Abstract:
The specification and drawing figures describe and show holder for a non-folding tool that includes a first case formed with a duct. The first case is connected to a deployment control unit detachably that is removably insertable in the first case. At least one second case is included that is formed with a cavity. A plurality of second cases are provided to accommodate varying dimensions of the non-folding tool. The second case is removably connectable to the first case. A tension membrane, slidably insertable into the first case, is provided for controlling movement of the tool within the holder. A variably positionable mounting assembly engageable with the holder and with a user is provided. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure, but this abstract is not to be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of any claim.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a continuation-in-part from a continuation-in-part application Ser. No. 10/327,720 entitled Holder for a Folding Tool, filed on Nov. 20, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,499 for which the U.S. Patent Office has issued a notice of allowability to the same sole inventor named in this application. 

   FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY 
   The field of technology pertains generally to a holder for a non-folding tool. More particularly, the holder for a non-folding tool disclosed and claimed in this document includes a variably positionable sheath allowing safe, rapid, and silent deployment of a fixed-blade knife from, and insertion into, a sheath using only one hand. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Beginning in the 18 th  century, technological advancements in forging metals that could hold sharp edges when formed into knife blades inaugurated significant alteration of the design, manufacture, and use of knives. What had been primitive tools started to become diverse, formidable, and even elegant implements. In recent decades, advancements in knife manufacturing technology have accelerated. Numerous companies and individuals now are devoted exclusively to design and manufacture of a wide variety of knives for work, sport, and collecting. 
   In the 21 st  century, many blades are manufactured from stainless steel, particularly martensitic stainless steels. Most blades include a wide variety of chromium that imparts corrosion resistance, and carbon, that provides hardening of a knife blade by heat treatment. Edge retention of knife blades has increased with the formulation of higher carbon content; corrosion resistance has increased by the use of higher chromium content. 
   The degree to which knife blades are treated for edge retention, corrosion resistance, and hardening depends at least in part on the uses for a particular knife. Modern knives have a variety of distinctive uses. The blade of a knife is the major determining factor in the work to which a knife and knife blade may be applied. The blade also is the chief concern in connection with safety in using a knife. Cost of a knife is a function, then, of the quality of the blade steel, workmanship, material used in forming a handle for the knife, and ornamentation. A knife blade generally is forged from steel into a desired shape, hardened and tempered, ground to a cutting edge, polished to remove all traces of forging and heat treatment, and fitted to a handle. A wide variety of materials is used for handles, including horns and tusks, various woods, bone, and now an array of synthetic materials. 
   A major threshold factor, in the choice of a knife is between a fixed-blade or a folding knife. Folding knives, also called “folders,” usually are selected on the basis of the intended use and user preference. An exemplary holder for a folding tool, including a folding knife, is disclosed and claimed in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/327,720 filed by the inventor named in this document on Nov. 20, 2002, and for which the U.S. Patent Office has issued a notice of allowability. 
   The apparatus disclosed and claimed in this document includes a holder for a non-folding tool such as a variably positionable sheath allowing removal of a fixed-blade knife, also known as an open knife, from, and insertion of a fixed-blade knife into, the sheath using only one hand. The term “fixed-blade” knife, as used in this document includes fixed blade, open blade, and unitary knives. 
   Fixed-blade knives generally include both a blade and a handle, but the handle of some knives may be little more than an extension of the heel of the blade. The blade generally includes a tip, two sides, a back or back spine, and at least one cutting edge. The handle generally surrounds the heel of the blade in a substantially fixed position relative to the handle between opposing sides of the fixed-blade. Fixed-blade knives tend to be heavy, use-specific, user-specific, and both difficult and dangerous to carry and use unsheathed. 
   Knife designers and manufacturers of fixed knives have focused on the design and methods of manufacturing a sheath to provide safe, silent, rapid control storage, deployment and use of a fixed-blade knife using a single hand. Those who have considered sheaths have not advanced the teaching in the art. 
   For example, most sheaths for fixed-blade knives have proven to be expensive, unsafe, and unreliable for single-handed deployment and sheathing. Sheaths for fixed-blade knives have remained largely unchanged for generations, still tending to be made of leather, and designed more for appearance than for safe, silent, rapid control, storage, deployment and use of a fixed-blade knife. 
