Patent ID: 9402457
Filing Date: 2016-08-02
CPC Classification: A44B,A45F,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A method of tethering a hand tool comprising: providing a tubular sleeve with an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface defining a passageway through the tubular sleeve, the tubular sleeve being changeable between a larger, expanded state and a smaller, relaxed state, wherein when installed on a hand tool an elasticity of the tubular sleeve in the smaller, relaxed state is adapted to provide a snug fit with the hand tool; providing a strap made of a flexible material and having a body portion, a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion defining a first closed loop with an opening therethrough and the second end portion with a second closed loop adapted to connect to an end of a lanyard; providing a hand tool to be tethered; aligning the body portion of the strap along a portion of the hand tool to be tethered; inserting the hand tool to be tethered and aligned body portion of the strap into the tubular sleeve in the larger, expanded state; positioning the portion of the hand tool and the body portion of the strap in the passageway through the tubular sleeve; causing the tubular sleeve to change to the smaller, relaxed state, thereby providing the snug fit with the portion of the hand tool; and coupling the second closed loop of the second end portion with the first closed loop of the first end portion, thereby defining a strap closed loop linked to the tubular sleeve.