Patent Publication Number: US-6216931-B1

Title: Combined work-belt and tool storage system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to small tool storage and carrying systems. More specifically, the invention comprises a combined work-belt with detachable pouches for holding small tools and supplies, and an organizing pouch storage unit. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Work-belts with detachable holders for supporting different tools and supplies on the belt are known. In addition, tool storage systems such as peg boards are also known. What is lacking in the prior art is a tool storage system having a plurality of pouches that are attachable to a work-belt or to a specific storage location on a pouch storage unit. In this manner, the present invention allows a user to select the tools and supplies needed for a specific job, remove the pouches containing these articles from the pouch storage unit, and attach the pouches to their work-belt. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 920,413, issued to Batchelder on May 4, 1909, discloses a cartridge belt or bandoleer. Cartridge pouches are removably attached to the belt using a loop and clip system. Detachable suspenders are also provided to support the belt. There is no provision for attaching a second pouch to a pouch directly connected to the belt. In addition, this reference does not contain a system or method for storing and/or organizing the pouches as does the present invention. 
     A personal webbing system is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,419, issued to Victor on Jun. 30, 1987. The system uses a series of hooks and apertures to attach various items to a belt. Velcro fasteners are used to secure the connection by maintaining the hooks in the apertures. The apertures include reinforcement grommets, and a removable support strap connects a shoulder yoke to the belt. Means for attaching the items to each other or for organizing the items while they are not attached to the belt, are not disclosed. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,846, issued to Hannemann on Apr. 11, 1989, is drawn to a sportsman&#39;s belt having a plurality of pockets. The pockets are removably attached to the belt using hook and loop fastener material such as Velcro. Velcro is also used to hold the ends of the belt together. There is no arrangement to attach the pockets to one another, or to organize the pockets when they are not in use. 
     A horse grooming organizer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,765, issued to Little et al. on Sep. 4, 1990. The organizer includes a rectangular panel member having detachably secured pouches thereon. The pouches have labels indicating the horse grooming items contained within. The pouches having the desired items are removed from the panel and removably attached to an apron. Hook and loop fasteners are used to attach the pouches to the panel or apron. There is no disclosure or suggestion to attach the pouches to one another for consecutive support. In addition, the present invention provides labels for the storage location of the pouches, as opposed to directly labeling the pouches. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,614, issued to Bonofiglo on Feb. 19, 1991, discloses a pocket member for a tool belt. Velcro or snaps removably connect one or more of the pocket members to the tool belt. The pocket members are not designed to attach to one another. Furthermore, there is no teaching of organizing the pocket members when they are not on the tool belt. 
     A janitorial utility belt for carrying spray bottles, gloves, dusters and cleaning towels is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,136, issued to Leath on Apr. 2, 1991. The belt has a plurality of rings for attaching pouches to the belt. Loops of material connect the rings to the belt and pouches. A hook member may be alternatively used to connect the rings to the pouches. There is no structure or method for attaching consecutive pouches to one another or for storing the pouches when not in use. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,443, issued to Hagan on Oct. 6, 1992, is drawn to a utility belt. The belt includes a variety of different tool holders for items such as a brush, a spray bottle, a rag, and paper towels. Sections can be added to the belt to change the size of the belt. There is no disclosure of sequentially hanging the tool hangers from each other, or storing the tool hangers. 
     A modular component system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,156, issued to Sicotte et al. on Aug. 31, 1993. A support member in the form of a belt or vest includes a support surface of looped material. Compartment modules with hook material can be attached to the support surface in any desired position or angular orientation. The compartment modules cannot be attached to one another, nor is a storage system for the modules provided as taught in the present invention. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a combined work-belt with detachable pouches for holding small tools and supplies, and an organizing pouch storage unit. The heavy duty work-belt is formed with a plurality of apertures (for accepting hooks on the pouches) extending substantially along the entire length of the work-belt. Optional suspenders are used when a large number of pouches or heavy pouches are attached to the belt. The belt is made from leather or other suitably strong, flexible material used to make heavy duty belts. The apertures preferably have grommets to increase their strength. 
     The organizing pouch storage unit also contains a plurality of apertures for supporting the hooks of the pouches. Each of the pouches has a separate and specific storage location on the unit. Indicia is provided at each location on the storage unit to indicate the contents of the pouch normally stored at that location. The storage unit may be rigid and in the form of a storage and display board (made of material similar to peg-board). The board can be mounted on the wall of a shop, in a work van or truck, or in a number of other suitable locations. Alternatively, the storage unit may be in the form of a flexible storage unit made of canvas or similar material. The flexible storage unit can be lain on a flat surface (or hung on a wall) to select and return pouches, and can then be rolled up for storing and transporting. 
