Patent Application
20190168377
The present invention relates to the field of hand held tools. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of hexagonal wrenches and related tools and safety, comfort, and convenience of accessories and tools.
Hexagonal wrenches or tool drivers, also referred to as allen wrenches or L-wrenches, have a hexagonal L-shaped body, including a long leg member and a short leg member. The end of either leg member is able to be inserted into a head of a screw or tool designed to accept a hexagonal wrench. Hexagonal wrenches are manufactured and distributed in multiple English and metric sizes in order to facilitate their use with screw heads of multiple sizes. Such wrenches are usually sold in a set which includes wrenches of multiple sizes but are also distributed individually.
When using a hexagonal wrench, a user, will insert an end of the hexagonal wrench into the head of a workpiece such as a screw, and will then exert rotational pressure on the opposite end of the wrench in order to tighten or loosen the screw. Multiple sizes of hexagonal wrenches are often used together in order to complete a task. Consequently, it is convenient to store multiple tools of different sizes in a common location.
A tool holder holds one or more tools when not being used. The tool holder comprises a body with a plurality of tool retainers for removably receiving a tool and a plurality of posts for securing the tool within the tool holder body when the tool holder is in a closed configuration. In some embodiments, the tool retainers are holding tubes, pockets or slots. In order to couple a tool with the tool holder, a lock door is moved to an open position and the tool is inserted into a tool retainer of the tool holder. Then the locked door is moved to a closed position where it is positioned over the tool and the tool is secured within the tool holder. The tool is securely held within the tool holder body and is not removable when the tool holder is in the closed position. In some embodiments, the tool holder is configured to hold a L-shaped hexagonal or round tool. In some embodiments, the tool holder is able to hold a plurality of tools of different sizes.
In one aspect, a tool holder comprises a tool holder body comprising one or more tool retainers, a lock door movable between an open position and a closed position, and a back panel. In some embodiments, the tool holder is configured for holding a L-shaped round or hexagonal tool. In order to couple a L-shaped tool with the tool holder a long leg of the tool is inserted into one of the one or more of the tool retainers. In some embodiments, when the tool is coupled with the tool holder, the short leg of the tool extends at a 90° orientation with respect to the retainer and the long leg of the tool extends from a bottom of the tool retainer. In some embodiments, the tool is prevented from being removed from the tool retainer when the lock door is in the closed position independent of a vacancy of one or more neighboring tool retainers. In some embodiments, the lock door moves to the open position by rotating away from the back panel and about a hinge. In some of these embodiments, the hinge comprises a pivot pin, slide, access or clip. In further embodiments, the lock door is removed from, slid, and/or retracted from the back panel in order to move to the open position. In some embodiments, the one or more tool retainers are configured to each hold one or more tools of different sizes. In some embodiments, the one or more tool retainers are arranged in a single row, multiple rows, over laid side-by-side, or front to back. In some embodiments, the one or more tool retainers comprise holding tubes, pockets or slots. In further embodiments, the tool holder comprises one or more posts that secure a L-shaped tool in place in order to prevent the tool from being removed when the lock door is in the closed position. In still further embodiments, the tool holder comprises one or more securing protrusions that secure the L-shaped tool in place in order to prevent them from being removed when the lock door is in the closed position. In some embodiments, the one or more securing protrusions interlock with the back panel in order to snap fit to the back panel and secure the lock door into place. In further embodiments, the tool holder further comprises a lock that secure the lock door into place.
In another aspect, a tool for holding a plurality of tools comprises a tool holder body comprising a plurality of tool retainers, each for removably holding a tool and a lock door movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein when a tool is coupled with a retainer, the tool is prevented from being removed from the tool retainer when the lock door is in the closed position independent of a vacancy of one or more neighboring tool retainers. In some embodiments, the tool holder is configured for holding a L-shaped round or hexagonal tool. In order to couple a L-shaped tool with the tool holder a long leg of the tool is inserted into one of the plurality of tool retainers. In some embodiments, when a tool is coupled with the tool holder, the short leg of the tool extends at a 90° orientation with respect to the holding tube and the long leg of the tool extends from a bottom of the tool retainer. In some embodiments, the lock door moves to the open position by rotating away from the back panel and about a hinge. In some of these embodiments, the hinge comprises a pivot pin, slide, access or clip. In further embodiments, the lock door is removed from, slid, and/or retracted from the back panel in order to move to the open position. In some embodiments, the plurality of tool retainers are configured to each hold a tool of different sizes. In some embodiments, the plurality of tool retainers are arranged in a single row, multiple rows, over laid side-by-side, or front to back. In some embodiments, the plurality of tool retainers comprise holding tubes, pockets or slots. In some embodiments, the tool holder further comprises one or more posts that secure a L-shaped tool in place in order to prevent the tool from being removed when the lock door is in the closed position. In further embodiments, the tool holder further comprises one or more securing protrusions that secure the L-shaped tool in place in order to prevent them from being removed when the lock door is in the closed position. In some of these embodiments, the one or more securing protrusions interlock with the back panel in order to snap fit to the back panel and secure the lock door into place. In some embodiments, the tool holder further comprises a lock that secure the lock door into place. In further embodiments, the tool holder comprises a first set of holding tubes and a second set of retainers.
