Patent Application
20240131999
The present invention relates generally to tool organizers and, more specifically, to tool organizers for vehicles.
Craftsman, including contractors, carpenters, plumbers, electricians and handymen, frequently travel from job site to job site, often in cars, trucks and/or vans. They often carry a variety of tools with them, as they need to be prepared to perform a variety of jobs. The number and variety of tools they carry is many and varied, including manual tools and power tools, pneumatic, manual and electric. They carry power screwdrivers and drills, hammers, staple guns and nail guns, to name but a few. They carry extra batteries for their tools and chargers for those batteries. Regardless of the number and variety of the tools they carry, organization of those tools, both during transit and at the job site, is critical. It is inefficient and perhaps even dangerous to simply store these tools on the seat or floor of a vehicle.
The need to organize items and articles in vehicles is not new. From fast food to apparel to magazines, others have noticed and attempted to solve similar problems over the years, albeit not apparently to organize the tools of a craftsman.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,649 (Frederick A. Heimstra) (1976) discloses a storage bin for loose articles, adapted to be atop a vehicle seat (such as a headrest) other upright support. Heimstra's invention attempts to solve the problem of storing “loose articles” scattered about the passenger compartment of a vehicle. He doesn't specifically mention tools, but he does mention maps, magazines, pens, pencils, crayons and books. Although Heimstra's invention might make it possible to hold some small, lightweight tools, it does not appear to be structurally and functionally capable of holding and organizing heavier tools that would be used by a contractor. Specifically, this patented invention merely atop a head rest of a vehicle and does not appear to offer a stable support structure during transit.
U.S. Pat. No. D419,520 (James Bergh) (2000) discloses a vehicle backseat organizer. The patent illustrates that this organizer is secured about both the headrest and the back of the seat itself. The organizer does not appear to be structurally and functionally capable of holding and organizing heavier tools that would be used by a contractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,443 (Michael Liao) (2002) discloses a “car butler” to store and hold articles in a vehicle. The inventor seems quite concerned with transporting takeout food from restaurant to home! His patent teaches supporting a frame by attachment to the headrest post, but the invention also includes an additional member to support the butler against the seatback.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,891,733 (Christopher Clarke) (2011) discloses a “backseat plan holder” arranged to be secured either to the front or rear of a vehicle seat using a couple of straps. One of his “points of novelty” appears to be the triangular shape of the openings in the organizer, specifically designed to hold “blueprints” and the like. There is no teaching in this patent of securing the organizer to the headrest supports of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,214,130 (John DeLeon) (2019) discloses and patented a collapsible organizer for in-vehicle storage. The patent teaches a cantilever element arranged to engage the headrest support posts and suspend the organizer in a cantilevered manner. The inventor seems more concerned with transporting food and electronic devices than tools.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2015/0183379 (Kevin Hensley) (2015) discloses a hat holder. The C-shaped holder is very simple in structure. The invention includes a couple of straps that surround the headrest, each of which includes a sleeve to accommodate a prong of the holder.
PCT international Patent Application No. PCT/NL99/00712 (Camiel Hofstee) (1999) discloses a coat hanger for fastening to the headrest of a vehicle seat. This patent application expressly teaches securing the device to the headrest posts inside a vehicle.
Thus, although others have appreciated a need for transporting and organizing some articles and items in a vehicle, there remains a need for a more efficient and better organizer for tools for a vehicle.
The present invention broadly comprises a tool organizer for a vehicle, comprising a frame, the frame comprising a first U-shaped member arranged perpendicularly to ground, the first U-shaped member having a first section, a second section and a middle section arranged between the first and second sections, wherein the first and second sections are arranged parallel and in registration with one another and substantially perpendicular to the middle section, a second member arranged perpendicularly to the middle section and fixedly secured thereto at a first location of the middle section, a third member arranged perpendicularly to the middle section and fixedly secured thereto at a second location of the middle section, such that the second and third members are substantially parallel to and spaced apart from one another, a fourth member arranged substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the middle section of the first member and substantially parallel to the ground, the fourth member fixedly secured to the second member and also fixedly secured to the third member, a fifth member arranged substantially parallel to the middle section of the first member and spaced apart therefrom, the fifth member fixedly secured to the second member and also arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the fourth member, and, a sixth member arranged substantially parallel to the middle section of the first member and spaced apart therefrom, the sixth member fixedly secured to the third member and also arranged parallel to and spaced apart from the fourth member. The organizer also includes an optional strap to secure it in place during use.
The invention also broadly comprises a tool organizer for a vehicle, comprising a frame, the frame comprising a first U-shaped member and a second U-shaped member facing and fixedly secured to the first U-shaped member, the second U-shaped member arranged to engage headrest posts in the vehicle.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a tool organizer for a vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tool organizer for a vehicle that easily secures to headrest posts in the vehicle.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent upon a review of the following detailed description of the invention, in view of the drawings and appended claims.
Various embodiments are disclosed, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding reference symbols indicate corresponding parts, in which:
At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or functionally similar, structural elements. It is to be understood that the claims are not limited to the disclosed aspects.
Furthermore, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. It should be understood that any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the example embodiments.
It should be appreciated that the term “substantially” is synonymous with terms such as “nearly,” “very nearly,” “about,” “approximately,” “around,” “bordering on,” “close to,” “essentially,” “in the neighborhood of,” “in the vicinity of,” etc., and such terms may be used interchangeably as appearing in the specification and claims.
Adverting now to
It will be appreciated that various aspects of the present invention and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. For example, although a preferred embodiment of the organizer of the present invention is made of metal of various stocks, (e.g., flat bar, rectangular/square bar), it should be appreciated that the frame of the organizer could be made of other materials, such as, but not limited to, wood and plastic.