     The pouches are provided in various sizes for holding hardware, tools or supplies. To form the pouch, a rectangular piece of leather (or a suitable synthetic material such as plastic) is folded over itself and sewn or otherwise bonded along its sides. The front and back top edges of the piece of material are not bonded together, thereby forming an open pouch or pocket. Each of the pouches has two heavy duty metal hooks for supporting the pouch on two of the apertures on the belt or on the storage unit. The hooks are attached to the back top edge of the pouches. The basic pouch is sized to hold small hardware items such as screws, nails, rivets, electrical connectors, pipe brackets, etc. The hooks on the basic pouch are spaced apart at a distance such that they engage adjacent apertures on either the belt or storage unit. 
     The basic pouch also has two apertures located along the bottom of the pouch and spaced apart this same distance for attaching another basic pouch “in series” or consecutively to the bottom of the pouch attached directly to the work-belt. This consecutive attachment can be repeated several times such that a plurality of pouches is suspended from a single pouch location on either the storage unit or the work-belt. This not only allows greater flexibility and capacity when using the work-belt, but also provides for several pouches to be hung under a single label on the storage unit. The number of consecutively attached pouches is limited only by the length of the storage unit, or, when mounted on the work-belt, the required freedom of movement on the part of the wearer must be considered. Normally, a maximum of three consecutively attached pouches are used on the work-belt, to keep the contents of the lowest pouch within reach, and to avoid interfering with walking. 
     A larger pouch for supporting larger hardware or small tools on the work-belt, is also provided. The large pouch is slightly wider than two basic pouches and has two hooks similar to the basic pouch, but spaced further apart for engaging two non-adjacent apertures on the work-belt or storage unit. As with the basic pouch, the large pouch has two apertures located along the bottom of the pouch and spaced apart the appropriate distance for attaching a basic pouch to the bottom of the large pouch. Due to the increased size and weight of the intended contents of the large pouch, they are preferably designed only to be directly attached to the work-belt. For lighter applications, however, the large pouches may have apertures at the bottom thereof that are spaced further apart for supporting a second large pouch in a consecutive fashion as described above. 
     Custom pouches for supporting specific items on the work-belt are also envisioned. One type of custom pouch is a tape pouch for attaching a roll of adhesive or measuring tape to the work-belt or storage unit. The tape pouch is similar in size and shape to the basic pouch, except for a cut-out section in the front of the pouch. A double hook loops over the top edge of the rear of the pouch and through the center of the roll of tape, to further secure the tape within the pouch. The cut-out section leaves room for the double loop, as well as aiding in removing an encased measuring tape from the pouch (in which case the double hook would not be used). The two hooks on the tape pouch are spaced further apart than the basic pouch, to increase lateral stability. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a combined work-belt and tool storage system wherein a user can quickly select pouches containing the tools and supplies needed for a job from a pouch storage unit, and can attach these pouches to their work-belt for easy access to the required tools and supplies. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a work-belt with a first tool pouch that is supported directly on the work-belt, and a second tool pouch that is supported on the first tool pouch. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a work-belt with small pouches for hardware, large pouches for larger hardware and small tools, and custom pouches for specific items. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a combined work-belt and tool storage system with a pouch storage unit that can be mounted on a wall to store and display the pouches until the items in the pouches are needed. 
     It is still yet another object of the invention to provide a combined work-belt and tool storage system with a pouch storage unit that can be rolled-up to store the pouches until the items in the pouches are needed. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the work-belt and several basic pouches of the combined work-belt and tool storage system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the pouch storage unit of the combined work-belt and tool storage system of the present invention, showing several basic pouches, a large pouch and a tape pouch mounted on the pouch storage unit. 
     FIG. 3 is a detail view of a pouch shown at the lower center of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In FIG. 1, the work-belt  100  of the present invention is shown with several of the basic pouches  120 ,  120 ′ and  120 ″, attached thereto. Work-belt  100  is of the heavy duty variety and includes a plurality of apertures  101  spaced along its length. The apertures  101  preferably include reinforcement grommets for added strength. A conventional heavy duty buckle  102  is also provided to maintain the work-belt  100  about a user&#39;s waist as is well known with belts. An optional pair of suspenders  103  can be provided to further support the work-belt  100  when the work-belt  100  supports a large number of pouches or pouches containing heavy tools and/or supplies. The suspenders  103  are attached to four of the apertures  101  on the work-belt  100  using clips, or the ends of the suspenders may be tied to the apertures or attached directly to the belt. 
     Each of the basic pouches  120 ,  120 ′ and  120 ″ include two hooks  121  for engaging two of the apertures  101  to thereby support the pouches  120  on the work-belt  100 . The spacing of the apertures  101  on the work-belt  100 , is such that the hooks  121  on the basic pouches  120  are inserted into two adjacent apertures  101  for support. The pouches  120 ,  120 ′ and  120 ″ themselves are made of a high strength material such as leather or strong pliable plastic that is folded over itself and sealed along the side edges to form the pocket  122  of the pouches  120 ,  120 ′ and  120 ″. Although the sides can be sealed or bonded using adhesive only, when leather, canvas, or other cloth type materials are used, reinforcement stitching may be substituted for the adhesive, or provided in addition to the adhesive, to increase the strength of the pouches  120 ,  120 ′ and  120 ″. 