   Safety of the user of a fixed blade knife is of considerable concern among those who use knives. Many uses, particularly in military and law enforcement environments, require substantially silent removal of a knife from a sheath, as well as silent replacement of the fixed blade knife. Sheaths not designed for safe, silent, rapid deployment and uses of a fixed-blade knife are a major limitation in the market. 
   Perhaps because makers and manufacturers of knives have tended to focus on knife and handle design, rather than on sheath design, the knife industry as a whole seems to have concluded that solutions for single-handled draw of a fixed-blade knife cannot be improved. Little effort has been devoted to designing a sheath, and accompanying mechanisms associated with a sheath, to solve the problems associated with achieving single-handed removal of a fixed-blade knife from a sheath, reinsertion, and storage. 
   The limitations of the current state of the art become evident on using a fixed-blade knife using one hand. Current sheaths fail to assist a single-handed user in grasping, storing or holding the fixed-blade knife blade when not in use. 
   Therefore, a previously unaddressed need exists in the industry for a new and useful variably positionable holder for a non-folding tool, such as a sheath for a fixed-blade knife, that provides a user safe, silent, rapid control storage, deployment and use of a fixed-blade knife (collectively, “sheathing”) with one hand. 
   SUMMARY 
   The holder for a non-folding tool described and claimed in this document includes a sheath, a tension membrane positionable in the sheath for slidably securing the tool in the sheath, a blade guard detachably insertable into one end of the sheath, a thumb break member removably connectable to the blade guard, and a variably positionable mounting assembly engageable with the sheath and a user of the holder (collectively, “components”). 
   It will become apparent to one skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter as a whole, including the structure of the apparatus, and the cooperation of the components of the apparatus, combine to result in a number of unexpected advantages and utilities. The structure and co-operation of structure of the holder for a non-folding tool will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, drawing figures, and appended claims. 
   The foregoing has outlined broadly the more important features of the invention to better understand the detailed description that follows, and to better understand the contributions to the art. The holder for a non-folding tool is not limited in application to the details of construction, and to the arrangements of the components, provided in the following description or drawing figures, but is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. The phraseology and terminology employed in this disclosure are for purpose of description, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the conception on which this disclosure is based readily may be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems. The claims, therefore, include equivalent constructions. Further, the abstract associated with this disclosure is intended neither to define the holder for a non-folding tool, which is measured by the claims, nor intended to limit the scope of the claims. The novel features of the holder for a non-folding tool are best understood from the accompanying drawing, considered in connection with the accompanying description of the drawing, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which: 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  of the drawing is a perspective front view of the components of the holder for a non-folding tool; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective rear view of the components of the holder for a non-folding tool; 
       FIG. 2A  is a front perspective view of the first case; 
       FIG. 2B  is a rear perspective view of the first case; 
       FIG. 2C  is an end view of the first case; 
       FIG. 2D  is an end perspective view of the first case; 
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective rear view of the tension membrane before insertion into the first case; 
       FIG. 3B  is a perspective rear view of the blade guard before insertion into the first case; 
       FIG. 3C  is a perspective view of a first blade that comprises a thumb break; 
       FIG. 3D  is a perspective view of a second blade that comprises a thumb break; 
       FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of one iteration of the second case; 
       FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of the second case before attachment to the first case; 
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a disk; 
       FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the tub with the disk of  FIG. 5A  inserted in the tub; 
       FIG. 5C  is a perspective view of the tub, disk, and O-rings mounted; 
       FIG. 5D  is a perspective view of a leverage plate; 
       FIG. 5E  is a perspective view of a leverage plate positioned for mounting on the tub and disk; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a belt clip positioned for mounting on the leverage plate; 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a leg strap swivel clip mountable on the second case; and 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the holder for a non-folding tool attached to a user. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1-8 , a holder for a non-folding tool that in a variety of embodiments serves as a variably positionable sheath  10  for a fixed-blade knife  12  is provided that, in the broadest context, includes a first case  14  formed with a duct  16  into which a blade  18  of fixed-blade of a knife  12  is removably positionable, a deployment control unit  20  that is detachably insertable in first case  14 , a second case  22  that is formed with a cavity  24 , the second case  22  being removably connectable to first case  14 , and means  26  for variably positioning sheath  10  in relation to a user  28 . 
