KR910005336B1 - Holder for suspensing rule clip or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

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Description

Holders such as tape measure clips

1 is a perspective view showing the holder of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

2 is an elevation view of the holder of FIG.

3 is a perspective view of a holder of a second embodiment according to the present invention in which the engaged state on the belt is shown in fragments.

4 is an elevational view of the holder taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing a tape measure positioned to insert the tongue of the spring clip into the holder slot.

FIG. 5 is a partial view similar to FIG. 4 showing a state in which a holder and a tape measure are assembled. FIG.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the holder, taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 3, showing a portion of the belt.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the slot area that is part of FIG.

8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 6 in a slightly enlarged size with the belt removed.

9 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing a third embodiment of the holder of the present invention mounted on a partially shown belt.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the tape measure assembled to the holder of FIG. 9, wherein the cutout in the bottom slot area is depicted by two S-shaped lines.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

2, 10, 40: holder 3: lower part

4, 14: outer legs 5, 26, 46: slot

6, 16: inner leg 7, 28: upper lip element

8, 18, 35: upper connection portion 9, 30: lower lip element

12 belt 17 end edge

24, 44: Edge element 32: Clip

36: tongue 37: space

The present invention relates to a holder and a combination thereof for suspending a spring clip provided on a tape measure or the like to a user's belt or the like.

Tape measure casings, tools and the like are usually provided with spring clips or the like so that such objects can be carried in a convenient location on the belt or other garment portion and can be easily removed for use. However, these types of clips have not been optimal for themselves in some respects, especially with regard to the ease and safety of the coupling they provide. Often, it has been found that it is necessary to use both hands to insert the support belt into the clip, and often the tape measure is accidentally peeled off, for example, by contact of a tool or tool with a part of the user's body. The user, of course, feels uncomfortable. Another drawback is that the belts are badly coupled and excessively worn due to frequent attachment and removal of the clips.

The basic idea of providing a belt support supplement holder for attachment of an article or a ring is known in the art and is described in the following U.S. Pat.Nos. 727,402, 781,629, 3,659,759, 3,886,773, 970,227, Various forms have been developed, as demonstrated by 3,992,776, 4,226,006 and 4,358,036.

In each of the foregoing, one member is disclosed which is suitable for engaging on a belt or belt or other garment part.

In particular, in Cope et al. Patent No. 3,992,776, a spring metal strip having a first belt holding portion adjacent to the upper end and a pair of curved portions providing spring tension for retaining the sheath adjacent the lower end is provided. Hardy's patent (No. 3,970,227) shows a belt clip with an outwardly curved lip and an inner bend, while Maltese Patent No. 4,358,036 accepts the tongue of a clip permanently fastened to a tool or other object. A belt clip with a pocket portion for the same is shown.

Despite this patented technology, there is still a need for a holder that can be easily assembled with a tape measure or other object having a spring clip or similar support fixture to securely couple the tape measure or other object against accidental disassembly. Of course, any such hole must be rigidly and easily coupled to itself on a belt or other garment part and must be relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture in practice.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel holder for suspending a tool or other article, such as a tape measure with a spring clip or similar fixture having an elastically deflectable tongue or insert, which facilitates insertion. To ensure tight engagement and to minimize accidental disassembly opportunities.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a holder which is easily placed on its own and is firmly fixed or mounted on a belt or other support and is relatively easy to manufacture and inexpensive.

The above-mentioned and related objects of the present invention provide a relatively wide (in lateral sense) substantially flat lower portion through which a laterally extending slot is formed adjacent to the lower edge and for mounting it on a user's belt. It has been found that it is easily obtained in a holder consisting of one member with means. The relatively narrow edge elements define between the slot and the lower edge of the member, and the slot is sized and shaped so that the tongue of the spring clip of the object to be supported is easily inserted, and the belt mounting means is fitted with the belt and the inserted spring. It is placed on the slot to avoid interference between the clips. The edge element is narrow enough to provide a suitable movement gap in the space formed near the upper connection of the spring clip and substantially no inward or outward offset is formed, resulting in the relative free pivoting of the mounted object about it. Exercise is possible.

