U.S. patent application number 11/339371 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-26 for tool holder with roller edge receiver.
This patent application is currently assigned to Stiletto Tools. Invention is credited to Anthony P. III Fragassi.
Application Number | 20070170220 11/339371 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38284545 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070170220 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fragassi; Anthony P. III |
July 26, 2007 |
Tool holder with roller edge receiver
Abstract
A tool holder is outfitted with one or more rotatable elements
that allow a tool to be smoothly removed from the tool holder. The
rotatable elements may rotate on an axis defined by the inner edge
of the tool holding area and may be cylindrical, spherical, or any
other shape. Rather than dragging on a fixed element of the tool
holder, a tool may ride against a wheel, ball, or other rotatable
element.
Inventors: |
Fragassi; Anthony P. III;
(Merced, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KRAJEC PATENT OFFICES, LLC
820 WELCH AVENUE
BERTHOUD
CO
80513
US
|
Assignee: |
Stiletto Tools
Winton
IL
|
Family ID: |
38284545 |
Appl. No.: |
11/339371 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
224/660 ;
224/251; 224/904 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45F 2200/0575 20130101;
A45F 5/021 20130101; B25H 3/006 20130101; A45F 5/02 20130101; A45F
2200/0566 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
224/660 ;
224/904; 224/251 |
International
Class: |
A45F 5/00 20060101
A45F005/00; A45C 1/04 20060101 A45C001/04; A45F 3/00 20060101
A45F003/00 |
Claims
1. A device comprising: a mounting mechanism to attach said device
to the torso of a user; a receiver adapted to accept an elongated
portion of a tool and capture said tool on at least two sides, said
receiver having an inner periphery; a plurality of rotatable
elements attached to said receiver and adapted to rotate about an
axis substantially parallel to said inner periphery.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting mechanism comprises
an attachment mechanism adapted to attach to a belt.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said mounting mechanism comprises
a belt.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said tool being additionally
captured on one side by said torso of said user.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein said receiver comprises a shaped
metal wire having a substantially circular cross section.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said receiver comprises a molded
body.
7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a hinged mounting
mechanism attaching said receiver to said mounting mechanism with a
rotatable hinge.
8. The device of claim 7 wherein said rotatable hinge comprises an
axis of rotation oriented substantially tangential to said torso of
said user.
9. The device of claim 7 wherein said rotatable hinge comprises an
axis of rotation oriented substantially perpendicular to said torso
of said user.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein said rotatable elements are
substantially cylindrical in shape.
11. The device of claim 1 wherein said rotatable elements are
substantially spherical in shape.
12. The device of claim 1 wherein said rotatable elements are
substantially toroidal in shape.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein said rotatable elements comprise
a ball bearing.
14. The device of claim 1 wherein said rotatable elements comprise
a bearing surface.
15. A belt mounted tool holder comprising: an attachment mechanism
for attaching said tool holder to the belt of a user; two rigid
members extending outwardly from said belt, said rigid members
being substantially parallel; at least one cross member attached to
at least one of said two rigid members, said at least one cross
member and said two rigid parallel members forming an opening to
receive a tool; and at least one rotatable element disposed on at
least one of said two rigid parallel members and adapted to rotate
along an axis formed by said at least one of said two rigid
parallel members.
16. The belt mounted tool holder of claim 15 further comprising: at
least one rotatable element disposed on said at least one cross
member and adapted to rotate along an axis formed by said at least
one cross member.
17. The belt mounted tool holder of claim 15 wherein said rotatable
element is substantially cylindrical in shape.
18. The belt mounted tool holder of claim 15 wherein said rotatable
element is substantially spherical in shape.
19. The belt mounted tool holder of claim 15 wherein said rotatable
element is substantially toroidal in shape.
20. The belt mounted tool holder of claim 15 wherein said rotatable
element comprises a ball bearing.
21. The belt mounted tool holder of claim 15 wherein said rotatable
element comprises a bearing surface.
22. A holder for a tool having at least one elongate element
comprising: a base being substantially planar and substantially
parallel to a wearer, said base having an exterior side facing away
from said wearer; a cradle having at least one arm defining an
opening to receive said elongate element, said cradle being mounted
to said exterior side of said base and said cradle having an edge
defined by said opening; a plurality of rotatable elements disposed
along said cradle and adapted to rotate about an axis substantially
parallel to said edge.
