Tools – Handle for tool – Having storage compartment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2001-12-25
Smith, James G. (Department: 3723)
Tools
Handle for tool
Having storage compartment
C081S439000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332384
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a screwdriver having multiple bits selectable for use one at the time and the bits being stored inside a handle of the screwdriver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, different approaches have been tried to provide screwdrivers having a plurality of bits accessibly stored in a housing of the screwdriver, the housing generally also serving as the screwdriver gripping handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,729 (Lemieux) shows a multiple driver tool having a chamber for holding a plurality of screw drivers. Each driver has a guided slide, by means of which the driver can be selectively moved to a passage extending away from an end of the chamber. Guide means in the chamber directs each driver towards and into the passage during movement of that driver. Each driver is long enough, that when in the passage, it projects beyond the end of the tool. Each driver is attached to a flexible actuator, which can be used to slide the driver from a stored position, inside the tool, to an extended position, where the tip of the driver protrudes outside the tool. In the extended position, wings arranged at the sides of the driver engage slots in the tool housing, to provide a torque transfer from the tool to the driver. Simultaneously, the driver is held in the extended position by a spring biased pin latch engaging a groove in the driver. The user of the tool has to release the pin latch, by pressing a lever disengaging the pin latch from the groove, to slide the driver back into the retracted position. The drivers (bits) are required to have the specially shaped groove (with a stepped surface to catch on the pin latch) and the torque transfer wings, making it necessary to manufacture drivers that are non-standard and therefor more expensive. The latch mechanism, with its lever operated latch pin, is also seemingly fragile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,745 (Koehler) shows a hollow screwdriver housing with a handle portion at the rear of the housing. The front of the housing is open and individual screwdriver bits are slidable back and forth from a stored position angularly located inside the housing in a retracted position, to a in-use position where a hexagonal end of the screwdriver bit is held by a central column attached to the handle and where the working tip of the screwdriver bit extends outside the housing. Each bit has an actuator attached to it, the actuator extending through an opening in the housing. The bit may be moved from a storage position inside the handle by pressing the pre-selected actuator, moving the bit outside of the open end of the housing, holding the actuator down and retracting the bit to engage a recess of the central column. The substantially long-reaching bit is held by the recess only, for both torque transfer and lateral support. The actuator attaches substantially to the middle of the bit, to provide a small amount of additional lateral support. If any side-ways pressure is applied on the bit, by the user exerting force via the handle, it seems apparent that the bit according to this construction lacks sufficient lateral support for high-torque applications. Since substantially long-reaching bits are used, the space requirements inside the handle are large, and to provide a suitably well-anchored central column, the length of the handle is also large. The end result is a tool of substantial length.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved multi-bit screwdriver, which overcomes all or most of the apparent drawbacks associated with the cited prior art.
In the invention, a multiple bit screwdriver is described, having an elongated housing with a plurality of longitudinal channels, each channel having a longitudinal slot opening the channel to an outer surface of the housing. A plurality of screwdriver bits are slidably arranged one in each channel, each bit having a working end and an attachment end. A plurality of elongated sliding means are arranged in each channel to reciprocally slide the bit between a retracted position and an extended position. The sliding means have a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotably attached to the attachment end of one of the plurality of bits, the second end having a manipulation means protruding from the channel via the slot. Further, a bit clamping unit, having a chamber communicating with a central through hole of a forward portion of the clamping unit, is arranged at a forward end of the screwdriver. The clamping unit is securely attached to the housing, the bits protruding through the central through hole in the extended position. The clamping unit has at least one radially extending cutout connecting the central through hole with an external surface of the forward portion of the clamping unit, a plurality of locking elements arranged in each cutout, and a sleeve arranged to reciprocally slide over the forward portion of the clamping unit between a forward position and a rearward position biased by a spring towards the forward position. The sleeve has a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end having a retaining ridge cooperating with retaining means arranged on the clamping unit to prevent the sleeve from being removed. The forward end has a sloping recess aligned with the cutouts to apply pressure on the locking elements in the forward position of the sleeve, to clamp the bit when in the extended position and to free the locking elements when the sleeve is in the rearward position, to allow the bit to be slid to the retracted position.
Preferably, there are three of locking elements.
Preferably, there are six screwdriver bits.
Advantageously, the screwdriver further has an end cap securely attached to the housing at a side opposite the bit clamping unit.
The bit clamping unit preferably has guide recesses arranged on an inside of the chamber to form a guide path directing the bits into the central through hole.
The manipulation means is preferably arranged on an outer arm of the second end and has a dish held by a stem protruding from the channel via the slot, so that the dish is slidable in the longitudinal recess.
The second end preferably has a lower arm with a heel arranged on a side facing inwards when the second end is inserted in the channel, for cooperation with the channel, so that when the sliding means is in the retracted position the heel protrudes radially out from the channel holding the sliding means in position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2629413 (1953-02-01), Stettler
patent: 2635661 (1953-04-01), Egan
patent: 3006395 (1961-10-01), Dye
patent: 3750729 (1973-08-01), Lemieux
patent: 4716795 (1988-01-01), Corona et al.
patent: 4762036 (1988-08-01), Orlitzky et al.
patent: 4768405 (1988-09-01), Nickipuck
patent: 5325745 (1994-07-01), Koehler
patent: 5337637 (1994-08-01), Bih-Lien
patent: 5526721 (1996-06-01), Waisvisz
patent: 5673600 (1997-10-01), Yanagi et al.
patent: 5813296 (1998-09-01), Hoff et al.
patent: 6205893 (2001-03-01), Sato
Armstrong R. Craig
Shakeri Hadi
Smith James G.
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