Patent Application
20100107827
The present invention relates to tool holders, in general and, in particular, to tool holders which are held and manipulated on a finger tip.
Finger-mounted tools and tool holders are known in the art for use in areas which are difficult to access. U.S. Pat. No. 2,585,641 to Faso describes tools, such as wrenches, screwdrivers, etc., which include a ferrule for mounting on the top portion of a finger. U.S. Pat. No. 6,834,570 to Risolio describes a finger wrench that can be used to reach locations which can only be reached by fingers.
US patent application 2006/0185057 to Terpinski describes a magnetic finger glove which helps to hold, install and retrieve small metallic objects, such as nuts or screws, in hard-to-reach places.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a tool holder for holding and manipulating mechanical tools, and it would be desirable to have such a tool holder which securely holds the tools for mounting on a finger.
There is provided, according to the present invention a tool holder. The tool holder includes a finger socket for mounting on a fingertip of a user, and a tool holding portion coupled to the finger socket. The tool holding portion is at least partially formed of material having magnetic properties.
According to one embodiment of the invention the tool holder of further includes a housing coupled to the finger socket and having a magnet disposed therein.
According to another embodiment of the invention the tool holding portion is integrally formed with the finger socket. Preferably, the tool holding portion includes a ratchet mechanism. The tool holding portion according to one embodiment is perpendicularly mounted on the finger socket. According to another embodiment, the tool holding portion is mounted in parallel to the finger socket.
The finger socket according to one embodiment includes a slit extending along the length of the finger socket. According to another embodiment the finger socket includes a finger adapter releasably disposed therein. Preferably, the finger adapter is selected from a plurality of finger adapters each having a different inner diameter.
According to one embodiment the tool holding portion is a wrench holder, which is preferably configured to snugly fit a wrench socket selected from a plurality of wrench sockets. According to another embodiment, the tool holding portion is configured for mounting an element holder thereon, and preferably includes a rotator for rotating the element holder. According to a further embodiment, the tool holding portion is an accessory holder.
There is further provided according to the present invention a tool holder kit including a tool holder as described above and a grip having a mounting portion for mounting the tool holder
There is further provided according to the present invention a method for forming a tool holder. The method includes forming a finger socket for mounting on a fingertip of a user, coupling a tool holding portion to the finger socket, and forming at least a portion of the tool holding portion from a material having magnetic properties.
The present invention will be further understood and appreciated from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
a is an exploded illustration of a finger-mounted tool holder, constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
b is a perspective illustration of the tool holder of
a is a schematic illustration of a finger-mounted element holder, constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
b is an exploded illustration of the element holder of
c is a perspective illustration of the element holder of
d is a perspective illustration of the element holder of
The present invention relates to a tool holder for holding tools by means of a magnet, which includes a finger socket permitting the tool holder to be mounted on a fingertip for manipulating tool bits or other accessories. The tool holder includes a finger socket, and a tool holding portion coupled to the finger socket. The tool holding portion is at least partially formed of material having magnetic properties. The magnetic tool holder may include a bit wrench for holding tool bits, such screw bits, socket bits, etc. In another embodiment, the magnetic tool holder may hold accessories, such as a flashlight, knife, pen, clip, or a mini mirror, for using in hard-to-reach places. The term ‘tool’ in connection with the tool holder, for the purpose of the present application, refers to any hardware tools and accessories, including screw bits, socket bits, wrenches, element holders and the like or various accessories such as flash lights, laser tags, mini mirrors, knifes etc.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the tool holder includes a ratchet mechanism for providing unidirectional rotation of a tool bit by means of the tool held in the holder.
Referring now to
Housing 12 defines recesses 13, 13′, for holding a magnet 20, and a tool holding portion 16 mounted substantially parallel to finger socket 14, respectively. Tool holding portion 16, which is coupled to housing 12, includes a socket 18 for receiving tool bits, such as screw bits or socket bits. Socket 18 is illustrated as being hexagonal in shape, although it can, alternatively, be of any other desired geometrical shape. The size of socket 18 is preferably a standard size, which fits standard tool bits. Tool holding portion 16 is mounted over magnet 20, holding the magnet in place inside recess 13. Magnet 20 holds the tool bits inserted in socket 18, preventing accidental release of the tool bit during use. Alternatively, magnet 20 can be eliminated and tool holding portion 16 may include a magnetic material.
In the illustrated embodiment, tool holding portion 16 is a ratchet screw driver, including a reversible ratchet wheel 17 with a pawl 22. The reversible ratchet wheel 17 allows the user to freely rotate tool holder 10 clockwise or counterclockwise about the axis of socket 18, while ratchet wheel 17 turns in only one direction, depending on the position of pawl 22.