23. The holder of claim 22 wherein said base is removably attached
to a belt worn by said wearer.
24. The holder of claim 22 wherein said base is fixedly attached to
a belt worn by said wearer.
25. The holder of claim 22 wherein said cradle is formed from one
or more metal parts being substantially circular in
cross-section.
26. The holder of claim 22 wherein said rotatable elements are
substantially cylindrical in shape.
27. The holder of claim 22 wherein said rotatable elements are
substantially spherical in shape.
28. The holder of claim 22 wherein said rotatable elements are
substantially toroidal in shape.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Tool holders, such as hammer loops and other devices, are
used by tradesmen every day in countless construction and
maintenance activities. A common type of tool holder is one that
mounts on a tradesman's belt and has a loop to receive a handle of
a tool. For various reasons, a tool may be difficult for the
tradesman to quickly remove the tool from the holder. For example,
the tool may have a feature on the tool that catches the tool
holder during removal, or the surface of the tool may not slide
smoothly against the tool holder. This can be especially true for
rubber handled devices that may be quite sticky.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A tool holder is outfitted with one or more rotatable
elements that allow a tool to be smoothly removed from the tool
holder. The rotatable elements may rotate on an axis defined by the
inner edge of the tool holding area and may be cylindrical,
spherical, or any other shape. Rather than dragging on a fixed
element of the tool holder, a tool may ride against a wheel, ball,
or other rotatable element and thereby be easily removed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] In the drawings,
[0004] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder with a rectangular tool receiver.
[0005] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder with a tool receiver that is rotatable about
an axis perpendicular to a user's body.
[0006] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder with a dual-armed tool receiver.
[0007] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder with a circular tool receiver that is
rotatable about an axis tangential to a user's body.
[0008] FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder having an entrance gate.
[0009] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder with a molded arm assembly.
[0010] FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of an embodiment
showing a tool holder having a hook-style arm.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Specific embodiments of the subject matter are used to
illustrate specific inventive aspects. The embodiments are by way
of example only, and are susceptible to various modifications and
alternative forms. The appended claims are intended to cover all
modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the
spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the
claims.
[0012] Throughout this specification, like reference numbers
signify the same elements throughout the description of the
figures.
[0013] When elements are referred to as being "connected" or
"coupled," the elements can be directly connected or coupled
together or one or more intervening elements may also be present.
In contrast, when elements are referred to as being "directly
connected" or "directly coupled," there are no intervening elements
present.
[0014] Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" shall
be synonymous with "including," "containing," or "characterized
by," is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional,
unrecited elements or method steps. "Comprising" is a term of art
which means that the named elements are essential, but other
elements may be added and still form a construct within the scope
of the statement. "Comprising" leaves open for the inclusion of
unspecified ingredients even in major amounts.
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment 100 showing a tool holder.
A hammer 101 is shown being carried by the tool holder 102 that
defines a tool receiver 104. The arm 105 is mounted to a mounting
element 106. The mounting element 106 may be worn by a user by
threading a belt through the belt loop openings 108 and 110. The
arm 105 may have several rotatable elements 112 that allow the
hammer 101 to be quickly removed from the tool receiver 104 with a
minimum of friction.
[0016] The embodiment 100 illustrates one embodiment of a tool
holder with rotatable elements disposed about three sides of the
periphery of the tool receiver 104. The rotatable elements 112 may
allow the hammer 101 to be removed without rubbing, dragging, or
catching a portion of the hammer 101 on the tool holder 102. For
example, if the hammer 101 has a sticky or tacky grip, the grip may
drag on the edge of a conventional tool holder and make removal
more difficult for the user. The rotatable elements 112 may rotate
about the axis approximately parallel with the inner periphery of
the tool receiver 104 and thus facilitate removal of the hammer
101.
[0017] The rotatable elements 112 may be located on one or more
edges of the periphery of the tool receiver 104. In some
embodiments, one edge or a portion of only one edge may be
outfitted with the rotatable elements 112. In other embodiments,
rotatable elements 112 may be disposed around the entire periphery
of the tool receiver 104.
[0018] The rotatable elements 112 may be cylindrical, spherical,
toroidal, or any other rotatable shape. The axis of rotation for
the rotatable elements 112 may be substantially parallel to the
inner periphery of the tool receiver 104. In some embodiments, the
axis of rotation for the rotatable elements 112 may be offset from
the inner periphery of the tool receiver 104 by substantial
amounts, providing that the rotatable elements facilitate the
insertion and removal of a tool into and out from the tool receiver
104.
