Individual utility belt section

Abstract

A clip-on utility carrier for attachment to the user's waistband for the convenience of carrying handy tools, such as knives, pouches for holding small items, tapes, etc. The utility carrier allows belt accessories to be attached to the waistband of trousers, shorts, skirts, etc., with or without a belt, as well as to any other wearable or non-wearable material having a thin edge. The inventive utility carrier can accommodate several accessories at once and can, therefore, be used to assemble semi-permanent “kits” of accessories that are commonly used together in particular applications. With the utility carrier's clip-on or clamp-on construction, it can supply the secondary function of a waist belt (to harness accessories) without the necessity of serving the primary function (to adjust waistband circumference).

We claim:  
     
         1 . A utility carrier suited for harnessing belt-wearable accessories, comprising: 
 an accessory retainer portion having first and second ends;    a base portion generally coextensive with said accessory retainer portion and having first and second ends corresponding thereto;    means for removably fastening said accessory retainer portion to said base portion proximate at least one common end;    said accessory portion having an outer side and a common side with said base portion, said base portion having an inner side; and    means for removably attaching said base portion to an article of clothing or other thin-edged material proximate said first and second ends, respectively, without said utility carrier forming a loop around the user or fastening to itself at said first and second ends,    wherein said accessory retainer portion able to be unfastened for mounting accessories thereon, and    wherein said accessory retainer portion able to be fastened for retaining said accessories thereon.    
     
     
         2 . The utility carrier of  claim 1 , wherein a hinge serves to permanently connect said accessory retainer portion and said base portion at a first common end.  
     
     
         3 . The utility carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said means for removably attaching said accessory retainer portion to said base portion is a snap having a head and a receiver.  
     
     
         4 . The utility carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said means for removably attaching said accessory retainer portion to said base portion is hook and loop fastener or other similar part and counterpart fastening structure which forms a removable bond when mated.  
     
     
         5 . The utility carrier of  claim 4 , wherein said hook and loop or other similar part and counterpart fastener extends along most or all of the length of the common sides of said retainer portion and said base portion, and wherein said part and said counterpart of fastener are permanently attached to said accessory retainer portion and said base portion, respectively.  
     
     
         6 . The utility carrier of  claim 3 , wherein said accessory retainer portion incorporates on at least one end a lengthwise oriented multiple station mechanism for the purpose of adjusting the curvature of said base portion and said retainer portion while mated at both ends.  
     
     
         7 . The utility carrier of  claim 1 , wherein said means for removably attaching said base portion to a suitable material edge consists of a clip or clamp located proximate each end of said base portion and attached to said inner side thereof so oriented as to be attachable to said material edge.  
     
     
         8 . The utility carrier of  claim 1 , wherein both said accessory retainer portion and said base portion are sufficiently flexible so as to bend together to conform to the waist of a user when mounted thereon.  
     
     
         9 . A utility carrier, comprising: 
 an accessory retainer-base having a first end and a second end and an inner side and an outer side; and    a clip or clamp located proximate each of said first and said second ends of said accessory retainer-base and attached to said inner side of said accessory retainer-base. Said clips or clamps form a means for removably attaching said base portion to an article of clothing or other thin-edged material proximate said first and said second ends, respectively, without said utility carrier forming a loop around the user or fastening to itself at said first and second ends.    
     
     
         10 . The utility carrier of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of said clips or clamps, when in a closed configuration, exhibits a profile sufficiently small as to allow the loop structure of belt-wearable accessories to pass over said clip or clamp before that clip or clamp is attached to a material edge. Such a small (compressed) profile allows accessories with a loop structure to be installed by passing their loop structure over the clip or clamp onto said accessory retainer-base on which accessories remain during normal use of the utility carrier (i.e., clipped or clamped at both ends to a material edge); accessories are removed by reversing the installation procedure.  
     
     
         11 . The utility carrier of  claim 9 , wherein said clips or clamps are removably attached to said accessory retainer-base, such that removal of one of the clips or clamps allows for mounting on or removal of said accessories from said retainer-base.  
     
     
         12 . The utility carrier of  claim 9 , wherein at least one clip or clamp is removably attached to the retainer-base by a snap, whereby clip or clamp is detached for mounting or removal of accessories and attached for mounting on an article of clothing.  
     
     
         13 . The utility carrier of  claim 9 , having at least one clip or clamp rotatable relative to said accessory retainer-base so as to allow alignment with said accessory retainer-base during mounting or removal of said accessories and to allow rotation to a position normal to said accessory retainer-base for mounting to an article of clothing. More explicitly, said clip or clamp may rotate in a plane parallel to the plane of the inner flat surface of the retainer-base.  
     
     
         14 . The utility carrier of  claim 9 , having a clamp comprised of a clamping body having two legs joined at an apex, a groove in each said leg opening at said apex, and a slider having a first leg, a second leg, and an apex, said slider's second leg having a centrally located slot extending lengthwise of said second leg, said clamping body having mounting means attached in said groove and within said slot of said slider's second leg, whereby said slider is movable to an open clamp position when said apexes are spaced, and a closed clamp position when said apexes are adjacent.  
     
     
         15 . The utility carrier of  claim 14 , wherein said mounting means is a swivel and said accessory retainer-base has an aperture therein for receiving said clamp swivel. Rotation of clamp via said swivel is in a plane parallel to the plane of the rear flat surface of said retainer-base.  
     
     
         16 . The utility carrier of  claim 14 , wherein said mounting means is a snap head and said accessory retainer-base has a snap receiver mounted on the inside thereof for removably attaching said clamp swivel.