Tool belt with integrated tool retraction mechanism

Abstract

A tool belt comprising a band for attachment of the tool belt to a worker and at least one pouch attached to the band and defining an interior compartment for accommodating at least one tool therein. At least one guide is formed within the pouch and the guide communicates with the interior compartment. A tool cord retractor is supported by the tool belt, a second end of a tool cord is secured to the tool cord retractor while a first end of the tool cord extends through the guide and is secured to a tool engagement element which is releasably securable to a desired tool. When the desired tool is attached to the tool engagement element and the desired tool is removed from the pouch, the tool cord retractor permits removal of stored tool cord and thereby stores a potential energy for returning the tool cord back to the tool cord retractor.

1 . A tool belt comprising:
 a band for attachment of the tool belt to a worker;   at least one pouch being attached to the band, and the pouch defining an interior compartment for accommodating at least one tool;   a guide being formed within the pouch and communicating with the interior compartment; and   a tool cord retractor being supported by the tool belt, a second end of a tool cord being secured to the tool cord retractor while a first end of the tool cord extending through the guide and being secured to a tool engagement element, and the tool engagement element being releasably securable to a desired tool;   wherein when the desired tool is attached to the tool engagement element and the desired tool is removed from the pouch, the tool cord retractor permits removal of tool cord from the tool cord retractor but stores a corresponding potential energy as the tool cord is removed for returning the tool cord back to the tool cord retractor.   
     
     
         2 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the band supports a plurality of pouches and each of the plurality of pouches generally includes a peripheral rim which provides access to the interior compartment of each one of the plurality of pouches, and the rim generally defines a pouch access plane. 
     
     
         3 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the pouch is sufficiently large to accommodate a plurality of tools and the pouch includes a plurality of guides formed within the pouch, and a respective tool retractor, a respective tool cord and a respective tool engagement element is associated with each one of the plurality of guides. 
     
     
         4 . The tool belt according to  claim 3 , wherein each one of the guides is located within the pouch between a peripheral rim and a bottom surface of the pouch. 
     
     
         5 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool engagement element comprises a unit selected from the group consisting of a clip, a nylon member with releasable touch fasteners, a ring, a hook and a clamp for securing the desired tool to the tool cord. 
     
     
         6 . The tool belt according to  claim 4 , wherein each tool cord retractor is sandwiched between an exterior surface of the pouch and an adjacent surface of the band. 
     
     
         7 . The tool belt according to  claim 6 , wherein each tool cord retractor comprises one of a spring and an elastic rotational potential energy storage element for storing a retraction force for rewinding the respective cord on the respective tool cord retractor. 
     
     
         8 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool cord is wrapped around rule of the tool cord retractor which facilitates both winding and automatic rewinding of for returning back to tool belt. 
     
     
         9 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein a return force that is applied to the tool cord, for returning the tool back toward the pouch, increase as the tool moves further away from the pouch. 
     
     
         10 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein a return force that is applied to the tool cord, for returning the tool back toward the pouch, remains substantially constant as the tool moves further away from the pouch. 
     
     
         11 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool cord retractor includes a locking mechanism with a lock actuator, the locking mechanism permitting the tool cord to be unwound and lock in an extended, working position with a sufficient return energy being stored by the tool cord retractor, and the ratchet lock preventing the tool cord from being retracted until the ratchet lock actuator to retract the tool cord back to the pocket. 
     
     
         12 . The tool belt according to  claim 11 , wherein the tool cord retractor has a ratchet lock only to a designated working length, and if the tool cord extends beyond the designated working length, the ratchet lock automatically disengages and commences retraction of the tool cord back toward the pouch of the tool belt. 
     
     
         13 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool cord retractor includes an extension lock, and when the tool cord is extended to a desired working length, the extension lock prevents the tool cord from either being retracted or extended further. 
     
     
         14 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the pouch is sufficiently large to accommodate a plurality of tools and the pouch is divided into sub-compartments, and each sub-compartment includes at least one guide formed therein, and a respective tool retractor, a respective tool cord and a respective tool engagement element is associated with each one of the guides. 
     
     
         15 . The tool belt according to  claim 1 , wherein the tool belt further comprises:
 a hammer ring secured to the band;   a hammer seat located vertically below the hammer ring;   a hammer cord;   a hammer cord retractor supported by the tool belt;   a first end of the hammer cord attached to a hammer engagement element while a second end of the hammer cord attached to the hammer cord retractor and the hammer engagement element is releasably attachable to the hammer.   
     
     
         16 . The tool belt according to  claim 15 , wherein the hammer seat comprises both an upper portion and a lower portion which are connected to one another by a hinge, the hinge includes a hinge spring which biases the hammer seat into a normally planar configuration in which both the upper portion and the lower portion lie substantially in a plane. 
     
     
         17 . The tool belt according to  claim 15 , wherein the hammer cord retractor comprises one of a spring and an elastic rotational potential energy storage element for storing a retraction force for rewinding the hammer cord on the hammer cord retractor. 
     
     
         18 . A tool belt comprising:
 a band for attachment of the tool belt to a worker;   a plurality of pouches being supported by the band, and each of the plurality of pouches defining an interior compartment for accommodating at least one tool and including a peripheral rim which provides access to the interior compartment of each one of the plurality of pouches, and the rim generally defining a pouch access plane;   a plurality of guides being formed within each one of the plurality of pouches;   a plurality of tool cord retractors being supported by the tool belt, a second end of a tool cord being secured to a respective tool cord retractor while a first end of the tool cord extending through a respective guide and being secured to a respective tool engagement element, and each tool engagement element being releasably securable to a desired tool;   a hammer ring being secured to the band, with a hammer seat being located vertically below the hammer ring, a hammer cord, and a hammer cord retractor being supported by the tool belt, a first end of the hammer cord being attached to a hammer engagement element while a second end of the hammer cord being attached to the hammer cord retractor, and the hammer engagement element being releasably attachable to the hammer; and   the hammer seat comprising both an upper portion and a lower portion which are connected to one another by a hinge, the hinge including a hinge spring which biases the hammer seat into a normally planar configuration in which both the upper portion and the lower portion lie substantially in a plane.   
     
     
         19 . A method of automatically returning a desired tool back to a tool belt, the method comprising steps of:
 using a band to attach the tool belt to a worker;   supporting at least one pouch on the band, and an interior compartment of the pouch being sized for accommodating at least one tool;   forming a guide within the pouch which communicates with the interior compartment;   affixing a tool cord retractor to the tool belt;   securing a second end of a tool cord to the tool cord retractor while passing a first end of the tool cord through the guide and securing the first end to a tool engagement element;   releaseably securing the tool engagement element to the desired tool;   removing the desired tool from the pouch and thereby storing a potential energy for returning the tool cord back to the tool cord retractor; and   using the potential energy for at least partially returning the desired tool back to the pouch.