[0019] The tool receiver 104 may be any shape, size, and design
that may support a tool. The present embodiment illustrates a
hammer 101, but other hand tools including wrenches, screwdrivers,
chisels, flashlights, nightsticks, pliers, pruning shears, or any
other type of hand tool may be held with an appropriately shaped
tool receiver 104. In other embodiments, the tool receiver 104 may
be designed to accept various power tools, including power
screwdrivers, drills, saws, welding equipment, or any other power
tool. In some cases, the tool receiver 104 may accept a tool or
other device that has an attached cord, hose, or cable.
[0020] The shape of the tool receiver 104 may be rectangular,
circular, triangular, or any other shape adapted to hold a
particular tool. In some cases, the tool receiver 104 may
completely or partially encircle a tool. In other cases, the tool
receiver 104 may engage one or more features of a tool, such as a
loop or other feature of the tool.
[0021] The tool holder 102 may be any type of construction. The
present embodiment may be manufactured from a formed metal arm 105
that is attached to a leather or other sturdy mounting element 106,
such as a still woven fabric. In some embodiments, the mounting
element 106 may be a belt or other article of clothing worn by a
user. In other embodiments, the mounting element 106 may be a
device that attaches to a belt or article of clothing in any manner
whatsoever.
[0022] The rotatable elements 112 may be manufactured from metal,
plastic, or any other suitable material. Some rotatable elements
112 may comprise two or more different materials. In some cases,
the surface that comes in contact with the arm 105 may be specially
selected bearing material chosen for low friction or low wear
resistance. In other cases, the surface that comes in contact with
the tool inside the tool receiver 104 may be smooth, embossed, high
friction, or low friction material. In some embodiments, the
rotating elements may formed metal elements that may or may not be
continuous about the axis of rotation. For example, the rotating
elements 112 may be a strip of metal that is formed over the arm
105 and encircles the arm 105, but may be discontinuous. In other
embodiments, the rotating elements 112 may be inserted over the arm
105 before the arm 105 is attached to the mounting element 106.
Some embodiments of the rotating elements 112 may include ball
bearings or other bearing surface to control the frictional
resistance in between the rotatable element 112 and the arm
105.
[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment 200 of a tool holder with a
swivel mounted tool receiver. The tool holder 202 comprises a tool
receiver 204 that is attached to a belt hook 206 via a swivel
mechanism 208 having an axis of rotation 210. Several spherical
rotatable elements 212 are disposed about the periphery of the tool
receiver 204.
[0024] The embodiment 200 may be manufactured from a formed metal
belt hook 206 that may engage a wearer's belt by sliding vertically
down and capturing the belt in the belt hook 206.
[0025] The swivel mechanism 208 may allow the tool receiver 204 to
rotate such that a tool held in the tool receiver 204 will remain
upright while a user may bend over or otherwise gesticulate during
movement.
[0026] The rotatable elements 212 may have a hole about which it
may rotate. The rotatable elements 212 may be inserted over the arm
that forms the tool receiver 204.
[0027] Various components such as the belt hook 206 and tool
receiver 208 may be manufactured from formed metal wire or rod. In
some cases, the metal components may be welded together.
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment 300 of a tool holder having
two parallel arms that form a tool receiver. A hammer 301 is held
in a tool holder 302 that comprises a mounting element 304 to which
is attached arms 306 and 308. Mounted on each arm 306 and 308 are
several rotatable elements 310.
[0029] The mounting element 304 may be constructed from a woven
material, leather, or other suitable material that may be folded
over to form a belt loop 305 for receiving a belt. The belt may be
attached to a tool belt or any other means by which the tool holder
302 may be secured to the person of the wearer.
[0030] The arms 306 and 308 may form a tool receiver 312 that holds
the hammer 301. The tool receiver 312 is an area defined on three
sides by the horizontal portions of the arms 306 and 308 and the
mounting element 304. The vertical portions at the ends of the arms
306 and 308 that are distal from the mounting element 304 may
prevent the hammer 301 or other tool held in the tool receiver 312
from falling out of the tool receiver 312.
