WO1988003461A1

WO1988003461A1 - Tool belt

Info

Publication number: WO1988003461A1
Application number: PCT/SE1986/000510
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ingmar Granlind; Arne STRÖMBERG
Original assignee: Ingmar Granlind; Stroemberg Arne
Priority date: 1985-05-08
Filing date: 1986-11-06
Publication date: 1988-05-19
Also published as: SE8502257D0; SE453735B; SE8502257L

Abstract

A belt (1) for carrying one or more tool holders (5). These are arranged on a strap (2) arranged on the belt (1). Spaced along the belt (1) are a plurality of support points (7) in which the strap (2) can be selectively supported, a tool holder (5) being arranged between two adjacent selected support points (7).

Description

TOOL BELT

The invention relates to a belt for carrying relatively heavy tools, comprising a buckle by means of which the belt is tightened around the body of the wearer, and a strap arranged along the belt and carrying repositories such as holsters or the like in which loose tools are placed, said strap running between two attachment points on the belt.

Innumerable types of tool belt are available. In one version tool holders are secured directly to the belt by riveting, for instance. However, the wearer then has no chance of placing the tools as he wishes. Furthermore, a larger stock of such belts must be maintained by manufacturer and distributer if they are to be available for various types of work.

Another usual type of tool belt is provided with holsters having slots enabling them to be moved along the belt to the desired position There are several drawbacks with such an arrangement. The holsters do not remain in the desired working position but^' are displaced as the wearer moves. Furthermore, the upper edge of the belt is weighted down by the tool over a relatively limited area, thus being influenced by a twisting torque so that the upper edge is bent outward and the inner edge inwards. The belt thus presses unevenly against the wearer's body causing discomfort and pain.

If, for ergonomic reasons, the belt is given varying width in the longitudinal direction, holsters provided with slots are hardly feasible since the slot must be dimensioned to accommodate the widest part of the belt and the holster can therefore easily be displaced from the intended position on the belt.

Arranging a strap along the belt and suspending the tool holders therefrom to a great extent eliminates the problems mentioned above.

US-A-159773^li shows a belt with a strap secured therein, on which various repositories for instruments are arranged. This belt is intended to carry fairly light fishing tackle such as knives and boxes for fishing hooks. It is not suitable for carrying heavier tools since, even if the relatively weak attachment between strap and belt were able to keep the strap in place when used for such a purpose, the strap would be weighted down by the tool causing it to hang and knock against the wearer as he moved. Furthermore, the tool holder would not remain in the position set on the belt, but would tend towards the mid-point between one attachment point of the strap and the rear support point. The weight of the tools is thus born by only three points on the belt where the load is concentrated. Since, furthermore, the strap is arranged along the centre line of the belt, it will have a tendency tc fold, thus further concentrating the pressure towards the lower edge of the belt. The belt described in US-A-1597731 is thus unsuitable for carrying relatively heavy tools and does not alleviate the drawbacks of conven¬ tional tool belts.

The invention aims at eliminating or to a great extent reducing the above-mentioned problems. This is achieved in a belt of the type described in the introduction in that, between the attachment points, the belt is provided with a plurality of support points in which the strap can be selectively supported and guided, a repository being arranged on the strap either between an attachment point and a selected support point or between two adjacent selected support points

Such a construction of belt and strap allows the tools to be arranged as desired along the belt. The weight of the tool is thus transmitted to two points on the belt instead of only one, as in the conventional belts. The weight of the tools will thus be more uniformly distributed along the belt, thus reducing the risk of damaging point loading. The distance between the support points is selected so that the tool holder between them is either positioned within narrow limits between the support points or so that it can be adjustably displaced a certain distance between them.

Furthermore, vertical movement of the strap between the two selected support points is also extremely restricted, thus preventing the tools from hanging and knocking against the wearer's body. Since the centre line of the strap is located below the centre line of the belt, the lower part of the belt is prevented from being twisted in towards the wearer's body and causing uncomfortable pointwise pressure. Since the strap carries the tool holders, the belt itself may have arbitrary shape. The width, for instance, can be varied in longitudinal direction, giving the belt the correct form from the ergonomic aspect, ensuring sufficient support for the wearer's back which is of importance in preventing injuries caused by heavy and strenuous manual labour such as forestry work.

