Abstract:
A multipurpose utility mounting assembly for a handheld field maintenance tool is disclosed. The assembly includes a number of features that allow effective use of the handheld field maintenance tool for a wide variety of mounting techniques that may be encountered in the field. Specifically, the mounting assembly includes features that facilitate handheld use, benchtop use and temporary hanging use. In some embodiments, the multipurpose utility mounting assembly is detachably mountable to a handheld field maintenance tool.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Handheld field maintenance tools are known. Such tools are highly useful in the process control and measurement industry to allow operators to conveniently communicate with and/or interrogate field devices in a given process installation. Examples of such process installations include petroleum, pharmaceutical, chemical, pulp and other processing installations. In such installations, the process control and measurement network may include tens or even hundreds of various field devices which periodically require maintenance to ensure that such devices are functioning properly and/or calibrated. Moreover, when one or more errors in the process control and measurement installation is detected, the use of a handheld field maintenance tool allows technicians to quickly diagnose such errors in the field. 
   One such device is sold under the trade designation Model 275 HART® Communicator available from Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc., of Eden Prairie, Minn. HART® is a registered trademark of the HART® Communication Foundation. The Model 275 provides a host of important functions and capabilities and generally allows highly effective field maintenance. Field maintenance tools, such as the model 275, are used extensively by field technicians in a number of contexts. First, field technicians will actually carry the handheld tool into the field and use it to interact with field devices. Additionally, technicians will also use the handheld tool in the laboratory to interact with field devices while on a laboratory benchtop, for example. Finally, there may be some instances in the field where a technician must use both hands in order to effectively interact with a field device. In these circumstances, it is desirable to allow the handheld tool to be mountable to any of a variety of surfaces that are encountered in the field. Providing handheld field maintenance tools with the ability to be easily mounted and/or utilized in these varying circumstances would vastly facilitate the utility of such tools. Moreover, providing such features in a manner that could be added or removed to/from the tool as needed by the technician would also be desirable. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A multipurpose utility mounting assembly for a handheld field maintenance tool is disclosed. The assembly includes a number of features that allow effective use of the handheld field maintenance tool for a wide variety of mounting techniques that may be encountered in the field. Specifically, the mounting assembly includes features that facilitate handheld use, benchtop use and temporary hanging use. In some embodiments, the multipurpose utility mounting assembly is detachably mountable to a handheld field maintenance tool. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of a handheld field maintenance tool and multipurpose utility mounting assembly mounted thereto, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of a multipurpose utility plate for a handheld field maintenance tool in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  are diagrammatic views of a stand for use with a multipurpose utility mounting assembly for a handheld field maintenance tool in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic view of a stand in a hanger position in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom plan cutaway view of a multipurpose utility mounting assembly for a handheld field maintenance tool in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   While various embodiments of the present invention will be described with respect to a handheld field maintenance tool product to be available from Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc. embodiments of the present invention can be practiced with any handheld field maintenance tool. As used herein, “field maintenance tool” includes any device capable of communicating with a field device either on a benchtop, or in the field, in accordance with a process industry standard protocol. Examples of such protocols include the Highway Addressable Remote Transducer (HART®) protocol and the FOUNDATION™ fieldbus process communication protocol. 
     FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of a handheld field maintenance tool  12  and multipurpose utility mounting assembly  13  mounted thereto. Assembly  13  includes multipurpose utility plate  14  and stand  46 . Multipurpose utility plate  14  is preferably releasably coupled to handheld field maintenance tool  12 . One manner in which this releasable coupling can be achieved is by virtue of through-holes  16  which allow screws to pass therethrough to couple multipurpose utility plate  14  to the underside  18  of handheld tool  12 . While screws and through-holes are the preferred method of releasably coupling multipurpose utility plate  14  to tool  12 , many other techniques can be employed. For example, multipurpose utility plate  14  may include a number of apertures which cooperate with deflectable features on surface  18  such that multipurpose utility plate  14  can be snapped onto tool  12 . Alternatively, the plate  14  could be integrally formed with the back of the tool. Preferably, multipurpose utility plate  14  is constructed from a material that facilitates low-cost manufacture, such as injection moldable plastic. However, any suitable material may be used to construct multipurpose utility plate  14 . In one embodiment, utility plate  14  includes hinge portion  20 , struts  22 ,  24 , transverse slot  26 , longitudinal slot  28 , stylus portion  30  and wrist strap loop  32 . 