[0031] The rotatable elements 310 may be fastened or attached to
the arms 306 and 308 in any manner that allows the rotatable
elements 310 to rotate about an axis formed by the arms 306 and
308. In some cases, the rotatable elements 310 may be free spinning
while in other cases, the rotatable elements 310 may have a
moderate or large amount of friction between the rotatable element
and the arm to which the rotatable element is mounted.
[0032] The vertical portions of the arms 306 and 308 may or may not
be equipped with one or more rotatable elements 310. In embodiments
where a user may move about, bend over, and otherwise contort in
different positions, the vertical portions of the arms 306 and 308
may not be fitted with rotatable elements 310. In such embodiments,
the lack of rotatable elements may prevent a tool in the tool
receiver 312 from falling out. In embodiments where a user is
largely upright, rotatable elements 310 on the vertical portions of
the arms 306 and 308 may provide a smoother removal of the tool
from the tool receiver 312.
[0033] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment 400 of a tool holder with a
rotating tool receiver. The tool holder 402 comprises a belt
attachment 404 to which is attached a tool loop 406. The tool
holder 402 comprises a spring lever 408 that may slide vertically
down over a user's belt. The tool loop 406 is attached to the belt
attachment 404 by a hinge 410 having an axis of rotation that is
substantially horizontal and relatively tangential to a user's
body. The tool loop 406 comprises a tool receiver 414 about which
are mounted several rotatable elements 416.
[0034] The tool holder 402 may be useful for tools such as a night
stick, flashlight, or other tool that may have a long round handle.
Tool holder 402 may also be adapted for tools that are not as
frequently removed and reinserted as would be embodiments 100, 200,
and 300, for example. When reinserting a tool into the tool holder
402, the user may have to rotate the tool loop 406 upwards so that
the tool may be inserted into the tool receiver 414. When the tool
is removed from the tool holder 402, the tool loop 406 may fold
downward and be out of the way while the tool is not being
held.
[0035] The rotatable elements 416 may be disposed about the
periphery of the tool receiver 414 and may be any useful shape. In
some cases, the rotatable elements 416 may be cylinders, disks,
toroidal elements, or other shapes as desired. In some embodiments,
a portion of the tool loop 406 may be fitted with rotatable
elements 416. For example, in the present embodiment, the rotatable
elements 416 may cover about three quarters of the periphery of the
tool loop 406. In other embodiments, rotatable elements may be
outfitted on a lower portion, such as the quadrant opposite the
hinge area while the remaining portion of the tool loop 406 may not
have any rotatable elements 416. In another embodiment, rotatable
elements may be outfitted on other portions of the periphery of the
tool receiver 414 and not on others. In some cases, the particular
geometry of the tool that is carried by the tool holder 402 may
dictate a particular arrangement of rotatable elements about the
periphery of the tool receiver 414.
[0036] The tool receiver 414 may be adapted to any shape that may
engage a particular tool. For example, the tool receiver 414 may be
a rectangular shape, triangular shape, D-shaped, elliptical, or
otherwise incorporate a special feature or geometry to engage a
particular tool.
[0037] The belt attachment 404 may be any type of mechanism that
may be attached to a user's belt, garment, or otherwise be mounted
in a manner that a user can easily access the tool holder 402 from
the user's person. In the present embodiment, the belt attachment
404 may be manufactured from a spring steel, molded plastic, or
other material that may provide some amount of spring resistance in
the spring lever 408. The spring lever 408 may open to engage a
user's belt or other article of clothing and provide some
frictional or otherwise mechanical engagement to the belt or
article of clothing. In some embodiments, the spring lever 408 may
be manufactured of two or more parts with a spring loaded hinge
mechanism that may provide a similar engagement mechanism. Such a
hinge mechanism may also have a lock or clamp mechanism to secure
the belt attachment 404 to the user's belt or article of
clothing.
[0038] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment 500 showing a tool holder
with rotatable gates to receive a tool. The belt hook 502 forms a
tool receiver 504. The distal portion of the tool receiver 504 may
be outfitted with rotatable gates 506 and 508 that may allow entry
of a tool into the tool receiver 504 without having to direct a
long handle of a tool through the tool receiver 504. Portions of
the belt hook 502 may be outfitted with toroidal rotatable elements
510.
