Abstract:
The present invention relates, in general, to a tool holing device consisting of a retraction mechanism capable of temporarily attaching to a tool to hold it conveniently accessible when needed, and out-of-the-way when not needed. This device is also capable of docking such that the user can control where he or she would like a tool to be held.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Writing, drawing, painting, and crafting tools are often set down to allow the user to accomplish alternative tasks with his or her fingers. These tools are invariably needed again, usually in a short time. When needed, valuable time is spent locating the tool, compromising workflow, and occasionally even resulting in the need to purchase a replacement tool. 
         [0002]    This issue is apparent to electronics manufacturers, who often engineer products with a loop or magnetic component to hold such a tool. However, even these solutions are quite limited, allowing the tool to slip out at times when the user is not paying attention resulting in an increased risk of losing the tool all together. Alternatively, if the tool is securely fastened, then the user will spend unnecessary time fumbling to retrieve the tool and likely not even use the holder during times of use. 
         [0003]    Whether using a stylus, pen, pencil, paint-brush, or crafting tool it is valuable to the user, both in preserving workflow and in saving time, to have that tool at his or her fingertips when it is needed, and out of the way when it is not. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention is a tool holder, which can be mounted such that the tool it holds is ideally accessibly allowing for optimum hassle-free placement of a tool. To ensure the tool returns to its optimum placement, without any effort on the part of the user, the present invention employs a retraction mechanism. This invention features innovations in object orientation as well as several interchangeable pieces and interchange mechanisms, allowing unprecedented flexibility in its configurations and thus increased utility to the end-user. 
         [0005]    The present invention and the various exemplary embodiments of it include mechanisms of alignment to ensure that a tool returns to precisely the exact placement and orientation each time it is released by the user. This is an essential feature for the placement of the device to be called an ‘ideally accessible’ place, such as on the user&#39;s index finger or thumb. This also becomes quite useful when utilizing the retraction mechanism for any tool that is only useable at a certain orientation, as the present invention can maintain the orientation in which the tool is most useful to the user. 
         [0006]    The interchangeability within the present invention, among other things, allows a user to quickly change what tool is ideally accessible from one tool to another, such as from a pen to a stylus without needing to have two separate devices. This adds value and convenience for the user. 
         [0007]    Additional aspects, objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
       DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART 
       [0008]    The utility of a retractable tool-holding device is apparent. The prior art is crowded with retractable article holders, and the basic features of the present invention are discoverable therein. However, the prior art lacks any device that combines the features that give the present invention its increased utility and value. The two main innovations of the present invention that are lacking in the prior art are its interchangeability and its feature of holding the tool at a fixed orientation while in a resting or non-use position. Both of these features add value and utility separately and are combined herein with several other features of the already useful retracting tool holders present in the prior art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a fully assembled preferred embodiment of the tool holder 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an alternate perspective of a fully assembled preferred embodiment of the tool holder 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective of a clip interchange mechanism 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the clip interchange mechanism of  FIG. 3   
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the opposite end of the clip interchange mechanism of  FIG. 3   
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a perspective of a complete sliding interchange mechanism 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is an alternate perspective of the complete sliding interchange mechanism from  FIG. 6   
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a separated preferred embodiment showing the sliding mechanism incorporated therein 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a view of an alternative preferred embodiment of the sliding interchange mechanism incorporated into a flexible band 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is an alternate perspective of the separated preferred embodiment of  FIG. 8   
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is another alternate perspective of the separated preferred embodiment of  FIG. 8   
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is another alternate perspective of the separated preferred embodiment of  FIG. 8   
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The detailed description set forth below in connection with the attached drawings is intended as a description of preferred embodiments and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the preferred embodiments may be constructed and/or utilized. 
         [0022]    In examining the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates a preferred embodiment for the assembled tool holder, with the docked interchangeable tool clip  100  extended away from the housing for the retraction mechanism  106 / This positioning is hereafter referred to as the ‘use position’. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the retraction mechanism is two elastic strings  104 , which are exposed when a tool is held in the use position and are contained within the housing  106  when the clip  100  is in the resting or non-use position (not shown). In this preferred embodiment, the housing  106  is shown fully docked to an adjustable ring  105  which is split and widened in the front of the device to add stability. This preferred embodiment is designed to mount to the index finger of the right hand of the user so the lip  107  on the bottom of the ring can be utilized easily by the middle finger to provide counter-rotational force to ensure the device remains ideally located. 
         [0023]    The docked interchangeable tool clip  100  shows a long, flat edge where the strings  104  are permanently fixed  103 . Also shown on this edge are two end magnets  101 , and one middle magnet  102 . The two end magnets  101  are permanently attached and flush to the flat edge featuring the same polarity as one another. The middle magnet  102  is also permanently attached and flush to the flat edge but features a polarity that is the reverse of the two end magnets  101 . The polarities of the end magnets  101  and the middle magnet  102  are parallel to counterparts on the front edge of the housing  106 . This is best shown in  FIG. 2 . The end magnets on the housing  200  attract the end magnets on the edge of the tool clip  101 , and the middle magnet on the housing  201  attracts the middle magnet on edge of the clip  102 . As stated the polarities of the end magnets  200  &amp;  101  are reverse of the middle magnets  201  &amp;  102 , and thus the end magnets  200  &amp;  101  repel the middle magnets  201  &amp;  102 . When this attraction and repulsion is paired with the retraction force applied on multiple strings  104 , the result is a predictable resting or non-use position for an attached tool that is held stable if and when the mount moves around as it would if mounted on a user&#39;s finger. 
