Power tool cord strain relief arrangement

A power tool includes a power cord extending therefrom, wherein the arrangement includes a tether cord extending along the power cord, with the tether cord secured at one end about the power tool handle within the trigger guard and at its second end to a power cord handle, such that strain is directed through the tether cord rather than the power cord. The arrangement allows for the lowering of power tools from heights without straining of the power cord.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Field of the Invention 
The field of invention relates to strain relief cord structure, and more 
particularly pertains to a new power tool cord strain relief arrangement 
wherein the same is arranged to remove strain from the power cord directed 
into the tool handle. 
Description of the Prior Art 
In the use of electrically powered hand tools, internal shorts within the 
handle due to the stress placed on power cords during lowering of the tool 
from a ladder, a scaffold, or the like results in the loss of power and 
more importantly may result in an unintentional grounding of the power 
supply within the handle. 
The prior art provides strain relief connectors for flexible cords and the 
like such as indicated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,738,636; 4,613,192; 3,593,950; 
3,749,818; and 4,632,488. 
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by 
providing for a power cord arrangement wherein a tether cord extends 
substantially coextensively with a power cord and to direct strain to the 
tool handle rather than the power cord connection within the tool handle 
and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this 
need. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types of cord strain 
relief structure now present in the prior art, the present invention 
provides a power tool cord strain relief arrangement wherein the same is 
arranged to provide for a tether cord mounted to an electrical power cord 
that orients the tether cord in securement about an associated power tool 
handle. 
As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be 
described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new power tool 
cord strain relief arrangement apparatus and met:hod which has many of the 
advantages of the prior art listed heretofore and many novel features that 
result in a power tool cord strain relief arrangement apparatus which is 
not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of 
the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
To attain this, the present invention provides an arrangement for use with 
a power tool which includes a power cord extending therefrom, wherein the 
arrangement includes a tether cord extending along the power cord, with 
the tether cord secured at one end about the power tool handle within the 
trigger guard and at its second end to a power cord handle, such that 
strain is directed through the tether cord rather than the power cord. The 
arrangement allows for the lowering of power tools from raised heights 
without straining of the power cord. 
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features 
of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that 
follows may be better understood, and in order that the present 
contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, 
additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter 
and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention 
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its 
application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the 
components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the 
drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being 
practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood 
that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose 
of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon 
which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the 
designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the 
several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, 
that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions 
insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present 
invention. 
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent 
and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the 
scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar 
with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a 
cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of 
the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention 
of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to 
be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new power 
tool cord strain relief arrangement apparatus and method which has many of 
the advantages of the prior art listed heretofore and many novel features 
that result in a power tool cord strain relief arrangement apparatus Which 
is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of 
the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new power tool 
cord strain relief arrangement which may be easily and efficiently 
manufactured and marketed. 
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new power tool 
cord strain relief arrangement which is of a durable and reliable 
construction. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new power 
tool rain relief arrangement which is susceptible of a low cost of 
manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly 
is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby 
making such power tool cord strain relief arrangement economically 
available to the buying public. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new power 
tool cord strain relief arrangement which provides in the apparatuses and 
methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while 
simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated 
therewith. 
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new power 
tool cord strain relief arrangement which provides a tether cord, a cord 
handle, and a plurality of tie straps arranged for securing the tether to 
an electrical power cord of the power tool. 
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new power 
tool cord strain relief arrangement which provides a tether cord, a cord 
handle, and a plurality of tie straps arranged for securing the tether to 
an electrical power cord of the power tool, and further includes a plug 
securing loop extending around the cord handle. 
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various 
features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with 
particularity in the claims annexed to and forming of this disclosure. For 
a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the 
specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the 
accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated 
preferred embodiments of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1-6 thereof, 
a new power tool cord strain relief arrangement embodying the principles 
and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 will be described. 
More specifically, the power tool cord strain relief arrangement 10 of the 
instant invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is to be utilized in 
cooperation with a power tool 11 having a trigger mounted to its handle 
13, with a power cord 14 extending from the handle 13 and terminating in 
an electrical plug 15. Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, it can be shown 
that the invention comprises an anchor loop 16 which may be secured about 
the handle 13 and directed through the trigger guard 12. The anchor loop 
16 is provided with a buckle 17 receiving the strap structure of the 
anchor loop to secure the anchor loop to the handle 13. A buckle loop 18 
is optionally provided to facilitate the attachment of a tether cord 19 
thereto. 
As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tether cord 19 includes a tether 
cord first end 19a spaced from a tether cord second end 23. The tether 
cord first end 19a defines a first end loop 20 secured by a first cable 
lock cylinder 21 which receives the first end 19a, as well as a portion of 
the tether cord 19, therethrough. A first cable lock fastener 22 is 
threadably directed into the first cable lock cylinder 21 to capture and 
secure the tether cord 19 and the first end 19a together to define the 
loop 20. The first end loop 20 may be slidably directed through the buckle 
loop 18, or optionally merely directed through the anchor loop 16. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the tether cord second end 23 projects through a cord 
handle 24 and more specifically through a cord handle bore 25 formed in 
the cord handle. A second cable lock 26 is secured to the tether cord 
second end 23 beyond the cord handle 24, such that the second cable lock 
25 abuts the cord handle preventing the removal of the tether cord second 
end 23 relative to the cord handle 24. In a manner similar the first cable 
lock cylinder 21, the second cable lock cylinder 25 is provided with a 
second cable lock fastener 27 which is threadably directed into thereinto 
to capture and secure the second end 23 of tether cord 19 beyond the cord 
handle 24. 
FIG. 1 illustrates the tether cord 19 extending along the power cord 14 and 
it can be seen from this figure that a plurality of tie straps 36 are 
provided to secure the tether cord 19 to the power cord 11. The tie straps 
36 are of a type that are, per se, known in the prior art but have 
heretofore not been employed in the combination noted herein. 
The FIG. 5 indicates the optional employment of a plug securing loop 28 
that extends about the handle 24. A handle receiving slot 29 directed into 
the plug securing loop 28 permits the tether cord 19 to be received 
therethrough. The plug securing loop 28 is thusly oriented between the 
spaced prongs of the electrical plug 15, such that the strain is removed 
from the electrical plug when pulling the electrical plug by the tether 
cord 19 for removal of the electrical plug from an associated 
unillustrated electrical outlet. 
As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the 
present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. 
Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and 
operation will be provided. 
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the 
optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to 
include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of 
operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to 
one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those 
illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are 
intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the 
principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and 
changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired 
to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and 
described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may 
be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.