Patent Publication Number: US-11389945-B1

Title: Tool holding frame

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tool holding frame, and more particularly to a tool holding frame that has at least one protective pad to prevent the tool holding frame from scratching a surface of a table when put on the table. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     A conventional tool holding frame comprises a track base made of a metallic material and multiple holding bases mounted on the track base for holding tools, e.g. sockets. However, because the track base is made of a metallic material, e.g. by aluminum extrusion, when the conventional tool holding frame is placed on a table, a surface of the table will be easily scratched by the track base of the conventional tool holding frame. 
     To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a tool holding frame to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide a tool holding frame that has at least one protective pad to prevent the tool holding frame from scratching a surface of a table when put on the table. 
     The tool holding frame comprises a track base and at least one protective pad. The track base is elongated, is made of metal, and has a base being elongated and a lower portion formed on a bottom of the base and extending along a lengthwise direction of the base. The lower portion has two engaging tabs formed on a bottom of the lower portion, extending along the lengthwise direction of the base, extending toward each other, spaced from the base to form two lower channels respectively between the base and the two engaging tabs, and spaced from each other to form a bottom opening between the two engaging tabs. 
     The at least one protective pad is made of plastic, is slidably mounted on the bottom of the lower portion, and is engaged with the two engaging tabs of the lower portion of the track base. Each of the at least one protective pad has a body and two engaging portions respectively formed on two opposite sides of the body and respectively engaged with the two engaging tabs of the lower portion. Each of the two engaging portions has a bottom segment and at least one hook. The bottom segment extends away from the other one of the two engaging portions and abuts against a bottom of a corresponding one of the two engaging tabs of the lower portion. 
     The at least one hook is formed on a top of the bottom segment, and is engaged with the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs of the lower portion. Each of the at least one hook has a connection segment formed on the top of the bottom segment and a hooking protrusion formed on a top of the connection segment, extending from the connection segment and away from the other one of the two engaging portions, spaced from the bottom segment of the engaging portion to form an engaging groove between the bottom segment and the hooking protrusion of each of the at least one hook of each of the two engaging portions, and abutting against a top of the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs of the lower portion to engage with the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs of the lower portion. 
     Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an operational perspective view of a first embodiment of a tool holding frame in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another operational perspective view of the first embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an operational side view in partial section of the first embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a protective pad of the first embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an operational perspective view of a second embodiment of a tool holding frame in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is another operational perspective view of the second embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an operational side view in partial section of the second embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a protective pad of the second embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 9  is an operational perspective view of a third embodiment of a tool holding frame in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 10  is an operational side view in partial section of the third embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 9 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an operational perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a tool holding frame in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 12  is an operational side view in partial section of the fourth embodiment of the tool holding frame in  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , a first embodiment of a tool holding frame in accordance with the present invention comprises a track base  10  and at least one protective pad  20 . 
     The track base  10  is elongated and is made of metal, e.g. by aluminum extrusion. The track base  10  comprises a base  11  and a lower portion  13 . The base  11  is elongated and has a track channel  12  defined in a top of the base  11 . Multiple holding bases  30  are slidably and rotatably mounted in the track channel  12  of the base  11 . Each of the holding bases  30  is fixed in the track channel  12  via a fastener  35  (e.g. screw) mounted through the base  11  from a bottom of the base  11  to screw into a bottom of the holding base  30  and is adapted to connect with a socket  50 . 
     The lower portion  13  is formed on the bottom of the base  11 , extends along a lengthwise direction of the base  11 , and has two engaging tabs  133 . The two engaging tabs  133  are formed on a bottom of the lower portion  13 , extend along the lengthwise direction of the base  11 , extend toward each other, are spaced from the base  11  to form two lower channels  132  respectively between the two engaging tabs  133  and the base  11 , and are spaced from each other to form a bottom opening  134  between the two engaging tabs  133 . The two lower channels  132  and the bottom opening  134  are formed through two opposite ends of the lower portion  13 . Each of the two engaging tabs  133  may have a flat end or a round end. The lower portion  13  has two side panels  131  extending downwardly from the bottom of the base  11  and spaced from each other. The two engaging tabs  133  are respectively formed on bottoms of the two side panels  131  and extend toward each other. 
     The at least one protective pad  20  is made of plastic, is slidably mounted on the bottom of the lower portion  13  from one of the two opposite ends of the lower portion  13 , is engaged with the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13  of the track base  10 , and has a body  21  and two engaging portions  23 . The two engaging portions  23  are respectively formed on two opposite sides of the body  21  of the at least one protective pad  20  and are respectively engaged with the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13 . Each of the two engaging portions  23  has a bottom segment  231  and at least one hook  233 . 
     The bottom segment  231  of each of the two engaging portions  23  extends away from the other one of the two engaging portions  23  and abuts against a bottom of a corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13 . The at least one hook  233  is formed on a top of the bottom segment  231 , and is engaged with the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13 . 
