Tools – Wrench – screwdriver – or driver therefor – Responsive to torque on work
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-20
2001-11-13
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Wrench, screwdriver, or driver therefor
Responsive to torque on work
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314846
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to torque wrenches, and more particularly, the invention relates to a torque wrench that visually indicates when a desired torque has been applied to a fastener. The torque wrench may be used in electronic systems, and the torque wrench may be storable within an enclosure of the electronic system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Torque wrenches are typically used to apply a selected amount of torque to a threaded fastener to connect two elements together. The fastener may be in the nature of a bolt, screw, or nut. Applying excessive torque to a fastener may result in damage to the threading of the fastener, or excessive torque may damage the elements that the fastener joins together. Applying too little torque to a fastener may result in a loose connection between the two elements.
There are several types of torque wrenches that are capable of applying a desired torque to a fastener. One type of torque wrench informs a user when a specific torque has been applied by producing a loud click. The user of this type of torque wrench hears and feels the click when the user applies a specific amount of torque to a fastener. Another type of torque wrench indicates when a specific torque has been applied by disengaging a driving head when the specific amount of torque has been applied. Another type of torque wrench has a gage that indicates the amount of torque that has been applied to a fastener. Some disadvantages of these types of torque wrenches may include that the torque wrenches are mechanically complicated and expensive. Also, these types of torque wrenches may require regular calibration to ensure that the torque wrenches indicate a desired torque during use.
Many electrical systems have components that are connected by fasteners to a circuit board. In one type of connection, a connecting edge of a card may be inserted into a corresponding high density connector socket on a circuit board. The connecting edge may be a single continuous edge, or the connecting edge may have a high density of conducting members or conductors. The connecting edge may necessitate careful tightening of fasteners that attach the card to a socket on the circuit board. If the fasteners are not tightened enough, all of the connecting edge may not make contact with corresponding connections in the socket. If the fasteners are tightened too tightly, the connecting edge or the socket connections may be damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The problems outlined above may in large part be solved by a torque wrench which has a visible indicator that informs a user when a desired amount of torque has been applied to a fastener. The torque wrench may be used to tighten a fastener with a proper amount of torque, or the torque wrench may be used to test if a tightened fastener has been tightened with a sufficient amount of torque. The torque wrench is mechanically simple, easily producible, inexpensive, and does not require calibration. The torque wrench includes a handle and a drive head. The handle includes a lever arm, a looped section, and a drive section. A gap is formed between an end of the lever arm and a portion of the drive section.
A drive head for the torque wrench may be an integral part of the drive section of the handle. The drive head of the torque wrench may be coupled to a tool opening in the head of a fastener. The tool opening may be adapted to accept any of a variety of different types of drive heads including, but not limited to a screw driver blade, a hex head drive, a square head drive, or a star drive. When the drive head is coupled to a tool opening of a fastener, applying force to the handle may result in torque being transmitted to the fastener.
To tighten a fastener having right-handed threading with the torque wrench, the fastener is placed in a threaded opening and tightened by hand in a clockwise direction. To apply a proper torque to the fastener, the drive head of the torque wrench is placed in the tool opening of the fastener. Force is applied to the lever arm of the torque wrench to rotate the fastener in a clockwise direction. The application of force to the lever arm causes the gap between ends of the looped section to narrow. The proper amount of torque is applied to the fastener when the gap between the end of the lever arm and the portion of the drive section closes. The user can watch the gap as force is applied to the lever arm, and the user can stop applying force when the gap closes.
A common problem associated with using a torque wrench to apply a selected amount of torque to a fastener is that the torque wrench is not immediately at hand when the user desires to install a card within a system. This problem may be overcome by having a receptacle within a electronic system for storing the torque wrench. The receptacle may be a drawer which is positionable in a device bay of a computer enclosure. When a user needs to install a card on a circuit board, the user can open the drawer, remove the torque wrench, and use the torque wrench to install the card with the proper amount of torque. After use, the user can return the torque wrench to the storage compartment. Because the torque wrench is easily producible and inexpensive, a drawer and torque wrench may be installed in a new computer system during assembly of the system.
REFERENCES:
patent: 86845 (1869-02-01), Laflin
patent: 3283620 (1966-11-01), Bailey
patent: 3485117 (1969-12-01), Tyrrell et al.
Conley Rose & Tayon PC
Hail III Joseph J.
Kivlin B. Noäl
Sun Microsystems Inc.
Thomas David B.
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