JP7777885B2 - Tool holder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tool holder for holding a tool.

Tool holders for holding tools and other items on a worker's waist belt are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tool holder consisting of an insert bracket that is fixed to the tool and a holder body that engages with the insert bracket to hold the tool. The holder body has a storage space into which the insert bracket slides using a groove as a guide, and a stopper that abuts against the rear end of the insert bracket stored in the storage space to prevent it from being pulled out of the storage space.

The tool holder described in Patent Document 1 allows a tool to be locked into the holder body simply by inserting the insertion bracket fixed to the tool into the holder body.

Patent No. 4172929

However, with the insertion bracket in Patent Document 1, the mounting angle (mounting posture) of the insertion bracket relative to the holder body is predetermined and constant when inserted into the holder body and when attached to the holder body. Therefore, depending on the working posture, it may be difficult to attach or detach the insertion bracket to or from the holder body. For example, when attempting to insert an insertion bracket fixed to a tape measure into the holder body, it may be necessary to change hands about the tape measure and adjust the orientation of the insertion bracket relative to the holder body before inserting it into the holder body, which may reduce work efficiency.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a tool holder that is easier to attach and detach by increasing the degree of freedom in the attachment angle of the tool bracket relative to the holder body.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a tool holder having a holder main body that is held by a user's body, and a tool bracket that is detachably attached to the holder main body for mounting a tool to the holder main body,
the tool bracket has an insertion portion that can be inserted into the accommodation space of the holder body at any mounting angle,
The storage space is defined by a frame portion that opens upward and a stopper portion that is configured to be slidable,
The insertion portion is configured to be rotatable with respect to the holder main body when inserted into the accommodation space,
the insertion portion is plate-shaped and is provided integrally with a shaft portion that constitutes a rotation shaft when rotating relative to the holder main body,
The insertion portion is characterized in that it has elastically deformable elastic pieces on both the left and right sides, and when it is rotated in one direction around the axis portion, one of the elastic pieces comes into contact with one inner surface of the storage space and elastically deforms, returning it to a predetermined position, and when it is rotated in the other direction around the axis portion, the other elastic piece comes into contact with the other inner surface of the storage space and elastically deforms, returning it to a predetermined position.

This invention makes it possible to provide a tool holder that is easier to install by increasing the degree of freedom in the mounting angle of the tool bracket relative to the holder body.

1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a tool bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tape measure. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a holder body attached to a belt-shaped attachment object. 10 is a front view showing the insertion portion and the shaft portion of the tool bracket accommodated in the accommodation space of the holder body. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a modified example of the shaft portion in a state where the insertion portion is accommodated in the accommodation space of the holder body. FIG. 1. (a) and (b) show modified examples of the insertion portion of the tool bracket of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a rotation suppressing member. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the rotation suppressing member of FIG. 6 is attached to a holder body. FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a rotation suppressing member. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the rotation suppression member of FIG. 8 is attached to a tool bracket. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a tool bracket 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention attached to a tape measure M. The tool bracket 1 is used while fixed to a tool such as a tape measure M, and is detachably attached to the holder body 10 shown in Figure 2, for example, to attach the tool to the holder body 10. Here, tools to which the tool bracket 1 can be applied include not only the tape measure M, but also hammers, crowbars, ratchet wrenches, electric screwdrivers, as well as bags and tool holders for storing these tools.

The tool bracket 1 has an insertion portion 2 that can be inserted into the storage space 13 of the holder body 10 at any mounting angle, and a shaft portion 3 and base portion 4 that are integrally connected to the insertion portion 2. In this example, the insertion portion 2 is formed in a flat, circular plate shape. The shaft portion 3 connects the insertion portion 2 to the base portion 4 and forms the axis of rotation when the tool bracket 1 rotates relative to the holder body 10. In this example, the shaft portion 3 is cylindrical and is positioned so that its central axis is aligned with the central axis of the insertion portion 2. The base portion 4 is formed in a plate shape that extends approximately parallel to the insertion portion 2. The base portion 4 has an upper surface 4a that is curved and arc-shaped when viewed from the front, a lower surface 4b that is flat, and both side surfaces 4c and 4d.

