The present invention relates to a control device for angle adjustable hand tool.

A conventional angle adjustable hand tool is disclosed in US Pat. No. 7131356 which includes a spring and a positioning plate at the front end of the adjusting member and the positioning plate supports the driving head when the adjusting member is disengaged from the teeth of the driving head such that the driving head does not fall suddenly. However, extra parts are required and the assembly processes becomes complicated and difficult.

Another conventional angle adjustable hand tool is disclosed in US Pat. No. 7168346 which includes a button and a hole is defined in the center of the button so as to accommodate a second connection member. This requires a larger area for the button. When a small scale of hand tool is manufactured, the area button becomes a difficult part to be manufactured and a small area of button might be broken when drilling the hole at its center.

Further, EP 1533081, US 6857341, US 6216317, US 2004083861 and US 7131356 also disclose similar adjustable hand tool, which include a handle and a head that is angle-adjustable to the handle.

The present invention intends to provide a control device for an angle adjustable hand tool which includes a simple and compact structure and effectively control the driving head during the process for setting its angle.

The present invention relates to an angle adjustable hand tool which comprises a handle having a first connection end and a first hole is defined axially in the first connection end so as to receive a spring and a pawl therein. A second hole is defined in the first connection end and perpendicularly communicates with the first hole so as to receive another spring and button therein. A driving head includes a driving member and a second connection end which is pivotably connected to the first connection end and includes a second engagement end. The pawl is includes a first engagement end which is removably engaged with the second engagement end. At least one first flat surface is defined in a shank of the pawl and a first contact surface connects the at least one first flat surface. The button includes at least one second flat surface which is matched with the at least one first flat surface of the pawl. A recess is defined in the button and located substantially perpendicular to the at least one second flat surface. A second contact surface connects the recess.

When the button is pushed, the second contact surface is disengaged from the first contact surface and the pawl is then located in the recess of the button so that the driving head can be pivoted and the second engagement end of the driving head moves over the first engagement end of the pawl to adjust the angle of the driving head relative to the handle. The first engagement end of the pawl is engaged with the second engagement end again when releasing the button.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a control device for adjusting the driving head relative to the handle, the driving head is kept being engaged with a pawl when pivoting to a new angle. The control device is easily to be assembled and operated.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

• Fig. 1 is an exploded view to show the control device of the angle adjustable hand tool of the present invention;
• Fig. 1-1 shows the button and the spring for biasing the button;
• Fig. 1-2 shows the pawl and the spring for biasing the pawl;
• Fig. 2 shows that the pawl is engaged with the teeth of the driving head;
• Fig. 3 shows a partial cross sectional view of the control device of the hand tool;
• Fig. 3-1 is a cross sectional view taken along line a-a in Fig. 3;
• Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view to show that the pawl is engaged with the teeth of the driving head;
• Fig. 5 is a plain view to show the button is pushed and pawl is not positioned by the button;
• Fig. 6 is a side partial cross sectional view to show that the button is pushed and the driving head is pivoted;
• Fig. 6-1 is a cross sectional view taken along line b-b in Fig. 6;
• Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view to show the pawl is located in the recess of the button when the button is pushed;
• Fig. 8 is an exploded view to show another embodiment of the control device of the present invention;
• Fig. 8-1 shows the button and the spring for biasing the button of the embodiment in Fig. 8;
• Fig. 8-2 shows the pawl and the spring for biasing the pawl of the embodiment in Fig. 8;
• Fig. 9 is a plain view to show the button is pushed and pawl is positioned by the button for the embodiment of Fig. 8;
• Fig. 10 is a side partial cross sectional view to show that the button is not pushed and the pawl is engaged with the driving head for the embodiment of Fig. 8;
• Fig. 10-1 is a cross sectional view taken along line c-c in Fig. 10;
• Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view to show that the pawl is engaged with the teeth of the driving head;
• Fig. 12 is a plain view to show the button is pushed and pawl is not positioned by the button for the embodiment of Fig. 8;
• Fig. 13 is a side partial cross sectional view to show that the button is pushed and the driving head is pivoted for the embodiment of Fig. 8;
• Fig. 14 is a cross sectional view taken along line d-d in Fig. 13;
• Fig. 15 shows that the driving member is a ratchet driving member;
• Fig. 16 shows that the driving member is a box end;
• Fig. 17 is a plain view to show yet another embodiment of the hand tool;
• Fig. 18 is a side view of the control device and the hand tool in Fig. 17, and
• Fig. 19 shows that the pawl is engaged with the teeth in the pin for the hand tool in Fig. 17.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, the angle adjustable hand tool of the present invention comprises a handle 10 having a first connection end 11 and a first hole 114 is defined axially in the first connection end 11. The first connection end 11 includes two protrusions 112 and a space 111 is defined between the two protrusions 112. A second hole 115 is defined in the first connection end 11 and perpendicularly communicates with the first hole 114. Two respective springs "A", "B" are received in the first and second holes 114, 115 respectively. A driving head 40 includes a driving member 41 such as an open end as show in Fig. 1 or a ratchet driving member as shown in Fig. 15 or a box end as shown in Fig. 16. A second connection end 42 which is pivotably connected between the two protrusions 112 of the first connection end 11 by extending a pin "C" through the two respective first pin holes 113 on the two protrusions 112 and the second pin hole 44 defined through the insertion of the driving head 40. The insertion includes a second engagement end 43 which includes teeth defined therein. The teeth are shaped to include a V-shaped space or U-shaped space defined between the teeth of the second engagement end 43.

