Abstract:
The invention is a system incorporating an accessory pod. In one embodiment, a rotary tool charging station system includes an electric tool holder with a charging port and a first coupling portion, and an accessory holder pod configured to hold a plurality of accessories and including a second coupling portion, the second coupling portion configured to removably couple with the first coupling portion.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to the field of hand held electric tools and related accessories. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Hand held tools including rotary tools are widely used by many people including professionals, craftspeople, homeowners, and artists. Rotary tools typically include an outer housing designed to be easily held within a human hand. The housing retains an electric motor which is operable to drive a rotatable chuck of the rotary tool. An accessory may be releasably secured to the chuck thereby enabling the rotary tool to rotatably drive the accessory. 
         [0003]    Some of the hand held rotary tools are powered by removable batteries. When the charge on the battery has been used, the battery is removed from the tool and re-charged using a charging station. In the event the battery is not removable, the entire rotary tool may be placed in the charging station to re-charge the batteries. The charging station may also be used as a storage device. 
         [0004]    The widespread use of hand held rotary tools is a result, in part, of the wide variety of accessory types that may be used with the tools. The accessory types include drill bits of various sizes, cut-off wheels, polishing wheels, grinding wheels, sanding discs, routing bits and other cutting bits. Some of the accessories used with rotary tools are provided to a consumer in simple packaging which is not intended to function as a permanent storage device. Thus, a consumer may simply keep the accessories in a drawer or storage bin with other accessories. For accessories which include cutting tips or blades, such storage can lead to dulling or even chipping of the cutting tip or blade. Accordingly, various accessory holders have been developed which provide for storage of the accessory by the consumer. 
         [0005]    Accessory holders are useful in organizing various accessories. Nonetheless, an accessory holder may become separated from the rotary tool. Thus, a user may incur a delay in finding both the rotary tool and the accessory holder. Alternatively, if the accessory holder is mounted within a work space, the accessories must be individually carried to a worksite. Additionally, some accessory holders are enclosed. Thus, the consumer cannot see the actual accessory. Accordingly, the consumer cannot tell by looking at the accessory holder whether or not the accessory is within the holder. 
         [0006]    What is needed is an accessory holder that may be stored with a rotary tool. What is further needed is an accessory holder which can be used to transport the accessories to a work site. It would be further beneficial if the accessory holder could be stored with a charging station which is configured to hold a rotary tool as a battery in the rotary tool is recharged. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The invention is a system incorporating an accessory pod. In one embodiment, a rotary tool charging station system includes an electric tool holder with a charging port and a first coupling portion, and an accessory holder pod configured to hold a plurality of accessories and including a second coupling portion, the second coupling portion configured to removably couple with the first coupling portion. 
         [0008]    In a further embodiment, an accessory pod in a rotary tool holder system includes at least one accessory holder, a support member extending outwardly from the at least one accessory holder, a skirt extending downwardly from the support member, and a coupling portion adjacent the skirt and configured to removably couple the accessory pod to a rotary tool holder. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present invention may take form in various system components and arrangement of system components. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating exemplary embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  shows front plan view of a rotary tool holding system including a rotary tool holder which is configured to hold a rotary tool and to recharge a rotary tool held therein, along with an auxiliary rotary tool holder and an accessory pod which are removably coupled to the rotary tool holder incorporating features of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  shows a top plan view of the rotary tool holder of the system of  FIG. 1  showing the charging port and two coupling portions; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the rotary tool holder and auxiliary rotary tool holder of the system of  FIG. 1  with one rotary tool positioned in the rotary tool holder; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  shows a side plan view of the rotary tool holder of the system of  FIG. 1  with a coupling portion including a dovetail opening and a recess for receiving a positive engagement member; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  shows a front perspective view of the auxiliary rotary tool holder of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  shows a side plan view of the auxiliary rotary tool holder of the system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  shows a top perspective view of the accessory holder pod of the system of  FIG. 1  with a positive engagement member extending outwardly of a plane defined by lips of a coupling portion; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  shows a side plan view of the accessory holder pod of  FIG. 7  with the coupling portion within a recess defined by a gap; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  shows a cross-sectional view of the accessory holder pod of  FIG. 7  with accessory holders configured with a hexagonal shape and a skirt with a coplanar base portion; 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  shows a top plan view of an alternative accessory holder pod that may be used with the rotary tool holder system of  FIG. 1  with accessory holders configured with a circular shape; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of the rotary tool holder system of  FIG. 1  with the auxiliary rotary tool holder removed and with the accessory holder pod of  FIG. 1  and the accessory holder pod of  FIG. 9  coupled with the rotary tool holder of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a rotary tool holder system  100  includes a rotary tool holder  102 , an accessory holder pod  104  and an auxiliary rotary tool holder  106 . The rotary tool holder  102  includes a cradle  108 , a charge indicator light  110  and a charging port  112  which is shown more clearly in  FIG. 2 . The cradle  108  is configured to receive a rotary tool  114  which is shown in  FIG. 3  with the handle  116  of the rotary tool  114  inserted within the cradle  108  and coupled with the charging port  112 . 
         [0022]    Returning to  FIG. 2 , the rotary tool holder  102  further includes two coupling portions  118  and  120 . The coupling portions  118  and  120  in this embodiment are identical and are described with reference to the coupling portion  118  shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 . The coupling portion  118  includes two opposing lips  122  and  124 . An inner wall  126  is located between the opposing lips  122  and  124  and includes a recess  128  near the lower portion of the coupling portion  118 . The opposing lips  122  and  124  converge slightly toward each other as they extend away from the rotary tool holder  102 . The opposing lips  122  and  124  along with the inner wall  126  thus define a dovetail opening  130 . 