   With regard to  FIGS. 1-8 , to the extent that subscripts to the numerical designations include the lower case letter “n,” as in “a-n,” the letter “n” is intended to express a number of repetitions of the item designated by that numerical reference. 
   More specifically, as shown by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1-2D , first case  14  of sheath  10  is formed with a first face  30 , a second face  32 , opposing sides  34   a,b  between first face  30  and second face  32 , a distal end  36 , and a proximal end  38 . As also shown by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1-2D , first case  14  is formed with at least one duct  16 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2B-2D , and perhaps best in  FIG. 2C , duct  16  is shown as tapered between proximal end  38  and distal end  36  of sheath  10 , the narrower portion of the tapered duct  16  being adjacent distal end  36 . As shown perhaps best by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  2 A- 2 B, opposing slots  40   a,b  are formed in sheath  10 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  2 A- 2 B, slots  40   a,b  are formed in opposing sides  34   a,b  adjacent proximal end  38  of sheath  10 . As shown, slots  40   a,b  provide a mechanical advantage for detachably inserting a blade guard  42 , described in more operational detail below, into proximal end  38  of sheath  10 . 
   In the embodiment illustrated by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  3 B- 3 D, and  8 , deployment control unit  20  is shown. As shown, deployment control unit  20  includes means  44  for protecting a user during deployment from, and insertion into, first case  14 , means  46  for releasing fixed-blade knife  12  for deployment from first case  14 , a tension membrane  48  removably positionable in first case  14  for slidably engaging blade  18  of fixed-blade knife  12  in first case  14 , and means  50  for disposing protecting means  44  in first case  14 . 
   In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 ,  3 B, and  3 D, and perhaps best shown in  FIG. 3B , means  44  for protecting a user during deployment from, and insertion into, first case  14  includes blade guard  42 . As shown, blade guard  42  includes means  50  for disposing protecting means  44  in first case  14 . Means  50  includes a hollow frame  52  formed with opposing shoes  54   a,b  removably mountable in opposing slots  40   a,b . The mechanical advantages associated with mounting opposing shoes  54   a,b  on hollow frame  52  include ease of mounting and decoupling blade guard  42  from proximal end  38  of sheath  10 , while providing a firm apparatus for protecting user  28  from cuts and slashes that might otherwise occur during insertion in sheath  10 , or removal from sheath  10 , of an exposed, open blade  18 . Blade guard  42  is an extra defense to such injuries. Legs  56   a,b  are flexible, which provides the mechanical advantage of allowing a snap fit means for removably mounting opposing shoes  54   a,b  in opposing slots  40   a,b.    
   In the embodiment illustrated by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1-2 ,  3 C- 3 D, and  8 , deployment control unit  20  also includes means  46  for releasing fixed-blade knife  12  for deployment from first case  14 . In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 ,  3 C- 3 D, and  8 , means  46  for releasing fixed-blade knife  12  for deployment from first case  14  includes a thumb break member  58 . Thumb break member  58  is removably connectable to blade guard  42 . As shown, thumb break member  58  includes opposing plates  60   a,b , as perhaps best shown by cross-reference between  FIGS. 3C and 3D , formed with at least one opening  62   a - n . Thumb break member  58  also includes a first connector  64 , shown perhaps best by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1 and 2 , consisting of a plurality of snap-apart components  66   a - n . First connector  64  is insertable into openings  62   a  and  62   c , as shown in  FIG. 3C , and is compressibly disconnectable from opposing plates  60   a,b . Thus, first connector  64  is selected from the group of connectors consisting of snaps, snap-apart connectors, adjustable rivets, breakable releases, and non-breakable releases. Although  FIG. 8  shows thumb break member  58  attached adjacent to upper edge  68  of hollow frame  52 , thumb break member  58  may be located in any number of other positions, and although opposing plates  60   a,b  are shown connectable to hollow frame  52  using one or more screws  70   a - n , other fasteners may be used, including, for example, threaded and unthreaded fasteners. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-2 , the mechanism for separating opposing plates  60   a,b  when user  28  desires to remove fixed-blade knife  12  from sheath  10  is first connector  64 , which, as shown, is compressibly disconnectable, but the mechanism for performing that function may be any of a variety of mechanisms. One such alternative mechanism is a removable rubber grommet having an incised encircling groove (not shown) that mates with inner edges  72   a - n  of openings  62   a - n . A compressibly disconnectable first connector  64  is merely exemplary of the types of mechanism that may be use. In operation of first connector  64  in the embodiment described above, user  28  may use a thumb of user&#39;s hand to strike thumb break member  58  to snap apart opposing plates  60   a,b , thus providing access to handle  74  of fixed-blade knife  12 . Thumb break member  58  also provides the mechanical advantage of acting as a safety by precluding inadvertent release of fixed-blade knife  12  from sheath  10  by securing handle  74  in sheath  10 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3D , opposing plate  60   a  is shown with two openings  62   d,e . Openings  62   d,e  are provided to allow adjustment of the length of protrusion of opposing plate  60   b  in relationship to the upper edge  68  of hollow frame  52 . 
