Abstract:
A personal carrying device provides structures for carrying bit accessories, such as screwdriver bits and drill bits. In one embodiment a tool-carrying device includes a depending hook and bit-storage cavities within a housing. A latch and a release button hold the bits within the bit-cavities in a manner that facilitates installing and removing bits. A single structure guides the hook, and supports the latch and the release button. Further structures are disclosed that provide improvements to holding and extracting bits in general portable and non-portable devices.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to personal carrying accessories. More precisely the present invention relates to a carrying device including an accessory holder.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     A well-known device to carry tools, supplies and the like is a tool belt. Such belts often have pockets, loops or an attached hook to enable a worker to carry items without use of his hands.  
         [0003]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,290 to Landa shows a ski pole carrier. A spring clip secures the body of the device to a belt or other item worn by a user. A clamp is pivotally attached to the body of the device and holds two ski poles. The poles may be swiveled between vertical and parallel to the user and horizontally.  
         [0004]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,873 to Schattel comprises a customized tool belt with a permanently attached hook. The device is intended for heavy construction materials such as rebar. The custom belt thus includes shoulder straps to support the load. The hook may be rotated to extend out for use and to lie flat against the belt when not in use. The hook rotation includes detent stops.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,743,451 and RE38,035, to Kahn show a hook that combines the features of &#39;873 and &#39;290. A spring clip allows the hook to be attached and removed from a waist belt as in &#39;290. The hooks of Kahn further include a swivel option similar to &#39;290. As in &#39;873 the hook of &#39;451 includes an ability to rotate between detents. U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,342 to Kahn shows a double tool tote, where two hooks depend from a bracket that is otherwise similar to the device of &#39;449.  
         [0006]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,147 to the present inventor discloses improvements in appearance and manufacture for a tool-carrying device. The elements are closely integrated together in a simplified structure.  
         [0007]     A cordless power drill/driver is a tool that is often carried by these devices. A drill/driver requires accessory bits such as drills or screwdriver bits to be useful. It is desirable therefore to provide a carrying device that holds and dispenses such accessories or bits. Drills with bit holders are well known, typically using a recess in the drill housing to contain the bit, where the bit is held in the recess by a spring clip. The recess may be elongated along the surface of a parent device such as the drill body. In this type of recess the bit is exposed along its side. It is pried out from the recess by inserting a finger into the recess at one end of the bit and pulling the bit out. The recess may extend lengthwise into the parent device, where the bit extends axially out of the recess. An exposed end of the bit is grasped and the bit is extracted axially from the deep recess.  
         [0008]     None of the prior art suggests a bit holder well integrated in tool carrying device. Further, the prior art do not suggest more generalized bit holders within parent devices where the bit can be readily extracted from a recess in the parent device.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     It is an object of the invention to provide an improved bit holding and extracting system. It is a further object to associate the bit holding system with a parent device. It is a one object that the parent device is a tool-carrying device. It is another object to have a simplified structure for a bit holding system.  
         [0010]     The present invention tool clip with bit holder is a typically waist mounted hook or similar device that attaches to an item of clothing. The tool clip enables a user to carry articles such as power tools while the hands are free to do other things. In one embodiment the body of the tool clip includes an elongated cavity that contains the bit within the body. A latch obstructs a lower end of the cavity to releasably hold the bit in the cavity. Releasing the latch allows the bit to fall by gravity. Alternately a resilient member may press the bit to hold it in a recess or cavity. The bit is forcibly pried out from the cavity.  
         [0011]     In another embodiment a latch holds the bit against a spring force; releasing the latch allows the bit to spring out from the recess.  
         [0012]     In one embodiment a bit or accessory holder is integrated with a personal tool-carrying device. In the carrying device a depending hook is rotatable about two distinct axes with respect to a user wearing the carrying device. A first horizontal axis allows the hook to swivel and the hook to remain oriented downward as a user bends over or moves around. In a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis the hook rotates toward and away from the user to adjust and stow the hook.  
         [0013]     The carrying device comprises a molded housing, preferably of plastic material such as polycarbonate although die cast or other metal would be suitable. A hook includes a “U” shaped metal bar with an enlarged head end. A flexible friction cap surrounds the head including an interference fit to resist the head from rotating within the cap. The cap and head together are installed into a cavity of the housing. A belt clip is secured to the backside of the housing to securely confine the hook head end and cap in the cavity of the housing. A ball end may be attached to the distal end of the hook.  
