Patent Publication Number: US-6991105-B2

Title: Apparatus for releasably holding a tool

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to tool holders and more particularly to an apparatus for securely holding a socket tool that may be easily released by a user. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Almost every mechanic, maintenance technician and do-it-yourselfer around the world has at least one set of sockets. A socket set is practically indispensable for anyone who needs to tighten or loosen bolts and nuts. Many people, in fact, have multiple sets of sockets. Metric, standard, deep, 6-point, 12-point, ¼″ drive, ⅜″ drive, ½″ drive and impact are just a few of the different types of sockets. Some industries such as the aircraft heavy industrial machinery industries use ¾″ drive or even 1″ drive sockets. These types of sockets are found in a number of combinations; for example, a person may have an entire set of metric size, 6-point, ⅜″ drive, deep sockets in addition to other more common combinations. 
     Although having many types of sockets is beneficial to have the correct tool for any job, storing and organizing each socket can be a daunting task. Many sockets tend to be small, and are thus easily misplaced around a home or shop. Additionally, sockets are usually cylindrical and therefore can easily roll great distances if dropped on a smooth garage floor. This problem is exasperated given the inadequate storage devices that are supplied with many socket sets. 
     For example, many sockets are supplied in a molded plastic case that may have wells to cradle each socket. Although easy for a user to locate and remove, this type of storage device has often become a nightmare for many socket owners. The cases are designed to “sandwich” the sockets when closed to prevent socket movement when the case is transported. The supplied cases, however, tend to wear and allow sockets to freely mix within the case. A user must spend valuable time re-sorting the sockets so that a proper socket may be easily located for a particular job. On a more catastrophic level, many users have lifted their molded plastic socket case only to find that the clasps on the case had opened or broken. The result is a disheartening crash of tools that typically scatters every socket into the furthest reaches of the garage or work area. Many sockets have been permanently lost in such an event. 
     An alternative to holding and organizing sockets in cases is by using a socket holding strip. These strips usually have multiple bent spring steel clips that are captured by a thin steel rail. The sockets are retained on the spring steel clips, which may slide along the rail. These strips tend to hold sockets very well when new. Great holding power, however, is not beneficial when a user attempts to remove a socket with oily or greasy hands. Additionally, the clips tend to lose their holding force after moderate use, which may result in sockets being inadvertently detached from the strip and lost. 
     Considering the inadequacies of available socket holding devices, a socket holder that does not allow sockets to become disorganized or lost during transport is needed. Additionally, there is a need for a socket holder that does not hinder a user from removing a desired socket. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, a need has arisen for an improved apparatus that securely holds sockets yet allows a user to easily obtain a socket from the holder. 
     In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a socket holder has a carrier and a boss movable within the carrier. The boss is configured to accept the drive end of the socket. A locking pin within the boss releasably engages the boss to the socket when the boss is turned. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention a twist-lock socket holder has a carrier that has a cam surface and a boss housed generally within the carrier. The boss is generally rotatable within a bearing surface of the carrier. The boss also has one or more cam followers. The cam followers generally engage the cam surface to urge the boss generally along an axis tangential to a horizontal plane of the carrier. A locking pin is housed generally within the boss, the locking pin is generally tangential to the horizontal plane of the carrier. A detent ball is housed within a detent in the boss. The detent ball is generally retained by a retaining surface on the locking pin and urged into a socket detent by a locking surface of the locking pin when the socket is placed on the boss and rotated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts and wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  depicts a sectional view of a socket bolder according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  depicts a view of the lower end of a socket holder incorporating a locking mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2 through 2E  depicts a socket holder carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3 through 3E  depicts a socket holder boss according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 4A–4C  depict a socket holder locking pin according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A–5E  depict a socket holder according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  depicts a socket holder in a storage rail according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that may be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1A and 1B , a socket holder  10  according to the present invention is depicted. The socket holder  10  has a carrier  12  that houses a boss  14 . The boss  14  has a drive end  16  that fits within a drive of a socket  50 . The drive end  16  may be sized to accept a wide range of sockets sizes from ¼″ drive to 1″ drive, for example. The drive end  16  may also be configured to accept a 6-point box-end wrench, for example. Other configurations of the drive end  16  to hold other tools will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in tool design. The drive end  16  has a detent  18  that houses a detent ball  20 . The detent ball  20  may move freely within the detent but may be captured and locked into place by a locking pin  22  that is housed within a central portion of the boss  14  and drive end  16 . The locking pin  22 , which will be described in greater detail below, serves to urge the detent ball  20  into a socket detent  24 . As a user turns the socket  50  clockwise, for example, the boss  14  moves down along the axis of the locking pin  22 . Because the end of the locking pin  22  has a contoured profile, the wider profile of the locking pin  22  moves the detent ball  20  into place. 