   In the embodiment illustrated by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1 ,  2 , and  3 A, deployment control unit  20  also includes tension membrane  48  removably positionable in first case  14  for slidably engaging blade  18  of fixed-blade knife  12  in duct  16  of first case  14 . As shown also by cross-reference between  FIGS. 2B-2D  and  3 A, sheath  10  also is formed with an inner first surface  76 , an inner second surface  78 , and opposing ledges  80   a,b . Tension membrane  48  is configured from a flexible material into a bow-shaped member dimensioned for mounting on inner first surface  76  of first case  14  and in the trough  82  formed on inner first surface  76  between opposing ledges  80   a,b . As shown, opposing ledges  80   a,b  taper from a wider dimension adjacent proximal end  38  of sheath  10  to a narrower dimension adjacent distal end  36  of sheath  10 . Leading end  84  of tension membrane  48 , when inserted, is in contact with a back-stop  86  as shown perhaps best in  FIG. 2D  at the forward end  88  of trough  82 . Following end  90  of tension membrane  48  is in contact with inner first surface  76  adjacent proximal end  38  of sheath  10 . An arched or dome portion  92  of tension membrane  48  is in contact with inner second surface  78  of sheath  10 . The mechanical advantage provided by tension membrane  48  is a removable, flexible tongue that applies pressure on blade  18  to hold blade  18  within sheath  10  until user  28  elects to deploy fixed-blade knife  12  from sheath  10 . 
   In the embodiment illustrated by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1-2 ,  4 A- 4 B, and  7 - 8 , sheath  10  also includes a second case  22 . Second case  22  is connectable to first case  14  for adjusting sheath  10  to accommodate variably sized non-folding tools such as fixed-blade knife  12 . Fixed-blade knife  12  may be manufactured in a wide variety of lengths and widths. Second case  22  is therefore provided in a similar wide variety of lengths and widths. Indeed, second case  22  is provided in a number of varying dimensions that may be mounted on first case  14  to extend sheath  10  to any length or width necessary to accommodate blade  18  of fixed-blade knife  12 . Second case  22  is formed with a lower end  94 , an upper end  96 , and cavity  24  that is closed adjacent lower end  94  of second case  22  to prevent user injury by the tip or edge of blade  18 . In the embodiment shown by cross-reference between  FIGS. 1-2 ,  4 A- 4 B, and  7 - 8 , second case  22  is connectable to first case  14  by use of one or more fasteners  70   a - n  insertable into one or more bores  97   a - n  as shown in  FIG. 4B . Opposing wedges  98   a,b  formed in distal end  36  of first case  14  are slidably insertable into chambers  99   a,b  as shown in  FIGS. 4A-4B  for added rigidity and strength of assembly. 
   A leg strap swivel clip  100 , as shown by cross-reference between  FIGS. 2 and 7 , is provided. Leg strap swivel clip  100  is mountable on the back surface  101  of second case  22  as shown best in  FIG. 7 . Leg strap swivel clip  100  is rotatable around fastener  70   a - n  for maximum mobility of user  28 . A sleeve  102  is provided in leg strap swivel clip  98 , and a strap  104  as shown in  FIG. 8  may be inserted through sleeve  102  and secured to a user&#39;s thigh to prevent sheath  10  from movement when user  28  is conducting an activity using fixed-blade knife  12  in connection with sheath  10 , and for enhancing silent removal of fixed-blade knife  12  from sheath  10 . 