         [0014]     The hook can be manufactured using cold heading methods that are common for making bolts. According to this process a wire is drawn to a desired diameter after which a die forcibly moves the material at one end to form a head. The head is commonly a hexagonal shape, although square, round, recessed,  12  point and other head shapes are known and may be used.  
         [0015]     The head end is preferably held within the housing so that it has some resistance to turning. Any resilient material may provide the function of the friction cap although molded plastic may be preferred. Further the function of the friction cap may be provided by elements of just the housing or a combination the housing and the belt clip.  
         [0016]     When the present invention bit holder is associated with a personal carrying device, cavities in the housing may extend parallel to the head end of the hook. The molded housing then includes at least two elongated cavities; a first cavity that fits the hook, and a second that fits the bit accessory. The bit holder of the present invention may be associated with various portable, carrying or non-portable devices, including a housing that supports a hook, a housing of a portable drill, a screwdriver housing or a housing that is primarily for holding bits.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  is a front elevation of carrying device, with a bit within one of two bit cavities.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1A  is a partial section view of the device of  FIG. 1 , showing a latch portion of an insert and a bit.  
         [0019]     FIGS.  2  is a rear perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of a housing for a tool-carrying device.  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  is a front, bottom perspective view of the housing of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  is the view and device of  FIG. 1 , with the housing omitted to expose the internal parts.  
         [0023]      FIG. 6  is a front, side perspective view of a friction cap/bit-latching insert.  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a side elevation of the insert of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a bottom, side perspective view of the insert of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 9  is a front, top perspective view of an alternate embodiment tool-carrying device with bit holder, including one bit being held.  
         [0027]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the device of  FIG. 9 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 11  is a side elevation of an exterior of a drill body, including a further embodiment of the invention.  
         [0029]      FIG. 12  is an opposite side, internal view of the drill body of  FIG. 11 , with a bit latch in a rest position.  
         [0030]      FIG. 13  is a side, bottom perspective view of a bit latch according to the further embodiment of the invention.  
         [0031]      FIG. 14  is a partial section detail view of the drill body of  FIG. 11 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 15  is a detail view of the drill body of  FIG. 12 , with the bit latch in a pressed position.  
         [0033]      FIG. 16  is a front, side perspective view of the drill body, with the bit in an angled, released position.  
         [0034]      FIG. 17  is a partial section view of the drill body and bit latch of  FIG. 15 .  
         [0035]      FIG. 18  is a partial section view of the drill body and bit of  FIG. 15 , with the bit extended out in the released position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]     FIGS.  1  to  8  show the present invention in a preferred embodiment. Belt clip  80  is a mounting element that holds the carrying device of the invention to a user&#39;s belt, waistband or other clothing. Belt clip  80  is normally removable from a user&#39;s belt, although it could be permanently or semi-permanently attached to a belt or other clothing article. Housing  10  may swivel against belt clip  80  about rivet  100  in hole  11  where belt clip  80  is pivotally attached to housing  10  by rivet  100 .  
         [0037]     Housing  10  provides a structure to contain, guide and support the components of the carrying device. The components are preferably well contained within housing  10  for a pleasing appearance, however housing  10  could be minimally designed to expose the components if it is desired for example to reduce material usage. Hook  60  extends down from slot  12  ( FIGS. 2,3 ) of housing  10 .  
         [0038]     The design of hook  60  is best seen in  FIG. 1 , where hook shaft  61  and optionally hexagonal head end  62  are shown hidden. In the illustrated embodiment hook  60  includes a “U” shaped portion. Hook  60  is preferably of a soft metal such as aluminum to allow it to be bent to slightly different shapes. Hook shaft  61  extends within an elongated hook cavity defined by slots  12  and  13 , and ceiling  14  of housing  10 , where hook  60  is rotatable about a hook axis.  
         [0039]     The top surface of head end  62  presses within friction cap  38 ,  FIG. 8  of insert  30  to partly resist rotation of hook  60 . Insert  30  is preferably of a resilient material to provide resistance against rotation of head end  62 , and thus hook  60 , within friction cap  38 . Cap materials may include nylon, acetal, elastomers, or resilient fingers or similar features of a metal spring device.  
         [0040]     If housing  10  is of a suitable material and proper molding techniques are used the function of friction cap  38  may be included as an element of housing  10 , for example as the walls of slot  12 .  
