Abstract:
An adaptable tool hook comprises a wire-frame buckle and hook with a strap. The strap can be positioned on the buckle-hook in two different orthogonal positions to allow the strap to wrap an object or tool laterally or longitudinally. The hook stays with the tool and can be hooked on any available belt, pocket, rail, or wire.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This Application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/112,415, filed Apr. 25, 2005, and titled ADAPTABLE TOOL HOOK. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to hooks and hangers, and more particularly to hooks that can be quickly strapped to a hand tool and thereafter easily be hung from a belt or pocket of a worker.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     Only having “two hands” often requires that a worker put down a hand tool in order to complete some procedure or prepare it for using the tool. But putting the tool down on the ground or table may not be possible or convenient. So a variety of workers tool pouches, holsters and hooks have been devised and marketed.  
         [0006]     For example, a belt hook is shown by William Armstrong in U.S. Design Pat. D470,309 S, issued Feb. 18, 2003. Such appears to illustrate a saddle that can be threaded by a workers belt and worn on one side. A snap with a release lever allows a tool with a matching ring to be captured and held. Armstrong shows a variation of this idea in his U.S. Design Pat. D469,250 S, issued Jan. 28, 2003. Here a simple flat hook pointing upwards is strapped to a worker&#39;s belt.  
         [0007]     James Schwartzmiller has a similar belt saddle with a low-slung hook that he illustrates in U.S. Design Pat. D452,610 S, issued Jan. 1, 2003. Such is being marketed under the trademark E-Z HOLSTER™. Web pages accessed from www.ezholster.com show how the belt saddle and hook are matched with a tool having a ring strapped to it with VELCRO strapping. The problem is the hook on the side of the worker can snag onto anything and can scratch and injure other people and objects. The tool can only be hung on the hook, and the hook must already be pre-attached to the worker&#39;s belt.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     Briefly, an adaptable tool hook embodiment of the present invention comprises a wire-frame buckle and hook with a strap. The strap can be positioned on the buckle-hook in two different orthogonal positions to allow the strap to wrap an object or tool laterally or longitudinally. The hook stays with the tool and can be hooked on any available belt, pocket, rail, or wire.  
         [0009]     An advantage of the present invention is a method and device are provided for hanging objects.  
         [0010]     Another advantage of the present invention is that a method and device are provided that are simple, inexpensive, and effective.  
         [0011]     A still further advantage of the present invention is that an adaptable hook is provided that can easily be strapped to a tool and then the tool can be hooked on a work-belt.  
         [0012]     The above and still further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIGS. 1A-1D  are perspective diagrams of an adaptable tool hook embodiment of the present invention. These Figs. demonstrate how the strap can be slipped between two orthogonal positions to increase the number of ways it can be used and the types of objects that can be attached to a hook;  
         [0014]      FIGS. 2A-2B  are side and front view diagrams with a power hand tool fitted with the adaptable tool hook of  FIGS. 1A-1D ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective diagram of how an adaptable tool hook embodiment of the present invention can be fitted with two matching VELCRO straps; and  
         [0016]      FIGS. 4A-4B  are perspective diagrams of a two-way adapt-a-hook embodiment of the present invention show the two orientations of the tie-wrap that are accommodated quickly and easily by capturing a buckle-anchor in the base of the hook-frame.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]      FIGS. 1A-1D  illustrate an adaptable tool hook embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral  100 . The adaptable tool hook  100  comprises a wire-frame buckle  102  and a strap  104 . The buckle  102  has a left-lateral section  106 , a right-lateral section  108 , a top longitudinal section  110 , and a bottom longitudinal section  112 . These allow the strap  104  to be wrapped around an object with a hook section  114  being in-line or orthogonal.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 1A and 1C  illustrate strap  104  in its longitudinal starting position on section  112 .  FIGS. 1B and 1D  illustrate strap  104  in its lateral starting position on section  108 . The two positions are orthogonal to one another. The wire-frame construction is key to allowing strap  104  to be slipped between sections  106 - 108 - 110 - 112 . In  FIG. 1C , strap  104  can be doubled back around section  110 , similar to the way shown in  FIG. 1D .  
         [0019]     In use, the adaptable tool hook  100  can be strapped to any object the strap  104  can wrap around and the hook section  114  has the strength to support the weight. It need not necessarily be a tool, and it need not necessarily be hung on a worker or even a person. For example, the adaptable tool hook  100  could be wrapped around a stuffed toy and hung on a rail in a store for merchandising.  
         [0020]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate how an adaptable hook  200  can be used on a typical hand-tool tool  202 . The adaptable hook  200  includes a VELCRO strap  204  attached to a wire-frame hook  206  wrapped around the pistol-grip of tool  202 . This is shown with the strap  204  attached in the longitudinal position to wire-frame hook  206 , and for a right-handed user that will use hook  206  on their waist belt. A user can then catch hook  206  in their belt or pocket when needing to free their hands.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  represents an adaptable tool hook embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral  300 . The adaptable tool hook  300  comprises a hook-buckle  302 , a VELCRO-hooks strap  304 , a VELCRO-loops strap  306 , and an area  308  in which the hooks can lock on to the loops to hold the tool.  
         [0022]     When a single strap of VELCRO is used, it creates a challenge on how to thread the strap so the strap can wrap around the tool, hold the buckle  302 , and still wind up with the VELCRO-hooks on one face able to engage the VELCRO-loops on the other face. A single simple VELCRO strap with hooks on one side and loops on the other could be used in  FIGS. 1A-1D . In  FIG. 3 , adaptable tool hook  300  uses two separate straps.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 4A-4B  illustrate a two-way adapt-a-hook embodiment of the present invention, and is referred to herein by the general reference numeral  400 . The two-way adapt-a-hook  400  comprises a hook frame  402  similar to those illustrated in  FIGS. 1A-1D ,  2 A- 2 B, and  3 . A hook-end  402  is provided to hook a tool onto various kinds of hangers, belts, pockets, etc. A hook-base  404  is threaded with a tie-strap  406  in the special way illustrated. The tie-strap  406  includes a tie-end  408  that will fit into and lock with a tie-buckle  410  after being wrapped around a tool or other handheld device. The tie-strap  406  is also threaded through a floating buckle-anchor  412  that can be rotated between the orientations shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . When the tie-strap  406  is installed and tightened around a tool, the buckle-anchor  412  will be drawn up tight against the hook-base  404 .  
         [0024]     A double-sided adhesive tape  414 , such as 3M™ Acrylic Foam Tape 5314, provides stability and helps the adapt-a-hook  400  to resist slipping and twisting when installed on a tool. A film cover  416  is used to protect a pressure-sensitive adhesive surface on the adhesive tape  414 , up until a user removes it for installation.  
         [0025]     The general construction can be made with various kinds of plastics. However the hook-frame  402  would typically be fabricated with steel wire, and the tie-strap  406  and buckle-anchor  412  would be made of NYLON.  
         [0026]     Although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated, such is not intended to limit the invention. Modifications and changes will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is intended that the invention only be limited by the scope of the appended claims.