     Hooks  121  are formed of heavy duty metal and may be sewn or glued to the back top edge of the pouches, as is known in the art. While hooks  121  are shown as simple loops, they may be in the form of a locking type clip (not shown) to insure that the hooks remain in the apertures. At the bottom of the pouches  120 ,  120 ′ and  120 ″ two apertures  123 , which preferably include reinforcement grommets, are spaced apart the same distance as hooks  121 . In this manner, the topmost pouch  120  of the pouches is attached directly to work-belt  100  by placing the two hooks  121  in two adjacent apertures  101 . The next pouch  120 ′ is then attached to pouch  120  by placing its two hooks  121  into the two apertures  123  provided in tab  124  formed at the bottom of pouch  120 . It will be seen that tab  124  is outside and below the compartment of its associated pouch  120 ′. Still another basic pouch  120 ″ can be attached to pouch  120 ′ by placing its hooks  121  into the bottom apertures  123  of pouch  120 ′. Pouches  120 ,  120 ′,  120 ″ are thus in vertically stacked relationship, one immediately below or above the next. This can be repeated several times as described above. 
     An example of an organizing pouch storage unit of the present invention is shown as  200  in FIG.  2 . The storage unit  200  contains a plurality of apertures  201  for supporting the hooks of the pouches. Each pouch has a specific storage location on the unit that includes indicia  202  that lists the contents of the pouch normally stored at that location. The storage unit  200  is provided in two basic embodiments, both of which are illustrated by FIG.  2 . The first embodiment is a rigid storage and display board that could simply be made of peg-board having apertures substantially covering the board, or custom apertures could be drilled in a board to match the spacing of the hooks. The board is mounted in a convenient location for access to the pouches, and may include a frame  203  for protecting the edge of the board and/or for mounting purposes. In a second embodiment, the storage unit  200  is a flexible, pouch storage unit made of canvas or similar flexible material. The flexible storage unit can be unrolled on a flat surface to select and return pouches, or could be hung on a wall. Three holes  204  are provided for hanging the storage unit on wall hangers. After use, the flexible, pouch storage unit can be rolled up for storing and transporting. 
     FIG. 2 also illustrates two types of pouches in addition to the basic pouch  120 . The large pouch  220  is similar in construction to the basic pouch  120 , being approximately two times wider and slightly deeper, to provide a much larger pocket  222  for carrying large hardware (brackets, large construction nuts and bolts, etc.) or small hand tools. Hooks  221  are formed of heavy duty metal as in the basic pouch, however, hooks  221  are spaced further apart. While the actual size of the large pouch  220  can be varied, in the embodiment shown the hooks  221  engage every eighth aperture  201  on the storage unit  200 , or  101  on the work-belt  100 . The bottom of the large pouch  220  also has two apertures  223  with reinforcement grommets. Apertures  223  are preferably spaced apart the same distance as hooks  121  on the basic pouch  120 . A basic pouch  120  can thereby be attached to the bottom of the large pouch by placing hooks  121  in apertures  223 . It follows then that spacing apart of aperatures  201  of storage unit  200  is equal to that of aperatures  101  of work-belt  100 . This is also seen by examining and comparing FIGS. 1 and 2. Should the large pouch  220  be intended for holding lightweight materials or tools, the apertures  223  may be spaced further apart for consecutive attachment of large pouches to each other. 
     A tape pouch  230  is also provided for supporting a roll of tape (electrical, duct, adhesive, etc.) or an encased tape measure, on the work-belt  100  or the storage unit  200 . The tape pouch is similar in size and shape to the basic pouch, and includes two hooks  231  attached to the top of the back  232  of the pouch  230 . A cut-out section  234  in the front  233  of the pouch  230  accommodates a double hook  235  that loops over the top edge of the rear  232  of the pouch  230  and through the center of the roll of tape  240 , to further secure the roll of tape  240  within the pouch. When an encased measuring tape is stored in the pouch  230 , the double hook  235  is not used, and the cut-out section  234  aids in removing the encased measuring tape from the pouch. (in which case the double hook would not be used). The two hooks  231  on the tape pouch  230  are shown spaced further apart than on the basic pouch  120 , although the spacing can be the same for attachment of the tape pouch  230  to a basic pouch  120 . Along the same vein, tape pouch  230  may include two apertures at the bottom thereof for consecutive attachment of a pouch to the tape pouch  230 . 
     Other alterations and optional features include providing additional sets of apertures above the bottom apertures on each pouch. This provides for successive attachment of the pouches in a shorter arrangement. Furthermore, the pouches may be provided with flaps for holding the contents within. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.