         [0041]     Accessory bit  200  is shown in the Figures, in hidden view in  FIG. 2 . It will be referred to as bit  200  although it may equivalently be any elongated device that is to be stored or carried. Bit  200  is shown with simple cut-off flat ends for simplicity, although it may have one or two screwdriver ends, a drill bit end, or other usable implement. Bridge  18   a  and wing  81  of belt clip  80 ,  FIGS. 1   a  and  2 , hold bit  200  from behind. Ceiling  18 ,  FIG. 3 , holds the bit from in front. The combination of wing  81 , bridge  18   a,  and ceiling  18  form an elongated bit-cavity to retain bit  200  within housing  10 . The bit-cavity may take many alternate forms. For example it may comprise a structure entirely from ribs, walls or other elements of housing  10  to confine the bit. The elongated bit-cavity confines bit  200  radially within housing  10  in a substantially parallel and spaced relationship to hook shaft  61 . One or more bit-cavities may be included in the carrying device.  
         [0042]     Insert  30  includes resilient lower arms  31  extending downward from a central structure containing friction cap  38 . At the distal end of lower arm  31  is release button  32  and stop edge  32   a.  Stop edge  32   a  is positioned under bit  200  and partially encloses the bit cavity in a closed stop edge position as shown in  FIG. 1A . Stop edge  32   a  confines the bit axially from falling downward out of the bit-cavity. Pressing release button  32  causes lower arm  31  to deflect whereby stop edge  32   a  moves out from under the bit to an open stop edge position to be entirely behind, or beside, the bit. This deflected position of lower arm  31 , not shown, is toward the right in  FIG. 1   a.  Button stop  19 ,  FIG. 1   a,  may limit the travel of release button  32  toward the open position and thus the deflection of lower arm  31 . Release button  32  includes optional textured pressing area  32   b  at a lower distal end of the button to help identify the action required upon release button  32 . Bit  200  can move out from the bit-cavity by force of gravity. If a user desires to inspect the bit without fully extracting it, a finger may be used to hold the bit partially extending out from housing  10 . Releasing button  32  in this condition will cause stop edge  32   a  to press the side of bit  200 . The bit will be immobilized by friction; the user can then inspect the bit easily. A typical reason to inspect a bit is to check what is at the tip, for example slotted or Phillips bit. Using this procedure allows a user to check the bit without requiring reinstalling it from the top. If the bit is not wanted it can easily be pushed up and back into housing  10 . The illustrated design using release button  32  allows a single finger to release bit  200  and extract it either partially or fully. When fully extracting the bit it falls out into the user&#39;s hand in a continuous single motion. Or the same hand can stop the bit and push it back inward easily.  
         [0043]     Resilient upper arms  35  extend upward. Latch  33  is movable against the resilient bias of arm  35  at the distal end of each arm  35 . Latch  33  is exposed in notch  16  in  FIG. 1 . Bit  200  will normally stay in the bit-cavity as the weight of bit  200  presses stop edge  32   a.  However the carrying device may be stored upside down between uses or even during use, or may get bumped in use. Therefore latch  33  prevents bit  200  from being knocked out of the bit-cavity in the upward direction. Latch  33  extends over the top of bit  200 . Alternately latch  33  may press bit  200  from the side to hold the bit by friction. Then bit  200  will not fall out freely by pressing release button  32 . Rather a user would push down on the bit to urge it past a side-pressing version of latch  33 . In the illustrated design of FIGS.  1  to  9  the bit is held by elements from above and below, but not substantially pressed from the side. Thus it is securely held in the bit-cavity in the carrying device and cannot fall out until a secondary operation releases a holding element, such as stop edge  32   a.  Stop edge  32   a  moves indirectly from bit  200  whereby release button  32 , with attached stop edge  32   a,  is moved by a user before bit  200  moves out of the bit-cavity. The movable holding element of stop edge  32   a  partially obstructs a lower opening of the bit-cavity. Similarly movable latch  33  partially obstructs an upper opening of the bit-cavity. In the illustrated design latch  33  is moved directly by bit  200  as the bit is inserted. The bit-cavity is open to an exterior of housing  10 . This opening may be at one or both ends of the bit-cavity; this is at notch  16  at a top of the bit-cavity, and at bridge  18   a  in the lower opening seen in  FIG. 4 . The bit-cavity extends into housing  10  between these respective openings.  