   As also shown by cross-reference between FIGS.  2  and  5 A- 5 E, sheath  10  includes means  26  for variably positioning sheath  10  in relation to a user  28 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5A-5D , means  26  includes a variably positionable mounting assembly  106  engageable with sheath  10  and user  28 . Variably positionable mounting assembly  106  includes a tub  108 . As shown, tub  108  is monolithically formed to extend from second face  32  of sheath  10 . Tub  108  includes a first hole  110 . At least one peg  112   a - n  is mounted on tub  108 , extending at substantially a right angle from the inner surface  114  of tub  108 . Also included in variably positionable mounting assembly  106 , in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5A-5D , is a disk  116 . Disk  116  is removably and rotatably mountable in tub  108 . Disk  116  is formed with an anterior side  118 , a posterior side  120 , and a wall  122  between anterior side  118  and posterior side  120 . At least one peg  112   a - n  is mounted on anterior side  118  of disk  116  to extend substantially at a right angle from anterior side  118  of disk  116 . A second hole  124  is formed substantially in the center of disk  116 . Second hole  124  extends between anterior side  118  and posterior side  120  of disk  116  for insertion of a second connector  126  that is shown perhaps best in  FIG. 6 . Second connector  126  may be selected from a group of connectors consisting of threaded and unthreaded screws, bolts, nuts, and rivets. Second connector  126  is, however, but one mechanism for connecting disk  116  and tub  108 . One such alternative mechanism may be a rubber rod having a plastic coating. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5A , disk  116  also includes a substantially hourglass shaped body  128  having an upper surface  130 . In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C , body  128  is substantially hourglass in shape, but the shape is not a limitation of sheath  10 . The substantially hourglass shape is but one shape that provides a space  132  adjacent at least one peg  112   a - n  for insertion of one or more O-rings  132   a - b  further described below. It has been proven, however, that the hourglass shape also provide the mechanical advantage of allowing greater rotation for the heavier, more massive tools such as a fixed-blade knife  12 . Body  128  extends from anterior side  118  of disk  116 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 5A , body  128  is monolithically attached to anterior side  118  of disk  116 . A third hole  134  is formed in body  128 . Third hole  134  is coincident with a longitudinal axis through the centers of first hole  110  and second hole  124 . At least one peg  112   e,f - n  is mounted on upper surface  130  of body  128  at a substantially right angle. The one or more O-rings  132   a - b  are demountably positionable on the at least one peg  112   a - n  of disk  116  and at least one peg  112   e,f  on tub  108 . 
   Variably positionable mounting assembly  106  also includes a block  136  formed with an inner plane  138 , an outer plane  140 , a border  142 , and a plurality of apertures  144   a - n  formed in block  136 . Block  136  is used as a leverage plate  146 . Plurality of apertures  144   a - n  of leverage plate  146  is positionable over pegs  112   a - n  of disk  116 . Variably positionable mounting assembly  106  also includes a lap-over band  148 . Lap-over band  148  is formed with one or more holes  150   a - n . One or more holes  150   g,h  are engageable with leverage plate  146 , and provide means for inserting one or more second connectors  126  (not shown to enhance drawing appearance) through the one or more holes  150   g,h  for attaching lap-over band  148  and leverage plate  146  to sheath  10 . Lap-over band  148  is slidably engageable with, for example, a belt  152  of user  28  as shown in  FIG. 8 . In operation, the holder for a non-folding tool that in a variety of embodiments also serves as a variably positionable sheath  10  for a fixed-blade knife  12  is variably positionable in relationship to a user  28  who can manipulate variably positionable mounting assembly  106  with a single hand in a rotational manner. The one or more O-rings  132   a - n  provide flexible expansion and contraction to return sheath  10  to a desired position. 
   While materials used to construct sheath  10  and the components of sheath  10  are not a limitation on sheath  10 , the material may be selected from the group of materials consisting of plastics, resins, nylons, Zytel®, Kevlar®, composite materials, as well as metal.