US20050133393A1 - Storage caddy for a power tool - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage caddy for a power tool includes a container having an internal cavity for storing matter, an access to the internal cavity, and a mechanical attachment mechanism coupled to the container for removably affixing the container to a power tool. The attachment mechanism includes two legs that extend downwardly from the bottom of the container and are configured to lockingly engage a recess on a power tool. Where the power tool is a nailer, the attachment mechanism is configured to engage a recess defined on the magazine of the nailer.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The claimed invention relates to a storage caddy for a power tool.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• Power tools, and particularly pneumatic power tools, typically include a metal housing that has a handle. A hose is connected to the power tool in the vicinity of the handle. Alternatively, with battery operated tools, a battery pack is installed on the power tool. Oftentimes, power packs are also installed in the vicinity of the handle. Power tools may be powered in a number of different manners, including combustion, electric, powder-activated, pneumatic, battery, and otherwise as known in the art.
• When not in use, users of power tools often want to hang the tool from a belt or on other objects, such as ladders, scaffolding or the like at a job site. Power tools are often used in tight spaces. Therefore, shape and size is important to the overall power tool design.
• Nail guns are utilized to apply nails or staples to surfaces. They typically utilize a separate magazine portion for storing a stick of nails or staples prior to nailing to a surface. The magazine is attached between respective ends of the main housing and the handle of the nail gun. Magazines on small nailers or staplers typically hold a single stick of nails. Additional sticks of nails are usually stored in a box and the user must either lug the box around during use of the nailer, or must return to the location of the box when the nailer magazine is empty.
SUMMARY
• According to the invention, a storage caddy for a power tool comprises a container and a mechanical attachment mechanism. The container has an internal cavity for storing matter and an access to the internal cavity. The attachment mechanism is coupled to the container for removably affixing the container to a power tool.
• In an alternative embodiment, a storage caddy for a nailer comprises a container, a door and means for removably attaching the storage caddy to a magazine of a nailer. The container has an internal cavity for storing nail sticks and the door is provided for gaining access to the internal cavity.
• In another embodiment, a power tool having a storage caddy comprises a housing and a storage caddy, discussed above, coupled to the housing. The power tool may be a nailer having a housing with at least a handle and a magazine coupled to the housing. The storage caddy is configured to store at least one stick of nails.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
• FIG. 1 is a side view of a nailer incorporating a belt hook and a storage caddy according to the invention;
• FIG. 2 is rear perspective view of the nailer incorporating the belt hook and storage caddy shown inFIG. 1, but with the belt hook positioned on the opposite side of the nailer;
• FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the nailer ofFIG. 1 showing the storage caddy in an open position;
• FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a belt hook according to the invention;
• FIG. 5 is a side view of the belt hook ofFIG. 4;
• FIG. 6 is a top view of the belt hook ofFIG. 4;
• FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the belt hook ofFIG. 4;
• FIG. 8 is a rear view of the belt hook ofFIG. 4;
• FIG. 9 is a partial side view of the nailer showing the back leg of the nailer incorporating an opening for receiving the belt hook;
• FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the nailer similar toFIG. 9, but showing the belt hook installed in the opening in the back leg of the nailer;
• FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the belt hook installed in the opening on the back leg of the nailer, taken at line11-11 inFIG. 10;
• FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a storage caddy according to the invention;
• FIG. 13 is another perspective view of the storage caddy ofFIG. 12;
• FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the storage caddy ofFIG. 12, shown with the door in an open position;
• FIG. 15 is a partial side view of the magazine having the nail caddy installed thereon; and
• FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the magazine and an end view of the storage caddy, taken at line16-16 inFIG. 15.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• A power tool in the form of anailer10 is shown inFIGS. 1-3 incorporating abelt hook30 and astorage caddy70 according to the invention. Thenailer10 is a tool that is utilized to drive nails, brads, staples, or other fasteners into building materials, such as building studs or trim work. Thenailer10 includes ahousing12 having ahandle14, atrigger16, amagazine18, and anose piece20. Themagazine18 houses the fasteners. A back leg extends down from thehandle14 to meet themagazine18. Theback leg22 provides a support for themagazine18 and thehandle14. The other end of themagazine18 is connected to thenose piece20.