     Each of the at least one hook  233  has a connection segment  234  and a hooking protrusion  235 . The connection segment  234  is formed on the top of the bottom segment  231 . The hooking protrusion  235  is formed on a top of the connection segment  234  and extends from the connection segment  234  and away from the other one of the two engaging portions  23 . The hooking protrusion  235  is spaced from the bottom segment  231  of the engaging portion  23  to form an engaging groove  232  between the bottom segment  231  and the hooking protrusion  235  of each of the at least one hook  233 . The hooking protrusion  235  extends into the lower channel  132  formed between the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133  and the base  11  and abuts against a top of the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13  to engage with the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13 . In other words, each of the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13  is engaged in the engaging groove  232  formed between the bottom segment  231  and the hooking protrusion  235  of the at least one hook  233  of a corresponding one of the two engaging portions  23 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , in the first embodiment of the tool holding frame, the tool holding frame comprises a track base  10  and multiple protective pads  20 . The multiple protective pads  20  are engaged with the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13  of the track base  10  and are arranged at spaced intervals. Each of the two engaging portions  23  of each of the protective pads  20  has a bottom segment  231  and a hook  233 . Bottom surfaces of the bottom segments  231  of the two engaging portions  23  are aligned with a bottom surface of the body  21 . A length from an end of the bottom segment  231  of the hook  233  of each of the two engaging portions  23  to the connection segment  234  of the hook  233  is larger than a length from an end of the hooking protrusion  235  of the hook  233  to the connection segment  234  of the hook  233 . The ends of the bottom segment  231  of the hooks  233  of the two engaging portions  23  are respectively aligned with two opposite side edges of the lower portion  13  of the track base  10 . 
     Each of the protective pads  20  can be mounted on the bottom of the lower portion  13  from one of the two opposite ends of the lower portion  13  to engage the two engaging portions  23  of each of the protective pads  20  with the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13 . The protective pads  20  can be slid along the two engaging tabs  133  to adjust positions of the protective pads  20  relative to the track base  10 . 
     Because each of the two engaging portions  23  has a bottom segment  231  located below the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133 , when the tool holding frame is placed on a table, the protective pads  20  made of plastic contact a table surface of the table to prevent the metal track base  10  scratching the table surface. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 to 8 , in the second embodiment of the tool holding frame, each of the protective pads  20 A is elongated and extends along the track base  10 . Each of the two engaging portions  23 A of each of the protective pads  20 A has a bottom segment  231 A being elongated and extending along the lengthwise direction of the base  11  and multiple hooks  233 A arranged along the bottom segment  231 A at spaced intervals and aligned with each other. Each of the hooks  233 A has a connection segment  234 A formed on the top of the bottom segment  231 A and a hooking protrusion  235 A spaced from the bottom segment  231 A to form an engaging groove  232 A between the hooking protrusion  235 A and the bottom segment  231 A. The engaging grooves  232 A of the hooking protrusion  235 A of the hooks  233 A of each of the two engaging portions  23 A communicate with each other. Each of the two engaging portions  23 A of each of the protective pads  20 A is engaged with the corresponding one of the two engaging tabs  133  of the lower portion  13  via the multiple hooks  233 A thereof. 
     In addition, the bottom segment  231 A of each of the two engaging portions  23 A may have multiple openings  236 A formed through the bottom segment  231 A and respectively aligned with the hooking protrusions  235 A of the hooks  233 A of each of the two engaging portions  23 A. A length of each of the openings  236 A is smaller than a length of the hooking protrusion  235 A. 
     Because the bottom segments  231 A of the two engaging portions  23 A of each of the protective pads  20 A are elongated, an amount of the protective pads  20 A mounted on the bottom of the lower portion  13  can be decreased. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , in the third embodiment of the tool holding frame, the track base  10 A has a base  11 A and multiple lower portions  13 A. The base  11 A has multiple track channels  12 A defined in a top of the base  11 A. Multiple holding bases  30  are mounted in each of the track channels  12 A in a linear arrangement. The lower portions  13 A are formed on the bottom of the base  11 A and extend along a lengthwise direction of the base  11 A. Each of the lower portions  13 A has two engaging tabs  133 A extending along the base  11 A. Multiple protective pads  20  are engaged with the two engaging tabs  133 A of each of the lower portions  13 A. Each of the two engaging portions  23  of each of the protective pads  20  has a bottom segment  231  and a hook  233 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , in the fourth embodiment of the tool holding frame, the track base  10 A has a base  11 A and multiple lower portions  13 A. Multiple protective pads  20 A are engaged with the two engaging tabs  133 A of one of the lower portions  13 A. Each of the two engaging portions  23 A of each of the protective pads  20 A has a bottom segment  231 A and multiple hooks  233 A arranged along the bottom segment  231 A. 
     With such arrangement as mentioned in the embodiments, when put on a table, the tool holding frame contacts a table surface of the table via the protective pads  20 ,  20 A made of plastic to prevent the metal track base  10 ,  10 A directly contacting and scratching the table surface. The protective pads  20 ,  20 A have simple structures, are easily mounted on the bottom of the lower portion  13 ,  13 A from one of the two opposite ends of the lower portion  13 ,  13 A, and can be slid along the two engaging tabs  133 ,  133 A of the lower portion  13 ,  13 A to adjust the positions of the protective pads  20 ,  20 A relative to the lower portion  13 ,  13 A.