Summary
[0001] This invention relates to locking pliers, more particularly to locking pliers with
a releasing lever that is configured in such a manner so as to protect the user's
fingers from being pinched by the releasing lever.
Prior Art
[0002] Conventional locking pliers include a stationary front jaw, a stationary handle extending
rearwardly from the stationary front jaw, a movable front jaw disposed below and aligned
with the stationary front jaw and pivoted to the stationary handle, a movable handle
pivoted to and extending rearwardly from the movable front jaw, an adjusting screw
rod engaging threadedly a rear end of the stationary handle and having a rear end
portion that extends outwardly from the rear end of the stationary handle, a locking
lever pivoted to the movable handle and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom
toward the rear end of the stationary handle to abut against a front end of the adjusting
screw rod, a biasing member interconnecting the movable front jaw and the stationary
handle, and a releasing lever pivoted to the movable handle and having a protrusion
that protrudes therefrom to abut against the locking lever. In operation, the relative
position between the stationary front jaw and the movable front jaw is adjusted by
turning the adjusting screw rod so as to hold an object between the stationary front
jaw and the movable front jaw. The movable front jaw is subsequently moved toward
the stationary front jaw to tightly clamp the object therebetween by forcefully bringing
the movable handle and the stationary handle together. The movable front jaw and the
stationary front jaw remain locked until the movable handle and the stationary handle
are forcefully separated by pivoting the releasing lever upwardly toward the adjusting
screw rod.
[0003] The releasing lever has a rear end portion disposed below and aligned with a rear
end portion of the adjusting screw rod such that when the releasing lever is pivoted
upwardly toward the adjusting screw rod, the rear end portion of the releasing lever
and the rear end portion of the adjusting screw rod cooperate with each other to define
a gap therebetween. Since the rear end portion of the releasing lever has a U-shaped
profile when a cross-section is taken along a direction transverse to the length of
the releasing lever, and has a width that is about the same as the diameter of the
rear end portion of the adjusting screw rod, there is a tendency for the fingers of
the user to be pinched by the releasing lever when the releasing lever is pivoted
upwardly towards the adjusting screw rod to unlock the movable front jaw and the stationary
front jaw.
The Invention
[0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide locking pliers with
a releasing lever that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawback of the prior
art.
[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided locking pliers that include'
a stationary front jaw, a stationary handle extending rearwardly from the stationary
front jaw, a movable front jaw disposed below and aligned with the stationary front
jaw and pivoted to the stationary handle, a movable handle pivoted to and extending
rearwardly from the movable front jaw, an adjusting screw rod engaging threadedly
a rear end of the stationary handle and having a rear end portion that extends outwardly
from the rear end of the stationary handle, a locking lever pivoted to the movable
handle and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom toward the rear end of the
stationary handle to abut against a front end of the adjusting screw rod, and a biasing
member interconnecting the movable front jaw and the stationary handle. The movable
front jaw is moved toward the stationary front jaw to clamp an object therebetween
when the movable handle and the stationary handle are forcefully brought together
by an external force applied thereto. The movable front jaw and the stationary front
jaw remain locked until the movable handle and the stationary handle are forcefully
separated. The locking pliers further include a releasing lever pivoted to and extending
rearwardly and upwardly from the movable handle toward the rear end portion of the
adjusting screw rod. The releasing lever has a front end that is pivoted on the movable
handle, a protrusion that is disposed adjacent to the front end and that abuts against
the locking lever, and a rear end portion that is opposite to the front end and that
is disposed below and aligned with the rear end portion of the adjusting screw rod.
The rear end portion of the releasing lever has a flex wall body that defines a trough
which is aligned with and which opens toward the rear end portion of the adjusting
screw rod. The flex wall body has a substantially flat central portion defining a
bottom side of the trough, and two opposite curved side portions flaring curvedly
and upwardly from the flat central portion to define two opposite sides of the trough.
The flat central portion has a width in a transverse direction relative to the length
of the releasing lever. The width is larger than the diameter of the rear end portion
of the adjusting screw rod.
Drawings
[0006]
Fig. 1 is a side view of the preferred embodiment of locking pliers according to this
invention with some non-visible parts shown in dashed lines.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a releasing lever of the embodiment of this invention;
and
Fig. 3 is a sectional view to illustrate how pinching of the user's fingers is avoided
when the releasing lever is pivoted toward an adjusting screw rod.
[0007] Figs. 1 to 3 illustrate the preferred embodiment of locking pliers according to this
invention.