• Apneumatic nailer10 is typically connected to an air compressor by a hose, which is coupled to thehandle14 utilizing afitting24 in a conventional manner. An air passageway extends from the fitting24 through thehousing12 of the tool to thenose piece20. Thenose piece20 is utilized for driving fasteners into a surface. Themagazine18 urges nails into thenose piece20 and the nose piece cooperates with thetrigger16 in order to allow the release of nails from themagazine18 utilizing compressed air.
• Thebelt hook30 is shown positioned on theleft side26 of thenailer10 inFIGS. 1 and 3 and on theright side28 of thenailer10 inFIG. 2. Thebelt hook30 is preferably removable from thenailer10 and interchangeable withopposite sides26,28 of thenailer10.
• Theback leg22 of thenailer10 includes an opening32 that extends through theback leg22, as shown inFIG. 9. The opening32 is oval or oblong in shape and is sized and shaped to accept thebelt hook30. In a preferred embodiment, the opening32 in theback leg22 extends entirely through theback leg22 so that thebelt hook30 can be positioned on the left orright side26,28 of thenailer10. Thebelt hook30 is positionable on either side of theback leg22 in order to allow a left or right handed user to position thehook30 on a convenient side. In addition, thebelt hook30 is configured to be easily removable from theopening32 in theback leg22 in order to allow for use of thenailer10 in tight spaces. Thebelt hook30 is easily positionable within the opening32 and removable without the use of tools.
• FIGS. 4-8 depict thebelt hook30. Thebelt hook30 is an L-shaped, rigid member that has anattachment end34 and afree end36. Theattachment end34 is for attaching to theopening32 in theback leg22 while thefree end36 is configured for attaching to a storage location (not shown). The L-shapedmember30 includes a first leg of theL38 and a second leg of theL40. The first andsecond legs38,40 are preferably perpendicular to one another. In an alternative embodiment, which is not shown, the first and second legs are angled at an angle other than 90 degrees, but are configured relative to one another so that they allow attachment to a storage location, such as a belt, scaffolding, or otherwise.
• The first leg of theL38 is cylindrical along parts of its length. Theattachment end34 includes aninner ledge42 that is configured to rest against theside26,28 of theback leg22. Theinner ledge42 has a dimension that is greater than the dimension of theopening32 in theback leg22 so that it serves as a stop against theside26,28 of thetool10.
• Theattachment end34 includes amiddle portion44 that is configured to seat inside theopening32 of theback leg22. Themiddle portion44 is cylindrical and includes a cut out46 that forms aspring arm48. Thespring arm48 is resilient and can bend inwardly and spring outwardly with the application of force. Thespring arm48 has a spring armfree end50 that includes an outwardly extendingknob52. Theknob52 is sized to mate with anotch54 defined inside theopening32 in theback leg22 of thenailer10. Thenotch54 is positioned inside theopening32 so that thebelt hook30 can only be positioned in a single desired position, which is obtained upon rotation of thehook30 into the proper position. Thespring arm48 together with thenotch54 provide a spring loaded detent for positioning thebelt hook30 in a specific position relative to thetool10.
• Theattachment end34 also includes anouter stop member56 that has a shape and size configured to fit through theopening32 in theback leg22. Thestop member56 has outwardly extendinglegs58 so that after theattachment end34 is inserted through theopening32 and theinner ledge42 abuts theside26,28 of theback leg22, thebelt hook30 can be turned so that the outwardly extendinglegs58 abut the opposite side of theback leg22 to hold thebelt hook30 in position. In a preferred embodiment, where an oval opening is provided in theback leg22, theinner ledge42 is circular, themiddle portion44 is cylindrical, and theouter stop member56 is oval or oblong in cross-section. Other shapes and sizes for theopening32 and theattachment end34 may also be utilized. For example, a rectangular opening and a rectangular attachment end may be used, where thestop member56 is rectangular. In this instance, the inner ledge and middle portion may remain cylindrical, or can take on another desired shape.
