TORQUE WRENCH CAPABLE OF CORRECTING TORQUE AND TORQUE CORRECTION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140338419A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabo Tool Company
• Original Assignee: Kabo Tool Company
• Inventors: HSIEH, Chih-Ching
• Granted Patent: US 9,561,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.12
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 13/00 Spanners; Wrenches hand-driven gear-operated B25B17/00; impact wrenches B25B19/00; portable power-driven B25B21/00 ; spanners or wrenches pecially adapted for osteosynthesis A61B17/8875; machines for fitting together or separating metal parts B23P19/00 ; for mounting or dismounting wheels B60B29/003
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1422 torque indicators or adjustable torque limiters
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 23/1427 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 25/003 for measuring torque

Abstract

A torque wrench includes a mechanical structure and an electronic structure. The mechanical structure includes a tubular body, a flexible rod, an abutment member, an elastic member, a trip mechanism, an adjustment mechanism and a mechanical scale indication mounted in the tubular body for indicating the set torque of the wrench. The electronic structure includes at least one torque sensor and a display unit. When correcting the torque value of the mechanical structure, a force is applied to the wrench and the torque sensor detects the trip torque value of the wrench. The torque value of the mechanical structure is adjusted to match the torque value detected by the torque sensor so as to eliminate the error of the torque value of the mechanical structure.

Claims

1. A torque wrench capable of correcting torque, comprising:

a tubular body;

a head section positioned at a front end of the tubular body;

a flexible rod pivotally disposed at the front end of the tubular body, the flexible rod being swingable, a rear end of the flexible rod being positioned in the tubular body, a front end of the flexible rod being fixedly connected with the head section;

an abutment member and an elastic member disposed in the tubular body, the abutment member being positioned behind the flexible rod and movable within the tubular body;

a front end of the elastic member elastically abutting against the abutment member;

a trip mechanism disposed between the rear end of the flexible rod and the front end of the abutment member;

the flexible rod and the abutment member being in contact with each other via the trip mechanism;

an adjustment mechanism disposed at the rear end of the tubular body in contact with the elastic member for adjusting the elastic force applied by the elastic member to the abutment member;

a mechanical scale indication positioned on the tubular body for reading the set torque value of the wrench;

at least one torque sensor disposed on one side of the flexible rod for detecting the strain of the flexible rod; and

at least one display unit disposed on the tubular body for displaying the torque value detected by the torque sensor.

2. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible rod has a central line;

the trip mechanism being positioned in the central line of the flexible rod.

3. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein a window is formed on the circumference of the tubular body;

the adjustment mechanism including a slide member disposed in the tubular body and movable within the tubular body, the slide member abutting against a rear end of the elastic member;

the adjustment mechanism being able to drive the slide member to move;

a scale plate being disposed on a circumference of the slide member and slidable along with the slide member, a surface of the scale plate being marked with scales, the scale plate being positioned between the window and the slide member.

4. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tubular body is formed with a hollow section;

the scale plate being formed with a longitudinal slot;

a connection member being passed through the slot of the scale plate to detachably fix the scale plate on the slide member, the connection member corresponding to the hollow section of the tubular body.

5. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 4, wherein the adjustment mechanism further includes a handle and an adjustment member, the adjustment member being disposed in the tubular body and rotatable within the tubular body without possibility of displacement, the front end of the adjustment member being screwed with the rear end of the slide member;

the handle being fitted with the rear end of the tubular body and connected with the adjustment member, whereby by means of rotating the handle, the adjustment member is driven to rotate.

6. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein an end collar is detachably connected with the front end of the handle to block the hollow section, when the end collar is detached from the handle, the hollow section being exposed to outer side.

7. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 5, wherein the handle is detachably connected with the adjustment member, the hollow section is blocked when the handed is connected with the adjustment member.

8. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein scales are disposed on an outer circumference of the tubular body;

the adjustment mechanism including a handle and an adjustment member, the adjustment member being disposed in the tubular body, the handle being fitted with the rear end of the tubular body and connected with the adjustment member in such a manner that the relative positions of the handle and the adjustment member in the axial direction of the tubular body are adjustable, a front end edge of the handle being positioned at the scales, when rotating the handle, the handle and the adjustment member being moved in the axial direction of the tubular body.

9. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an electronic device mounted on the tubular body, the electronic device including a housing, a circuit unit, at least one pushbutton and the display unit;

the housing being disposed on the tubular body;

the circuit unit, the pushbutton and the display unit being disposed in the housing, the pushbutton and the display unit being electrically connected to the circuit unit.

10. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trip mechanism includes a first recess, a second recess and an abutment block, the first and second recesses being respectively formed at the rear end of the flexible rod and the front end of the abutment member opposite to each other;

the abutment block being disposed between the first and second recesses in contact therewith.

11. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trip mechanism includes a roller member and two circular rods respectively positioned at the front end of the abutment member and the rear end of the flexible rod.

12. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein the trip mechanism includes a roller member and a recess respectively disposed at the front end of the abutment member and the rear end of the flexible rod.

13. A torque correction method of the torque wrench capable of correcting torque as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wrench has a power supply, a mechanical structure composed of the flexible rod, the abutment member, the elastic member, the trip mechanism, the adjustment mechanism and the scale indication and an electronic structure composed of the torque sensor and the display unit, the torque correction method comprising steps of:

(1) starting up;

the wrench being powered on to supply power for the torque sensor and the display unit;

(2) setting/adjusting the torque value of the mechanical structure of the wrench for tightening a threaded member;

the adjustment mechanism being used to set/adjust the torque of the mechanical structure of the wrench to a necessary value, the torque value of the mechanical structure being a torque value applied to the wrench when the trip mechanism trips;

(3) the torque sensor detecting the trip torque value of the trip mechanism;

the wrench being forced to wrench the threaded member until the trip mechanism trips, when the trip mechanism trips, the torque sensor detecting the torque value applied to the flexible rod;

(4) the display unit displaying the torque value when the trip mechanism trips;

when the trip mechanism trips, the torque value applied to the flexible rod that is detected by the torque sensor being displayed on the display unit;

(5) comparing the set/adjusted torque value of the mechanical structure of the wrench with the torque value detected by the torque sensor to find whether the torque value detected by the torque sensor matches the set/adjusted torque value of the mechanical structure, if not, the procedure going back to step 2 to correct the torque value again; and

(6) turning off;

through step 5, if the torque value detected by the torque sensor matches the set/adjusted torque value of the mechanical structure, the wrench being powered off to end the correction process.

14. The torque correction method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

a window and a hollow section are formed on the circumference of the tubular body;

the adjustment mechanism including a slide member movably disposed in the tubular body, the slide member abutting against the rear end of the elastic member;

the adjusting mechanism being able to drive the slide member to move;

a scale plate being detachably mounted on the slide member by means of a connection member, whereby the scale plate is movable along with the slide member and positioned between the window and the slide member, the connection member corresponding to the hollow section of the tubular body; and

in step (2), the position where the scale plate is mounted on the slide member being adjusted.

15. The torque correction method as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the adjustment mechanism includes a handle and an adjustment member, the adjustment member being disposed in the tubular body, the handle being fitted with the rear end of the tubular body and connected with the adjustment member in such a manner that the relative positions of the handle and the adjustment member are adjustable;

whereby when rotating the handle, the handle and the adjustment member are moved in the axial direction of the tubular body; and

the adjustment in step (2), the relative positions of the handle and the adjustment member in the axial direction of the tubular body being adjusted.

16. The torque wrench as claimed in claim 13, wherein the flexible rod has a central line;

the trip mechanism being positioned in the central line of the flexible rod.

17. The torque correction method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the torque value of the mechanical structure is adjusted to the range from 0.96 time the torque value detected by the torque sensor to 1.04 times the torque value detected by the torque sensor.