U.S. patent application number 09/833071 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-24 for holster for power tools.
Invention is credited to Field, Stephen John.
Application Number | 20020008128 09/833071 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 9889808 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020008128 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Field, Stephen John |
January 24, 2002 |
Holster for power tools
Abstract
A holster for a tool such as a cordless drill which permits
rapid and easy insertion of the drill and permits a variety of
models to be used in the same holster comprises a tubular body
portion having an open top end and open bottom end sized to receive
the body portion of a tool, the tubular body portion having an
elongate cutaway section extending along the length of the tubular
body portion from the top edge and sized to receive the handle of
the tool, and an attachment for attaching the holster to a
user.
Inventors: |
Field, Stephen John;
(London, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LYON & LYON LLP
633 WEST FIFTH STREET
SUITE 4700
LOS ANGELES
CA
90071
US
|
Family ID: |
9889808 |
Appl. No.: |
09/833071 |
Filed: |
April 11, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/678 ;
224/251; 224/904 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 5/021 20130101;
B25H 3/006 20130101; A45F 5/02 20130101; A45F 2200/0566
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/678 ;
224/251; 224/904 |
International
Class: |
A45C 001/04; A45F
003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 12, 2000 |
GB |
0009066.2 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A holster for a tool of the type comprising a body portion and a
handle portion which projects from the body portion in a direction
generally perpendicular to the central axis of the body portion
characterized in that the holster comprises a tubular body portion
having open top and bottom ends sized to receive the body portion
of a tool, the tubular body portion having an elongate cutaway
section extending along at least 50% of the length of the tubular
body portion from the top edge and sized to receive the handle of
the tool, and means for attachment of the holster to a user which
means allows the holster to maintain a vertical or substantially
vertical alignment when attached to the user.
2. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the tubular body portion
is rigid or substantially rigid.
3. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the cutaway section
extends for at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, more preferably
at least 90% of he length of the tubular body portion.
4. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the cutaway section is
flared outwardly at its upper edge.
5. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the cutaway section is
provided with a notch on its lower edge.
6. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means
comprises a flexible loop.
7. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the attachment means is
fixed to the tubular body portion through a pivot.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority from U.K. Application No.
0009066.2, filed Apr. 12, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is concerned with a holster for power
tools and in particular for power tools having a generally
cylindrical body portion with a pistol grip handle projecting from
the body portion such as a cordless drill.
[0003] Cordless power tools such as drills are widely used in the
construction industry and by DIY users. The user frequently needs
to pick up and put down the tool while carrying out other tasks.
The user requires the tool to be readily to hand when needed but
also securely held when not in use because they are relatively
heavy and can be damaged by falling from even a small height and
present an injury risk to anyone working below should the tool
fall. In addition the user needs to be able to carry the tool
around easily when moving around, for example climbing ladders or
scaffolding. The most convenient way to achieve this is to choose a
holster attached to the user.
[0004] Holsters for power tools are known and generally take the
form of a leather or fabric harness or pouch. Such holsters are
often designed to receive one tool, or only a limited range of
tools. A problem with such holsters is that the leather or fabric
wears rapidly and often distorts with use making it difficult to
easily and rapidly insert and remove the tool from the holster.
Such holsters generally require an additional means such as a strap
to secure the tool if the operator will be climbing or moving
around.
[0005] There is a need for a holster which retains tools securely
at all times, is robust and which permits rapid and easy insertion
and removal of the tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention provides a holster for a
tool of the type comprising a body portion and a handle portion
which projects from the body portion in a direction generally
perpendicular to the central axis of the body portion characterized
in that the holster comprises a tubular body portion having a open
top and bottom ends sized to receive the body portion of a tool,
the tubular body portion having an elongate cutaway section
extending along at least 50% of the length of the tubular body
portion from the top edge and sized to receive the handle of the
tool, and means for attachment of the holster to a user which means
allows the holster to maintain a vertical or substantially vertical
alignment when attached to the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The FIGURE shows a schematic front view of a holster
according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0008] The body portion of the holster is of a tubular
construction, e.g., substantially cylindrical, and may be
fabricated from any substantially rigid material such as aluminium
or plastics materials such as polyethylene or polyurethane. The
rigid construction prevents distortion of the holster so that even
after prolonged use the tool may be rapidly and easily inserted
into the holster.