A pawl 20 is movably received in the first hole 114 and biased by the spring "A", the pawl 20 includes a first engagement end 21 which is a wedge end and removably engaged with the teeth of the second engagement end 43. A first flat surface 22 is defined in a shank of the pawl 20 and a first contact surface 23 connects the at least one first flat surface 22. A first guide surface 25 connects the first contact surface 23 of the pawl 20.

A button 30 is engaged with the second hole 115 and biased by the spring "B". The button 30 includes a second flat surface 31 which is matched with the first flat surface 22 of the pawl 20. A recess 32 is defined in the button 30 and located substantially perpendicular to the second flat surface 31. A second guide surface 34 is connected between the recess 32 and a second contact surface 33. As shown in Fig. 4, the pawl 20 is pushed by the second contact surface 33 and the spring "B" so that the first engagement end 21 is engaged with the teeth of the second connection end 42 of the driving head 40.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6, 6-1 and 7, when the button 30 is pushed by the user, the button 30 is lowered and the second contact surface 33 is disengaged from the first contact surface 23, the pawl 20 is then located in the recess 32 of the button 30. The pawl 20 is not longer positioned by the second contact surface 33 so that the driving head 40 can be pivoted and the second engagement end 43 of the driving head 40 moves over the first engagement end 21 of the pawl 20 to adjust the angle of the driving head 40 relative to the handle 10. When releasing the button 30, the first engagement end 21 of the pawl 20 is engaged with the second engagement end 43 again and the pawl 20 is positioned by the button 30.

Figs. 8-14 show another embodiment of the control device of the present invention, wherein the pawl 20 includes a slot 24 defined axially therein so as to define two first flat surfaces 22 in two facing insides of the slot 24. Correspondingly, the button 30 includes two second flat surfaces 31 and the recess 32 is located at two respective ends of the two second flat surfaces 31. The shank of the button 30 is movably engaged with the slot 24 and the two second flat surfaces 31 are engaged with the first flat surfaces 22. By this way, the button 30 cannot rotate. The second contact surface 33 connects the recess 32 via the second guide surface 34 which is a curved and convex surface. The operation processes are the same as the first embodiment of the control device.

Figs. 17 to 19 show that the first connection end 11 of the handle 10 includes an insertion and the second connection end 42 of the driving head 40 includes two protrusions with a space defined therebetween so that the insertion of the first connection end 11 of the handle 10 is pivotably connected between the two protrusions of the second connection end 42 by the pin "C". The pawl 20 is movably inserted in the first hole in the first connection end 11 and the button 30 is perpendicularly engaged with the pawl 20 in the first connection end 11. The pin "C" includes a second engagement end "C1" which includes teeth and located in the space between the two protrusions. The first engagement end 21 of the pawl 20 is engaged with the second engagement end "C1".

When the button 30 is pushed, the second contact surface 33 is disengaged from the first contact surface 23 of the pawl 20 and the pawl 20 is then located in the recess 32 of the button 30. The driving head 40 can be pivoted and the second engagement end C1 of the pin "C" moves over the first engagement end 21 of the pawl 20 to adjust the angle of the driving head 40 relative to the handle 10. The first engagement end 21 of the pawl 20 is engaged with the second engagement end "C1" again when releasing the button 30.

The pawl 20 and the button 30 are directly in contact with each other and the pawl 20 is activated when the button 30 is pushed so that the number of parts can be minimized and the driving head 40 does not drop suddenly when the button 30 is pushed.