Tool attachment and organizer system and methods

• US 7,510,092 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven Sholem
• Original Assignee: Steven Sholem
• Inventors: Sholem, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson; Blair M.
• Application Number:
  US11/204,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20060000788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 211/70.6, 211/DIG.1, 211/60.1, 211/87.01, 211/11, 211/85.28, 211/88.01, 211/89.01, 211/131.1, 248/206.5, 248/683, 248/309.4, 248/205.2, 335/285, 409/13
• US Class Current: 211/70.6
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/04 Racks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 211/01 Magnetic article holder

Abstract

A tool organizer system has a flat sheet of magnetically attracted material that attracts magnets attached to tools to support the tools on the flat sheet. The system includes position indicators that can be attached at any orientation and position on the flat sheet. The system can be provided as a kit with one or more components. A method of organizing a set of tools provides for efficient use of space and clear association between a tool and a previously selected position and avoids loss of tools by placing them in previously selected positions. A method of making a tool organizer system includes making the system in accordance with requests from a customer. The tool organizer system includes a kitchen tool organizer system that has a container with at least one magnetically attractive side and a handle, allowing the container to retain kitchen tools within the container and magnetically on the side. Attachment tools may include a fastener attachment tool that couples to a tool and provides magnetic force and a magnetic bar coupled to a tool organizer to allow metal tools to be coupled to the bar.

Claims

1. A tool organizer system, comprising:

a flat sheet of magnetically attractive material that is not part of another support structure;

a set of tools, wherein the set of tools is at least one of a set of kitchen tools, a set of barbeque tools, a set of garden tools and a set of office tools;

a set of magnets operatively connected to the set of tools;

a set of position indicators on a front face of the flat sheet;

each position indicators having a shape and/or a size adapted to match each tool of the set of tools; and

wherein;

the flat sheet forms a single substrate with a height, a width, and a thickness; and

the flat sheet has a property throughout the height, the width, and the thickness that together with the magnet holds the weight of the at least one tool on the front face of the sheet and no other element of the system extending outside the height, the width, and the thickness has a property of a geometry for holding the weight of the at least one tool on the front face of the sheet.

2. The tool organizer system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the magnets are attached to an outer surface of a predecessor tool to form some of the tools.

3. The tool organizer system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the magnets are embedded in and integral with some of the tools.

4. The tool organizer system of claim 1, wherein the front face of the flat sheet is free of incremental holes or protrusions for mounting tools on the front face of the flat sheet.

5. The tool organizer system of claim 1, further comprising hook and loop fasteners adapted to additionally mount the tools of the set of tools to the flat sheet.

6. The tool organizer system of claim 1, wherein the set of position indicators comprise full sized color pictures of the tools.

7. The tool organizer system of claim 1, further comprising a baked powder coating on a front face of the flat sheet.

8. The tool organizer system of claim 1, wherein various components of the system are packaged and delivered to the user disassembled for assembly by the user as a kit.

9. A transportable tool organizer system comprising:

a container being of a size and shape to receive tools, the container comprising

a bottom surface,

an opening opposite the bottom surface,

at least one liner removeably placed within the opening of the organizer, extending from the bottom surface to the opening, wherein the liner is configured to retain non-magnetic tools,

a support base removeably coupled to the bottom surface of the container, and

at least three side surfaces coupled together, each having an end coupled to the bottom surface and opposing ends that define the opening, wherein only one of the at least three side surfaces is a magnetically attractive surface;

a handle a fastener comprising a flexible, waterproof material, wherein the material has a non-adhesive surface and an adhesive surface; and

a fastening device coupled to the adhesive surface, the fastening device removably coupling a tool to the container.

10. The tool organizer system of claim 9, wherein the magnetically attractive surface is configured to receive kitchen tools that are formed at least in part with at least one of a ferrous, metallic or magnetically attractive material.

11. The tool organizer system of claim 10, wherein the at least three sides are four sides configured in a rectangular shape providing a rectangular opening.

12. The tool organizer system of claim 11, wherein all of the side surfaces are magnetically attractive surfaces.

13. The tool organizer system of claim 9, further comprising a pivotable base coupled to the bottom surface of the container, wherein the container is pivotable when resting on the pivotable base.

14. The transportable tool organizer system of claim 9, wherein the fastening device is a magnet.

15. The transportable tool organizer system of claim 9, wherein the fastening device is a ferrous material configured for use in conjunction with a separate magnet.

16. The transportable tool organizer system of claim 9, further comprising a cover material configured to cover the fastening device.

17. The transportable tool organizer system of claim 9, wherein the waterproof material is removeably coupled to a non-magnetic tool by use of the adhesive side, wherein the waterproof material is of sufficient strength to support the weight of the tool and allow magnetic attraction through the non-adhesive side to retain the tool in a stationary position on the tool organizer system.