The tool holder, according to the present invention, may be utilized to hold bits and allows the user mounting the finger tool on his finger to freely reach any hard-to-reach spot without fear of dropping the bit, and to easily rotate the bit using the reversible ratchet. According to this embodiment, the user uses his finger as a lever, creating torque.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, ratchet wheel 17 may be replaced with a non-rotating accessory holder and tool holder 10 may be arranged to hold a set of accessories, such as flashlight, mini mirror, knife, which are coupled to a base for insertion into socket 18. It will be appreciated that socket 18 and the base of the accessory bit may have any desired geometry, not necessarily hexagonal.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, shown in
It will be appreciated that the tool holder of the invention may include any combination of sockets, protrusions, and ratchet mechanisms, which can be mounted in parallel or perpendicular to the finger socket.
a and 5b are a perspective view illustration, and an exploded view illustration, respectively, of a tool holder 60 constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, and having an element holder mounted thereon. The term ‘element’ in connection with the element holder, for the purpose of the present application, refers to a variety elements, including screws, blots, nuts, screw nuts, flat washers, spring washers, anchors, screws, bolts, spacers, seal-rings, and the like. Tool holder 60 includes a finger socket 62 and a finger adapter 64 releasably disposed therein. Preferably, there may be provided a plurality of finger adapters 64 each having a different inner diameter for fitting the finger of a user. The user may mount in finger socket 62 finger adapter 64 which best fits his finger size. According to one embodiment, finger adapter 64 includes a mounting protrusion 66 for releasably securing finger adapter 64 inside finger socket 62. Accordingly, finger socket 62 includes a mounting aperture 68 for receiving mounting protrusion 66. Preferably, mounting protrusion 66 is made of an elastic depressable material allowing the user to press mounting protrusion 66 out of mounting aperture 68, and thus to remove finger adapter 64 from finger socket 62. Alternatively, mounting protrusion 66 may be provided with a retracting mechanism, such as a spring. It will be appreciated that finger socket 62 and finger adapter 64 may be provided with any one of a variety of known releasably securing arrangements. Preferably, the inner wall of finger adapter 64 is rough or includes special elements for frictional or mechanical engagement with the user's finger.
Tool holder 60 further includes a rotator 70 mounted on finger socket 62. Rotator 70 includes a magnet 72 mounted thereon, and is configured to for mounting an element holder 76 thereon Element holder 76 is adapted and configured to hold elements. Preferably, Rotator 70 further includes a mounting flange 74 for removably mounting thereon an element holder 76. Element holder 76 is sized and adapted to retain the bolt elements attached to magnet 72 in a desired sequence at a centrally aligned position. Preferably, element holder 76 is made of anelastic material which is capable of firmly holding elements having a peripheral diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of element holder 76. Element holder 76 includes a mounting portion 78 adapted to removably engage mounting flange 74. Mounting portion 78 may be made of an elastic materiel so as to allow fairly easy removal of element holder 76 and replacing it with another. Preferably, mounting portion 78 is adapted to be snap-fitted or frictionally mounted on mounting flange 74. Alternatively, mounting portion 78 and mounting flange 74 may include mounting means for mounting element holder 76 on flange 74, such as a screw thread in the inner wall of mounting portion 78 and matching screw threads on the outer periphery of flange 74. Preferably, there may be provided a plurality of element holder 76 each having a different inner diameter for holding bolt elements of substantially the same peripheral diameter. The user may mount a element holder 76 having an inner diameter fitted to hold bolt elements of a desired peripheral diameter, such as element holder 76a of tool holder 60a having a larger diameter than element holder 76 as shown in
The following is one example of a use of tool holder 60. Tool holder 60 may be utilized for mounting a washer and a screw nut on a hard to reach screw bolt. The user selects from a plurality of element holder 76 a sleeve having a diameter slightly larger than the peripheral diameter of the screw nut and washer and mounts same on flange. Then the user selects a finger adapter 64 which best fits the user's finger, slides same into finger socket 62 until mounting protrusion 66 enters a mounting aperture 68 so as to releasably secure finger adapter 64 inside finger socket 62. Then the user mounts tool holder 60 on his finger and disposes the screw nut first and then the washer into element holder 76 until the screw nut engages magnet 72 of rotator 70. It will be appreciated that the user may first select the finger adapter and then the sleeve or vise verse. It will be further appreciated that the screw nut on rotator 70 includes screw threads matching the screw threads of the screw bolt and washer comprises a central circular aperture having a diameter which is slightly larger than the diameter of the screw bolt. The washer and the screw nut, which are held by magnet 72, are retained by element holder 76 in substantially central alignment. The user then reaches out with his hand holding the element holder on his finger and inserts the hard to reach screw bolt into the opening of element holder 76 until the end of the screw bolt abuts the screw nut. Rotating rotator 70 by, for example, the user's other fingers, causes mounting of the washer and the screw nut onto the end of the screw bolt.
It will be appreciated that elements of various kinds may be held by the tool holder.
A portion of the outer periphery of rotator 70 may include engaging groves 71 for facilitating the turning of rotator 70.
Tool holder kit 110 allows the user to select between utilizing tool holder 112 with his finger and utilizing tool holder 112 with his hand. Thus, in case where access to the working spot is limited, tool holder 112 may be mounted on a user's finger. Whereas access is not limited, tool holder 112 may be mounted on grip 122 and the user can use his hand. This way, the user may alternate between his finger and grip 122, without searching for the appropriate tool and/or changing the tool bits. It will be appreciated that tool holder kit 110 may further include other tool holders in addition to or instead of tool holder 112, such as a tool holder 60 of
While the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications of the invention may be made. It will further be appreciated that the invention is not limited to what has been described hereinabove merely by way of example. Rather, the invention is limited solely by the claims which follow.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61111740 | Nov 2008 | US |
