Wall mounted tool holder
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A holder for vacuum cleaner tools comprising:
- a central panel formed of stiffly flexible material, the central panel having a top edge, a bottom edge and opposed ends, said central panel being outwardly bowed between said ends thereof;
two first end panel located at one end of the central panel;
two first hinges, each hinge joining one end panel to the central panel at one end thereof, wherein the end panels may be rotated relative to a support;
the central panel to facilitate attachment of the holder to a support;
the central panel including at least one upwardly extending tool retention finger, each finger located in the central panel between the panel top and bottom edges and having a base joining the central panel at the bottom of the finger, a tip at the top of the finger, a flexible body extending around the finger;
the central panel including a panel edge extending around each finger;
each finger having an unstressed position located substantially within the central panel and a flexed position located to one side of the central panel, wherein each finger, when in the flexed position, clamps a tubular end of a vacuum cleaner tool between the finger edge and the panel edge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A holder for vacuum cleaner tools includes a flat plastic body mounted on a wall or between exposed studs on a wall with a panel bowed outwardly from the wall. The panel has a plurality of upwardly extending fingers to receive and hold vacuum cleaner tools.
19 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A holder for vacuum cleaner tools comprising:
a central panel formed of stiffly flexible material, the central panel having a top edge, a bottom edge and opposed ends, said central panel being outwardly bowed between said ends thereof;
two first end panel located at one end of the central panel;
two first hinges, each hinge joining one end panel to the central panel at one end thereof, wherein the end panels may be rotated relative to a support;
the central panel to facilitate attachment of the holder to a support;
the central panel including at least one upwardly extending tool retention finger, each finger located in the central panel between the panel top and bottom edges and having a base joining the central panel at the bottom of the finger, a tip at the top of the finger, a flexible body extending around the finger;
the central panel including a panel edge extending around each finger;
each finger having an unstressed position located substantially within the central panel and a flexed position located to one side of the central panel, wherein each finger, when in the flexed position, clamps a tubular end of a vacuum cleaner tool between the finger edge and the panel edge.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A holder for items having tubular ends, the holder comprising a first panel formed from a stiffly flexible material, said panel including a top edge, a bottom edge and at least one upwardly extending tool retention finger located in the panel between the panel top and bottom edges, the finger having a base joining the panel at the bottom of the finger, opposed sides, a tip at the top of the finger, a flexible body extending between the base and the tip wherein the finger may be flexed to locate the tip to one side of the panel, and a finger edge extending up from the base at one side of the finger to the tip and down to the base at the other side of the finger;
- the panel including a panel edge extending around the finger adjacent said finger edge;
each finger having an unstressed position located substantially within the panel and a flexed position with the tip located to one side of the panel, wherein the tubular end of an item positioned over a flexed finger is clamped to the panel between the finger edge and the panel edge at each side of the finger, said first panel being outwardly bowed; and
each finger located on the concave side of the bowed first panel when in the flexed position. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
- the panel including a panel edge extending around the finger adjacent said finger edge;
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26. A holder for items having tubular ends, the holder comprising a first panel formed from a stiffly flexible material, said panel including a top edge, a bottom edge and at least one upwardly extending tool retention finger located in the panel between the panel top and bottom edges, the finger having a base joining the panel at the bottom of the finger, opposed sides, a tip at the top of the finger, a flexible body extending between the base and the tip wherein the finger may be flexed to locate the tip to one side of the panel, and a finger edge extending up from the base at one side of the finger to the tip and down to the base at the other side of the finger;
- the panel including a panel edge extending around the finger adjacent said finger edge;
each finger having an unstressed position located substantially within the panel and a flexed position with the tip located to one side of the panel, wherein the tubular end of an item positioned over a flexed finger is clamped to the panel between the finger edge and the panel edge at each side of the finger, and a recess in said top edge located over one of said fingers.
- the panel including a panel edge extending around the finger adjacent said finger edge;
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27. A tool holder for mounting tools of the type having tubular lower ends, the holder having horizontally spaced apart ends, a bottom edge and a top edge, a lower band extending across the holder between the ends thereof at the bottom edge, an upper band extending across the holder between the ends thereof at the top edge, the upper band located above the lower band, one or more tool engaging fingers on the lower band, each finger extending upwardly from the lower band, wherein when the tool holder is mounted on a wall with the bands spaced outwardly from the wall the tubular end of a tool may be lowered from above the holder between the wall and the upper band and over a finger on the lower band so that the upper band prevents the tool holder from tipping outwardly from the wall and falling away from the holder;
- each band formed from thin stiffly flexible material, and each finger integral with said lower band.
- View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A holder for supporting tools having tubular portions;
- the holder comprising an integral body of stiffly flexible thermoplastic material, the body having a central panel defining horizontally spaced apart edges and including a plurality of upwardly extending tool-holding fingers, each finger having a tip at the top of the finger free of the panel and a base at the bottom of the finger, each finger joined to the panel at the base thereof;
two mounting members, each mounting member joined to the panel at one panel edge thereof to mount the holder to a wall or to two adjacent studs spaced apart on a wall;
wherein bowing of the panel outwardly from a wall locates the fingers a distance from the wall to permit tubular portions of tools to be positioned on the fingers so that the tools are held in generally upright positions between the bowed panel and the wall, and varying the amount of panel bow allows varying the mounting distance on the wall or to two adjacent studs on the wall. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
- the holder comprising an integral body of stiffly flexible thermoplastic material, the body having a central panel defining horizontally spaced apart edges and including a plurality of upwardly extending tool-holding fingers, each finger having a tip at the top of the finger free of the panel and a base at the bottom of the finger, each finger joined to the panel at the base thereof;
Specification