Hex key gripping aid

• US 6,332,381 B1
• Filed: 04/06/1999
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Team Fair Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Maxtech Manufacturing, Inc. (Nichols Portland, LLC)
• Inventors: Vasudeva, Kailash C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, III, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANGANAN, JONI BALDOS
• Application Number:
  US09/286,429
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 811/771, 811/772, 811/774, 814/39, 814/40, 814/89, 814/90, 814/91
• US Class Current: 81/177.2
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 15/008 Allen-type keys
• CPC Class Codes: B25G 1/005 for screwdrivers, wrenches or spanners with additional levers, e.g. for increasing torque

Abstract

Hex keys or like tools of various sizes may be inserted into the gripping aid, to provide a better grip and additional torque when using such tools. The device has an elongated body with hex key accepting slots at each end and longitudinal cavities of different dimensions for an arm of the hex key. In a preferred embodiment, a locking collar to secure the hex key in place in the body is provided. The locking collar has openings extending across its face which rotate from a hex key accepting position to a hex key locking position.

Claims

1. A device for assisting in gripping and applying the torque to a hex key, comprising an elongated body having a central grip portion, a first end and a second end,

wherein at least one of said first and second ends has at least one first slot providing access to a plurality of lateral channels in said body, said channels having various cross-sectional sizes and being stepped sequentially into said body from said at least one of said ends, each said channel having internal walls defining contact surfaces for contacting sides of said hex key, and

wherein said body has at least one second slot in a side adjacent at least one of said first and second ends having said at least one first slot, aligned with said channels.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of longitudinal cavities at each of said plurality of channels, there being one said channel for each said cavity, said channels being generally laterally aligned with each other and each having a respective width corresponding to the width of their corresponding cavity, said sequential stepping of said channels being in order of decreasing width.

3. A device as recited in claim 2, where said first end and said second end is are substantially cylindrical, at least one of said first and second ends, said collar having an exterior and interior surface and an opening extending through a portion of said collar;

said collar being rotatable around the respective end of the body from hex key accepting positions to hex key locking positions;

said hex key accepting positions being said where said opening is aligned with a given said cavity allowing a hex key to be inserted into said given cavity;

said locking positions being where said collar is rotated around said end of the body such that an edge of said collar opening presses against a hex key which is inserted into a given said cavity in the body.

4. A device as recited in claim 3, where said at least one collar has at least one V-shaped notch located along a side edge of said opening, said at least one v-shaped notch being shaped to accept two side edges of said hex key once said hex key is inserted into said corresponding cavity and said collar is rotated to the hex key locking position, such that once said side edge of said opening is pressed against the hex key, the key cannot move relative to the body until the collar is rotated from the hex key locking position.

5. A device as recited in claim 3, where said collars are attached to the body by means of a tongue on the interior surface of each said collar, wherein said tongue extends around the circumference of the side of each said collar and said tongue being aligned to be inserted into a corresponding groove located on the side of the body, adjacent to each said end of the body, such that when said tongue and groove are aligned, each said collar is prevented from disengaging from said body and said collar remaining free to rotate from said hex key accepting positions to hex key locking positions.

6. A device as recited in claim 2, where bottom ends of said cavities are arranged at substantially the same depth inside said body such that the device is adapted for accepting and storing hex keys with the smallest cross-section hex keys protruding a short distance from said body and the largest cross-section protruding a larger distance from said body to enable all hex keys to be inserted into respective cavities and stored in the device without contact between individual hex keys.

7. A device as recited in claim 6, where said body comprises a substantially rectangular block piece.

8. A device as recited in claim 2, where said first end has three cavities, arranged in descending order of cross sectional size, across the diameter of said first end and said second end has four cavities arranged in descending order of cross sectional size, across the diameter of said second end.

9. A device as recited in claim 1, where said body further comprises means for detachably securing said body to a point-of-sale display holder.

10. A device as recited in claim 1, where said attaching means comprises at least one hole on one side of said body adapted to receive a post extending from said point-of-sale display holder.

11. A device as recited in claim 8, where said attaching means comprising at least one aperture on a side of said body, shaped and positioned to receive at least one post on a display piece.

12. A device as recited in claim 1, where said body further comprises a first half and a second half, wherein said first body half has a sliding surface on which the second body half may reciprocally slide in a longitudinal direction of the body, and guiding and holding means are arranged on the first and the second body half, to prevent the two halves from sliding in any other directions and to prevent them from parting, so that to insert a hex key in said body, the two body halves are slid from a closed position, where the ends of the two body halves line up with each other, to an opened position, where the two body halves are slid apart to reveal said channels, said hex key is then inserted into its corresponding channel and the first body half is slid to the closed position, thereby capturing the hex key in the corresponding channel.