     When the detent ball  20  is in the socket detent  24 , the socket  50  is securely attached to the socket holder  10 . The detent ball  20  may be magnetized to help urge the detent ball  20  into the socket detent  24  when a ferrous socket  50  is placed on the drive end  16 . The locking pin  22  may also have a locking detent (not shown) that releasably secures the detent ball  20  when the socket  50  is secured by the socket holder  10 . The locking detent provides an extra measure of security that prevents the socket  50  from being inadvertently detached from the socket holder  10 . 
     The boss  14  may also have a locking tab  13  that may be molded into the boss  14 . The locking tab may snap into a recess  15  on the carrier  12  or the locking pin  22  when the socket holder  10  has secured the socket  50 . The action of turning the socket  50  locks and unlocks the locking tab  13  from the recess  15  and serves to give the user tactile feedback that indicates that the socket  50  is secured or released from the socket holder  10 . The locking tab  13  also prevents the socket  50  from being inadvertently detached from the socket holder  10 . Other mechanisms for preventing the socket holder  10  from inadvertently releasing the socket  50  will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art of mechanics. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 2 through 2E  and  3  through  3 E, one embodiment of the carrier  12  of the socket holder  10  is depicted in greater detail. The carrier  12  has a generally cylindrical boss opening  26  that accepts the boss  14 . A bearing surface  28  engages the outer surface of the boss  14  to allow rotation and axial movement of the boss  14  to allow rotation and axial movement of the boss  14  within the carrier  12 . Depending on the application, the clearance between the boss  14  and the bearing surface  28  may be varied. For example, a loose fit clearance is generally preferred for ease of operation of the socket holder  10  and manufacturing cost savings but a close fit clearance may be used to enhance the perception of quality or to prevent debris from collecting between the boss  14  and the carrier  12 . 
     The carrier  12  may be, for example, injection molded plastic; machined, stamped or cast metal or alloys; carbon fiber; and the like. The carrier  12  may have a non-transferable magnet or magnetic material attached to a portion of the carrier  12  so the socket holder  10  may be easily and conveniently attached to a surface such as a tool box or other surface of a work piece such as a car body or an airplane wing. Alternatively, double sided adhesive tape may be attached to a surface of the carrier  12  to facilitate more permanent mounting to workshop surfaces, tool boxes and the like. Several socket holders  10  may also be attached to a single rail or within a strip of channel section. Attaching multiple socket holders  10  allows the user to organize an entire set of sockets in a single location. 
     Additionally, a hanging tab  29  may be incorporated into the carrier  12 . The hanging tab  29  may be designed to hang the socket holder  10  directly to a hook or rod in a store display. As a result, the socket holder  10  may be marketed holding a socket  50  and may be immediately displayed in a store after it arrives from a distributor without any additional packaging. After a user purchases the socket holder  10 , the hanging tab  29  may be snapped, broken or removed from the carrier  12  and the socket holder  10  can be placed on a rail or strip of channel section for storage. 
     The carrier  12  may also be manufactured to aid the user in identifying a particular socket  50 . The carrier  12  may also be color-coded to differentiate between standard and metric sizes or drive end sizes, for example. Additionally, the carrier may be marked to indicate the particular size of the socket  50 , such as 9/16″ or 10 mm, for example. Other forms of socket identification may be incorporated into the boss  14 . For example, a post (not illustrated) may be molded or otherwise attached to the top surface of the drive end  16 . This post may extend through the socket  50  and be visible above the socket  50  when the socket  50  is releasably attached to the socket holder  10 . The post may be color-coded or it may be marked according to the size or configuration of the socket  50 . The post may also have an indicator that shows the user whether the socket  50  is locked into place or which direction to turn the socket  50  to the locked or unlocked positions. 