[0039] The embodiment 500 is a tool holder with two entry gates 506
and 508 that enable a user to engage a tool in the tool receiver
504 by bringing the handle of the tool through the gates 506 and
508 as opposed to dropping the handle of the tool through a fixed
tool receiver such as in embodiments 100, 200, 300, and 400. The
gates 506 and 508 may rotate inward to allow a tool to enter from
the distal side of the gates 506 and 508 into the tool receiver
504. When the tool has passed the gates 506 and 508, the gates 506
and 508 may be spring loaded to return to the closed position as
illustrated. When the tool is in the tool receiver 504 and the
gates 506 and 508 are closed, the tool may be captured in the tool
receiver 504.
[0040] The rotatable elements 510 are illustrated along two sides
of the tool receiver 504. In some embodiments, rotatable elements
510 may be installed along the gates 506 and 508. The rotatable
elements 510 may be toroidal in shape, which may be preferred in
some embodiments for ease of assembly of the rotatable elements 510
onto the belt hook 502.
[0041] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment 600 showing a tool holder
manufactured from molded arms and directly attached to a belt. The
tool holder 602 comprises a belt 604 to which is attached a molded
arm assembly 606 that form a tool receiver 608 and to which are
affixed several rotatable elements 610. The molded arms 606 are
attached to the belt 604 by several rivets 612.
[0042] The embodiment 600 illustrates an embodiment where the tool
receiver 608 is a molded construction. In a typical embodiment, the
molded arms 606 may be manufactured from plastic, reinforced
plastic, cast metal, or any other suitable molded material. In some
instances, the molded arms 606 may be manufactured from extruded
material that is subsequently machined.
[0043] The rotatable elements 610 may be attached to the molded
arms 606 by any mechanism possible. In some embodiments, the
rotatable elements 610 may be snapped into place by engaging
resilient or compliant features formed into the molded arms 606. In
other embodiments, the rotatable elements 610 may be held and
rotate about an axle or shaft that is inserted into the molded arm
assembly 606.
[0044] The molded arms 606 may be shaped to suit a particular tool.
For example, the molded arms 606 may be designed to engage a
particular handheld radio that is rectangular in shape. In some
instances, the molded arms 606 may be designed with cutouts or
other relief so that a particular feature of a tool is protected or
engaged. For example, when the molded arms 606 are designed to hold
a handheld radio, a relief or other feature may be designed to
protect a button or knob on the handheld radio.
[0045] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment 700 showing a hook-type
tool holder. The tool holder 702 comprises a belt 704 and a
hook-shaped arm 706 with several rotatable elements 708. The arm
706 may be attached to the belt 704 with rivets 710. The curved
portion of the arm 706 may form a tool receiver 712.
[0046] The embodiment 700 illustrates a hook-type tool holder
having several rotatable elements 708 disposed along the
hook-shaped portion. The rotatable elements 708 may allow a tool to
be easily removed from the tool holder 702 without a minimum of
catching or dragging on the tool holder.
[0047] The hook-type tool holder of embodiment 700 may be suitable
for holding tools such as corded or cordless drills, power tools,
or other tools that have a feature that may engage the hook-shaped
arm 706. For example, the body of a drill may be partially
encircled by and engage the arm 706. Other types of tools that may
be useful to be held by the embodiment 700 include those tools
having two handle elements, such as pruning shears, pliers, and the
like. In some embodiments, the arm 706 may engage a loop or other
feature of a tool. For example, the arm 706 may engage a trigger
guard or a mounting loop of a power tool.
[0048] The arm 706 may be manufactured from steel, aluminum,
titanium, or other metal. In other embodiments, the arm 706 may be
manufactured from formed or molded plastic.
[0049] The rotatable elements 708 may be different shapes and sizes
as they are disposed along the arm 706. In the present embodiment,
smaller rotatable elements 708 are installed along the distal end
of the arm 706 while larger ones are installed at the proximal end.
The smaller rotatable elements 708 may be selected such that they
may be installed along the curved portion of the arm 706.
[0050] The figures illustrate several different embodiments of the
various components that may be set forth in the appended claims.
Those skilled in the art may appreciate that different versions of
each element may be mixed and matched to develop many combinations
of embodiments.
[0051] The foregoing description of the subject matter has been
presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise
form disclosed, and other modifications and variations may be
possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiment was chosen
and described in order to best explain the underlying principles
and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in
the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and
various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated. It is intended that the appended claims be construed
to include other alternative embodiments of the invention except
insofar as limited by the prior art.
* * * * *