Retractable belt clip for hand-held tool

A retractable belt clip is disposed on an electronic hand-held tool, such as a stud finder, a laser level, or an electronic tape measure, and is moveable from a stowed position, in which the belt clip is disposed within or flush to a housing of the tool, to a deployed position, in which the belt clip may be attached to a belt or other member for carrying and storage.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to hand-held tools such as stud finders, laser generating devices, measuring tapes, etc. and more specifically to a retractable belt clip to be used on a hand-held tool.

BACKGROUND

Handheld tools, and in particular, electronic handheld tools, come in many varieties, sizes, and shapes. There are, for example, hand-held electronic stud finders, hand-held electronic tape measures, such as sonic tape measures, hand-held laser pointers, laser line generators, laser levels, etc., all of which have been developed to aid a builder, a home repair person, or other person in the process of constructing buildings, walls, etc. or in the process of hanging pictures, shelves, etc. on already existing structures.

It is generally known to provide such hand-held devices with a belt clip to aid the user in storing the device on his or her body when not in use. However, such belt clips typically extend out from the housing of the hand-held tool in order to provide a space between the tool housing and the belt clip to be used to attach the tool to a belt or other support structure for storage and carrying. These known belt clips therefore produce a tool having an uneven surface that may not be desirable from a utilitarian standpoint, such as when it is desirable to have the tool sit level on a surface such as a table for making measurements, or when it is desirable for the tool to take up minimal amount of space in a storage container, such as a tool box or a drawer. In addition, the belt clip can interfere with the operation of electronic handheld devices, such as those that include buttons and/or switches or those that need to be placed flush against a wall or other surface during use.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An improved hand-held electronic tool is provided with a retractable belt clip that may be extended from a housing of the tool to allow the user to hang the tool on a standard belt or other support structure. The retractable belt clip may also be retracted into the tool so that the belt clip is flush with or disposed within the housing of the tool when the belt clip is not in use. This retracted position helps eliminate uneven surfaces and the like caused by prior art belt clips during use of the hand-held tool.

Other features and advantages of the disclosed devices and methods will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description provided below, which is made with reference to the attached drawings provided in illustration of one preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference initially toFIG. 1, a hand-held electronic tool20in the form of an electronic tape measure includes a microprocessor (not shown), a memory (not shown), and an electronic display22in the form of an LCD (liquid crystal display) disposed on a user interface side21of a housing23. Input mechanisms in the form of a power/read button24, a first scroll button26, a second scroll button28, a select button30, an addition button32, and a clear button34are also illustrated as being disposed on the user interface side of the housing23and are electronically connected to the microprocessor within the housing23to perform electronic measuring and display functions. Of course, any other buttons and any other type of display could be used instead of or in addition to those illustrated inFIG. 1. The hand-held electronic tool20may include any known or standard circuitry for measuring distances from the electronic tape measure20, such as any known sonic or laser measuring circuitry. Furthermore, while the hand held-electronic tool20is illustrated as an electronic tape measuring device, the hand-held electronic tool20could be any other desired type of tool, including, for example, a stud finder, a laser level, a laser line generating device, etc. In these cases, standard or typical circuitry and components could be used to perform the primary function of the tool, such as locating studs or other obstructions, generating laser lines, etc.

The hand-held electronic tool20includes a retractable belt clip member36, only the top of which is shown inFIG. 1. As illustrated inFIG. 5, a front housing portion57of the housing23accepts the retractable belt clip member36therein so that, when in a retracted position, an upper side of the retractable belt clip member36is disposed within a recess40(seeFIG. 3) so that the outer surface of the clip member36forms a continuous smooth surface with the adjacent portions44of the housing.

FIG. 2also illustrates a ribbed side grip panel58disposed on the outside of the front housing portion57(a similar grip panel58is disposed on the other side of the housing23). The ribbed side grip panels58provide for ease in holding and using the tool20.

FIG. 3illustrates a perspective view of the housing23of the tool20in which the retractable belt clip member36is disposed in a deployed configuration, whileFIG. 4illustrates a perspective view of the housing23with the retractable belt clip member36in a stowed configuration. As shown inFIG. 3, the retractable belt clip member36may include a ribbed base surface60coupled to a clasp member61, wherein the ribbed base surface60is accessible from a different side of the housing (the bottom, rather than the front) and may be used to facilitate deployment and retraction of the clasp member61by sliding the clasp member with respect to the housing23along the line of the directional arrow62(shown inFIGS. 2 and 3).

When in the deployed position ofFIG. 3, the clasp member61is disposed away from the housing23so that a space exists between the clasp member61and the housing23. As will be understood, a belt or other thin support structure (not shown) may be disposed between the clasp member61and the housing23when the belt clip member36is in the deployed position to carry or otherwise support the tool20in a hanging manner. As shown inFIG. 4, when the belt clip member36is in the retracted or stowed position, the clasp member61has an upper surface that is flush with or disposed within the housing23providing a clean or smooth surface to the housing23in the area of the clasp member61.

FIGS. 5 and 6are cross-sectional views illustrating further details of the structure that allows deployment and retraction of the retractable belt clip member36. Referring toFIG. 5, the belt clip member36includes two bosses68(only one of which is visible inFIG. 5), each of which includes a blind hole70. As shown best inFIG. 6, the front housing portion57includes a pair of openings72through which the shafts67of the bosses68pass. Referring again toFIG. 5, a threaded fastener74is threadably secured to each of the blind holes70, and includes a fastener head76that prevents the retractable clip member36from being completely removed from connection to the front housing portion57. However, the bosses68and the fastener74are able to move or slide within a space79to enable the clip member36to move between the stowed and the deployed positions.

A detent protrusion78may be provided on the retractable belt clip member36, such that the protrusion78mates with a corresponding deployed detent dimple80formed in the front housing portion57when the clip member36is in the deployed position. The detent protrusion78also mates with a stowed detent dimple82(also formed in the front housing portion57) when the clip member36is in the stowed position. These cooperating detent elements help to hold the clip member36in each of the stowed and deployed positions and also to provide a satisfactory feel to the user when moving the clip member36between the stowed and deployed positions, or vice-versa.

Also, as seen best inFIG. 3, guide slots84may be formed in the belt clip member36and may slidably accept ribs or protrusions85(FIG. 6) extending from an interior side of the housing23. (The positioning of these sliding elements can also be reversed.) The illustrated guide slots have an elongated length that extends obliquely with respect to the user interface side21of the housing, from which the clip extends. Such sliding elements help to ensure that the belt clip member36will move from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration and vice-versa in a linear fashion, and can also help to stabilize the belt clip member36in a proper position with respect to the housing23.

The housing23may be made from any suitable material, such as ABS plastic, and the retractable belt clip member36and side grip panels58may also be made from any suitable material, such as ABS plastic. The buttons24-34may be made from any suitable material such as a TPR rubber material.

Due to the retractable nature of the belt clip member36, a belt clip can be provided on the front of the tool20without interfering with operation of the buttons24-34during use of the tool20. Because the belt clip member36is retractable, it may also be located on the front or back of the tool20without interfering with the operation of the tool20. Of course, if desired, the belt clip member36and associated structure could be located at any other desired position on the housing23. In any event, the belt clip member36may be deployed when it is desired to hang the tool on, for example, a belt, and may be stowed during use of the tool20or during storage of the tool20in a manner other than hanging the tool20from a support structure.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art. For example, the teachings of this disclosure are applicable to many types of handheld devices in addition to length measuring devices, such as, for example, laser levels, and stud sensors.