in the opening of the body. The actuating member is operable to move the bit carrier from a storage position to an ejected position not falling out of the body and to impart a frictional force between the retaining member and the body to prevent the bit carrier from falling out of the body.

Claims

1. A tool handle comprising:

a body including a first end and a second end, the first end of the body being adapted for coupling with a bit-coupling member, the second end of the body including a compartment, the body further including two lateral sides, one of the lateral sides having an opening in communication with the compartment;

a bit carrier mounted in the compartment of the body and movable relative to the body in a longitudinal direction, the bit carrier including a bit-holding section for holding at least one bit, a retaining member being mounted to the bit carrier for retaining the bit carrier to the body; and

an actuating member mounted in the opening of the body, the actuating member being operable to move the bit carrier from a storage position to an ejected position not falling out of the body and to impart a frictional force between the retaining member and the body to prevent the bit carrier from falling out of the body.

2. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the body further including another opening in the other lateral side thereof, and with the tool handle further including another actuating member mounted in said another opening, said another actuating member and said actuating member being operable to together move the bit carrier from the storage position to the ejected position and to impart the frictional force between the retaining member and the body to prevent the bit carrier from falling out of the body.

3. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the opening of the body including an engaging portion, with the actuating member including a coupling section coupled with the engaging portion.

4. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the retaining member including a main section and a resilient arm extending outward and rearward from an end of the main section, and with actuating member including a pressing section abutting against the resilient arm of the retaining member.

5. The tool handle as claimed in claim 4, with the body including a stop formed in the opening, with the resilient arm of the retaining member abutting against the stop of the body when the bit carrier is in the storage position, thereby retaining the bit carrier in the compartment of the body.

6. The tool handle as claimed in claim 4, with the bit carrier including a recessed portion for receiving the resilient arm of the retaining member.

7. The tool handle as claimed in claim 4, with the bit carrier including an engaging groove for receiving the main section of the retaining member.

8. The tool handle as claimed in claim 4, with a lateral wall delimiting the compartment of the body including a guiding groove along which the resilient arm of the retaining member slides, and with the resilient arm including a retaining section in frictional contact with a wall delimiting the guiding groove.

9. The tool handle as claimed in claim 4, with the retaining member being a resilient metal plate.

10. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the tool handle further comprising a metal plate mounted to an outer side of the actuating member.

11. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the bit carrier being forcibly removable from the compartment of the body.

12. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the compartment of the body being delimited by two lateral walls each having a longitudinally extending groove, with the bit carrier including two longitudinal ribs slidingly received in the grooves of the body.

13. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the tool handle further including an elastic element mounted in the compartment for biasing the bit carrier outward.

14. The tool handle as claimed in claim 13, with the compartment of the body being delimited by an end wall, the end wall including a fixing block to which an end of the elastic element is mounted.

15. The tool handle as claimed in claim 14, with the end wall including a recess in which the fixing block is formed.

16. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with at least a portion of the bit-holding section is exposed when the bit carrier is in the ejected position.

17. The tool handle as claimed in claim 1, with the bit-holding section being completely exposed when the bit carrier is in the ejected position.

18. The tool handle as claimed in claim 8, with the guiding groove being arcuate.

19. The tool handle as claimed in claim 8, with a bottom wall delimiting the guiding groove including a protrusion for stopping the retaining section of the resilient arm.

20. A tool handle comprising:

a body including a first end and a second end, the first end of the body being adapted for coupling with a bit-coupling member, the second end of the body including a compartment, the body further including two lateral sides, each of the lateral sides having an opening in communication with the compartment;

a bit carrier mounted in the compartment of the body and movable relative to the body in a longitudinal direction, the bit carrier including a bit-holding section for holding at least one bit, a retaining member being mounted to the bit carrier for retaining the bit carrier in the compartment of the body; and

two actuating members respectively mounted in the openings of the body, said actuating members being operable to move the bit carrier from a storage position to an ejected position not falling out of the body and to impart a frictional force between the retaining member and the body to prevent the bit carrier from falling out of the body.

21. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with each said opening of the body including an engaging portion, with each said actuating member including a coupling section coupled with the engaging portion of an associated one of the openings.

22. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the retaining member being substantially U-shaped and including a main section and two resilient arms extending outward and rearward from two ends of the intermediate section, and with each said actuating member including a pressing section abutting against an associated one of the resilient arms of the retaining member.

23. The tool handle as claimed in claim 22, with the body including two stops respectively formed in the openings, with each said resilient arm of the retaining member abutting against an associated one of the stops of the body when the bit carrier is in the storage position, thereby retaining the bit carrier in the compartment of the body.

24. The tool handle as claimed in claim 22, with the bit carrier including two recessed portions for receiving the resilient arms of the retaining member.

25. The tool handle as claimed in claim 22, with the bit carrier including an engaging groove for receiving the main section of the retaining member.

26. The tool handle as claimed in claim 22, with each of two lateral wall delimiting the compartment of the body including a guiding groove along which an associated one of the resilient arms of the retaining member slides, and with each said resilient arm including a retaining section in frictional contact with a wall delimiting an associated one of the guiding grooves.

27. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the retaining member being a resilient metal plate.

28. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the tool handle further comprising a metal plate mounted to an outer side of each said actuating member.

29. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the bit carrier being forcibly removable from the compartment of the body.

30. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the compartment of the body being delimited by two lateral walls each having a longitudinally extending groove, with the bit carrier including two longitudinal ribs slidingly received in the grooves of the body.

31. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the tool handle further including an elastic element mounted in the compartment for biasing the bit carrier outward.

32. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the compartment of the body being delimited by an end wall, the end wall including a fixing block to which an end of the elastic element is mounted.

33. The tool handle as claimed in claim 32, with the end wall including a recess in which the fixing block is formed.

34. The tool handle as claimed in claim 29, with the bit carrier including an anti-sliding portion on each of two sides thereof, allowing the bit carrier to be grasped by a user for forcibly removing the bit carrier out of the compartment of the body.

35. The tool handle as claimed in claim 34, with at least one of said anti-sliding portions including at least one groove for reducing a weight of the bit carrier.

36. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with at least a portion of the bit-holding section is exposed when the bit carrier is in the ejected position.

37. The tool handle as claimed in claim 20, with the bit-holding section being completely exposed when the bit carrier is in the ejected position.

38. The tool handle as claimed in claim 26, with each said guiding groove being arcuate.

39. The tool handle as claimed in claim 26, with a bottom wall delimiting each said guiding groove including a protrusion for stopping the retaining section of an associated one of the resilient arms.