[0009] The tubular body portion is open at both top and bottom ends
and is provided with a cutaway section in the general form of an
elongate slot extending from the top edge of the tubular body
portion along a substantial length of the tubular body portion. The
cutaway section will extend at least 50%, and preferably 75%, 80%,
90% or more of the length of the body portion.
[0010] The cutaway section may be outwardly flared at its upper end
to make insertion of a tool such as a drill easier and to provide
some guidance as the drill is inserted into the holster.
[0011] The bottom edge of the cutaway section may be provided with
a notch. This assists in locating the handle of the drill in the
holster which will rest in the notch in the region of the trigger
switch and also prevents the trigger switch contacting the bottom
edge of the cutaway section so that the drill the drill is not
accidentally operated in the holster or whilst being inserted or
removed should the operator not engage the switch lock and assists
in preventing the drill from rotating within the holster.
[0012] The interior of the holster may be lined with a plastics or
rubber material to provide protection for the drill.
[0013] The holster is provided with a means of attachment to the
user such that the holster is weighted to take up a generally
vertical alignment when attached to the user.
[0014] One means of attachment is to use a relatively narrow loop
of a flexible material such as webbing or similar material which
can be attached to the operator's belt. The narrow loop and the
weight of the drill in the holster ensures that the holster always
hangs vertically even when the operator moves and the drill is
therefore retained securely within the holster at all times.
[0015] Alternatively, the means for attachment may be joined to the
holster body through a pivot connection such that the holster is
able to move freely about the pivot and hang in a vertical
position.
[0016] Attachment of the holster such as through a flexible or
freely pivotable attachment means ensures that the holster remains
substantially vertical, and so securely retains the tool
independent of the movement of the user. Thus it is not necessary
to provide a separate retaining means or size the holster so as to
retain the tool by friction so that the tool may be freely and
easily removed from the holster at any time.
[0017] In addition since the tubular body portion does not need to
be sized to fit closely to the body of the drill a large number of
different drill designs can be retained by a single size of
holster.
[0018] Another advantage of the holster of the present invention is
that the front end of the drill projects through the lower end of
the holster but the drill is effectively locked in position against
rotational movement by the handle in the cutaway section which
means that the chuck of a drill can be easily operated whilst the
drill is in the holster to change bits even with one hand if
necessary.
[0019] In an embodiment of the invention the holster comprises a
tubular body portion (2) having a top end (4) and a bottom end (6).
A cutaway section (8) is provided in the tubular body portion which
extends from the top edge (10) of the tubular body portion for the
majority of the length of the holster. The top edge of the cutaway
section is tapered (12). The bottom edge (14) of the cutaway
section is provided with a notch (16) which accepts the front face
of the drill handle and prevents the trigger switch from contacting
the lower edge of the cutaway section.
[0020] A webbing loop (18) is attached to the tubular body portion
to permit attachment of the holster to a belt.
[0021] In use the user inserts a drill into the top end of the
holster (4) such that the handle of the drill registers with the
cutaway section (8). The tapered upper edge (12) serves to guide
the drill handle into the cutaway section if the handle should not
be exactly aligned with the cutaway section. The front end of the
drill will pass through the open lower end (6) of the holster and
the drill will continue to be accepted into the holster until the
handle contacts the lower edge (14) of the cutaway section so that
a majority of the length of the drill body and in particular that
constituting the major part of the weight of the drill is enclosed
within the holster and the drill cannot tip back out of the
holster. The width of the cutaway section is greater than that of
the handle of the drill but less than the width of the drill body
so that the drill body cannot pass through the cutaway section. The
weight of the drill and the narrow flexible attachment to the user
ensures that the holster maintains or tends to maintain a vertical
alignment and this ensures that although the drill can be a
relatively loose fit within the holster, which aids rapid insertion
and removal, the drill is retained securely in the holster at all
times. Additional straps or retaining means are not necessary but
may be provided for example to retain the drill in the holster when
not being worn by the user.
* * * * *