In this example, the tool bracket 1 has a screw hole 5 formed therein. The tool bracket 1 is fixed to the tape measure M by a screw that is fastened to the tape measure M through the screw hole 5. Note that there are no particular limitations on the method for attaching the tool bracket 1 to a tool such as the tape measure M. In addition to using a fastener such as a screw as in this example, it is also possible to fix it by adhesive, welding, etc.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the holder body 10 is held on the user's body by being attached to a belt-like attachment such as a waist belt 11. The method of holding the holder body 10 is not particularly limited, as long as it is held on the user's body. Furthermore, the belt-like attachment is not limited to a horizontal belt worn around the user's waist, but can also be a vertical belt extending in a substantially vertical direction, such as the vertical belt portion of a harness-type safety belt. Furthermore, the shape of the holder body 10 is not particularly limited, as long as it can be held on the user's body and the tool bracket 1 can be attached and detached.

The holder body 10 is equipped with a structure for attaching and detaching to a belt-like attachment. In this example, a through-hole 12 for passing the waist belt 11 is formed on the back side of the holder body 10, but this is not limited to this; for example, it may be configured as a clip that clamps the waist belt 11.

The holder body 10 has a storage space 13 on its front side into which the insertion portion 2 of the tool bracket 1 can be inserted. In this example, the storage space 13 is defined by a frame portion 14 that opens upward and a slidable stopper portion 15. The frame portion 14 is configured so that the insertion portion 2 can be inserted through the upper opening 14a. The frame portion 14 is also configured to restrict the movement of the insertion portion 2 in the front-to-back, left-to-right, and downward directions within a predetermined range when the insertion portion 2 is placed in the storage space 13. Note that, although the holder body 10 in this example is configured so that the insertion portion 2 is inserted from above the storage space 13, the insertion direction is not particularly limited.

The stopper portion 15 is configured to slide diagonally downward to open the upper opening 14a when the insertion portion 2 is inserted from above toward the storage space 13. This opens the entrance to the storage space 13, making it easy to insert the insertion portion 2 into the storage space 13. A biasing member such as a spring is disposed inside the stopper portion 15, and the stopper portion 15 is configured to automatically return to its original position after the insertion portion 2 is inserted. By returning to its original position, the stopper portion 15 can restrict the upward movement of the insertion portion 2 placed in the storage space 13.

Figure 3 shows the positions of the insertion portion 2 and the shank 3 in the storage space 13 of the holder body 10 when the insertion portion 2 is inserted into the storage space 13. As shown in Figure 3, the diameter D1 of the insertion portion 2 is smaller than the width W1 of the storage space 13. In this example, the insertion portion 2 is circular and plate-shaped, but this is not limited thereto and it may be elliptical, polygonal, or other shapes. Even in such cases, the maximum diameter of the insertion portion 2 (the maximum width of the insertion portion 2 passing through the axis of the shank 3) is smaller than the width W1 of the storage space 13, allowing the insertion portion 2 to rotate within the storage space 13. Furthermore, the diameter D1 of the insertion portion 2 is larger than the width W2 of the front opening 14b located on the forward side of the frame portion 14, thereby preventing the insertion portion 2 from slipping out of the front opening 14b. The shape of the insertion portion 2 is basically plate-shaped with a constant thickness, but is not limited thereto and may be a three-dimensional shape with a variable thickness. Furthermore, the shapes of the shaft portion 3 and base portion 4 are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate, and the base portion 4 is not an essential component.

The insertion portion 2 is configured to be insertable into the storage space 13 at any mounting angle. That is, not only in the upright position where the underside 4b of the base portion 4 faces downward as shown in FIG. 1 , but also in an inverted position where the tape measure M and tool bracket 1 are turned upside down (where the underside 4b of the base portion 4 faces upward), or even in a tilted position between the upright and inverted positions, the insertion portion 2 can be easily inserted into the storage space 13 through the upper opening 14a of the frame portion 14. In this example, the maximum diameter of the insertion portion 2 (diameter D1 in this example) is smaller than the width W1 of the storage space 13, and the maximum diameter of the shaft portion 3 (diameter D2 in this example) is smaller than the width W2 of the front opening 14b of the frame portion 14. This means that there are no limitations on the mounting angle of the insertion portion 2, and it can be inserted at any mounting angle.

