Abstract:
A bit holder for securing various tool pieces and fasteners having a portion that is configured to rotate and pivot about the holder and a tray that is slidingly disposed within the holder. The portion allows a user to place various tool pieces and/or fasteners thereon, thus allowing the user to more efficiently change tool bits or retrieve fasteners.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to piece holder, and more specifically a tool piece holder having a positionable magnetic tray. 
         [0002]    Most tool piece holders that are produced today are used to retain pieces or various fasteners on a side of the holder or within a cavity formed therein. The holders are designed to allow a user to access a particular piece or fastener. The process of exchanging one tool piece or fastener for another is time consuming, and results in a delay in the completion of the project. The increase in time to exchange pieces is at least partially due to the fact that the user must set one piece down on a surface in order to pick another one up, must maneuver two pieces or fasteners with one hand, or use two hands to perform the operation. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    According to one embodiment of the present invention, the tool piece holder has a first receptacle defined by a first longitudinal axis with a cavity formed therein. The first receptacle has a top portion, a bottom portion, a front side, and a rear side. A second receptacle, such as a tray, is disposed within the cavity of the first receptacle, here the second receptacle is defined by, and configured to reciprocate along, the first longitudinal axis. The second receptacle has a first side and a second side, which is opposite from the first side, where first and/or second sides are configured to retain a plurality of tool pieces. A panel is pivotally coupled with the first receptacle and has a magnet element forming part thereof. 
         [0004]    According to another embodiment of the present invention, the tool piece holder has a first receptacle defined by a longitudinal axis and has a cavity defined therein. The first receptacle has a top portion, a bottom portion, a front side, and a rear side. A tray is slidingly disposed within the cavity and is capable of reciprocating along the longitudinal axis of the first receptacle. The tray comprises a first side and a second side, opposite from the first side, where at least one of the first and second sides are configured to retain a plurality of tool pieces. A panel is pivotally coupled with the bottom portion of the first receptacle and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the panel. The panel further comprises a first face and a second face, opposite from the first face, where at least one of the first and/or second faces is magnetic. 
         [0005]    According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method of storing a tool piece includes placing the first tool piece on a panel, actuating tray of a bit holder from a closed position to an open position, retrieving a second tool piece from the tray, placing the second tool piece on the panel, removing the first tool piece from the panel, inserting the first tool piece within the tray, and actuating the tray of the bit holder from the open position to the closed position. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one embodiment of the tool piece holder according to the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is another perspective view of the tool piece holder. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a yet another perspective view of one aspect of the tool piece holder. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a yet another perspective view of one aspect of the tool piece holder, with the tray extending therefrom and the panel being positioned away from the holder. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a side view of the tool piece holder shown in  FIG. 1 , with the tray extending therefrom and the panel being positioned away from the holder. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a rear view of the tool piece holder which shows the inside contents of the cavity of the holder via phantom lines as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the tool piece holder which shows the inside contents of the cavity of the holder via phantom lines as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    The invention is described with reference to the drawings in which like elements are referred to by like numerals. The relationship and function of the various elements of this invention are better understood by the following description. Each aspect so defined may be combined with any other aspect or aspects unless clearly indicated to the contrary. The embodiments described below are by way of example only, and the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. 
         [0014]    Turning now to the drawings and referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a receptacle or holder  10  is shown having a top portion  12 , a bottom portion  14 , a front portion  16 , and a rear portion  18  and is defined by a longitudinal axis A. The holder  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is rectangular in shape, but also can be, for example, square-shaped, triangular-shaped, or oval shaped. At least a portion of the holder  10  is hollow and forms a cavity  20  therein which can accommodate a slidable tray  34 . A clip  40 , such as a belt clip, is coupled with the holder  10  to allow for the holder  10  to be secured to other fixtures, such as a belt. 
         [0015]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , the front portion  16  consists of an interior portion  17  and panel portion  22  which is configured to pivot about the bottom portion  14  of the holder  10  from a closed position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , to an open position, as shown in  FIG. 3 . The panel portion  22  comprises a bottom side  24  and a top side  26  and is defined by a longitudinal axis B when in a non-closed position. It is contemplated that the panel portion  22  may open further than what is depicted in  FIG. 3 , such that the longitudinal axis B is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the holder  10 . 
         [0016]    The panel portion  22  may have the same dimensions of the interior portion  17  and therefore have the same general shape of the holder  10 . Alternatively, the panel portion  22  may be smaller than the interior portion  17  of the holder  10 . The panel portion  22  may be located the other sides of the holder  10 , forming part of the rear portion  18 , for example. Alternatively, the holder  10  may consist of more than one, independently openable, panel portion  22  coupled thereto. 
