Patent Grant
11598149
The invention relates to ladder caddy system having a main receptacle that is detachably attachable to a ladder top via a ladder connector that has a magnet configured below the ladder top and wherein a main receptacle connector, having a main connector magnet, extends into the ladder connector to magnetically couple the with the magnet of the ladder connector.
Background
Working on a ladder is dangerous and typically requires a number of tools, implements or fasteners to be in reach. Tool belts can be worn to retain tools, fasteners and the like but are not configured to retain power tools and bigger implements.
The invention is directed to a ladder caddy system that is detachable attachable to a top platform of a ladder, or ladder top, via a ladder connector, having a ladder connector magnet configured below the ladder top. In an exemplary embodiment, the ladder connector is aligned with the ladder aperture in the ladder top and the main connector is inserted through the ladder aperture and into the ladder connector to magnetically couple the main connector magnet with the ladder connector magnet. The main receptacle assembly includes a main receptacle and may have a power tool retainer attached thereto and configured to retain a power tool, such as a power drill. A retainer band may further secure a power tool in the power tool retainer. Other receptacles may be detachable attachable to the main receptacle assembly, such as a ring receptacle that comprises a conduit, a ring that can be slid over the power tool retainer. A detachable receptacle may be coupled to the main receptacle via a detachable receptacle connector that has a magnet that magnetically couples, or is attracted to, a magnet of the main receptacle connector or secondary connector of the main receptacle.
The ladder connector may be cylindrical in shape and have a cylindrically shaped ladder connector aperture to receive the main connector extension. The ladder connector magnet may be configured in the bottom of the ladder connector aperture. The main receptacle connector may have a main connector extension, with the main connector magnet on an extended end of the main connector extension. The main connector extension may be configured for insertion into the ladder connector aperture to configure the two magnets next to each other to magnetically couple the magnets together. Magnetically coupled means that a south pole of a magnet is facing a north pole of a magnet. The ladder connector may have a flange that rests on the ladder top and the ladder connector extension may extend down through the ladder aperture. In an alternative embodiment, the ladder connector flange or top or the ladder connect is configured on the underside of the ladder top and aligned with the aperture in the ladder top. A portion of the ladder connector may be inserted into the aperture in the ladder top to provide some stability and to help position the ladder connector aperture with the ladder top aperture.
A main receptacle assembly has a main receptacle formed by a main receptacle wall and base that may be used to retain tools, fasteners and implements therein. A main receptacle wall may have a cylindrical shaped with a flat base. In an exemplary embodiment, the main receptacle connector extends from the bottom of the base of the main receptacle and has a main connector extension with a main connector magnet configured on the extended end of the main connector extension. The magnet of the main receptacle connector magnetically couples with the magnet of the ladder connector to secure the main receptacle to the ladder top. A main receptacle connector may also have a secondary connector that extends from main receptacle wall, such as outward from the main receptacle wall. A secondary connector may have a connector extension that extends orthogonally from the main receptacle wall and have a magnet on an extended end of the secondary connector extension. A detachable receptacle may be coupled to the main receptacle via this secondary connector, as further described herein.
The main receptacle assembly may have a power tool retainer that comprises an aperture in the top and bottom of the retainer. The open bottom may enable a drill with a drill bit to extend through the bottom of the power tool retainer. A power tool retainer may be coupled with the main receptacle wall and be configured along the outside of the main receptacle, such as along an outside wall of the main receptacle wall. The power tool retainer wall may extend up above the top of the main receptacle wall. A retainer band may be coupled with the power tool retainer and be configured to extend over a power tool retained in the power tool retainer to secure it in place.
A ring receptacle assembly may be configured to detachably attach to the main receptacle assembly and may have a connector ring that is sized to fit over the power tool retainer wall. The power tool retainer wall may extend up beyond a top of the main receptacle wall and the connector ring may slide down over the power tool retainer wall and rest on the top of the main receptacle wall to detachably attach the ring receptacle assembly to the main receptacle. The connector ring may be cylindrical in shape and configured to fit around a cylindrically shaped top of a power tool retainer. A ring receptacle assembly may have a number of ring receptacles coupled to the connector ring. These ring receptacles may have a top opening and may have a bottom or may be open on the bottom to allow implement to extend therethrough, such as screwdrivers. A ring receptacle may be a cylinder that is coupled around the outside of the connector ring.
