BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a socket structure, in particular to an improved
magnetic socket structure.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] In general, a bushing tool is applied for installing or removing a polygonal turning
part such as a nut or a spark plug, but the part cannot be attached to a socket easily
when a conventional socket is used for installing or removing the part, and the part
falls off very often during the installation or removal process, and obviously such
conventional socket causes tremendous inconvenience to users. Therefore, a magnetic
bushing tool is introduced to the market. With reference to FIG. 5 for a common conventional
magnetic socket structure, the structure includes a fixing base 52 embedded into an
acting end 51 of a socket 50, a shaft 53 passed into the fixing base 52, a fixing
portion 54 extended outward and formed at an end of the shaft 53, a magnetic device
55 installed at another end of the shaft 53, and an elastic element 56 installed between
the fixing base 52 and the magnetic device 55, such that a magnetic attraction is
provided to the socket 50 for attracting a part such as a nut or a spark plug by the
magnetic device 55 to prevent the part from falling off. However, when the socket
50 with this structure is used, no support is provided to the shaft 53, and thus the
magnetic device 55 may be moved and deviated easily by non-uniform forces, and thus
making the insertion of a workpiece into the socket 50 very difficult.
[0003] With reference to FIG. 6 for another magnetic bushing tool structure, an acting end
61 of a bushing tool 60 includes a fixing base 62, an elastic element 63, a magnetic
device 64 and a slide bushing 65 installed sequentially, wherein the magnetic device
64 is sheathed into an internal periphery of the slide bushing 65, and the external
periphery of the slide bushing 65 is attached to an internal sidewall 66 of the acting
end 61, such that when a force is exerted onto the elastic element 63, the slide bushing
65 is driven to move along the sidewall of the acting end 61, and the external periphery
of the slide bushing 65 is attached closely to the internal sidewall 66 of the acting
end 61 to prevent the elastic element 63 from being moved or correct a deviation caused
by the movement of the elastic element 63. However the bushing tool 60 with such magnetic
structure has the slide bushing 65 of a size corresponding to the internal sidewall
66 of the acting end 61 of the bushing tool 60, and thus the slide bushing 65 with
a single size specification cannot be applied to the bushing tool 60 of a different
size specification, and it is necessary to manufacture another slide bushing 65 for
the required size specification. Obviously, the conventional bushing tool is not cost-effective.
[0004] In view of the foregoing shortcomings of the prior art, the inventor of the present
invention based on years of experience in the related industry to conduct extensive
researches and experiments, and finally developed a magnetic socket structure in accordance
with the present invention to guide the moving path of a magnetic part and provide
an application of the bushing tool to fit different size specifications.
Summary of the Invention
[0005] Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved
magnetic socket structure capable of guiding the moving path of the magnetic part
and preventing the elastic element from deviating from its moving path.
[0006] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved magnetic socket
structure applied to a bushing tool that fits different size specifications.
[0007] To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides an improved magnetic
socket structure, comprising:
a body, having an end formed as a force exerted end, and another end formed as an
acting end;
a guide element, for accommodating the internal side of the force exerted end of the
body, and having a guide penetrating hole disposed therein, a side wall disposed on
a side of the guide penetrating hole, and a through hole disposed in the side wall;
a magnetic module, comprised of a position limit shaft, a magnetic element and an
elastic element, and the position limit shaft being passed into the through hole of
the guide element, and an end of the position limit shaft being extended outward to
form a position limit portion, and another end of the position limit shaft being coupled
to the magnetic element, and the position limit shaft being embedded into the guide
penetrating hole of the guide element through the position limit portion, and the
position limit portion having an external periphery matched precisely with a hole
diameter of the guide penetrating hole, such that the position limit portion can be
moved linearly along the guide penetrating hole, and the elastic element being installed
between the magnetic element and the guide element.
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the
accompanying drawings. Only some embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
in the drawings, but it should be pointed out that many other modifications are conceivable
within the scope of the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009]
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an application of the present invention, showing the
state when a magnetic element is moved by a force;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an application of the present invention, showing the
state when the elasticity of an elastic element is acted on a magnetic element;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a conventional bushing tool with a magnetic structure;
and
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of another conventional bushing tool with a magnetic structure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0010] The present invention provides an improved magnetic socket structure comprising a
body 11, a guide element 21 and a magnetic module 31.
[0011] The body 11 is substantially in a cylindrical shape, and an end of the body 11 is
formed as a force exerted end 12 having a quadrilateral hole, and the force exerted
end 12 is aligned with a driving end (not shown in the figure) of a driving tool,
and another end of the body 11 is formed as an acting end 14 with a hexagonal hole
for sheathing a workpiece such as a hexagonal bolt, nut or spark plug.
[0012] The guide element 21 is made of an elastic material and used for accommodating an
internal side of the force exerted end 12 of the body 11, wherein the guide element
21 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, and the guide element 21 includes a
guide penetrating hole 22 therein, a side wall 24 disposed on a lateral side of the
guide penetrating hole 22, and a through hole 26 disposed in the side wall 24, and
the guide element 21 has an external periphery slightly greater than a hole diameter
of the force exerted end 12 of the body 11, such that when the guide element 21 is
plugged into the force exerted end 12 of the body 11, the elasticity of the external
periphery of the guide element 21 compresses and fixes the guide element 21 into the
force exerted end 12 of the body 11.