Certain objects of the present invention also provide a holder consisting of generally parallel inner and outer legs adapted to engage a belt or similar support which is joined by an upper connection for elastic relative deflection and inserted therein upwards. It is obtained by giving. The outer leg is substantially longer than the inner leg and has a relatively wide and actually planar lower portion. The laterally extending slots are formed through the lower portion adjacent the bottom edge of the outer leg and are sized and shaped to facilitate insertion of the spring clip tongue. The slot defines a relatively narrow edge element beneath it and may be defined by itself by an inwardly offset upper lip element and an outwardly offset lower lip element that cooperate to facilitate insertion of the tongue. The inner leg of the clip ends short of the slot in the outer leg to avoid contact with the saffron clip inserted therein, and the edge elements are sized and shaped to allow the mounted object to pivot freely around it. .

In a preferred embodiment, the inner leg can also have a relatively wide and substantially planar lower portion, preferably both legs extending inwardly thereon to facilitate insertion of the belt and to prevent accidental flaking. It has a lower part with elements. It will be noted that the members constituting the holder are typically formed integrally as a single piece from an elastically deflectable material such as spring steel, and have a substantially uniform width along its entire length.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder 2 of the first embodiment according to the invention is schematically illustrated. The holder is generally of relatively flat shape with a U-shaped cross section and is formed integrally from a spring reinforcement in a single strip and extends downward from the curved upper connection 8 (as viewed from normal use). 4) and bent itself to provide a shorter inner leg 6.

Each of the legs 4, 6 is generally planar and cuts inwardly inferior lower portion 3, with the bent on the inner leg facilitating the mounting of the holder to the belt, the bent on the outer leg being It provides an element that is installed and positioned under the lower edge to obstruct the belt to minimize accidental disassembly. Furthermore, in the lower part of the outer leg 4 there are elongated slots 5 which extend laterally defined by upper and lower lip elements 7, 9 which are bent inwards and outwards from the plane of the leg. Formed.

3 to 8 show that the holder 20 of the second embodiment according to the invention is located on the belt 12. As with the holders of FIGS. 1 and 2, the holders are generally of relatively flat shape with a U-shaped cross section and have an outer leg 14 and a shorter inner leg 16 extending from the curved upper connection 18. Similarly formed from a single strip to provide.

Each of the generally planar legs 14, 16 has a lower corner portion 20 that is inwardly inclined to perform the same function as the lower portion 3 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Their relationship to the belt 12 is well illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In addition, the lower portion of the outer leg 14 has one slot 26 similarly defined by the curved upper and lower lip elements 28, 30. In this case, however, the edge element 24 under the slot 26 defined on the outer leg 14 is relatively narrow (ie, relatively small in terms of floor size relative to its top) and internal. The distal edge 17 of the leg 16 is deflected to its normal position against the inner surface of the upper lip element 28 and the portion below the lower lip element 30 is not offset inward or outward (ie , The planar shape is maintained).

4 and 5, a tape measure of standard design is coupled to the holder 10. In FIG. This tape measure includes a conventional retaining spring clip 32 having an elastically deflectable tongue 36 and attached to one side of its casing 34. The tongue is inclined from the upper connection 35 towards the casing and defines a space 37 which is relatively wide at the top and gradually shrinks toward its free end.

As shown in FIG. 5, the holder is attached to the belt to support the tape measure, and the tongue 36 of the clip 32 is inserted through the slot 26 of the outer leg 14 The upper connection 35 is allowed to rest on the lower lip element 30 extending outwardly. In addition, since the edge element 24 is narrow, the distance that the outer leg 14 protrudes into the space 37 is limited. This not only avoids excessive interference with the clip but also allows the tape measure to turn freely about the edge of the lip element 30 as shown by the double arrows in FIG. Thus, this prevents the tape measure from being displaced and dismantled, for example, when the user crouches or bends it in contact with the user's hip or upper thigh, so that the holder shape shown in FIGS. It can be seen that it is more advantageous than that of FIG. 2 and FIG. 2.

