Patent Publication Number: US-2005133561-A1

Title: Tool holder

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application 60/531,445, filed on Dec. 19, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to tool holders, more particularly to tool holders that store a handled tool.  
      Many conventional devices enable a user to carry one or more tools on the person&#39;s body for easy access. These devices are usually suspended from a belt or another support structure secured to the user&#39;s body. An example of such a device is a tool belt hammer holder. A common tool belt hammer holder includes a strip of leather folded over upon itself to form a loop. The ends of the loop are stitched together to form a base. A metal, U-shaped cradle is riveted to the base at its bottommost portion. The head of hammer rests in the cradle, and the handle extends downwardly, through the cradle, along the leg of the user.  
      Although conventional tool holders enable a user to carry a desired tool in a readily accessible location, these devices suffer a number of shortcomings. For example, with regard to the above-described hammer holder, the handle of the hammer typically sways as the user walks or moves. Accordingly, the handle will bump against the wearer&#39;s leg, typically with each step. This can cause discomfort and in some cases injury to the wearer. Additionally, because the cradle typically is positioned at the lowermost portion of the stitched together ends of the leather strap, upon holstering the hammer, the user may lodge the handle into his or her side or leg, again causing discomfort.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The aforementioned problems are overcome by a tool holder including a base, a mounting element, a cradle mounted to the base on a first side and a projection extending from the base on the side opposite the cradle so that the projection holds the base, and thus the tool, away from a person&#39;s body. In one embodiment, the base also optionally includes one or more flanges extending below the cradle to limit movement of a handle of a tool stored in the tool holder.  
      In another embodiment, the projection projects from the interior side of the tool holder toward the body of a user a distance that is at least two times greater than the thickness of the base. The projection may be aligned with, above, or below the cradle on the opposite side so that the projection maximizes the distance between the tool holder and the wearer.  
      In a second embodiment, the base of the tool holder extends a distance downward below the cradle and/or projection. In this embodiment, the base may be include a substantially rigid material that cooperates with the projection to better hold the tool away from the person&#39;s body.  
      In yet another embodiment, the base extends below the cradle and/or projection a first distance. The optional containment flanges are disposed on the forward and rearward portions of the base and project at an angle outwardly relative to the base. In a specific embodiment, the containment flanges are curved to help center the handle of the tool relative to the tool holder. In an even more specific embodiment, the curved flanges include a decreasing radius of curvature as the flanges transition away from the cradle.  
      The present tool holder provides significant comfort and ease of use. With the projection extending from the interior portion of the base, the stored tool is held away from the body of the wearer, thereby preventing the tool from bumping against the body and causing discomfort. The optional flanges of the tool holder also significantly limit or eliminate swaying of the tool in the tool holder, which in turn provides better balance for the wearer. Moreover, the base facilitates easy insertion of a tool into the cradle.  
      These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be more readily understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the invention and the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the tool holder of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the tool holder;  
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the tool holder;  
       FIG. 4  is a bottom elevational view of the tool holder; and  
       FIG. 5  is a left side perspective view of the tool holder. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENTS  
      A tool holder in accordance with an embodiment of the invention as illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5  and generally designated  10 . The tool holder generally includes a base  20 , a cradle  30 , a mounting element  40  and a projection  50 . Optional containment flanges  52  and  54  are secured to the lower portion of the base below the cradle  30 .  
      The tool holder  10  shown is designed as a hammer holder secured to a belt (not shown). It will be appreciated that the present invention is well suited to hold and carry a variety of other types of tools. Moreover, the tool holder as described herein as of a type that is secured to a belt worn around the waist of a user, however, it is well suited for other constructions and configurations.  
      More particularly, the base  20  as shown is of a generally planar construction, however, it may be contoured as desired to better conform to the tool and/or wearer&#39;s body. The base  20  may be formed from a variety of materials, for instance, it may be comprised of a section of flexible material, such as leather, or it may be plastic or metal. The base includes an interior side  22  and an exterior side  24 . The interior side  22  faces the wearer or object, and the exterior side  24  faces away from the wearer or object. As shown, the lower portion of the base  26  may be of a length that is at least equal to or greater than the central portion  28  of the base  20 . With this optional construction, the lower portion  26  of the base may prevent the handle of a tool inserted into the cradle  30  from gouging against the body of a wearer.  
      To the base  20 , the cradle  30  is secured. As shown, the cradle  30  is a generally closed loop. This loop may be substituted with an open or partially open hook or other tool holding device that holds a portion of the tool. When holding a conventional hammer, the claw and head of a hammer rest on opposite sides of the cradle  30  and the handle projects downwardly generally parallel with the long axis of the base ( FIG. 1 ). The cradle  30  may be secured to the base with conventional fasteners, for example, rivets, staples, screws and the like.  