[0013] The magnetic module 31 is comprised of a position limit shaft 32, a magnetic element
34 and an elastic element 36, wherein the position limit shaft 32 is passed through
the through hole 26 of the guide element 21, and an end of the position limit shaft
32 is extended outward to form a position limit portion 33, and another end of the
position limit shaft 32 is coupled to the magnetic element 34, and the position limit
shaft 32 is embedded into the guide penetrating hole 22 of the guide element 21 through
the position limit portion 33, and the position limit portion 33 has an external periphery
matched precisely with the hole diameter of the guide penetrating hole 22, such that
the position limit portion 33 can be moved linearly along the guide penetrating hole
22, and the elastic element 36 is installed between the magnetic element 34 and the
guide element 21 for providing an elasticity to the magnetic element 34.
[0014] When the magnetic socket structure with the aforementioned components of the invention
as shown in FIG. 3 is used, and the acting end 14 of the body 11 is embedded and engaged
with a screw workpiece 40, the magnetic element 34 is in contact with a distal surface
of the screw workpiece 40, such that the magnetic element 34 is forced to move by
an external force. Since the guide penetrating hole 22 guides the moving path of the
magnetic module 31, the magnetic element 34 will not be deviated from its moving path
by the external force. After the installation or removal of a part is completed as
shown in FIG. 3, the elasticity provided by the elastic element 36 props the screw
workpiece 40 attracted by the magnetic element 34 to restore its original position
outside the socket 11, so as to facilitate users to remove the screw workpiece 40.
[0015] With reference to FIG. 4 for a second preferred embodiment of the present invention,
a fixing base 37 is disposed between the magnetic element 34 and the position limit
shaft 32, and the magnetic element 34 is installed in the fixing base 37, and the
fixing base 37 is connected to the position limit shaft 32, and the action of the
fixing base 37 limits the magnetic attracting position of the magnetic element 34.
[0016] It is noteworthy to point out that the size specification of the socket is determined
by the hole diameter of the acting end 14, and the force exerted end 12 of the socket
corresponds to the driving end of the driving tool, and thus the size specification
of the force exerted end 12 must be the same as that of the socket. However, the invention
adopts an elastic guide element 21 to be compressed and fixed into the force exerted
end 12 of the body 11, so that the invention simply requires to design the guide element
21 with a size corresponding to the force exerted end 12 of the body 11 to fit a bushing
tool with an acting end 14 of a different size specification. In addition, the guide
element 21 of the invention is elastically compressed and fixed into the force exerted
end 12 of the body 11, such that the guide element 21 can be removed from the force
exerted end 12 of the body 11 and then installed to a bushing tool with another different-sized
acting end 14. Therefore, the invention provides a good interchangeability to fit
acting ends 14 of different sizes.
[0017] In addition, the shape of the guide element 21 is not limited to a circular shape
only. Since the guide element 21 is compressed and fixed into the force exerted end
12 of the bushing tool by the elasticity of the guide element, we can simply design
the guide element 21 with an external diameter slightly greater than the hole diameter
of the force exerted end 12 of the bushing tool. Thus, the guide element 21 can also
be in a square shape, a polygonal shape or an irregular shape to achieve the equivalent
effect of compressing and fixing the guide element 21 into the force exerted end 12
of the bushing tool in accordance with the present invention.
[0018] In summation of the description above, the present invention herein enhances the
performance over the conventional structure and further complies with the patent application
requirements and thus is duly filed for patent application.
1. An improved magnetic socket structure, comprising:
a body (11), including an end formed as a force exerted end (12), and another end
formed as an acting end (14);
a guide element (21), for accommodating an internal side of the force exerted end
(12) of the body (11), and the guide element (21) having a guide penetrating hole
(22) disposed therein, a side wall (24) disposed on a side of the guide penetrating
hole (22), and a through hole (26) disposed in the side wall (24);
a magnetic module (31), comprised of a position limit shaft (32), a magnetic element
(34) and an elastic element (36), and the position limit shaft (32) passed through
the through hole (26) of the guide element (21), and an end of the position limit
shaft (32) being extended outward to form a position limit portion (33), and another
end of the position limit shaft (32) being coupled to a magnetic
element (34), and a position limit portion (33) of the position limit shaft (32) being
embedded into the guide penetrating hole (22) of the guide element (21), and the external
periphery of the position limit portion (33) matching precisely with a hole diameter
of the guide penetrating hole (22), such that the position limit portion (33) can
be moved linearly along the guide penetrating hole (22), and the elastic element (36)
being installed between the magnetic element (34) and the guide element (21) for providing
an elasticity to the magnetic element (34).
2. The improved magnetic socket structure of claim 1, wherein the guide element (21)
is made of an elastic material, and the guide element (21) has a substantially U-shaped
cross-section.
3. The improved magnetic socket structure of claim 2, wherein the guide element (21)
has an external periphery slightly greater than a hole diameter of the force exerted
end (12) of the body (11).
4. The improved magnetic socket structure of claim 2, wherein the guide element (21)
is in a shape selected from the collection of a circular shape, a square shape, a
polygonal shape and an irregular shape.
5. The improved magnetic socket structure of claim 1, further comprising a fixing base
(37) disposed between the magnetic element (34) and the position limit shaft (32),
and the magnetic element (34) is installed in the fixing base (37), and the fixing
base (37) is connected to the position limit shaft (32).