         [0044]     To install the bit into the bit-cavity, a lower end, or tip, of the bit is positioned near notch  16 , adjacent to latch  33 . If the bit is blunt ended as shown latch  33  is pushed sideways, toward a center of housing  10  in  FIG. 1 , by the tip of bit  200 . Or if the tip is tapered, for example with the pointed shape of a Philips bit, the bit can be just pressed directly into the bit cavity as latch  33  wedged aside. The bit is pressed down until latch  33  snaps over the top end of the bit. A feature of the invention is that notch  16  is open to an exterior side of the bit-cavity and housing  10 , while latch  33  is positioned across the bit-cavity at an inner side of the bit-cavity. In  FIG. 1  this structure is represented by notch  16  being open toward the right, while latch  33  is to the left, of the bit-cavity. A finger pressing the bit is large compared to the bit-cavity. So it is needed to be able to press the bit to its final position at the same time that latch  33  is free to snap into position atop the bit. It is seen in  FIG. 1  that outer pressing corner  201  of bit  200  is well exposed in sideways facing notch  16 . An inner corner of the bit is covered by latch  33 . Therefore a relatively large finger can press corner  201 , while oppositely positioned latch  33  is spaced from pressing corner  201  and does not interfere with the finger from fully pressing the bit downward.  
         [0045]     Optionally notch  16  may be exposed at a front of the carrying device. Pressing corner  201  would be exposed at the front of housing  10 . This would be out of the page in  FIG. 1 , or to the left in  FIG. 1   a.  Latch  33  would be at a rear of the device, to the right in  FIG. 1   a,  rather than toward a center in  FIG. 1 . This front orientation of notch  16  is desirable if multiple adjacent bit-cavities extend within a single carrying device. Then the bit-cavities may be spaced close together since a finger presses in front of each bit and need not fit between two adjacent bit-cavities as would be required if the side facing embodiment were used. However if only one or two bit-cavities are provided as in  FIG. 1 , an advantage of the side facing notch  16  is that housing  10  can be of minimal thickness, left/right in  FIG. 1A . With a front facing notch  16  latch  33  would need to resiliently move to the right in  FIG. 1A , past the position of clip  80 . In practice housing  10  would need to be thickened. Note that bit  200  is angled outward at the bottom in  FIG. 1 . This allows a finger to be positioned behind the bit as the bit drops into a hand as release button  32  is pressed. Therefore with either a front or side facing notch  16 , release button  32  may operate in the direction shown, to the right in  FIG. 1A , although release button  32  may also be oriented to operate sideways if desired.  
         [0046]     As release button  32  is pressed bridge  18   a,    FIGS. 1 and 3 , prevents bit  200  from moving along with stop edge  32   a,  so that the stop edge may slide out from under the bit. Bit  200  will therefore maintain its relative angular position within housing  10 .  
         [0047]     Thin edge  31   a  of insert  30  provides a ramp that is closely fitted to a surface of clip  80  to guide bits into the bit-cavity.  
         [0048]     In the illustrated embodiment insert  30  includes upper and lower latching structures, along with an element to frictionally limit rotation of hook  60 . These separate functions of insert  30  may be served by a single integrated component as shown, or the functions may be assigned to separate components. For example movable lower arms  31  and release buttons  32  may be separate elements fitted to housing  10  or friction cap  38 , and various resilient devices such as coiled springs or bar springs may attach arms  31 .  
         [0049]      FIGS. 9 and 10  show an alternate embodiment carrying device with bit accessory holders. Two elongated bit cavities  118  extend in a substantially parallel relationship to hook shaft  161 . Hook  160  is pivotably mounted to housing  110 . Bit-cavities  118  are exposed along one elongated side of the bit-cavities along the exterior of housing  110 . Bit-cavities  118  are exposed at the front of housing  110  in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , although along sides, left and right direction in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , of the housing is optional instead. Bit-cavities  118  extend into housing  110  widthwise rather than lengthwise as shown in FIGS.  1  to  8 . Insert  130  holds bit  200  by friction within the bit-cavity. Stop edge  132  is movably attached to insert  130  and partially encloses bit-cavity  118 . Forcing bit  200  sideways out of cavity  118 , downward in  FIG. 10 , causes stop edge  132  to be moved aside as bit  200  is freed from cavity  118 . One or more surfaces such as stop edge  132  of insert  130  may hold bit  200  within bit-cavity  118 . As seen in  FIG. 9  bit-cavity  118  terminates at one end within housing  110 , while bit  200  extends out from a top of housing  110 . Therefore bit  200  can be forcibly urged out of bit-cavity  118  by pressing the bit from behind at the top end of the bit. In general an underside of one end of the bit is exposed so that the bit may be pressed from the underside. Bit  200  need not extend past a structure of housing  110 ; rather a recess in housing  110  may expose the underside of one end of bit  200 .  