     FIG. 2  illustrates four countersunk screw holes  16  extending through backing plate  34 . Struts  22  and  24  extend from feet  36  and  38 , respectively, to stylus portion  30 . Each of struts  22 ,  24  includes a cutout region which defines transverse loop slot  26 . An exemplary portion of a transverse loop  40  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  passing through transverse loop portion  26 . Transverse loop portion  26  and the transverse loop  40  associated therewith facilitate attaching handheld field maintenance tool  12  to a longitudinal surface, such as a vertical pipe. For horizontal surfaces such as round pipes, a stylus portion  30  is shaped with a circular cross-section in order to better secure mounting plate  14  to a vertical pipe. This geometry is illustrated at reference numeral  42  in  FIG. 2 . To secure mounting plate  14  to a transverse pipe or other similar structure, longitudinal mounting slot  28  is provided in the form of raised pedestal  44  which allows a loop to pass therethrough and be secured around a suitable structure. The combination of both a transverse loop portion and a vertical or longitudinal loop portion provide substantial flexibility for temporarily mounting handheld field maintenance tool  12  to any suitable structure found in the field. 
     FIG. 2  also illustrates elastomeric feet  35  disposed proximate stylus region  30 . Additionally, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , handheld field maintenance tool  12  also includes a pair of elastomeric feet  37  disposed near a bottom region thereof. Thus, when stand  46  is disposed in a retracted position, tool  12  is able to be laid flat upon a horizontal surface such that tool  12  rests on all four elastomeric feet  35 ,  37 . 
     FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate a stand usable with the multipurpose mounting plate and handheld field maintenance tool illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Specifically,  FIG. 3A  illustrates stand  46  disposed in a retracted position wherein the stand, which is generally a u-shape having 90 degree ends  47 , is disposed within a recess in the handle portion  50  of tool  12 .  FIG. 3B  illustrates preferred features of stand  46 . Stand  46  includes a pair of elastomeric feet  48  disposed about the preferably circular cross-section of stand  46 . Additionally, the shape of stand  46  between feet  48  preferably includes a local minima, such as a curve  53  having minima  56 . However, other suitable shapes can be practiced in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. 
   When fully assembled, ends  47  of stand  46  are captured within hinge portion  20  of multipurpose mounting plate  14 . This allows stand  46  to pivot about hinge  20  and to extend above the top of plate  14  (near wrist strap loop  32 ) to create a convenient point upon which stand  46  can be hung upon any post, peg, pin or other suitable structure found in the field. 
   Hinge region  20  is preferably configured to resist bending, but is not so inflexible so that it will not give if excessive force is used. Specifically, this means that the material selection and thickness of hinge region  20  is such that if excessive force is used when stand  46  is in an intermediate position, between the retracted an hanger positions, that hinge region  20  will break before any other portion of the mounting plate  14  or tool  12 . This ensures that the handheld field maintenance tool remains undamaged in the event of such excessive force. 
   Preferably, stand  46  is positionable in different orientations. For example, stand  46  is positionable in the retracted position shown in  FIG. 1 , the hanger position shown in  FIG. 4 , and an intermediate position wherein stand  46  is swung out until it runs into a stop that is an integral part of hinge  20 . The angle of this predetermined stop is fixed during design and is created such that the angle is best suited for use of the handheld field maintenance tool for optimum viewing when placed on a horizontal surface. Preferably, when stand  46  is disposed in the hanger position, illustrated in  FIG. 4 , stand  46  passes interference tangs  54  which serve to keep stand  46  in the hanger position. This creates additional stability for tool  12  when so mounted. 
     FIG. 5  is a bottom plan cut-away view of utility mounting plate  14  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 5  further illustrates a number of features that have been described already. However,  FIG. 5  also shows further definition with respect to wrist strap mounting loop  32  which is shown in  FIG. 5  as coupling to wrist strap  58 . Additionally, while other figures have illustrated stylus  56  disposed in stylus region  30  of mounting plate  14 ,  FIG. 5  shows an additional preferred feature. Specifically, stylus  56  and a portion  60  within region  30  preferably cooperate to create a slight interference such that when stylus  56  is positioned sufficiently far within region  30 , portion  60  will fit within a complementary portion  62  of stylus  56  to thereby retain stylus  56  within stylus region  30 . However, those skilled in the art will recognize that any number of suitably cooperating features can be used to maintain stylus  56  within region  30 . 
   Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.