Drop prevention apparatus and system for hand tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968180-B2
Application number	US-201615262577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2016
Priority date	Sep 12, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A drop prevention apparatus and system for hand tools includes a drop prevention anchor having an anchor body with a proximal body end portion, a middle body portion and a distal body end portion, a leader aperture through the proximal body end portion, a first tool aperture through the middle body portion, and a second tool aperture through the distal body end portion where the drop prevention anchor is securely attached to a hand tool and where one of the first tool aperture or the second tool aperture is configured for attaching a tool lanyard connector and the other is configured for attaching a tool securing connector of a tool pouch such that one of the tool lanyard connector or the tool securing connector are securely connected directly to the drop prevent anchor at all times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drop prevention apparatus and system for hand tools, the apparatus and system comprising:
a drop prevention anchor comprising:
an anchor body having a proximal body end portion, a middle body portion and a distal body end portion;
a leader aperture disposed completely through the anchor body in the proximal body end portion, the leader aperture sized to permit secure attachment of an anchor securing leader therethrough;
a first tool aperture disposed completely through the anchor body in the middle body portion, the first tool aperture sized to permit secure attachment of one of a lanyard connector of a hand tool lanyard or a tool securing connector of a hand tool pouch/tool belt to the first tool aperture; and
a second tool aperture disposed completely through the anchor body in the distal body end portion, the second tool aperture sized to permit secure attachment of the other of the lanyard connector or the tool securing connector to the second tool aperture; and an anchor securing leader having a structure where the structure is one of (a) an anchor leader body comprising a distal leader end, a proximal leader end securely connected to the leader aperture, and a leader middle portion wherein the anchor leader body has a predefined length sufficient to permit binding of at least the leader middle portion to a hand tool, or (b) an anchor leader body forming a closed loop that includes a primary opening and a secondary opening with a sleeve passing through the primary opening and a portion of the anchor leader body of the secondary opening passing through the leader aperture, or (c) an anchor leader body forming a single closed loop with only a primary opening with a sleeve passing therethrough and a portion of the anchor leader body passing through the leader aperture.

2. The apparatus and system of claim 1 wherein the distal leader end of structure (a) has a thickness greater than a thickness of the leader middle portion.

3. The apparatus and system of claim 1 further comprising a hand tool pouch/tool belt having a tool securing connector fixedly attached thereto and positioned on the hand tool pouch/tool belt wherein the tool securing connector is capable of releasable but secure connection directly to the drop prevention anchor when the drop prevention anchor is attached to a hand tool.

4. The apparatus and system of claim 1 wherein the proximal body end portion is wider than either of the middle body portion or the distal body portion.

5. The apparatus and system of claim 1 wherein the anchor leader is a strap made of a material selected from woven, non-woven, knitted, braided, or solid material.

6. The apparatus and system of claim 5 wherein the solid material is made of rubber, cloth, metal, plastic, or any combination thereof.

7. The apparatus and system of claim 5 wherein the anchor securing leader is made of nylon webbing.

8. The apparatus and system of claim 1 wherein the anchor body is a planar elongated body.

9. The apparatus and system of claim 8 wherein the planar elongated body of the drop prevention anchor has at least one serpentine side extending between the proximal body end portion and the distal body end.

10. The apparatus and system of claim 8 wherein each one of the first tool aperture and the second tool aperture of the drop prevention anchor is adjacent to and aligned with a convex-shaped portion of the serpentine side with a concave-shaped portion of the serpentine side between the convex-shaped portion adjacent the first tool aperture and the convex-shaped portion adjacent the second tool aperture.

11. The apparatus and system of claim 9 wherein the planar elongate body of the drop prevention anchor has a second serpentine side opposite the at least one serpentine side, the second serpentine side extending between the proximal body end portion and the distal body end.

12. A method of tethering a hand tool that maintains the hand tool being secured at all times, the method comprising:
providing a hand tool with a drop prevention anchor connected to the hand tool;
providing a tool pouch with at least one tool securing connector fixedly attached to the hand tool pouch wherein the tool securing connector is releasably connectable directly to the drop prevention anchor;
disposing the hand tool in a tool holding structure of the tool pouch/tool belt and securing the tool securing connector to one of a first or second tool aperture of the drop prevention anchor;
providing a hand tool lanyard having a lanyard connector capable of releasably connecting directly to the drop prevention anchor;
attaching the lanyard connector directly to the other of the first or second tool aperture of the drop-prevention anchor before releasing the tool securing connector of the hand tool pouch from the drop prevention anchor; and
releasing the tool securing connector of the hand tool pouch from the drop prevention anchor after the lanyard connector is secured to the drop prevention anchor.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising providing a drop prevention anchor having a planar elongated body with a proximal body end portion, a middle body portion and a distal body end portion, a leader aperture disposed completely through the elongated body in the proximal body end portion, the first tool aperture disposed completely through the elongated body in the middle body portion, the second tool aperture disposed completely through the elongated body in the distal body end portion, and an anchor securing leader with a proximal leader end securely connected to the leader aperture in the proximal body end portion of the drop prevention anchor and with the leader middle portion bound to the hand tool.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising ensuring that the hand tool is always connected to either the lanyard connector of the hand tool lanyard or the tool securing connector of the hand tool pouch by always having at least one of the lanyard connector and the tool securing connector directly connected to the drop prevention anchor.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
returning the hand tool with the hand tool lanyard connected thereto to the hand tool pouch;
attaching the tool securing connector of the tool pouch to the drop prevention anchor connected to the hand tool lanyard of the hand tool; and then
releasing the lanyard connector of the hand tool lanyard from the drop prevention anchor after attaching the tool securing connector thereby ensuring that the hand tool is always connected to one of the lanyard connector of the hand tool lanyard or the tool-securing connector of the hand tool pouch.

Assignees

• Ty Flot Inc

Inventors

• Moreau Darrell A
• Moreau Andre W

Classifications

• B25H3/00

  Storage means or arrangements for workshops facilitating access to, or handling of, work tools or instruments (containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00; {nail dispensers B25C3/00}) · CPC title

• A45F2200/0575

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A45F5/021 Primary

  to the belt · CPC title

• A45F2005/006

  comprising a suspension strap or lanyard · CPC title

• A45F5/1575

  Holders or carriers for portable tools · CPC title