Patent Publication Number: US-2005133552-A1

Title: Belt hook for a power tool

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The claimed invention relates to a belt hook for a power tool.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Power tools, and particularly pneumatic power tools, typically include a metal housing that has a handle. A hose is connected to the power tool in the vicinity of the handle. Alternatively, with battery operated tools, a battery pack is installed on the power tool. Oftentimes, power packs are also installed in the vicinity of the handle. Power tools may be powered in a number of different manners, including combustion, electric, powder-activated, pneumatic, battery, and otherwise as known in the art.  
      When not in use, users of power tools often prefer to hang the tool from a belt or on other objects, such as ladders, scaffolding or the like at a job site. Power tools are often used in tight spaces. Therefore, shape and size is important to the overall power tool design.  
      Nail guns are utilized to drive nails or staples into surfaces. They typically utilize a separate magazine portion for storing a stick of nails or staples prior to nailing to a surface. The magazine is attached between respective ends of the main housing and the handle of the nail gun. Magazines on small nailers or staplers typically hold a single stick of nails. Additional sticks of nails are usually stored in a box and the user must either lug the box around during use of the nailer, or must return to the location of the box when the nailer magazine is empty.  
     SUMMARY  
      According to the invention, a belt hook for a power tool comprises an L-shaped member having a free end and an attachment end. The attachment end is configured for removably mating with an attachment point of a power tool. The free end is configured for coupling to a storage location.  
      In another embodiment, a belt hook for a nailer comprises means for removably attaching a nailer to a belt of a user.  
      In yet another embodiment, a belt hook for a power tool comprises a rigid member having a free end and an attachment end. The attachment end has a spring arm and is configured to engage and releasably lock into an opening in a power tool.  
      In another embodiment, a power tool comprises a housing and the belt hook, described above. The housing includes an attachment opening defined in the housing. The attachment end of the belt hook is configured for releasably coupling with the attachment opening. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a nailer incorporating a belt hook and a storage caddy according to the invention;  
       FIG. 2  is rear perspective view of the nailer incorporating the belt hook and storage caddy shown in  FIG. 1 , but with the belt hook positioned on the opposite side of the nailer;  
       FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of the nailer of  FIG. 1  showing the storage caddy in an open position;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a belt hook according to the invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the belt hook of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the belt hook of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a bottom view of the belt hook of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 8  is a rear view of the belt hook of  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 9  is a partial side view of the nailer showing the back leg of the nailer incorporating an opening for receiving the belt hook;  
       FIG. 10  is a partial side view of the nailer similar to  FIG. 9 , but showing the belt hook installed in the opening in the back leg of the nailer;  
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the belt hook installed in the opening on the back leg of the nailer, taken at line  11 - 11  in  FIG. 10 ;  
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a storage caddy according to the invention;  
       FIG. 13  is another perspective view of the storage caddy of  FIG. 12 ;  
       FIG. 14  is a bottom view of the storage caddy of  FIG. 12 , shown with the door in an open position;  
       FIG. 15  is a partial side view of the magazine having the nail caddy installed thereon; and  
       FIG. 16  is a partial cross-sectional view of the magazine and an end view of the storage caddy, taken at line  16 - 16  in  FIG. 15 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      A power tool in the form of a nailer  10  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  incorporating a belt hook  30  and a storage caddy  70  according to the invention. The nailer  10  is a tool that is utilized to drive nails, brads, staples, or other fasteners into building materials, such as building studs or trim work. The nailer  10  includes a housing  12  having a handle  14 , a trigger  16 , a magazine  18 , and a nose piece  20 . The magazine  18  houses the fasteners. A back leg extends down from the handle  14  to meet the magazine  18 . The back leg  22  provides a support for the magazine  18  and the handle  14 . The other end of the magazine  18  is connected to the nose piece  20 .  
      A pneumatic nailer  10  is typically connected to an air compressor by a hose, which is coupled to the handle  14  utilizing a fitting  24  in a conventional manner. An air passageway extends from the fitting  24  through the housing  12  of the tool to the nose piece  20 . The nose piece  20  is utilized for driving fasteners into a surface. The magazine  18  urges nails into the nose piece  20  and the nose piece cooperates with the trigger  16  in order to allow the release of nails from the magazine  18  utilizing compressed air.  
