Field of the Invention

This present invention relates to belt holsters for use with hand tools.

Background of the Invention

Craftsmen employ a wide range of hand tools for carpentry purposes, plumbing purposes, and the like. Some hand tools have a magnetic bottom hand tool surface for magnetic attachment to a magnetic susceptible surface thereby enabling hands free use. Such magnetic hand tools include inter alia spirit levels, tape measures, laser pointers, laser measuring devices, and the like.

US 6,457,252 to Kershner discloses a tape measure with a permanent magnet for sideways attachment to a belt holster. The belt holster includes a pocket member attached to the belt holster for forming a tape measure receiving pocket or slot.

US 6,658,756 to Sanchez, Jr. discloses a tape measure adapted to be fitted with a magnetized member by a suitable attachment means including inter alia an adhesive strip, a screws, clips, and the like.

There is a need for belt holsters for facilitating secure storage of hand tools especially against vertical impacts and gravity forces and affording their convenient retrieval for immediate use.

Summary of the Invention

This present invention is directed towards belt holsters for use with magnetic hand tools including a magnetic bottom hand tool surface for magnetic attraction to a magnetic susceptible surface. The belt holsters include a generally upright holster with a belt clip for attachment to a craftsman's tool belt and a generally planar base member similar sized and shaped as a bottom hand tool surface. The base member has a magnetic susceptible region for magnetic attachment by a magnetic hand tool whereby its magnetic bottom hand tool surface is used for two purposes: magnetically securing the magnetic hand tool during its hands free use and magnetically storing the magnetic hand tool for immediate and convenient availability.

The magnetic attachment prevents inadvertent dislodgement of a magnetic hand tool from a belt holster whilst at the same time still affording convenient retrieval for immediate use for its intended craftsman purpose. Inadvertent dislodgement can be result of gravitational forces while a craftsman is working, inadvertent impacts to a magnetic hand tool during the course of a day's work, a craftsman's movements during the course of a day's work, and the like. Storage of a magnetic hand tool on a belt holster also beneficially prevents its magnetic bottom hand tool surface attracting nails, screws, and the like, which have to be annoyingly and time consumingly removed before the magnetic hand tool can be placed on a magnetic susceptible surface for its intended craftsman purpose.

For illustrative purposes, the present invention is described hereinbelow for use with a short magnetic spirit level having a single bubble vial commonly termed a so-called magnetic pocket level. The present invention is equally applicable to other magnetic hand tools having a magnetic bottom hand tool surface for magnetic attachment to a magnetic susceptible surface. Such magnetic hand tools include inter alia tape measures, laser pointers, laser measuring devices and the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order to understand the invention and to see how it can be carried out in practice, preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are likewise numbered, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a conventional magnetic pocket level;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the magnetic pocket level; Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of a belt holster in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the magnetic pocket level stored on the belt holster;

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view of another embodiment of a belt holster in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of yet another embodiment of a belt holster in accordance with the present invention. Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show a conventional magnetic pocket level 10 including a pocket level housing 11 having a bottom pocket level surface 12 for placing on a generally horizontal surface, a top pocket level surface 13 opposite the bottom pocket level surface 12, a major front pocket level surface 14, a major rear pocket level surface 16 opposite the major front pocket level surface 14, a minor left end pocket level surface 17, and a minor right end pocket level surface 18 opposite the minor left end pocket level surface 17. The pocket level housing 11 includes a bubble vial 19 in the top pocket level surface 13 parallel to the bottom pocket level surface 12 for indicating orientation of a generally horizontal surface. The bottom pocket level surface 12 includes a pair of spaced apart rare earth magnets 21. The bottom pocket level surface 12 can preferably be grooved for placing on pipes etc.

Figure 3 and Figure 4 show a belt holster 20 for use with the magnetic pocket level 10. The belt holster 20 includes an L-shaped holster body 21 having an upright holster support 22 having a belt clip 23 for removably clipping the belt holster 20 on a craftsman's tool belt and a horizontal generally planar base member 24 sized and shaped similar to the bottom pocket level surface 12 for supporting the magnetic pocket level 10. The upright holster support 22 has typically the same height as the magnetic pocket level 10. The belt holster 20 is preferably made from suitable hardwearing plastic material.

Base members can be generally rectangular shaped, elliptical shaped, circular shaped, and the like, to match a bottom hand tool surface. The base member 24 has a generally rectangular shape to match the bottom pocket level surface 12 and accordingly includes a trailing base member surface 26 attached to the upright holster support 22, a leading base member surface 27 opposite the trailing base member surface 26 and an opposite pair of base member end surfaces

28 and 29 extending between the trailing base member surface 26 and the leading base member surface 27. The opposite pair of base member end surfaces 28 and

29 include a left base member end surface 28 and a right base member end surface 29.

The base member 24 includes a discrete magnetic susceptible element pair

31 made from, for example, stainless steel, and the like. The discrete magnetic susceptible element pair 31 can be mounted on the base member 24 using any suitable manufacturing technique including inter alia molding, gluing, and the like. The magnetic susceptible element pair 31 is equally spaced apart as the magnet pair 19 such that the magnetic susceptible element pair 31 and the magnet pair 19 are in registration on accurately placing the magnetic pocket level 20 in the belt holster 10 such that the magnet pair 19 magnetically attract the magnetic susceptible element pair 31 for securely storing the magnetic pocket level 10 on the belt holster 20.

The belt holster 20 includes one or more upright retainers for assisting retaining the magnetic pocket level 10 thereon. The upright retainers can be along one or more of the leading base member surface 27 and the opposite pair of base member end surfaces 28 and 29. The belt holster 20 includes an upright retainer

32 which together with the upright holster support 22 surrounds the entire base member 24. The upright retainer 32 is preferably lower than the upright holster support 22 for assisting retaining the magnetic pocket level 10 on the belt holster 20 during a craftsman's activity while enabling a craftsman to sideways grip the opposite upper sections of the minor left end pocket level surface 17 and the minor right end pocket level surface 18 for conveniently placing the magnetic pocket level 10 on the base member 24 and removal therefrom.

Figure 5 show a belt holster 20 having a single magnetic susceptible element 33 instead of the magnetic susceptible element pair 31

Figure 6 shows a belt holster 20 having a base member 24 made of magnetic susceptible material instead of the magnetic susceptible element pair 31. The base member 24 includes an opposite pair of corner retainers 34 and 36 opposite the upright holster support 22. The opposite pair of corner retainers 34 and 36 include a left corner retainer 34 at a junction between the leading base member end surface 27 and the left base member end surface 28 and a right corner retainer 36 at a junction between the leading base member end surface 27 and the right base member end surface 29. The left corner retainer 34 includes a left front wall 34 A and a left leading side wall 34B for correspondingly engaging the major front pocket level surface 14 and the minor left end pocket level surface 17. The right corner retainer 36 includes a right front wall 36A spaced apart from the left front wall 34A and a leading right side wall 36B for correspondingly engaging the major front pocket level surface 14 and the minor right end pocket level surface 18.

While particular embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.