      Joined with the base  20  is a mounting element  40 , which can be configured to attach to a belt secured to the body of a wearer, for example, the waist of a wearer. The mounting element may be of a looped construction extending upwardly from the base  20  and then back down toward the base  20  to form a closed loop. Like the base  20 , the mounting element may be comprised of a variety of different materials. The mounting element  40  may be comprised of a flexible material, such as leather, that extends from the base  20 , or it may be comprised of another material such as plastic or metal. Alternatively, the mounting element  40  may be configured in the shape of a hook, or any other configuration, to secure the tool holder to the belt or otherwise the wearer. Further, the mounting element  40  may be of the type including corresponding male and female components, one of which secures to the belt, the other of which secures to the tool holder  10 . Such a mounting element provides a quick detachment mechanism for the tool holder.  
      The base  20  includes a projection  50  that projects from the interior side  22  of the base  20  generally toward the user or object to which the tool holder  10  is secured. The projection  50  as shown is disposed on the interior side  22  at a location below the mounting element  40 . The projection  50  may be of a solid or tubular cross section of any shape, for example, rectangular, triangular, circular, semi-circular, oval, semi-oval, elliptical, semi-elliptical, angled, hexagonal, trapezoidal, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection  50  includes a loop of flexible material that attaches to the base  20  with conventional fasteners such as rivets, screws, snaps, or the like. In this embodiment, a cushioning material  60 , such as foam, rubber, or plastic can be positioned at least partially within the load to hold the loop at a distance from the base  20 , and optionally to provide cushioning for the wearer. Generally, the projection  50  projects a substantial distance away from the base  20  that is, for example, at least about 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 20 or more times greater than the thickness of the base  20 . The projection  50  acts to maintain the handle of the tool away from the user or object to which the tool holder  10  is secured.  
      In the embodiment shown, the lowermost portion of the projection  50  is separate from the cradle  30  and positioned a preselected distance above the portion of the cradle  30  that extends outwardly away from the base  20 . This positioning places the projection  50  closer to the mounting portion  40  and therefore closer to the place where the tool holder  10  attaches to the belt. Such positioning can increase the angle between the tool holder  10  and the wearer to maximize the distance between the tool holder  10  and the wearer. Alternatively, the projection  50  may be positioned in other configurations, for example, the center or uppermost portion of the projection  50  may be aligned with the portion of the cradle  30 , or even positioned below the cradle a preselected distance.  
      The projection  50  as shown extends across the entire width of the base  20 . However, the projection  50  may be of varying widths and dimensions as desired. Additionally, the projection  50  as shown is in a relatively fixed position, however, it may be removably secured to the base with a conventional removable attachment system so that it may be varied in position.  
      The base may include a lower portion extending downwardly from the cradle  30 . This downwardly extending portion  26  can extend from the base  20 , be rigid, and rigidly joined with the projection  50  and/or remainder of the base  20  or mounting element  40 . Accordingly, this lower portion can act in concert with the projection  50  to better hold the handle of a supported tool away from the body or object.  
      Further optionally, the lower portion  26  of the base includes containment flanges  52  and  54 . The containment flanges  52  and  54  are disposed at an angle A with respect to the base. The angle may be about 0° to about 90°, about 20° to about 70°; about 30° to about 60°, about 40° to about 50° or about 30°, or any other suitable angle. The containment flanges  52  and  54  also may be of any shape, for example, circular, semi-circular, oval, semi-oval, elliptical, semi-elliptical, angled, rectangular, triangular-like shapes. As shown, the flanges are curved to include an increasing curvature as the flanges transition away from the cradle  30 . The flanges may include any varying curvature in this regard. This optional configuration of the containment flanges provides surprisingly rapid centering of the tool handle relative to the base  20 . Moreover, where the flanges are circular, semi-circular, oval, semi-oval, elliptical, semi-elliptical, or otherwise curved, especially at the portions of the flanges nearest the cradle  30 , it has been observed that insertion into and removal of the tool from the tool holder, e.g., the cradle  30 , is greatly improved.  
      The base  20 , mounting element  40  and optional lower portion  26  with containment flanges  52  and  54  may be constructed of a variety of different materials. The individual components may be constructed of non-rigid materials, or may be substantially rigid. They may all be formed from a unitary and/or integral piece, or individual pieces joined with one another with conventional fasteners, for example, rivets, staples, hooks, etc. In general, the components of the tool holder  10  may be constructed of leather, metal, plastic, fabric and other materials as desired. The material from which the components of the tool holder can be coated with one or more of a variety of coatings, for example, rubber, plastic, vinyl or any other suitable materials.  
      In use, the mounting element  40  is secured to the belt or other device on a wearer. The handle of a tool, for example a hammer (shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1 ), is inserted through the cradle  30 . When included, the lower portion of the base  26  prevents this handle from gouging into the body of a wearer, by keeping the handle away from the body. The head of the tool rests on the cradle  30 . The projection  50  rests against the wearer&#39;s body and/or clothing. The lower portion  26  of the base  20  also cooperates with the projection and remainder of the base to deflect the tool, for example, its handle, away from the body. When included, the flanges  52  and  54  also facilitate centering of the handle of the tool and reduce the swaying thereof.  
      The above descriptions are those of the current embodiments of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. Any references to claim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said,” is not to be construed as limiting the element to the singular.