      The belt hook  30  is shown positioned on the left side  26  of the nailer  10  in  FIGS. 1 and 3  and on the right side  28  of the nailer  10  in  FIG. 2 . The belt hook  30  is preferably removable from the nailer  10  and interchangeable with opposite sides  26 ,  28  of the nailer  10 .  
      The back leg  22  of the nailer  10  includes an opening  32  that extends through the back leg  22 , as shown in  FIG. 9 . The opening  32  is oval or oblong in shape and is sized and shaped to accept the belt hook  30 . In a preferred embodiment, the opening  32  in the back leg  22  extends entirely through the back leg  22  so that the belt hook  30  can be positioned on the left or right side  26 ,  28  of the nailer  10 . The belt hook  30  is positionable on either side of the back leg  22  in order to allow a left or right handed user to position the hook  30  on a convenient side. In addition, the belt hook  30  is configured to be easily removable from the opening  32  in the back leg  22  in order to allow for use of the nailer  10  in tight spaces. The belt hook  30  is easily positionable within the opening  32  and removable without the use of tools.  
       FIGS. 4-8  depict the belt hook  30 . The belt hook  30  is an L-shaped, rigid member that has an attachment end  34  and a free end  36 . The attachment end  34  is for attaching to the opening  32  in the back leg  22  while the free end  36  is configured for attaching to a storage location (not shown). The L-shaped member  30  includes a first leg of the L  38  and a second leg of the L  40 . The first and second legs  38 ,  40  are preferably perpendicular to one another. In an alternative embodiment, which is not shown, the first and second legs are angled at an angle other than 90 degrees, but are configured relative to one another so that they allow attachment to a storage location, such as a belt, scaffolding, or otherwise.  
      The first leg of the L  38  is cylindrical along parts of its length. The attachment end  34  includes an inner ledge  42  that is configured to rest against the side  26 ,  28  of the back leg  22 . The inner ledge  42  has a dimension that is greater than the dimension of the opening  32  in the back leg  22  so that it serves as a stop against the side  26 ,  28  of the tool  10 .  
      The attachment end  34  includes a middle portion  44  that is configured to seat inside the opening  32  of the back leg  22 . The middle portion  44  is cylindrical and includes a cut out  46  that forms a spring arm  48 . The spring arm  48  is resilient and can bend inwardly and spring outwardly with the application of force. The spring arm  48  has a spring arm free end  50  that includes an outwardly extending knob  52 . The knob  52  is sized to mate with a notch  54  defined inside the opening  32  in the back leg  22  of the nailer  10 . The notch  54  is positioned inside the opening  32  so that the belt hook  30  can only be positioned in a single desired position, which is obtained upon rotation of the hook  30  into the proper position. The spring arm  48  together with the notch  54  provide a spring loaded detent for positioning the belt hook  30  in a specific position relative to the tool  10 .  
      The attachment end  34  also includes an outer stop member  56  that has a shape and size configured to fit through the opening  32  in the back leg  22 . The stop member  56  has outwardly extending legs  58  so that after the attachment end  34  is inserted through the opening  32  and the inner ledge  42  abuts the side  26 ,  28  of the back leg  22 , the belt hook  30  can be turned so that the outwardly extending legs  58  abut the opposite side of the back leg  22  to hold the belt hook  30  in position. In a preferred embodiment, where an oval opening is provided in the back leg  22 , the inner ledge  42  is circular, the middle portion  44  is cylindrical, and the outer stop member  56  is oval or oblong in cross-section. Other shapes and sizes for the opening  32  and the attachment end  34  may also be utilized. For example, a rectangular opening and a rectangular attachment end may be used, where the stop member  56  is rectangular. In this instance, the inner ledge and middle portion may remain cylindrical, or can take on another desired shape.  