A detachable receptacle may be configured to detachably attach to the main receptacle assembly via a detachable receptacle connector that comprises a magnet. The magnet of the detachable receptacle may be configured in a bottom of a detachable receptacle aperture or at the end of a connector extension from the detachably receptacle. In an exemplary embodiment, a detachably receptacle connector has an extension that extends vertically and is configured with a magnet in the bottom of an aperture formed by said extension. This aperture may be configured to receive the main connector extension, having a magnet on the extended end of the main connector extension. The two magnets magnetically couple together to secure the detachable receptacle to the main receptacle. A detachable receptacle may have a plurality of detachable receptacle connectors, such as one that extend horizontally, or orthogonally from the detachable receptacle wall, or vertically along the detachable receptacle wall. The detachable receptacle connector that extends orthogonally from the detachable receptacle wall is configured for detachable attachment to the secondary connector of the main connector assembly. An extension of the detachable receptacle connector may extend out from or in from the detachable receptacle wall. When the extension is inward from the wall, the extension forms an aperture having a magnet therein for coupling with a secondary connector of the main connector. The detachable receptacle connector that extends vertically along the detachable receptacle wall is configured for detachable attachment to the main receptacle connector. A detachable connector may have a plurality of discrete receptacles that are coupled to the detachable receptacle, such as to the detachable receptacle wall.
The magnets used may be discs and may be configured within a cylinder or at the extended end of a cylinder that is part of a connector. The magnets may be N52 magnets and may have an effective magnetic force to retain the main receptacle assembly to the ladder connector, thereby effectively retaining the ladder caddy system to a ladder top. This same arrangement of complimentary magnets with a north pole, or side, facing a south pole, or side, may be used to connect the main receptacle assembly to the detachable receptacle and the magnetic force may be effective to retain the two components together without any additional support and with tool and implements retained therein.
As exemplary ring receptacle assembly may be configured with a ring receptacle implement magnet that is configured to detachably attach a magnetic item such as a magnetic implement. The metal part of a screwdriver may be quickly coupled to the ring receptacle implement magnet. Also, the ring receptacle implement magnet may extend through a wall of the ring receptacle assembly to have an exposed magnetic surface in a ring receptacle for receiving an implement. This configuration may cause a magnetic implement to be magnetically coupled with the ring receptacle implement magnet when inserted into a ring receptacle. A ladder connector may be cylindrically shaped with an aperture for receiving the main connector extension and may have an aperture for receiving an auxiliary base connector magnet. The ladder connector may have a flange on one or both ends to provide additional structural stability of the main connector or against the auxiliary base.
An exemplary ladder caddy system may comprise an auxiliary base having a base connector having a base connector magnet configured to couple with ladder connector-base magnet configured on the ladder connector. The auxiliary base may provide a means to retain the main receptacle horizontally on a surface as the main receptacle extension, extending from the base of the main receptacle prevent the main receptacle from resting flat on a flat or horizontal surface. The ladder connector may be configured with a single magnet that couples with each of the main receptacle magnet and a base connector magnet, or may have two separate magnets, one configured to magnetically couple with the main receptacle magnet and a separate magnet, a ladder connector-base magnet, configured to couple with the base connector magnet. One or more stabilizer receptacles may extend from the auxiliary base to provide additional stability to the base and the main connector coupled thereto. A stabilizer receptacle may be detachably attachable by stabilizer connectors.
The summary of the invention is provided as a general introduction to some of the embodiments of the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Additional example embodiments including variations and alternative configurations of the invention are provided herein.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the figures. The figures represent an illustration of some of the embodiments of the present invention and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. Further, the figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Also, use of “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein and are illustrated in the accompanying figures. The embodiments described are only for purposes of illustrating the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention, and certain modifications, combinations and improvements of the described embodiments, will occur to those skilled in the art and all such alternate embodiments, combinations, modifications, improvements are within the scope of the present invention.
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It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Specific embodiments, features and elements described herein may be modified, and/or combined in any suitable manner. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications, combinations and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/088,738, filed on Feb. 23, 2021 and currently pending; the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17088738 | Nov 2020 | US |
| Child | 17367544 | US |