[0008] The locking pliers include: a stationary front jaw 21, a stationary handle 22 extending
rearwardly from the stationary front jaw 21, a movable front jaw 31 disposed below
and aligned with the stationary front jaw 21 and pivoted to the stationary handle
22, a movable handle 32 pivoted to and extending rearwardly from the movable front
jaw 31, an adjusting screw rod 23 engaging threadedly a rear end 221 of the stationary
handle 22 and having a rear end portion 231 that extends outwardly from the rear end
221 of the stationary handle 22, a locking lever 33 pivoted to the movable handle
32 and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom toward the rear end 221 of the
stationary handle 22 to abut against a front end 232 of the adjusting screw rod 23,
and a biasing member 34 interconnecting the movable front jaw 31 and the stationary
handle 22. The movable front jaw 31 is moved toward the stationary front jaw 21 to
clamp an object 100 therebetween when the movable handle 32 and the stationary handle
22 are forcefully brought together by an external force applied thereto. The movable
front jaw 31 and the stationary front jaw 21 remain locked until the movable handle
32 and the stationary handle 22 are forcefully separated. The locking pliers further
include a releasing lever 4 pivoted to and extending rearwardly and upwardly from
the movable handle 32 toward the rear end portion 231 of the adjusting screw rod 23.
The releasing lever 4 has a front end 41 that is pivoted to the movable handle 32,
a protrusion 44 that is disposed adjacent to the front end 41 and that abuts against
the locking lever 33, and a rear end portion 42 that is opposite to the front end
41 and that is disposed below and aligned with the rear end portion 231 of the adjusting
screw rod 23. The rear end portion 42 of the releasing lever 4 has a flex wall body
that defines a trough 40 which is aligned with and which opens toward the rear end
portion 231 of the adjusting screw rod 23. The flex wall body has a substantially
flat central portion 421 defining a bottom side of the trough 40, and two opposite
curved side portions 422 flaring curvedly and upwardly from the flat central portion
421 to define two opposite sides of the trough 40. The flat central portion 421 has
a width (W) in a transverse direction relative to the length of the releasing lever
4. The width (W) is larger than the diameter (D) of the rear end portion 231 of the
adjusting screw rod 23.
[0009] The releasing lever 4 has a straight portion 45 pivoted to and extending rearwardly
and upwardly from the movable handle 32 toward the rear end portion 231 of the adjusting
screw rod 23. The rear end portion 42 of the releasing lever 4 extends and is slightly
bent from the straight portion 45 in a downward direction so as to define a shallow
recess 43 therebetween and so as to facilitate upward turning of the releasing lever
4.
[0010] By virtue of the configuration of the releasing lever 4, the user's fingers are spaced
far away from the rear end portion 231 of the adjusting screw rod 23 by the rear end
portion 42 of the releasing lever 4, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. As such, the aforesaid
drawback as encountered in the prior art can be eliminated.
1. Locking pliers including a stationary front jaw (21), a stationary handle (22) extending
rearwardly from the stationary front jaw (21), a movable front jaw (31) disposed below
and aligned with the stationary front jaw (21) and pivoted on the stationary handle
(22), a movable handle (32) pivoted on and extending rearwardly from the movable front
jaw (31), an adjusting screw rod (23) engaging threadedly a rear end (221) of the
stationary handle (22) and having a rear end portion (231) that extends outwardly
from the rear end (221) of the stationary handle (22), a locking lever (33) pivoted
on the movable handle (32) and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom toward
the rear end (221) of the stationary handle (22) to abut against a front end (232)
of the adjusting screw rod (23), and a biasing member (34) interconnecting the movable
front jaw (31) and the stationary handle (22), the movable front jaw (31) being moved
toward the stationary front jaw (21) to clamp an obj ect (100) therebetween when the
movable handle (32) and the stationary handle (22) are forcefully brought together
by an external force applied thereto, the movable front jaw (31) and the stationary
front jaw (21) remaining locked until the movable handle (32) and the stationary handle
(22) are forcefully separated, the locking pliers being
characterized by:
a releasing lever (4) pivoted on and extending rearwardly and upwardly from the movable
handle (32) toward the rear end portion (231) of the adjusting screw rod (23), the
releasing lever (4) having a front end (41) that is pivoted on the movable handle
(32), a protrusion (44) that is disposed adjacent to the front end (41) and that abuts
against the locking lever (33), and a rear end portion (42) that is opposite to the
front end (41) and that is disposed below and aligned with the rear end portion (231)
of the adjusting screw rod (23), the rear end portion (42) of the releasing lever
(4) having a flex wall body that defines a trough (40) which is aligned with and which
opens toward the rear end portion (231) of the adjusting screw rod (23), the flex
wall body having a substantially flat central portion (421) defining a bottom side
of the trough (40), and two opposite curved side portions (422) flaring curvedly and
upwardly from the flat central portion (421) to define two opposite sides of the trough
(40), the flat central portion (421) having a width (W) in a transverse direction
relative to the length of the releasing lever (4), the width (W) being larger than
the diameter (D) of the rear end portion (231) of the adjusting screw rod (23).
2. The locking pliers of Claim 1, characterized in that the releasing lever (4) has a straight portion (45) pivoted on and extending rearwardly
and upwardly from the movable handle (32) toward the rear end portion (231) of the
adjusting screw rod (23), the rear end portion (42) of the releasing lever (4) extending
and being slightly bent from the straight portion (45) in a downward direction so
as to define a shallow recess (43) therebetween.