Screwdrivers with transformable drive tips

Inventor: Lance LaHanier (Fife, WA)

B25B23/0042 B25B15/004

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12686103
App. No.: 18/477,520
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

Screwdrivers with transformable drive tips (and associated systems, devices, and methods) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a screwdriver includes a shaft assembly having a proximal end region and a distal end region opposite the proximal end region. The screwdriver further includes a handle at the proximal end region of the shaft assembly, and a drive tip at the distal end region of the shaft assembly. The drive tip is transformable between (i) a first configuration corresponding to a first drive tip type and (ii) a second configuration corresponding to a second drive tip type different from the first drive tip type. The screwdriver further includes a rotation mechanism configured to transition the drive tip between the first configuration and the second configuration. In some embodiments, the first drive tip type corresponds to a Phillips drive tip and/or the second drive tip type corresponds to a flathead drive tip.

Claims (38)

1 . A screwdriver, comprising:

a shaft assembly having a proximal end region and a distal end region opposite the proximal end region;

a handle at the proximal end region, the handle including a neck;

a drive tip at the distal end region, the drive tip transformable between (i) a first configuration corresponding to a first drive tip and (ii) a second configuration corresponding to a second drive tip different from the first drive tip; and

a rotation mechanism including a cavity and configured to transition the drive tip between the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein the rotation mechanism is seated on the neck of the handle such that at least part of the neck is received in the cavity.

2 . The screwdriver of claim 1 wherein the shaft assembly includes (i) a first shaft and (ii) a second shaft different from the first shaft.

3 . The screwdriver of claim 2 wherein:

the first shaft and/or the second shaft include first threading;

the rotation mechanism includes second threading corresponding to the first threading; and

the first threading is engageable with the second threading such that (i) rotation of the rotation mechanism in a first direction drives the second shaft toward the distal end region of the shaft assembly and (ii) rotation of the rotation mechanism in a second direction different from the first direction retracts the second shaft away from the distal end region of the shaft assembly.

4 . The screwdriver of claim 2 wherein the first shaft includes a first drive tip portion that corresponds to at least part of the drive tip when the drive tip is in the second configuration.

5 . The screwdriver of claim 4 wherein the second drive tip corresponds to a flathead drive tip.

6 . The screwdriver of claim 4 wherein the second shaft includes a second drive tip portion that corresponds to at least part of the drive tip when the drive tip is in the first configuration.

7 . The screwdriver of claim 6 wherein the first drive tip corresponds to a cross-head drive tip.

8 . The screwdriver of claim 6 wherein the first drive tip portion of the first shaft corresponds to at least another part of the drive tip when the drive tip is in the first configuration.

9 . The screwdriver of claim 2 wherein the second shaft is moveable generally along a longitudinal axis of the first shaft.

10 . The screwdriver of claim 2 wherein the second shaft is at least partially positioned within the first shaft.

11 . The screwdriver of claim 10 wherein:

the first shaft includes a first notch that extends generally along at least part of a longitudinal axis of the first shaft;

the second shaft includes a second notch that is positioned at a distal end portion of the second shaft and that extends generally along at least part of a longitudinal axis of the second shaft; and

the first shaft and the second shaft are interlocked with each other via the first and second notches and such that the longitudinal axes of the first and second shafts are arranged generally parallel to each other.

12 . The screwdriver of claim 11 wherein a lateral axis of the first shaft is arranged generally orthogonal to a lateral axis of the second shaft.

13 . The screwdriver of claim 2 wherein a proximal end portion of the first shaft is fixedly held within the handle.

14 . The screwdriver of claim 1 wherein:

the handle includes a protrusion on the neck;

the cavity of the rotation mechanism includes a recess corresponding to the protrusion; and

the rotation mechanism is seated on the neck such that (i) the protrusion is seated within the recess and (ii) the rotation mechanism is rotatable generally about a longitudinal axis of the screwdriver.

15 . The screwdriver of claim 1 wherein the drive tip is transformable between the first configuration and the second configuration (i) without detaching portions of the shaft assembly from the screwdriver and (ii) without detaching portions of the drive tip from the screwdriver.

16 . A screwdriver, comprising:

a shaft assembly having (i) a proximal end region, (ii) a distal end region opposite the proximal end region, (iii) a first shaft including a first drive tip portion, and (iv) a second shaft including a second drive tip portion;

a handle at the proximal end region;

a rotation mechanism configured to transition the drive tip between the first configuration and the second configuration,

wherein, when the drive tip is in the first configuration, a combination of the first drive tip portion of the first shaft and the second drive tip portion of the second shaft forms the drive tip.

17 . A method of converting a drive tip of a screwdriver between (i) a first configuration corresponding to a first drive tip and (ii) a second configuration corresponding to a second drive tip different from the first drive tip, the method comprising:

moving a second shaft of a shaft assembly of the screwdriver generally along a first shaft of the shaft assembly, wherein the first shaft includes a first drive tip portion, wherein the second shaft includes a second drive tip portion, wherein, when the drive tip is in the second configuration, a combination of the first drive tip portion of the first shaft and the second drive tip portion of the second shaft forms the drive tip, and further wherein moving the second shaft generally along the first shaft includes (i) retracting the second drive tip portion in a first direction generally toward a handle of the screwdriver at a proximal end region of the shaft assembly to convert the drive tip to the first configuration or (ii) extending the second drive tip portion in a second direction generally away from the handle to convert the drive tip to the second configuration.

18 . The method of claim 17 wherein moving the second shaft generally along the first shaft includes rotating a rotation mechanism of the screwdriver to engage threading on the shaft assembly and thereby retract the second drive tip portion in the first direction generally toward the handle to isolate the first drive tip portion and convert the drive tip to the first configuration.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein moving the second shaft generally along the first shaft includes rotating a rotation mechanism of the screwdriver to engage threading on the shaft assembly and thereby extend the second drive tip portion in the second direction generally away from the handle and toward the first drive tip portion such that the second drive tip portion combines with the first drive tip portion to convert the drive tip to the second configuration.