In still further embodiments, a method of removably securing a L-shaped tool with a tool holder comprises moving a lock door to an open position, inserting one or more L-shaped tools into one or more tool retainers of the tool holder and moving the lock door to a close position in order to secure one or more tools within the one or more tool retainers. In some embodiments, the lock door moves to the open position by rotating away from the back panel about a hinge. In some embodiments, the one or more tool retainers are configured to each hold a tool of different sizes. In some embodiments, a tool is prevented from being removed from the tool retainer when the lock door is in the closed position independent of a vacancy of one or more neighboring tool retainers. In some embodiments, the one or more tool retainers comprise holding tubes, pockets or slots.
The description below concerns several embodiments of the invention. The discussion references the illustrated preferred embodiment. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to either the illustrated embodiment, nor is it limited to those discussed, to the contrary, the scope should be interpreted as broadly as possible based on the language of the Claims section of this document.
This disclosure provides several embodiments of the present invention. It is contemplated that any features from any embodiment can be combined with any features from any other embodiment. In this fashion, hybrid configurations of the illustrated embodiments are well within the scope of the present invention.
Referring now to
The tool holder 100 is configured for holding one or more L-shaped tools within the tool retainers. The L-shaped tool is able to have any shape including hexagonal, round, or any other appropriate shape. In some embodiments, each tool retainer is of a size and a dimension which corresponds to one or more tool sizes. In some embodiments, the tool storage tubes are configured for holding a plurality of tools of different sizes.
As further shown in
In order to removably couple a L-shaped tool with the tool holder 300, a long leg of the L-shaped tool is placed within a correspondingly sized tool retainer. When the long leg of the L-shaped tool is in the tool retainer, the short leg of the tool extends at a 90° orientation with respect to the tool retainer. In some embodiments, when the tool is held within the tool holder, the short leg of the tool extends parallel to and against the back panel 303. In some embodiments, when the tool is held within the tool holder, the short leg of the tool is not parallel to the back panel 303. As seen within
As shown within
In order to removably couple a L-shaped tool with the tool holder 400, a long leg of the L-shaped tool is placed within a correspondingly sized tool retainer. When the long leg of the L-shaped tool is in the tool retainer, the short leg of the tool extends at a 90° orientation with respect to the tool retainer. In some embodiments, when the tool is held within the tool holder, the short leg of the tool extends parallel to and against the back panel 403. In some embodiments, when the tool is held within the tool holder, the short leg of the tool is not parallel to the back panel 403. As seen within
As shown within
In some embodiments, the tool holder is designed to be utilized with hexagonal wrenches of English sizes within the range of 0.050 inches to ⅜ inches, including a 0.050 inch hexagonal wrench, a 1/16 inch hexagonal wrench, a 5/64 inch hexagonal wrench, a 3/32 inch hexagonal wrench, a 7/64 inch hexagonal wrench, a ⅛ inch hexagonal wrench, a 9/64 inch hexagonal wrench, a 5/32 inch hexagonal wrench, a 3/16 inch hexagonal wrench, a 7/32 inch hexagonal wrench, a ¼ inch hexagonal wrench, a 5/16 inch hexagonal wrench and a ⅜ inch hexagonal wrench.
In some embodiments, the tool holder is also designed to be utilized with hexagonal wrenches of metric sizes within the range of 1.7 mm to 10 mm, including a 1.7 mm hexagonal wrench, an 2 mm hexagonal wrench, a 2.5 mm hexagonal wrench, a 3 mm hexagonal wrench, a 3.5 mm hexagonal wrench, a 4 mm hexagonal wrench, a 4.5 mm hexagonal wrench, a 5 mm hexagonal wrench, a 5.5 mm hexagonal wrench, a 6 mm hexagonal wrench, a 7 mm hexagonal wrench, a 8 mm hexagonal wrench, a 9 mm hexagonal wrench and a 10 mm hexagonal wrench.
In further embodiments, the tool holder is designed to be utilized with star shaped wrenches of sizes within the range of T-6 to T-50.
Alternatively, the tool holder for multiple tools of different sizes is able to be used with tools other than hexagonal wrenches and star wrenches.
The tool holder is able to be composed of any appropriate material, which is of maximum strength and includes properties which resist materials that the holder will likely be exposed to, e.g., oil, grease, gasoline and the like. In some embodiments, the tool holder is materially composed of a variety of resin polymer and copolymer compositions including fillers and reinforcing materials such as glass in order to meet the strength and chemical resistance requirements of the tool. In some embodiments, the tool holder is materially composed of any suitable composition including, but not limited to aluminum or steel. In some embodiments, the tools are materially composed of aluminum, steel or any other appropriate material.
In some embodiments, the tool holder is constructed using an injection molded, core/cavity process as is well known in the art. Alternatively, the tool handle is able to be constructed in any known manner.
Throughout this description, the term tool retainers has been used to describe certain embodiments. The tool retainers, as herein described, in some embodiments are able to be tubes, pockets or slots for holding the tools.
To utilize the tool holder, one or more tools are inserted into one or more tool retainers of the tool holder body. In some embodiments, the tool retainers are holding tubes, pockets or slots. In some embodiments, the tool is a L-shaped hexagonal or round tool. Once the tool is positioned and held within the tool holder, a user is able to easily close the lock door in order to secure to the tool within the tool holder. One or more L-shaped tools are able to be retained in a compact and orderly manner, while being prevented from sliding or escaping from their individual storage positions, regardless of the vacancy of the neighboring tool storage tube slots. In this manner, one or more different sized tools are able to be easily coupled with and removed from the tool holder and stored together in a compact manner.
The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of principles of construction and operation of the invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that other various modifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13835387 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Child | 14918155 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14918155 | Oct 2015 | US |
| Child | 16266085 | US |