      The second leg of the L  40  is preferably flat and smooth and may include a bend  60 . The bend  60  is utilized to restrain the belt hook  30  on a belt or other surface and to make it easier to place or remove the belt hook  30  from a belt or other surface.  
      Referring to  FIG. 11 , in operation, the user selects a side  26 ,  28  of the back leg  22  and inserts the attachment end  34  of the belt hook  30  into the opening  32  in the back leg  22 . The opening  32  in the back leg  22  preferably includes the inner notch  54  configured for mating with the knob  52  on the spring arm  48 . The user inserts the attachment end  34  into the opening  32  until the inner ledge  42  abuts the side  26 ,  28  of the back leg  22  and the stop member  56  is positioned outside of the opening  32  on the opposite side of the back leg  22 . At this position, the spring arm  48  is bent inwardly. The user then rotates the belt hook  30  until the knob  52  mates with the inner notch  54 , at which point the spring arm  48  snaps outwardly to lock the belt hook  30  in position. Thus, the user receives a tactile response and may hear a clicking noise when the belt hook  30  is rotated into the locked position. In order to remove the belt hook  30  from the opening  32 , the user applies rotational force sufficient to dislodge the knob  52  from the inner notch  54  and bend the spring arm  48  inwardly. Once the knob  52  has been dislodged from the notch  54  and the stop member  56  is aligned with the opening  32  in the back leg  22 , the user can withdraw the belt hook  30  out of the opening  32 .  
      The belt hook  30  is preferably made of a plastic material, such as nylon. Other types of materials may also be used, as long as they have sufficient strength to hold a power tool.  
      In a preferred embodiment, the first leg  38  has a length of about 1½ inches for the portion of the leg that extends outwardly from the tool and the second leg  40  has a length of about 2½ inches. Other dimensions for the belt hook  30  may also be utilized, as desired. It is preferred that the first leg  38  have a length sufficient so that the belt hook  30  extends past the outermost side of the tool  10 . Thus, leg length will be dependent on the size of the power tool. In addition, there may be instances where it is desirable to have a leg length so that the belt hook  30  does not extend past the outermost side of the tool. The present invention incorporates this length as well.  
      A storage caddy  70  is shown in  FIGS. 12-16 . The storage caddy  70  is a container  72  or storage compartment that is configured to attach to the side of a tool  10 . In the case of a nailer  10 , the storage caddy  70  is configured to mechanically lockingly attach to a magazine  18  of the nailer  10 , as shown in  FIGS. 1-3 ,  15 , and  16 .  
      In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 12-16 , the storage caddy  70  is a rectangular container  72  that has a lid or door  74 , an internal cavity  76 , and a bottom surface  78 . The lid  74  is openable and closeable and the internal cavity  76  is sized and shaped to store matter. In a preferred embodiment, the lid is hinged to the container. In the case of a nailer  10 , it is advantageous to store extra sticks of nails  80  in the storage caddy  70 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . Since nail sticks  80  are typically rectangular in shape, a rectangular container is advantageous. Other shaped containers may also be selected depending on the size and shape of the matter to be stored. The storage caddy  70  also includes an attachment mechanism  82  for attaching the caddy  70  to a power tool  10 , as is discussed in greater detail below. The lid  74  includes a latch  84  for mating with one of the side walls  26 ,  28  of the storage container  72 . The lid  74  may have support ridges  86  for added stability.  
      The mechanical attachment mechanism  82  of the storage caddy  70  is shown best in  FIGS. 13 and 16 . The container  72  has four side walls  88 . The mechanical attachment mechanism  82  includes leg-like members that are contiguous with and extend from the side walls  88  of the container  72 . The leg-like members  82  are shaped to seat between the ribs  92  defined on the side of a nail magazine  18 . The attachment members  82  may be positioned at either end of the container  72 . Alternatively, the members  82  may be positioned at spaced positions along the length of the container  72 , or may extend along the entire length of the container  72 . In order to accommodate the attachment members  82 , the bottom surface  78  is raised above the legs  82 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , one attachment member  82  is positioned on an extension  90  of the container, which may be provided for aesthetic or other purposes.  