     The carrier  12  has a cam surface  30  that serves to move the boss  14  along the axis of the locking pin  22  when the user rotates the boss  14  by twisting the socket  50 . As depicted in  FIG. 3 , one or more cam followers  32  on the boss  14  follow the contours of the cam surface  30  when the boss  14  is rotated. In one embodiment, for example, the cam surface  30  and the cam follower  32  may be one or more screw threads having a large pitch. Other configurations for effecting axial movement of the boss  14  with respect to the locking pin  22  will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art of mechanics. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the locking pin  22  according to one embodiment of the present invention is depicted. The locking pin  22  has a base  34 . In this particular embodiment, the locking pin  22  is a separate component of the socket holder  10 . In other embodiments, however, the locking pin  22  and base  34  may be incorporated into the carrier  12  as a single piece. This single piece, for example, may be molded plastic, machined metal or the like to reduce required pieces to assemble the socket holder  10  and thereby increase manufacturing efficiency. 
     In this embodiment, the locking pin  22  has a retaining surface  36  and a locking surface  38 . The retaining surface  36  serves to hold the detent ball  20  (not shown) within the detent  18  (not shown) when the boss  14  (not shown) is extended along the axis of the locking pin  22 . When the boss  14  (not shown) is rotated and retracted along the axis of the locking pin  22 , the boss  14  (not shown) moves down onto the locking pin  22 . The locking surface  38  consequently urges the detent ball  20  (not shown) further into the detent  18  (not shown) and a portion of the detent ball  20  (not shown) extends into the socket detent  24  (not shown). The socket  50  (not shown), therefore, is securely held by the socket holder  10  (not shown). 
     The locking surface  38  may have a locking detent (not illustrated) that securely captures the detent ball  20  (not shown) when the boss  14  (not shown) is in the locked position. The locking detent serves as an additional measure of security to prevent the socket holder  10  (not shown) from inadvertently releasing the socket  50  (not shown). To secure and release the socket  50  (not shown) from the socket holder  10  (not shown), the user must overcome slightly more resistance to move the detent ball  20  (not shown) from the locking detent. Other mechanisms for preventing the socket  50  (not shown) from inadvertently releasing from the drive end  16  (not shown) will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art of mechanics. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 5 , an assembled socket holder  10  according to one embodiment of the present invention is depicted. As described above, the locking pin  22  fits generally within the carrier  12  and the boss  14 . A shoulder  40  may be incorporated into an assembly that includes the carrier  12  and the locking pin  22 . The shoulder may include a snap ring (not illustrated) that engages a mating surface within the boss  14 . The shoulder  40  may also include the cam surface  30  (not shown) that engages the corresponding cam follower  32  (not shown) within the boss  14 . The cam surface  30  (not shown) and the cam follower  32  (not shown) may be embodied as threads that have a large pitch. 
     Using the snap ring on the shoulder  40  simplifies the manufacturing process of assembling the socket holder  10 . Manufacturers can easily assemble the socket holder  10  by inserting and locating the detent ball  20  within the detent  18  and snapping the boss  14  into place on the carrier  12 . The detent ball  20  may be located in the detent  18  using a magnet, for example. Other methods of assembling the socket holder  10  will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art of manufacturing. 
     A rail  44  for holding one or more socket holders  10  is depicted in  FIG. 6 . In this particular embodiment, the rail  44  has one or more channels  46  that are configured to accept one or more tabs  42  on the carrier  12  of the socket holder  10 . Multiple socket holders  10  may be added to the rail  44  by removing an end cap  48  and sliding the socket holders  10  into the channel  46 . The channel  46  may be configured to overlap a top surface of the boss  14  to redundantly secure the boss  14  within the carrier  12 . This redundant measure of security is important to industries concerned with management and prevention of foreign objects and debris (FOD). 
     The rail  44  may be supplied in various lengths to accept large or small socket sets. The rail  44  may also be color coded according to socket type or have labels to identify the location of different sockets within the rail  44 . The rail  44  may be manufactured from plastic, metal, carbon fiber and the like. The rail  44  may also have a non-transferable magnet or double-sided tape to attach the rail  44  to a work surface or tool box. The user may consequently assemble a set of sockets  50  that are customized for a particular job on the rail  44  and secure the rail  44  to the particular work piece. 
     Although the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that this description is by way of example only and is not to be construed in a limiting sense. It is to be further understood that numerous changes in the details of the embodiments of the invention and additional embodiments of the invention will be apparent to and may be made by persons of ordinary skill in the art with reference to this description. It is contemplated that all such changes and additional embodiments are within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed below.