Patent Publication Number: US-10759042-B1

Title: Magnetic socket straps and accessories

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a portable socket holder and its accessories. The socket holder uses strong magnets (equivalent to N42 and stronger) embedded within a silicone, or other similar rubber-like material, to hold a subset of one&#39;s socket collection. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     When using a socket wrench and sockets, most tasks only require a small subset of the total number of sockets contained within the socket set(s). This invention addresses this observation by limiting the carrying capacity to only a subset of the socket set(s), which subset can easily be exchanged when the user starts a different task. Further, current devices used to magnetically hold ferrous tools are missing one or more features that would improve the usefulness of such devices, especially when such devices are used specifically for sockets. One feature missing in all such current devices is construction from a material that can be secured to a painted car body without damaging the finish. Until recently, rubber over-molding required temperatures too high to be a practical solution. This invention leverages the latest technologies for low temperature curing of liquid silicon rubber, such as Silbione® LSR Select™. The following citations provide samples of how current inventions could be improved. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,508 relates to a magnetic utility wristband, but this wristband does not provide for adequately separating sockets from each other, which is necessary if the wristband has magnets strong enough to carry the weight of sockets. 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/999,828 relates to a magnetic holder constructed of rigid material, which could be harmful to painted surfaces. It also contains many cracks and crevices where grease, oil, and other materials could accumulate. 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/073,946 relates to a magnetic frame for storing sockets, but it is more suited for an entire socket set and not for a subset of sockets, thus limiting its portability. It also has a rigid construction that could be harmful to painted surfaces. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,817 is constructed from rigid material on the outside, which could be harmful to painted surfaces. Also, the magnetic material used for the inside construction does not provide sufficient force to adequately secure sockets in place. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,580 is yet another invention constructed from rigid material, which could be harmful to painted surfaces. The design also uses a barrier that limits visibility if the user of the invention is on the same side as the barrier. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,230 refers to a socket holding apparatus. The socket holders have pre-defined bores that limit the sizes and shapes of the sockets that can be used. The magnetic particles also do not provide enough strength to hold heavy sockets if the bore is not a perfect fit for the socket. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,181 refers to a magnetic socket holder with a bar magnet at the base of the sockets. When sockets are held in this manner, they come loose very easily; thus, this design is not suited for holding sockets upside-down, but is more suited for a horizontal surface. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,143 is designed to hold sockets within a toolbox or other horizontal surface. It is also made from rigid material and will hold between six and thirty-six sockets, which is more sockets than is needed for most tasks, especially automotive tasks. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,359 contains rigid sidewalls and base, which could be harmful to painted surfaces. It also features cylindrical troughs of increasing/decreasing diameters, which is not well suited for similarly sized sockets. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,747 features cylindrical troughs of increasing/decreasing diameters, which is not well suited for similarly sized sockets. The flexible magnetic strip referenced by certain embodiments would also not be strong enough to hold heavy sockets. This invention is also constructed from rigid material that could be harmful to painted surfaces. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,763,510 describes a vest used to magnetically hold tools. Such a device adds bulk to the user, which could be problematic when working in confined spaces. The design is also not well suited for heavy sockets, since no provisions are made for adequately separating sockets held in place by strong magnets. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main embodiment of this invention consists of a silicone rubber, or similar material, that has been molded in a strip with between two and nine partially cylindrical troughs used to hold sockets. Within the rubber are a number of strong magnets that are equal in number to the number of cylindrical troughs. Each magnet is suspended close to the surface of the base of trough and is strong enough to hold a socket securely in place while subjected to a large amount of jostling in a typical automotive service shop setting. Each tool is portable and will attach to any ferrous material close to the task being performed by the user. The rubber material is easy to clean and will not damage painted surfaces. 
     If desired, the socket holder can be attached to either a belt clip or a watch strap adapter to maximize the portability of the holder. Both the belt clip and watch strap adapter are also described within this document. 
     An additional embodiment of this invention is the integration of the socket holder and a wrist strap in a single, seamless wrist strap. The wrist strap would consist of two buckles used to secure the socket holder to the user&#39;s wrist. Two buckles are essential to reducing unwanted shifting of the socket holder while the user is working. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       A brief description of the drawings is as follows: 
         FIG. 1  shows the main embodiment of the invention, consisting of multiple strong magnets encased within a silicone rubber (or other similar material) body. 
         FIG. 2  shows a cross section of the main embodiment to illustrate the placement of the magnets. 
         FIG. 3  shows three additional variations of the main embodiment wherein the number, length, and direction of troughs is varied. 
         FIG. 4  shows a watch adapter accessory that can be used to attach the main embodiment to commonly available watch bands. The watch adapter is part of this specification, but the commonly available watch bands are not. 
         FIG. 5  shows a belt clip accessory that can be used to attach the main embodiment to commonly available belts. The belt clip is part of this specification, but the commonly available belts are not. 
         FIG. 6  shows an alternate embodiment of the invention, wherein the socket holder and the wrist straps are part of a single, unified silicon rubber (or similar material) body. 
         FIG. 7  shows how the alternate embodiment (depicted in  FIG. 6 ) would be worn around the user&#39;s wrist. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG. 1 , the two components of the main embodiment are the high-strength magnets  3  and the silicon rubber encasement  1 . One of the main considerations for this design is to have a soft body  1  that will not harm finished surfaces, such as automotive paint, powder coats, vinyl wraps, etc. Another consideration is to have cylindrical troughs  14  wide enough to accept a large variety of sockets  2 , yet still have trough dividers  15  being tall enough to prevent aforementioned sockets  2  from constantly colliding. The force of the magnets  3  combined with the texture of the silicone rubber (or similar material) provides a strong hold on the sockets, which hold will be sufficient for the majority of tasks indicative of a typical automotive service shop environment. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the suspension of the magnets  3  within the rubber encasement  1  is being illustrated. Suspending the magnets  3  will require special manufacturing processes to ensure the magnet is far enough away from the surface to prevent damage of the surface to which it is affixed, yet close enough to the cylindrical troughs  14  and the underside  16  of the rubber encasement  1  to enable a strong hold. 
       FIG. 3  shows three additional variations of the main embodiment, including a five-socket variation  4 , a seven-socket variation  5 , and a two-socket variation  6 . The total number of sockets intended to be held by any of the variations of this invention is a minimum of two and a maximum of nine. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration of one of the accessory inventions used to affix the main body  1  to a ferrous plate  8  machined with recesses  9  sized to receive commonly available watch straps  10 . Being able to attach the invention to a user&#39;s wrist increases the portability and usefulness of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an illustration of another accessory invention used to affix the main body  1  to a ferrous plate  11  constructed with a clip  12  that can slip over a belt  17 . This accessory increases the portability of the invention, while simultaneously keeping the user&#39;s forearms free from encumbrances if the user is working in a confined space. 
       FIG. 6  is a depiction of an alternate embodiment of the invention, wherein the silicone rubber (or other material) body  13  contains straps  18 , each having a series of elliptical through holes  20 , and buckles  19 , each having a rectangular bracket  21  and rectangular bar  22  (in the middle of the bracket  21 ) attached to the corresponding strap  18  via a cylindrical shaft  23  to affix the invention to the user&#39;s wrist, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 .