This configuration allows the insertion portion 2 to be easily inserted into the storage space 13 of the holder body 10 without having to worry about the orientation of the tool bracket 1. In other words, when attaching a tool such as a tape measure M to the holder body 10, the tool can be easily attached without having to adjust its orientation or change hands. This prevents a decrease in work efficiency caused by the need to adjust the orientation, as described above. In this way, the tool bracket 1 of this embodiment increases the degree of freedom in the attachment angle relative to the holder body 10, making it easier to attach the tool bracket 1 and tool to the holder body 10.

Furthermore, when attached to the holder body 10, the tool bracket 1 is configured to be rotatable around the shaft 3 relative to the holder body 10. Therefore, the tape measure M fixed to the tool bracket 1 is also rotatable relative to the holder body 10. Because the tape measure M is rotatable relative to the holder body 10, for example, when pulling out a measuring tape while the tape measure M is attached to the holder body 10, the tape measure M can be rotated to any angle. This allows the tape pull-out angle to be changed to the desired angle, making the measurement process easier. Furthermore, for example, if the tape measure M attached to the holder body 10 collides with another object, the tape measure M can be rotated relative to the holder body 10 to mitigate the impact of the collision. In this example, the tool bracket 1 is configured to be movable in the insertion direction (up and down in Figure 3) when attached to the holder body 10. In other words, the insertion portion 2 of the tool bracket 1 is capable of moving up and down within a predetermined range within the storage space 13, but this is not limited to this and vertical movement may also be restricted.

The tool bracket 1 is preferably configured to automatically return to a predetermined angle after being rotated relative to the holder body 10. This allows the position (mounting angle) of a tool such as a tape measure M relative to the holder body 10 to be returned to a state that is easy to use and remove, improving convenience.

For example, when the tool bracket 1 fixed to the tape measure M is attached to the holder body 10, the support point S at which the tool bracket 1 is supported on the holder body 10 can be located above the center of gravity of the tape measure M. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the support point S at which the tool bracket 1 is supported on the holder body 10 is the position on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 3 supported on the lower edge portion 14c of the front opening 14b of the frame portion 14. With this configuration, the tape measure M is supported on the holder body 10 at the support point S above the center of gravity. As a result, gravity acts on the tape measure M in a direction that attempts to maintain the tape measure M at a predetermined angle (or to return it to its original position after rotation), so the tape measure M automatically returns to a fixed position. More specifically, the tool bracket 1 returns to a predetermined position where the center of gravity of the tape measure M is located directly below the support point S, and stops.

As shown in Figure 4, by providing a flat surface 3a on the outer peripheral surface of the shank 3 and positioning the flat surface 3a so that it abuts the lower edge 14c of the front opening 14b of the frame portion 14, it is possible to restrict to some extent the rotation of the tool bracket 1 around the shank 3 relative to the holder body 10. The shank 3 may also be provided with multiple flat surfaces on its outer peripheral surface. Furthermore, the shank 3 may be a polygonal prism with a polygonal cross section.

Another method for automatically returning the tool bracket 1 to a predetermined position is to use elastic pieces 2a and 2b provided on the insertion portion 2, as shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b). In the example shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), a pair of left and right notches 2c are formed in the insertion portion 2, providing elastically deformable elastic pieces 2a and 2b on both the left and right sides. When the tool bracket 1 rotates around the shaft portion 3 from the position shown in Figure 5(a) and the elastic piece 2a comes into contact with the inner surface 13a of the storage space 13 and elastically deforms as shown in Figure 5(b), the restoring force of the elastic piece 2a automatically returns the tool bracket 1 to the predetermined position (mounting angle) shown in Figure 5(a). Note that when the tool bracket 1 rotates in the opposite direction from Figure 5(b), the elastic piece 2b opposite the elastically deformed elastic piece 2a in Figure 5(b) elastically deforms and returns to the position shown in Figure 5(a) due to its restoring force. In the example shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), elastic pieces 2a and 2b are provided on the insertion portion 2, but similar elastic pieces may also be provided on the shaft portion 3.