         [0024]    The docked interchangeable tool clip  100  in both  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  is comprised of two parts, which are shown separated for the reader in  FIG. 3 . The two parts are the female tool clip  300 , and the male retraction mechanism attachment  306 . These components dock together either via a male-female sliding action as shown or via another docking mechanism such as buttons, clips, etc. featured in the art. In the preferred embodiment shown, the female tool clip  300  features a stopper  301  that halts the sliding of the male retraction mechanism attachment  306  once it is fully docked. This stopper is illustrated most clearly in  FIG. 5 . The retraction mechanism attachment  306  features a notch  304  to accommodate the stopper  301  such that when fully docked the two share a single edge. Also featured by the tool clip  300  is an off-setting of one of the female lips  302 , which leaves a space  303  that allows for quick alignment of the male and female parts to facilitate quick and easy docking. Both the notch  304  and the space  303  are illustrated most clearly in  FIG. 4 . The sliding mechanism illustrated in this preferred embodiment is such that it allows the attached tool to be used without fear of it becoming unattached from the retraction mechanism during use. It also allows the user to keep one clip  300  attached to one tool and another clip  300  possibly of another size and/or shape attached to another tool for easy exchanging between the two tools on the same device in the same ideal location. 
         [0025]    Because the sliding interchange allows such great flexibility for the user it is also the preferred embodiment for another interchange on the present tool holding device. The remaining  FIGS. 6-12 , are illustrations of a preferred embodiment of the sliding docking mechanism applied to a separated housing  800  and mounting devices such as a ring  801  and a flexible band  902 . 
         [0026]    Illustrated in  FIG. 6  are the female half of the sliding docking mechanism  600  and the male half of said docking mechanism  601 . This preferable embodiment possesses two shorter lips on the male half  605  and on the female half  602  that provide side-to-side stability. It also possesses one long female lip  604  and one long male lip  606  in the middle of the male  601  and female  600  halves to provide front-to-back stability.  FIG. 7  shows an open-space feature  700  similar to the space  303  on the above mentioned tool clip docking mechanism in that it allows the user a quick reference of how the male and female components line up to slide together.  FIG. 7  also illustrates a stopper  607  on the male half  601  and an overhang  701  on the female half  600 . 
         [0027]    A preferred incorporation of the slide-docking mechanism into the present invention is featured in the following figures:  FIG. 8 ,  FIG. 10 ,  FIG. 11 , &amp;  FIG. 12 . In these figures, the male half of the sliding mechanism  601  is fixed to a ring  801  in a configuration that would look very similar to that illustrated in  FIG. 1  when fully assembled. Shown in  FIG. 10 ,  FIG. 11 , &amp;  FIG. 12  is the corresponding female half of the docking mechanism  600  incorporated into a separated housing for the retraction mechanism  800 .  FIG. 11  most clearly shows the open-space feature  700 , overhang feature  701 , and the stopper feature  607 . Working together, these three features provide a quick and error-free exchange of housing units  800  and mounting devices  801  &amp;  900 .  FIG. 9  illustrates an alternate preferable deployment of the docking mechanism onto a flexible band  902 . In this preferred configuration, the male half of the docking mechanism  601  is permanently attached to a flexible band featuring a loop  901  for the band to pass through and double-back on itself to allow a fastener  903 , such as hooks or Velcro, to attach to another place on the band. This preferred configuration is more flexible than the ring configuration  801 , allowing it to be mounted in more places according to the user&#39;s needs. Though only illustrated attached to a ring  801  and a flexible band  902 , the present invention is not limited to only those mounting devices, nor to mounting devices in general except that the inclusion of a docking mechanism such as the slide-docking mechanism of  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  is a necessity of it and thus mounting of some kind is also required. The present invention is also not limited to the slide-docking mechanism as the only means of docking its interchangeable parts. 
         [0028]    An alternate preferred docking style that is not illustrated will now be described. This docking mechanism will consist of a male and female half. Each half will feature either male or female ordinary small snaps configured in an equilateral triangle or square. An advantage of the snap-docking mechanism over the slide-docking mechanism is that the user can change the angle of the separated housing  800  simply by undocking it, turning it, and re-docking it. Though the present writing mentions only two docking styles it is not limited to only those styles, however any docking mechanism used must allow for rigid placement such that the tool attached to the device will always retract to a given position and orientation. 
         [0029]    While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with regard to multiple embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations of said invention may be devised without departing from the innovative conception thereof.