Belt mounted tool holder

• US 20030160075A1
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EZ HOOK Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EZ HOOK Incorporated
• Inventors: Musarella, Michael, Hnatowicz, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 7,314,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 224/269
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0566 Tubular, rod-shaped articles, e.g. batons
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0575 Portable tools
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/02 Fastening articles to the garment
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/021 to the belt
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/006 Storage means specially adapted for one specific hand apparatus, e.g. an electric drill
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/904 Tool holder carried by belt

Abstract

The invention relates to a tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, such as a belt or pants pocket. The tool holder includes a first and second support members connected to each other and configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the belt with the first and second support members disposed on opposite sides of the belt. A tool holding member is mounted to one of the support members and is configured for holding a tool. The support members are preferably of an injection-molded material. Also, the support members can be constructed as separate pieces that engage each other.

Claims

1. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member of an injection-molded material;

a second support member connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second support members disposed on opposite sides of the article; and

a tool holding member mounted to one of the support members and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a handheld tool.

2. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the first and second support members are of injection molded plastic.

3. The tool holder of claim 2, wherein the first and second support members are pieces of separate construction that are joined to each other.

4. The tool holder of claim 2, wherein the first and second support members are a single piece of unitary construction.

5. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein at least one of the support members comprises a stiffening rib extending therefrom and configured for stiffening said at least one support member.

6. The tool holder of claim 5, wherein the stiffening rib comprises a plurality of stiffening ribs arranged substantially forming a truss.

7. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the first support member has a back surface facing away from the second support member and disposed for placement against a user'"'"'s waist, the back surface being curved to generally follow the curve of the user'"'"'s waist.

8. The tool holder of claim 7, wherein:

the support members are connected to each other and define a article space therebetween configured to receive the article; and

the first support member has a curved surface facing the article space and disposed to contact the article received therein.

9. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the first support member comprises a first bottom end disposed below the connection portion and has a height between the connection portion and the first bottom end, the first support member comprises first and second legs extending along more than about half of the height of the first support member.

10. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein the tool holding member defines an opening to receive and hold the portion of the tool, the opening being of sufficient size to receive a cylindrical object having a diameter of at least about a ½

inch.

11. The tool holder of claim 1, wherein said one support member comprises a recessed mounting portion for attaching with a correspondingly shaped mounting portion of the tool holding member.

12. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second support members disposed on opposite sides of the article; and

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and having an operative position extending from the second support member for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool and being retractable to a retracted position for decreasing the bulk of the tool holder.

13. The tool holder of claim 12, wherein the tool holding member is disposed substantially flush against the second support member in the retracted position.

14. The tool holder of claim 12, wherein the tool holding member is pivotally connected to the second support member for pivoting between the operative and retracted positions.

15. The tool holder of claim 14, wherein:

the second support member comprises a front face facing away from the second support member; and

the tool holding member is pivotable towards and away from the front face.

16. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second support members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool; and

a secondary tool holding member associated with at least one of the support members and tool holding member and configured for holding a second tool.

17. The tool holder of claim 16, wherein the secondary tool holding member defines at least one secondary tool recess configured and dimensioned for receiving and holding the secondary tool.

18. The tool holder of claim 17, wherein the recess has a ribbed, substantially cylindrical portion configured and dimensioned for holding a drill tip.

19. The tool holder of claim 18, wherein:

at least one of the support members defines a grasping recess that is sufficiently large to permit grasping by a user of a portion of a secondary tool disposed therein;

the secondary tool holding member is disposed for access thereto by the user in the grasping recess;

the grasping recess and secondary tool holding members being configured for holding the secondary tool in the secondary tool holding member with a graspable portion of the secondary tool protruding from the secondary tool holding member and disposed graspably within the grasping recess.

20. The tool holder of claim 16, wherein the secondary tool holding member comprises at least one resilient protrusion for engaging a recess of the secondary tool.

21. The tool holder of claim 20, wherein the secondary tool holding member comprises a plurality of resilient protrusions configured and dimensioned for engaging a socket for a socket wrench.

22. The tool holder of claim 21, wherein the resilient protrusions are movable with respect to each other to accommodate differently sized sockets.

23. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member having a first bottom end and a first connection portion disposed upwards from the first bottom end;

a second support member having a second bottom end and a second connection portion disposed upwards from the second bottom end, wherein the first and second connection portions are securable to each other in attached association, the first and second support members being configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second support members disposed on opposite sides of the article; and

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool.

24. The tool holder of claim 23, wherein the connection portions are configured for engagement with each other.

25. The tool holder of claim 24, further comprising a locking portion associated with the support members for locking the support members together in secured association.

26. The tool holder of claim 23, wherein:

at least one of the connecting portions comprises a connecting extension; and

at least the other of the connecting portions comprises a connecting recess configured to engage the connecting extension for securing the first and second connecting portions to each other.

27. The tool holder of claim 23, wherein the first and second support members are substantially coupled to each other with the connecting portions in the attached association.

28. The tool holder of claim 23, wherein the second support member and tool holder comprise a plurality of second support members and tool holders having different configurations for holding different tools.

29. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member having a front face and connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second support members disposed on opposite sides of the article; and

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool;

wherein the front face comprises a recess facing the tool holding member and configured and dimensioned for receiving another portion of the tool held in the tool holding member.

30. The tool holder of claim 29, wherein the tool holding member has a generally rounded portion defining a rounded shape for holding a round portion of the tool, and the recess comprises an indentation in the second support member disposed substantially concentrically with the rounded shape of the tool holding member.

31. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool, the tool holding member including a notch configured for receiving and positioning a portion of the tool in a predetermined orientation.

32. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article; and

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool;

wherein at least one of the first and second support members comprises a projection facing the other of the support members for resisting removal of the tool holder from the article.

33. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

a first support member;

a second support member connected to the first support member at a connection portion, wherein the first and second support members are configured and dimensioned for receiving and hooking around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member mounted to the second support member and defining a tool space configured for receiving and holding a hand-held tool, the tool holding member defining first and second openings on opposite sides of and communicated with the tool space, wherein the first opening is larger than the second opening for receiving a larger portion of the tool than the second opening.

34. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

first and second support members configured to cooperatively receive and hook around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member having a mounting portion and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool, wherein the second support member comprises a receiving recess, and the holding member mounting portion is received and supported in the recess; and

a closure attached adjacent the recess for closing the recess and retaining the holding member mounting portion pivotally therein.

35. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

first and second support members configured to cooperatively receive and hook around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member having a mounting portion and configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool; and

a mount pivotally attached to the second support member and pivotally supporting the holding member, wherein the mount has first and second portions disposed about the holding member to trap the holding member in the mount.

36. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

first and second support members configured to cooperatively receive and hook around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member having a mounting portion that is mounted to the second support member is configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool; and

a deflecting ramp disposed adjacent to the mount and configured and angled for deflecting impact from the tool as it is placed moved towards the tool holding member to be held thereby.

37. A tool holder for mounting to a user'"'"'s clothing article, comprising:

first and second support members configured to cooperatively receive and hook around the article with the first and second members disposed on opposite sides of the article;

a tool holding member having a mounting portion that is mounted to the second support member is configured for receiving and holding a portion of a hand-held tool; and

a retaining member configured for attaching the tool holding member to the second support member, the retaining member being in a snap-fit association with the second support member.