         [0050]     The accessory carrying device including housing  10  or housing  110  is shown in association with a tool-carrying device including a hook. The improvements of the present invention may be used singly or in association with various devices for holding or carrying bits or other accessories.  
         [0051]     For example, in FIGS.  11  to  18  a bit holding and carrying device is shown in association with a screwdriver or drill housing. Drill body  300  includes bit cavity  370 ,  FIG. 14 . Bit cavity  370  is elongated from a front end at rib  305  to a rear end at wall  306 . Bit cavity  370  is largely exposed to the exterior of drill body  300 . In  FIG. 18 , bit  200  extends at an angle out of the exposed side of bit cavity  370 . Exterior wall  308  encloses from the exterior a section of the length of the bit cavity.  
         [0052]     Normally bit  200  is held within bit cavity  370  in a coaxial relationship to the length of bit cavity  370  as shown transversely in  FIG. 14 . Exterior wall  308  confines the bit at the front end. Bit latch  400  holds the bit further back along bit cavity  370 . Tab  432  of the bit latch contacts bit  200 . As seen in  FIG. 11 , tab  432  does not entirely cross the width of bit cavity  370  in the latch closed position, rather the tab encloses or obstructs the cavity just sufficiently to prevent bit  200  from moving out toward the angled position of  FIG. 18 . Bit cavity  370  is therefore enclosed or obstructed at the open side by at least two structures, exterior wall  308 , and bit latch  400 . Optionally bit cavity  370  may be entirely exposed along its length, where only bit latch  400  partially obstructs the exposed side of bit cavity  370 .  
         [0053]     Bit latch  400  is pivotably mounted to drill body  300  at post  433 . Bit latch  400  includes catch  439  and tab  438 ,  FIGS. 13 and 17 . Tab  438  fits behind shelf  309 . Catch  439  snaps into position in a notch of the drill body,  FIG. 17 , during an assembly operation. Bit latch  400  is normally held in a raised, closed, position by spring arm  436  pressing post  307  at distal arm end  437 . Spring arm  436  is cantilevered from post  433  of bit latch  400 .  
         [0054]     To remove the obstruction formed by tab  432 , bit latch  400  is pivoted downward toward a latch open position about post  433  to the position shown in  FIG. 15  by pressing downward upon bump  435 . It can be seen that spring arm  436  is arced in a deflected condition in  FIG. 15 . Bit  200  is then free to extend out from bit cavity  370 .  
         [0055]     To ensure that bit  200  extends out from the bit cavity after the obstruction of tab  432  is removed, a resilient arm of ejection spring  372  is biased toward the open end of bit cavity  370 . In  FIGS. 16 and 18  ejection spring  372  presses bit  200  from one side and is shown forcing bit  200  to angle out from bit cavity  370 . Exterior wall  308  presses the bit from an opposite side so that bit  200  pivots about exterior wall  308 . With the bit in this position a user can easily grasp and pull out the bit. Ejection spring  372  includes distal end  374  that contacts the bit. In the illustrated embodiment ejection spring  372  is formed as part of drill body  300  into the terminating wall of bit cavity  370 . In  FIG. 15  it is seen that ejection spring  372  is formed from a cutout portion of the material of drill body  300 .  
         [0056]     The bit holder of FIGS.  11  to  18  may be used separately from a drill, for example as a single purpose bit holding device where a housing body serves the primary function of including bit cavity  370  and bit latch  400 , or the bit holder may be used with or as part of other types of devices. In any of the embodiments of the invention described it is not required that the device associated with the bit holder is portable.  
         [0057]     From the foregoing detailed description, it will be evident that there are a number of changes, adaptations and modifications of the present invention that come within the province of those skilled in the art. However, it is intended that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered as within the scope thereof as limited solely by the claims following.