      The attachment mechanism  82  is mechanical in that it utilizes the shape and size of the container for attaching to the shape and size of a tool. It does not utilize adhesive or hook and loop fasteners. The attachment mechanism  82  is a mechanical fastener for conjoining mating parts that are sized and shaped to fit together, like pieces of a puzzle.  
      The storage container  72  also includes an aperture  94  defined on one of the side walls  88  of the container  72  adjacent the lid  74  for use in opening the container. Since the storage container  72  is configured to hold nails, when the container  72  is entirely filled with nails, it is difficult to open the lid  74 . By using an aperture  94  on the side wall  88  of the container  72 , the user can insert a finger into the aperture  94  in order to engage the lid  74  from the inside and pry the lid  74  open. The aperture  94  may also be used as a viewing window to determine whether any nail sticks  80  are stored inside the storage caddy  70 .  
      In a preferred embodiment of a storage caddy  70 , the caddy  70  includes indicia  96  for determining the size of nails stored in the caddy  70 . This indicia  96  may be defined on the bottom surface  78  of the container  72 , on the lid  74  of the container  72 , or on another surface, if desired. Warning and instructional messages may also be provided in the form of indicia on the caddy  70 .  
       FIG. 16  shows the attachment mechanism  82  of the storage caddy  70  installed between the ribs  92  of a nail magazine  18 . The legs  82  of the attachment mechanism are captured between the two ribs  92  of the nail magazine  18  to firmly hold the storage caddy  70  in position. The attachment mechanism  82  is preferably configured to allow attachment to and disassembly of the storage caddy  70  from the nailer  10  without the use of any tools. Legs that are shaped differently from the legs  82  shown in the drawings may also be used, the invention not being limited to the shape shown. Other types of attachment mechanisms can also be utilized. For instance, the caddy  70  may be screwed or bolted onto the magazine  18 .  
      The storage caddy  70  is preferably positioned on the side of the magazine  18  where loading of nails occurs in order to provide easy access to any nails stored in the caddy  70 , although the caddy  70  can be installed on either side of the magazine  18 .  
      In order to install the nail caddy  70  on a magazine  18 , the user first opens the nailer magazine  18  and pulls the nail magazine cover backward. The user then moves the nail caddy  70  into alignment with the ribs  92  on the magazine cover and slides the caddy  70  between the ribs  92 . The user then closes the magazine cover and the caddy is installed. In order to remove the nail caddy  70  from the magazine  18 , the user opens the nailer magazine  18 , slides the caddy  70  off the magazine cover, and closes the magazine  18 .  
      The storage caddy  70  is preferably made of a lightweight, durable material, such as plastic. Other types of materials may alternatively be utilized, if desired. The storage caddy can be molded as a single piece, with the lid hinged to the container with a living hinge. Alternatively, the lid can be a separate member that is hinged with a mechanical hinge to the container.  
      In a preferred embodiment, the storage caddy  70  is configured to hold five standard sticks of nails  80 . The caddy  70  is also designed to hold the full range of sizes of nails that can be utilized with the nailer  10 . In addition, although not shown, the caddy  70  may include a built in tool for measuring the gauge of a nail to determine whether or not the nail is suited for use with the tool.  
      The term “nail” is used herein generically to refer to nails or staples. Likewise, the term “nailer” as used herein is used generically to refer to a nailer or a stapler. In addition, while the above-description was presented in the context of a nailer  10 , other power tools may also benefit from the invention disclosed herein. In the case of the storage caddy  70 , while nails are discussed as being stored in the caddy  70 , any type of matter may alternatively be stored in the caddy  70 , and the caddy  70  may be specially designed such that the interior cavity  76  is shaped to accept other types of matter. For instance, with a drill, it may be desirable to install drill bits or drills inside the caddy  70 . For a power saw, it may be desirable to install extra saw blades in the caddy  70 .  
      While various features of the claimed invention are presented above, it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to be limited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein.  
      Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The embodiments described herein are exemplary of the claimed invention. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The intended scope of the invention may thus include other embodiments that do not differ or that insubstantially differ from the literal language of the claims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.