Also, as a configuration for automatically returning the tool bracket 1 to a predetermined position, magnets may be placed on both the holder body 10 and the tool bracket 1, and the attractive or repulsive force between the magnets may be used to return the position (mounting angle) of the tool bracket 1 relative to the holder body 10 to a desired angle. For example, a magnet may be placed on part of the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 3 of the tool bracket 1, and another magnet may be placed at a corresponding position on the inner edge of the frame portion 14 of the holder body 10, and the magnets may be attracted to each other, returning the tool bracket 1 to a predetermined position.

Here, it is possible to suppress rotation of the tape measure M attached to the holder body 10 by using, for example, rotation suppression members 20 and 30 shown in Figures 6 to 9.

The rotation suppression member 20 shown in Figure 6 comprises a main plate portion 21 inserted into the storage space 13 of the holder main body 10, a support portion 22 protruding forward from the main plate portion 21, and a pair of protrusions 23 protruding downward from the support portion 22. A concave curved surface 21a is provided on the upper surface of the main plate portion 21. The curved surface 21a has a shape that corresponds to the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 2, and in this example, is formed in an arc shape with approximately the same diameter as the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 2 when viewed from the front. The rotation suppression member 20 can be attached to the holder main body 10 by inserting the main plate portion 21 into the storage space 13 through the upper opening 14a of the frame portion 14 of the holder main body 10.

Figure 7 shows the state in which the rotation suppression member 20 is attached alone to the holder body 10, and further shows the insertion portion 2 and base portion 4 of the tool bracket 1 when inserted into the storage space 13 with a two-dot chain line. In this state, the rotation suppression member 20 is held in place with its rotation suppressed relative to the holder body 10, and rotation of the tool bracket 1 is suppressed by the rotation suppression member 20. As a result, rotation of the tool bracket 1 relative to the holder body 10 is suppressed.

Specifically, the main plate portion 21 is held in place within the storage space 13 with rotation restricted. The support portion 22 has an upward support surface 22a that abuts against the underside 4b of the base portion 4 of the tool bracket 1. The underside 4b of the base portion 4, indicated by the two-dot chain line in Figure 7, abuts against the support surface 22a of the tool bracket 1, thereby restricting rotation of the tool bracket 1 relative to the rotation restriction member 20. The outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 2 abuts against the curved surface 21a. The support portion 22 is shaped to fit into the front opening 14b of the frame portion 14 of the holder body 10, and the underside 22b of the support portion 22 abuts against the lower edge 14c of the frame portion 14 for support. The pair of protrusions 23 are also located on the front side of the frame portion 14. The frame portion 14 is sandwiched between the pair of protrusions 23 and the main plate portion 21 to prevent rattling of the rotation suppression member 20.

Figure 8 shows another example of a rotation suppression member 30. The rotation suppression member 30 has a main body plate portion 31 with an opening 31a into which the base portion 4 can be fitted, and a protrusion 32 that protrudes to one side from the main body plate portion 31. The shape of the protrusion 32 is formed so that it can be fitted into the front opening 14b of the frame portion 14 of the holder main body 10. The protrusion 32 has a concave curved surface 32a that is the same shape as the curved surface 21a of the rotation suppression member 20 shown in Figure 6.

As shown in Figure 9, the rotation suppression member 30 in this example is fitted into the tool bracket 1 fixed to the tape measure M, and is attached to the holder body 10 together with the tool bracket 1. Note that the rotation suppression member 30 in this example is configured so that it cannot be attached to the holder body 10 by itself.