         [0017]    The bottom and top sides  24 ,  26  of the panel portion  22  may be at least partially formed of magnetic material sufficient to retain tool pieces or fasteners. Preferably, the magnetic material is located in a central area of the bottom side  24  of the panel  22 . The panel portion  22  is pivotally coupled to the bottom portion  14  of the holder  10  by a pin  28  disposed through the panel portion  22  and a connector  32 , and is shown in the closed position in  FIG. 1 . The panel portion  22  may be pivoted to an infinite number of orientations, one such example being illustrated in  FIG. 5 . It can be appreciated that the panel is in an open or partially open position when it is not in the closed position. The connector  32  may form part of the bottom portion  14  of the holder  10 . The panel portion  22  may be coupled through other types of fastening methods such as a hinge, and may be coupled to other portions of the holder  10 . The coupling between the panel portion  22  and the connector  32  also allows the panel portion to rotate 360° about the longitudinal axis B. Accordingly, either the front side  24  or rear side  26  may be faced away from the interior panel  17 . Of course, the degree of rotation may vary depending on the type of connector  32  used. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  5 , a second receptacle, shown as a tray  34 , is slidingly disposed within the cavity  20  formed within the holder  10 . The tray  34  may be configured to run in a track within the cavity  20  formed within the holder  10 .  FIG. 1  depicts the tray  34  in a closed position. The tray  34  has a front side  36 , a rear side  38 , and a top side  40 , and is defined by, and configured to reciprocate along, the longitudinal axis A, to an open position as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . Alternatively, the tray  34  may be configured to open and reciprocate in a direction non-parallel to the longitudinal axis A, such as in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A. 
         [0019]    The top side  40  of the tray  34  forms part of the top portion  12  of the holder  10  and may be configured to lock with the top portion  12  through a detent or a latch  42 . In addition, the sliding mechanism of the tray  34  may be spring biased, thereby allowing a user to simply push inward on the tray  34  to unlock the tray  34  from the latch  42 . As discussed above, the tray  34  may be configured to travel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A, and in such a configuration, the tray  34  may extend from a side of the holder  10 , instead of the top portion  12 . 
         [0020]    The front side  36  and the rear side  38  of the tray  34  may have clips or other retaining structures  44  to secure tool pieces  37  to the tray  34 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the sides  36 ,  38  may also be magnetic to retain the tool pieces  37  in place.  FIG. 6  illustrates the rear view of the tool holder  10 , to illustrate that the rear side  38  of the tray  34  may hold a variety of tool pieces  37 .  FIGS. 6 and 7  show, in phantom, tool bits or pieces  37  located in the cavity  20  that are magnetically held to the tray  34 . The tray  34 , alternatively, may take the shape of a container, such as a drawer, for retaining various fasteners and tool pieces  37  en masse. 
         [0021]    The holder  10  may be made out of a variety of materials, such as plastic, metal, or a composite. In addition, portions of the holder  10  may be transparent to permit the user to determine the types of tool pieces  37  and/or the quantity of fasteners contained within the holder  10  at any given time. 
         [0022]    The holder  10  may contain a plurality of tool pieces  37  and fasteners and when the user elects to exchange a tool piece  37  for another one, or a fastener, the user is able to pivot the panel portion  22  away from the longitudinal axis A of the tool holder  10 , so that the longitudinal axis A is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis B of the panel portion  22 , as illustrated by  FIG. 3 . Next, the user may place the tool piece  37  or the fastener on the panel portion  22  of the holder  10  while the user is retrieving another tool piece or fastener from the tray  34 . The user may then remove the tool piece  37  or fastener from the panel portion  22  and place it in the tray  34 , or may leave the tool piece  37  or fastener on the panel portion  22 . 
         [0023]    The panel portion  22  may also be rotated about its longitudinal axis B to allow the user to adjust the panel portion  22  to multiple positions. The user may also place a number of items on the bottom side  24  or top side  26  of the panel portion  22  if the user plans to utilize multiple fasteners or tool pieces for a desired task. In addition, the user may rotate the panel portion  22  towards the longitudinal axis A, so that the longitudinal axis B is parallel with longitudinal axis A, and place fasteners or tool pieces on the bottom side  24  of the panel portion  22  for direct access. It can be appreciated that an infinite number of orientations may be contemplated with respect to the panel portion  22 . 
         [0024]    While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only exemplary embodiments have been shown and described and do not limit the scope of the invention in any manner. It can be appreciated that any of the features described herein may be used with any embodiment. The illustrative embodiments are not exclusive of each other or of other embodiments not recited herein. Accordingly, the invention also provides embodiments that comprise combinations of one or more of the illustrative embodiments described above. Modifications and variations of the invention as herein set forth can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and, therefore, only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated by the appended claims.