Patent Publication Number: US-11026417-B2

Title: Tree mountable gear holding assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to gear holding devices and more particularly pertains to a new gear holding device for holding items, particularly those articles used by a hunter during a hunt, on a tree or other vertical support so that the gear is easily accessible by a hunter positioned in or adjacent to the tree. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to gear holding devices in general but which do not allow for easy mounting to trees or include means for holding many articles simultaneously. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a strap that is elongated and has a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper edge and a lower edge wherein the first and second ends define free ends. A plurality of article loops is positioned on the first side and each is configured to engage articles to be suspended on the strap. The article loops form a continuous line of loops covering at least 75% of the first side. The article loop closest to the second end defines a terminal loop. A connector is attached to the strap adjacent to the second end. The connector is removably couplable to the strap at a point between the terminal loop and the first end to form closed loop with the elongated strap. The closed loop is configured to be extended around and frictionally engage a tree. A free section of strap is defined from the first end to the connector. 
     In another embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a strap that is elongated and has a first end, a second end, a first side, a second side, an upper edge and a lower edge. The first and second ends define free ends. A plurality of article loops is positioned on the first side and each article loop is configured to releasably engage articles to be suspended on the strap. The article loops form a continuous line of loops covering at least 75% of the first side. A slide buckle is mounted on the strap adjacent to the second end. A hook is attached to the slide buckle. The hook is removably extendable through one of the article loops to form closed loop with the elongated strap. The slide buckle is movable toward the terminal loop on the strap to shorten a circumference of the closed loop. A free section of strap is defined from the first end to the particular article loop engaged with the hook. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top isometric view of a tree mountable gear holding assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a front isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a front isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new gear holding device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the tree mountable gear holding assembly  10  generally comprises a strap  12  that is elongated and flexible. The strap  12  may be comprised of any conventional strapping or webbing material. The strap  12  has a first end  14 , a second end  16 , a first side  18 , a second side  20 , an upper edge  22  and a lower edge  24 . While the first  18  and second  20  sides may be planer, the strap  12  may have an oval or tubular shape wherein the first  18  and second  20  sides are generally defined as being positioned on opposite sides of the strap  12  relative to each other. The first  14  and second  16  ends define free ends of the strap  12 . While the strap  12  may have length equal to at least 4.0 feet, a distance from the first end  14  to the second end  16  will typically be between 4.0 feet and 8.0 feet. A distance from the upper edge  22  to the lower edge  24  is less than 2.0 inches. 
     A plurality of article loops  26  is positioned on the first side  18  and is configured to engage articles to be suspended on the strap  12 . The article loops  26  are spaced from the second end  16  a distance equal to at least 3.0 inches and usually less than 18.0 inches. An article loop  26  nearest the second end  16  defines a terminal loop  28 . The strap  12  is generally covered with the article loops  26  wherein the article loops  26  will most characteristically form a continuous line of loops covering at least 75% of the first side  18 . The term “continuous” means that each article loop  26  is positioned within 1.0 inches of an adjacent one of the article loops  26 . Each of the article loops  26  extends away from the first side  18  a distance of less than 3.0 inches. As can be readily understood from the Figures, in one embodiment the article loops  26  may be formed by sewing a secondary strap  30  to the strap  12  wherein threading  32  extends through the strap  12  and secondary strap  30  along lines extending from the upper edge  22  to the lower edge  24 . The secondary strap  30  is bunched up between lines of threading  32  to form the article loops  26 . A distance between the lines of threading is normally 2.5 inches or less. Each article loop  26  has an open top side corresponding to the upper edge  22  and an open bottom side corresponding to the lower edge  24 . 
     A connector  33  is mounted on the strap and is positioned adjacent to the second end  16  of the strap  12  and more particularly will typically be positioned between the second end  16  and the terminal loop  28 . However, in some instances the connector may comprise the second end  16  as indicated below. The connector  33  releasably engages the strap  12  at a point between the connector  33  and the first end  14 . This allows the strap  12  to be formed into a closed loop  38  extendable around and frictionally engageable with a tree  70 . A portion of the strap between the connector  33  and the first end  14 , when the connector  33  is attached to the strap  12 , defines a free section  40  of the strap  12 . 
     The connector  33  may include a receiving loop  42  that is attached to the second side  20  of the strap  12 . The receiving loop  42  is positioned between the terminal loop  28  and the second end  16 , though the receiving loop  42  may also include the second end  16 . The receiving loop  42  receives the first end  14  and the free section  40  of the strap  12 . The receiving loop stabilizes the positioning of the free section relative to the closed loop. 
     The connector  33  may further include, or may comprise without the receiving loop, a slide buckle  34  that is mounted on the strap  12  and is positioned between the terminal loop  28  and the second end  16 . The slide buckle  34  is movable between the second end  16  and the terminal loop  28  to alter a distance between the slide buckle  34  and the first end  14 . The slide buckle  34  may comprise what is commonly known as a tri-glide type buckle wherein the second end  16  is extended through the slide buckle  34  and looped back through the slide buckle  34  to create friction where the strap  12  overlaps itself on the slide buckle  34 . Consequently the slide buckle  34  can be selectively retained on the strap  12  where desired. 
     A hook  36  is attached to the slide buckle  34  and extends away from the strap  12 , or more particularly from the first end  14  when the strap  12  is elongated in a straight line. The hook  36  is removably extendable through one of the article loops  26  to form the closed loop  38  with the elongated strap  12 . As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , this allows the strap  12  to be extended around and secured to a tree  70 . The slide buckle  34  is movable toward the terminal loop  28  on the strap  12  to shorten a circumference of the closed loop  38 . Because there are a number of article loops  26  on the strap  12 , a user first picks an article loop  26  which approximates a circumference of the tree  70 . Once the hook is engaged with the selected article loop  26 , the second end  16  of the strap  12  is pulled to move the slide buckle  34  toward the first end  14  and tighten the strap  12  on the tree  70 . The free section  40  of strap  12  is then defined from the first end  14  to the article loop  26  engaged with the hook  36 , wherein the free section  40  hangs freely from the closed loop  38 . 
     In use, the strap  12  is placed around the tree  70  as stated above and shown in the Figures. The user utilizes the connector  33  to create the closed loop  38  around the tree  70  wherein the strap  12  will frictionally engage the tree  70 . The user has the option of extending the first end  14  through the receiving loop  42  and may cinch the closed loop  38  such that the strap  12  frictionally engages the tree  70 . If a heavy object, such as a backpack, is then hung from the free section  40 , the weight of the heavy object will usually keep the closed loop  38  in a selected location on the tree  70 . However, the user may also, or instead, use the hook  36  to engage one of the article loops  26  and then tighten the closed loop  38  with the buckle  34 . With all options, the assembly  10  will then be to hold hunting gear. Specifically, the assembly is very useful when used in combination with a tree stand platform  72  to hold hunting gear in a location that is easily accessible to a hunter positioned on the platform  72 . Hooks  74  or other couplers, such as MOLLE connectors (modular lightweight load-carrying equipment), may be positioned on the article loops  26  to assist in holding those items which do not have hook or hook like elements. It should be understood that the article loops  26  on both of the closed loop  38  and free section  40  may be used to secure items to the tree  70   
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.