One embodiment of the invention is described in more detail in the following, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

Figure 1 shows the external side of a belt spread out longitudinally.

Figure 2 shows the inside of the belt according to Figure 1

Figure 3 shows a belt buckled up, in perspective.

The means in the embodiment shown consists of a moderately stiff belt 1, e.g. of leather, varying in width in the longitudinal direction with a wider section supporting the wearer's back when the belt is applied. A strap 2 designed to carry tool holders 5 is attached at two end points 3 and 4 of the belt 1 , the centre line of the strap 2 lying below that of the belt 1. At one attachment point

4 the strap is stitched on while at the other attachment point 3 it is adjustably retained. A plurality of slots 6 are provided in the belt 1 between the end points 3 and 4, forming loops 7 to guide and support the strap 2. The tool holsters 5 are applied on the belt 1 by threading the strap 2 through the slots 6 beneath suitably selected loops 7 through slots in the holsters. The loops 7 are selected to place the tools as desired on the belt 1 and such that the distance between the two loops selected for each holster corresponds approximately to the width of the holster. The loops thus serve two purposes: they distribute the weight of each tool over two points instead of only one, and they position the holsters

5 between the selected two loops 7. The strap is then tightened by means of the buckle 8 at one end point 3, to fit neatly against the belt 1.

The belt 1 Is also provided with a buckle 9 comprising two parts, allowing the belt to be fastened around the wearer's body. In the embodiment shown the buckle 9 comprises two parts 9a and 9b, the one part 9a being riveted to the belt 1 and the other part 9b being joined to the belt 1 via a strap 10 stitched onto the belt. The free length of the strap 10 can be adjusted by means of the buckle part 9b to give the desired tension when the belt is buckled around the wearer's waist. The buckle 9 is only able to assume two working positions, and a disengaged position therebetween so that the belt

1 can easily be removed and replaced without the wearer having to adjust the tension on each occasion. In the first working position of the buckle 9, shown in Figure 3_» the belt is fully tightened. The front part of the buckle part 9a thus faces away from the other buckle part 9b, the folded front sectioa of part 9b engaging with a transverse bar on part 9a. In the other working position the front section still engages with part 9a but is turned about 180 so that its front section faces in the opposition direction to that shown in Figure 3. The belt is thus fairly loosely In contact with the wearer.

It is obvious that the belt can be varied in many ways. Loops can, for instance, be stitched onto the belt instead of being formed by slots in the belt. Instead of loops, the belt can be provided with protruding bolts which are passed through holes In the strap

2 and the strap then secured by nuts fitted onto the bolts. The support points of the strap can of course be arranged in many ways. In the embodiment shown they are distributed uniformly within two sections on each side of the belt. However, they can equally well be distributed uniformly along the entire length of the belt between the attachment points. The drawings show one end of the strap secured by stitching and the other adjustably clamped to the belt, but obviously the first end may also be adjustably clamped to the belt. Instead of the strap ends being stitched or clamped to the belt by buckles, the strap may be secured to the belt by some form of pressbutton allowing the effective length of the strap to be adjusted in that belt and/or strap have several alternative attachment points.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. A belt (1) for carrying relatively heavy tools, comprising a buckle by means of which the belt (1) is tightened around the body of the wearer, and a strap (2) arranged along the belt (1) and carrying repositories (5) such as holsters or the like in which loose tools can be placed, said strap (2) running between two attach¬ ment points (3,4) on the belt (1), w h e r e i n , between the attachment points (3,4), the belt (1) is provided with a plurality of support points (7) in which the strap (2) can be selectively supported and guided, a repository (5) being arranged on the strap (2) either between an attachment point O_t ¹!) and a selected support point (7) or between two adjacent selected support points (7).

2. A belt according to claim 1, w h e r e i n the centre line of the strap (2) Is located below the centre line of the belt (1).

3. A belt according to claim 1 or 2, w h e r e i n the support points are formed by slots (6) made in the belt (1).

4. A belt according to claims 1-3, h e r e i n the width of the belt (1) varies In longitudinal direction.

5. A belt according to claims 1-4, w h e r e i n the buckle (9) comprises two parts only able to assume two stable positions, an engaged position in which the belt (1) fits closely around the wearer's body and a disengaged position in which the two parts (9a, 9b) of the buckle (9) are released from each other.