When the rotation suppression member 30 is attached to the holder body 10 together with the tool bracket 1, the rotation suppression member 30 is held in a state where rotation is suppressed relative to the holder body 10, and rotation of the tool bracket 1 is suppressed by the rotation suppression member 30. As a result, rotation of the tool bracket 1 relative to the holder body 10 is suppressed.

When the rotation suppression member 30 is attached to the holder body 10 together with the tool bracket 1, the protrusion 32 fits into the front opening 14b of the frame portion 14 of the holder body 10. This prevents the rotation of the rotation suppression member 30 relative to the holder body 10. The lower surface 32b of the protrusion 32 abuts and is supported by the lower edge portion 14c of the frame portion 14.

The main body plate portion 31 is held between the surface of the tape measure M to which the tool bracket 1 is fixed and the front surface of the holder main body 10 (surface of the frame portion 14). The lower surface 4b of the base portion 4 of the tool bracket 1 abuts against the support surface 31b provided on the lower edge of the opening 31a, thereby preventing rotation of the tool bracket 1 relative to the rotation suppression member 30. In addition, the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 2 abuts against the curved surface 32a.

The configuration for suppressing rotation of the tool bracket 1 is not limited to the above. For example, a recess may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 3 of the tool bracket 1, and a protrusion that fits into the recess may be provided on the support portion 22 of the rotation suppression member 20 or the protrusion 32 of the rotation suppression member 30.

As described above, by using rotation suppression members 20, 30, etc. as needed, it is possible to suppress rotation of the tool bracket 1 relative to the holder body 10. This makes it easy to accommodate situations where you want to use a tool such as a tape measure M without rotating it. Furthermore, for example, by suppressing rotation of the tool bracket 1 during transportation, it is possible to prevent the product (the tool bracket 1 and/or a tool such as a tape measure M) from shaking, thereby preventing damage to the product due to vibration.

The above explanation is based on the illustrated example, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the insertion portion 2 of the tool bracket 1 is inserted into the storage space 13 of the holder body 10, but this is not limited to this. The tool bracket may also be a hook-type tool bracket that is hooked onto the frame portion 14 of the holder body 10 and engaged and held in place.

1: Tool bracket 2: Insertion portion 2a, 2b: Elastic piece 2c: Notch portion 3: Shaft portion 3a: Flat surface 4: Base portion 4a: Upper surface 4b: Lower surface 4c, 4d: Both side surfaces 5: Screw hole 10: Holder main body 11: Waist belt 12: Through hole 13: Storage space 13a: Inner surface 14: Frame portion 14a: Upper opening 14b: Front opening 14c: Lower edge portion of front opening 15: Stopper portion 20: Rotation suppressing member 21: Main plate portion 21a: Curved surface 22: Support portion 22a: Support surface 22b: Lower surface of support portion 23: Protrusion portion 30: Rotation suppressing member 31: Main plate portion 31a: Opening 31b: Support surface 32: Protrusion portion 32a: Curved surface 32b: Lower surface of protrusion portion D1: Diameter of insertion part D2: Diameter of shaft part M: Tape measure S: Support point W1: Width of storage space W2: Width of front opening

Claims (1)

A tool holder having a holder body that is held on a user's body, and a tool bracket that is detachably attached to the holder body and that attaches a tool to the holder body,
the tool bracket has an insertion portion that can be inserted into the accommodation space of the holder body at any mounting angle,
The storage space is defined by a frame portion that opens upward and a stopper portion that is configured to be slidable,
The insertion portion is configured to be rotatable with respect to the holder main body when inserted into the accommodation space,
the insertion portion is plate-shaped and is provided integrally with a shaft portion that constitutes a rotation shaft when rotating relative to the holder main body,
The tool holder is characterized in that the insertion portion has elastically deformable elastic pieces on both the left and right sides, and when rotated in one direction around the shaft portion, one of the elastic pieces contacts one inner surface of the storage space and elastically deforms, returning the insertion portion to a predetermined position, and when rotated in the other direction around the shaft portion, the other elastic piece contacts the other inner surface of the storage space and elastically deforms, returning the insertion portion to a predetermined position.