Patent Publication Number: US-6213366-B1

Title: Box-belt attachment system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of holders and, more particularly, to a novel belt or strap-mounted system for supporting and carrying a box of fasteners, such as nails or screws. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A variety of devices are known which are used to attach a box or other object to a user&#39;s belt. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,705 discloses a wire holder which may be used to suspend a container from a belt. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,302 discloses a continuous wire device bent to form a belt receiving portion and a handle receiving portion such that the handle of a container may be attached to the user&#39;s belt. 
     However, none of these references disclose an attachment system which may be adapted to attach various sized boxes to a belt, which can be built directly into the structure of the box or sold as a separate item, and which is inexpensive to produce. Hence, it would be useful to provide a box-belt attachment system which could be adapted to attach various sized boxes to a belt and which can be built into the structure of the box or sold as a separate item. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     With parenthetical reference to the corresponding parts, portions or surfaces of the disclosed embodiment, merely for the purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation, the present invention provides an improved box-belt attachment system ( 15 ) for attaching a box ( 16 ) having a lid ( 21 ) to a belt ( 18 ) comprising a box loop ( 19 ) and a belt loop ( 20 ), whereby the lid may be folded over the box loop and the belt loop may engage the belt. The box loop and belt loop may be formed from a continuous wire member comprised of a flexible elastic material. The elastic material may be spring steel having a substantially circular cross-section. The lid may include two male connections ( 22 ) and the back panel ( 23 ) of the box may contain two corresponding female connections ( 24 ), whereby the lid may be temporarily attached to the back panel of the box. The box may include a reinforced crease ( 25 ). 
     Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to provide an improved box-belt attachment system with which a user may attach a box to his or her belt for easy access to the contents of the box. 
     Another object is to provide an improved attachment adapted to be mounted to the belt of a user. 
     Another object is to provide an improved attachment adapted to engage a box. 
     Another object is to provide an improved box-belt attachment system which may be easily incorporated into the structure of the box. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved box-belt attachment which may be sold separately from the box or belt. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved box-belt attachment system which may be employed with various sized boxes. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved box-belt attachment system in which the lid of the box may be folded back and temporarily secured to the back panel of the box. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved box-belt attachment system in which the crease of the lid of the box is reinforced so that the force of the box hanging by the attachment to the user&#39;s belt does not rip the lid from the box. 
     These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the foregoing and ongoing written specification, the drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the attachment. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment system engaging a box. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the box shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the attachment system engaging a user&#39;s belt and a box. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     At the outset, it should be clearly understood that like reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural elements, portions or surfaces consistently throughout the several drawing figures, as such elements, portions or surfaces may be further described or explained by the entire written specification, of which this detailed description is an integral part. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read (e.g., cross-hatching, arrangement of parts, proportion, debris, etc.) together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up” and “down”, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof, (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms “inwardly” and “outwardly” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate. 
     Referring now to the drawings and, more particularly, to FIG. 1, this invention provides an improved box-belt attachment, of which the presently preferred embodiment is generally indicated at  15 . Attachment  15  is shown as broadly including a box loop  19  and a belt loop  20 . In the preferred embodiment, attachment  15  is formed from a continuous wire member comprised of a flexible elastic material and having a circular cross-section. 
     Box loop  19  is comprised of members  19   a ,  19   b , and  19   c . Members  19   a  and  19   b  are elongated along axes parallel to axis x—x, and are connected at their bottom ends to transverse member  19   c  by bends  19   d  and  19   e , respectively. Belt loop  20  is comprised of members  20   a ,  20   b  and  20   c . Members  20   a  and  20   b  are connected at their bottom ends to transverse member  20   c  by bends  20   d  and  20   e , respectively. Bends  19   d ,  19   e ,  20   d  and  20   e  form right-angle connections. Member  19   a , bend  19   d , member  19   c , bend  19   e , and member  19   b  form box loop  19 . Member  20   a , bend  20   d , member  20   c , bend  20   e , and member  20   b , form belt loop  20 . Box loop  19  and belt loop  20  are connected by U-shaped bends  26   a  and  26   b . Members  20   a ,  20   b  and members  19   a ,  19   b  are elongated along axes parallel to axis x—x. Member  19   c  is elongated along axis y—y. Member  20   c  is equal in length to member  19   c  and is elongated along an axis parallel to y—y. Members  20   a  and  20   b  are the same length. Members  19   a  and  19   b  are the same length. Members  20   a  and  20   b  are shorter in length than members  19   a ,  19   b.    
     As shown in FIG. 2, attachment  15  engages cardboard box  16  at the crease  28  formed between panel  23  of box  16  and lid  21  when lid  21  is open. This engagement is effectuated by opening lid  21  and folding it over member  19   c  and back against panel  23  such that member  19   c  rests up against crease  28 . As shown in FIG. 4, lid  21  is held against panel  23  by the weight of box  16  against a user&#39;s hip or body. However, as shown in FIG. 3, lid  21  may include standard male connections, severally indicated at  22 , which may be connected to corresponding female connections, severally indicated at  24 , on panel  23 . This snap connection assures that lid  21  is held against panel  23 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, box  16  may include a reinforced crease  25 . Crease  25  can be reinforced with tape or an added layer of cardboard. Reinforced crease  25  adds strength to crease  28  such that the force of box  16  hanging from member  19   c  does not rip lid  21  from panel  23 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, belt loop  20  slips over and against the inside of a user&#39;s belt  18 . Members  20   a  and  20   b  of belt loop  20  are positioned on the inside of belt  18 . Members  19   a  and  19   b  of box loop  19  are positioned on the outside of belt  18 . Thereby, bends  26   a  and  26   b  rest on the top  29  of belt  18  and support the weight of box  16 . As shown in FIG. 4, members  20   a  and  20   b  are as long as the width  30  of belt  18 . Attachment  15  may be moved along the user&#39;s belt to any comfortable or convenient location. 
     While the attachment may be sold as a separate unit, it may also be sold as part of a box of nails, screws, or other fastening devices. Member  19   c  may be fixably connected along crease  28  such that, when lid  21  is closed, attachment  15  pivots into box  16 . In this way, a user of the fastening devices contained in box  16  merely opens lid  21  and positions attachment  15  on his or her belt for easy access to the contents of box  16 . After completing the job, the user then folds attachment  15  into box  16  by closing the lid. The user need never transfer fasteners from boxes to a pouch or, when the job is complete or the day ended, transfer his or her unused fasteners back into the appropriate boxes for future use. 
     MODIFICATIONS 
     The present invention contemplates that many changes and modifications may be made. The particular materials of which the various body parts and component parts are formed are not deemed critical and may be readily varied. While in the preferred form the attachment is framed from spring steel, it may also be framed from other materials such as plastics.