However, in the two embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-8, the slot 5, which is set far below the upper edge of the belt and the mutual offset relationship of each of the lip elements 7, 9 and 28, 30, The location of 26 will typically provide ease for assembly and removal of the tape measure which can be performed with one hand. In addition, the curves at the lower edge of the upper lip element and the outer leg cooperate with the inner leg to hold the holder on the belt. In general, the legs of the holder must be somewhat flexible for insertion and removal, and vice versa, their high tension helps to minimize the likelihood of accidental dissolution. On the other hand, the relative position and shape of the lower part of the two legs allows the belt to be attached easily and conveniently, and furthermore because the supported article is held in place, the frequent removal and which would otherwise occur in the belt and Damage due to replacement can be substantially reduced.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, the holder 40 of the third embodiment according to the invention consists of a single flat piece with a central panel portion 42, extending longitudinally along both sides thereof. The edge element 44 is offset rearward to form the slot 46, and the user's belt 12 is fitted through the slot. Thus, an important difference between the holder 40 in these figures and the holder 10 in FIGS. 3-8 is that in this embodiment the inner leg 16 is removed and the panel portion 42 and the element 44 are removed. That the entire passageway is provided.

The lower part of the holder 40 is formed with a slot 26 defined by curved upper and lower lip elements 28, 30, the edge element 24 defined below the slot 26 being planar and The floor size relative to the top is relatively small. As shown in FIG. 10, the holder 40 is placed on the lower lip element 30 which extends the upper connection 35 outward as the tongue 36 of the clip 32 is inserted through the slot 26. Support the tape measure to rest in place. Likewise, because the edge element 24 is narrow, the distance over which the holder protrudes into the space 37 is limited, thereby avoiding excessive interference with the clip as well as tape measure against the edge of the lip element 30. It allows for free turn and also avoids excessive interference with such movements due to the absence of any substantial inward or outward offsets in the holder portion.

Thus, the holders of FIGS. 9 and 10 provide the advantage of preventing against accidental disassembly, as provided by the embodiments of FIGS. 3-8. In addition, the reduced amount of constituent material not only makes manufacturing easier, but also significantly lowers the cost and there is no possibility of accidental removal from the user's belt.

Typically, holders of the type shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 will be unilateral rectangular shaped with lateral and longitudinal outer dimensions 63. mm (2.5 inches) and 70 mm (2.756 inches), respectively. The length and width of the bottom slot of such a holder is preferably about 41 mm (1.614 inch) and 1.6 mm (0.063 inch), so that the bottom edge to the top is about 7.7 mm (0.303 inch) You can provide an element. The last mentioned dimension is of course the most important in terms of allowing free movement of the tape to the holder, although in practice it may be somewhat constrained depending on the area of the tape of the tape or other object on which it is to be supported. At any point across it will generally not exceed 15 mm (0.59 inch).

As mentioned above, the holder is preferably made from a uniformly wide strip or panel of spring steel, and conventional bending and stamping operations may be used. However, it is to be understood that other materials (particularly plastics) may be substituted by employing an appropriate manufacturing method. Certain concepts relating to manufacturing as well as changes in design are apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing detailed description, and therefore, further details are omitted.

As such, it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a novel holder for suspending an article, such as a tape measure having a spring clip or similar fixture with an elastically deflectable tongue or insert. The holder easily accepts the tongue of the clip and is firmly engaged by this tongue and cooperates with the tongue to minimize the chance of accidental disassembly. The holder itself is easily placed and secured on the belt, which is relatively easy to manufacture and low in manufacturing costs.