         [0023]    The auxiliary tool holder  106  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  includes a cradle  132  and a support skirt  134 . The cradle  132  is configured to receive a rotary tool such as the rotary tool  114  shown in  FIG. 3 . The support skirt  134  defines an opening  138  to a recess  140 . A coupling portion  142  located within the recess  140  includes two lips  144  and  146 . The lips  144  and  146  are configured to be inserted between the opposing lips  122  and  124  or, in this embodiment, between the opposing lips in the coupling portion  120 , in a dove-tail configuration. 
         [0024]    A resilient cantilevered arm  148  extends between the lips  144  and  146  and a protuberance  150  is located at the lower portion of the arm  148 . The protuberance  150  extends somewhat outwardly of the plane defined by the lips  144  and  146 . Moreover, the protuberance  150  is sized and located such that when the lips  144  and  146  are inserted between the opposing lips  122 ,  124 , the protuberance  150  aligns with the recess  128 . 
         [0025]    The accessory holder pod  104  shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  includes a support skirt  152  that extends upwardly and inwardly to a surface  154 . The support skirt  152  defines an opening  156  to a recess  158 . A coupling portion  160  located within the recess  158  includes two lips  162  and  164 . The lips  162  and  164  are configured to be inserted between the opposing lips  122  and  124  in a dove-tail configuration. 
         [0026]    A resilient cantilevered arm  166  extends between the lips  162  and  164  and a protuberance  168  is located at the lower portion of the arm  166 . The protuberance  168  extends somewhat outwardly of the plane defined by the lips  162  and  164  as shown in  FIG. 7  just as the protuberance  150  extends outwardly of the plane defined by the lips  144  and  146 . Moreover, the protuberance  168  is sized and located such that when the lips  162  and  164  are inserted between the opposing lips  122  and  124  the protuberance  168  aligns with the recess  128 . 
         [0027]    The surface  154  supports a number of accessory holders  170 . The accessory holders  170  include an outer wall  172  which defines a cavity  174  (see  FIG. 9 ). The accessory holders  170  open to the surface  154  through openings  156 . The accessory holders  170  in this embodiment are configured to receive hexagonally shaped accessories with a common diameter. 
         [0028]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the accessory holder pod  104  is shown coupled with the coupler  120 . The accessory pod  104  may, however, be coupled to either coupling portion  118  or to coupling portion  120 . To couple the accessory holder pod  104  with the coupling portion  118 , the bottom portions of the lips  162  and  164  are aligned with the dovetail opening  130 . The lips  162  and  164  are then pushed into the opening  130 . As the lips  162  and  164  move into the opening  130 , the protuberance  168  contacts the inner wall  126  between the opposing lips  122  and  124 . This contact forces the resilient arm  166  to flex away from the inner wall  126  allowing the protuberance to slide downwardly along the inner wall  126 . 
         [0029]    When the lips  162  and  164  are fully inserted into the dovetail opening  130 , the protuberance  168  aligns with the recess  128 . The arm  166 , which is no longer constrained by contact between the protuberance  168  and the inner wall  126 , flexes toward the inner wall  126  moving the protuberance  168  into the recess  128 . 
         [0030]    To remove the accessory holder pod  104  from the rotary tool holder  102 , pressure is applied to the accessory holder  104  in an upwardly direction. This forces the protuberance  168  against the inner wall  126  forcing the arm  166  in a direction away from the inner wall  126 . The lips  162  and  164  are then lifted out of the dovetail opening  130 . Thus, the accessory holder pod  104  may be decoupled from the rotary tool holder  102  and carried along with any accessories within the accessory holders  170  to a work site. Additionally, the lower portion of the support skirt  152  is essentially coplanar (see  FIG. 8 ). Thus, the accessory holder pod  104  may be used as an accessory stand by placing the accessory holder  104  on a level surface. 
         [0031]    An accessory holder pod  180  shown in  FIG. 10  includes a support skirt  182 , an opening  184 , a recess  186  and a coupling portion  188  that are substantially identical to components described with reference to the accessory holder pod  104 . The accessory holder pod  180  differs from the accessory holder pod  104  in that the surface  190  supports accessory holders  192  which are configured to hold accessories with a circular cross section. 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 11 , the accessory holder pod  180  may be coupled with the rotary tool holder  102  along with the accessory holder pod  104 . Additionally, since the coupling portion  188  is identical to the coupling portion  160 , either accessory holder pod  104  and  180  may be coupled to the rotary tool holder  102  at either of the coupling portions  118  and  120 . 
         [0033]    In further rotary tool holder systems, a rotary tool holder, which may or may not incorporate a charging port, includes several coupling portions. This allows for a number of different accessory holder pods to be selectively coupled and decoupled to the rotary tool holder. Moreover, the accessory holder pods may be provided as part of a system and/or individually. 
         [0034]    Additionally, while the coupling portions in the embodiments set forth above are identical, in alternative systems two or more coupling portions are provided with coupling portions which work with unique accessory holder pods. In yet further systems, the accessory holders within a particular pod may be configured differently so as to hold accessories of different types and/or which are differently shaped. By way of example, in an accessory holder pod for a drill bit set wherein each shank of the drill set is differently sized, the accessory holders may be sized similarly to the drill bit associated with the particular accessory holder. 
         [0035]    While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of exemplary system components, and while the various components have been described in considerable detail, applicant does not intend to restrict or in any limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will also readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broadest aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, implementations, or illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.