Claims (22)

A holder for supporting a tape measure or similar object having a spring clip with an elastically deflectable tongue that tilts inwardly from an upper connection and contiguous therewith to define a forming space, the holder being attached to the upper portion and its lower edges; The adjacent, laterally extending slots consist of a single member having a relatively wide and substantially planar lower portion which is formed therethrough, the slot being sized and shaped so that the tongue of the spring clip of the object to be supported can be easily inserted. And said member also has means on said upper portion for engaging said user's belt at a level above said slot to avoid interference between a belt and a spring clip inserted through said slot. Holders such as clips. 2. The holder of claim 1, wherein the slot is defined in part by an inwardly offset upper lip element. 3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein the slot is also defined by an outwardly offset lower lip element, wherein both lip elements are shrunk in their respective directions. The holder of claim 1, wherein said member is integrally formed as a single piece. 2. The holder according to claim 1, wherein the holder consists of generally parallel inner and outer legs adapted to engage a user's belt or similar support which is joined by an elastically deflectable upper connection and inserted therebetween. And the outer leg is substantially longer than the inner leg. 6. The holder of claim 5, wherein said inner leg also has a relatively wide and substantially planar lower portion. 7. A holder according to claim 6, wherein both legs have a lower portion with end elements extending inwardly to facilitate insertion of the belt therebetween and to prevent accidental disassembly therefrom. 8. A holder according to claim 7, wherein said terminal enzymes are inwardly inwardly extending continuously along the lower edge of said legs. 6. The holder of claim 5, wherein the member is integrally formed as a single piece from an elastically deflectable material. 10. The holder according to claim 9, wherein the member has a substantially uniform width along its length. 10. The holder according to claim 9, wherein the member is a relatively flat loop of spring steel with an open end. 3. A holder according to claim 2, wherein the slot is defined in part by an inwardly offset upper lip element and the distal edge of the inner leg is typically placed in contact with the inner surface of the upper lip element. The laterally extending slot formed in the lower portion of claim 1 defines a relatively narrow edge bottom element between it and the lower edge of the member, wherein the edge element is relatively fast around the mounted object. And a holder narrow enough to provide a suitable clearance for movement within said spring clip space so that it can pivot freely. 14. The member of claim 13, wherein the member is integrally formed as a single piece, the piece extending longitudinally along its two edges to define a pair of outwardly facing side elements and intermediate elements therebetween. And a slot, said longitudinal slot being adapted to receive a belt sandwiched between said side and intermediate elements, thereby constituting said engagement means of said holder. 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the member is substantially rectangular in shape, and said longitudinally extending slot is generally perpendicular to said laterally extending slot, said side elements being easily fitted with a belt therebetween. Holder offset from the plane of the intermediate element. 14. The holder of claim 13, wherein the bottom edge element has a bottom dimension for the top that does not exceed about 15 mm at any point and is substantially free of any inward or outward offset. On the object there is a spring clip with an elastically deflectable tongue which inclins inwardly from the upper connection and defines a space formed adjacent thereto, the holder having a slot extending laterally adjacent the upper part and its lower edge. Consisting of a single member having a relatively wide and substantially planar lower portion formed therethrough, wherein the slot is sized and shaped so that the tongue of the spring clip of the article can be easily inserted and the tongue inserted therethrough Having the article settled on the holder, the member also engaging the user's belt at a level above the slot to avoid interference between the belt and the spring clip inserted through the slot. A combination of an object and a holder, characterized by having a means on a part. 18. The holder according to claim 17, wherein the holder consists of generally parallel inner and outer legs adapted to engage a user's belt or similar support which is joined by an elastically deflectable upper connection and inserted therebetween. And the outer leg is substantially longer than the inner leg. 18. The spring clip of claim 17 wherein the slot defines a bottom edge element between it and a lower edge of the member, the bottom edge element spaces the spring clip to allow the mounted object to pivot relatively freely thereabout. The combination of gun and holder characterized in that it is narrowed sufficiently to provide a suitable clearance for movement within. 20. The combination of object and holder of claim 19, wherein the bottom edge element has a bottom dimension for the top that does not exceed about 15 mm at any point and is substantially free of any inward or outward offset. 21. The combination of object and holder according to claim 20, wherein the edge element of the outer leg is in the form of a strip along its lower edge. 20. The bottom edge element of claim 19, wherein the bottom edge element is in the form of a strip along its lower edge, the member along its opposite edges to define a pair of outwardly facing side elements and intermediate elements therebetween. The longitudinally extending slot is integrally formed as a single piece through-formed, the longitudinal slot being adapted to receive a belt sandwiched between the side and intermediate elements, thereby constituting the engaging means of the holder. Combination of the object and the holder.

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