• The second leg of theL40 is preferably flat and smooth and may include abend60. Thebend60 is utilized to restrain thebelt hook30 on a belt or other surface and to make it easier to place or remove thebelt hook30 from a belt or other surface.
• Referring toFIG. 11, in operation, the user selects aside26,28 of theback leg22 and inserts theattachment end34 of thebelt hook30 into theopening32 in theback leg22. Theopening32 in theback leg22 preferably includes theinner notch54 configured for mating with theknob52 on thespring arm48. The user inserts theattachment end34 into theopening32 until theinner ledge42 abuts theside26,28 of theback leg22 and thestop member56 is positioned outside of theopening32 on the opposite side of theback leg22. At this position, thespring arm48 is bent inwardly. The user then rotates thebelt hook30 until theknob52 mates with theinner notch54, at which point thespring arm48 snaps outwardly to lock thebelt hook30 in position. Thus, the user receives a tactile response and may hear a clicking noise when thebelt hook30 is rotated into the locked position. In order to remove thebelt hook30 from theopening32, the user applies rotational force sufficient to dislodge theknob52 from theinner notch54 and bend thespring arm48 inwardly. Once theknob52 has been dislodged from thenotch54 and thestop member56 is aligned with theopening32 in theback leg22, the user can withdraw thebelt hook30 out of theopening32.
• Thebelt hook30 is preferably made of a plastic material, such as nylon. Other types of materials may also be used, as long as they have sufficient strength to hold a power tool.
• In a preferred embodiment, thefirst leg38 has a length of about 1½ inches for the portion of the leg that extends outwardly from the tool and thesecond leg40 has a length of about 2½ inches. Other dimensions for thebelt hook30 may also be utilized, as desired. It is preferred that thefirst leg38 have a length sufficient so that thebelt hook30 extends past the outermost side of thetool10. Thus, leg length will be dependent on the size of the power tool. In addition, there may be instances where it is desirable to have a leg length so that thebelt hook30 does not extend past the outermost side of the tool. The present invention incorporates this length as well.
• Astorage caddy70 is shown inFIGS. 12-16. Thestorage caddy70 is acontainer72 or storage compartment that is configured to attach to the side of atool10. In the case of anailer10, thestorage caddy70 is configured to mechanically lockingly attach to amagazine18 of thenailer10, as shown inFIGS. 1-3,15, and16.
• In one embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 12-16, thestorage caddy70 is arectangular container72 that has a lid ordoor74, aninternal cavity76, and abottom surface78. Thelid74 is openable and closeable and theinternal cavity76 is sized and shaped to store matter. In a preferred embodiment, the lid is hinged to the container. In the case of anailer10, it is advantageous to store extra sticks ofnails80 in thestorage caddy70, as shown inFIG. 3. Since nail sticks80 are typically rectangular in shape, a rectangular container is advantageous. Other shaped containers may also be selected depending on the size and shape of the matter to be stored. Thestorage caddy70 also includes anattachment mechanism82 for attaching thecaddy70 to apower tool10, as is discussed in greater detail below. Thelid74 includes alatch84 for mating with one of theside walls26,28 of thestorage container72. Thelid74 may havesupport ridges86 for added stability.
• Themechanical attachment mechanism82 of thestorage caddy70 is shown best inFIGS. 13 and 16. Thecontainer72 has fourside walls88. Themechanical attachment mechanism82 includes leg-like members that are contiguous with and extend from theside walls88 of thecontainer72. The leg-like members82 are shaped to seat between theribs92 defined on the side of anail magazine18. Theattachment members82 may be positioned at either end of thecontainer72. Alternatively, themembers82 may be positioned at spaced positions along the length of thecontainer72, or may extend along the entire length of thecontainer72. In order to accommodate theattachment members82, thebottom surface78 is raised above thelegs82. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 13 and 14, oneattachment member82 is positioned on anextension90 of the container, which may be provided for aesthetic or other purposes.
• Theattachment mechanism82 is mechanical in that it utilizes the shape and size of the container for attaching to the shape and size of a tool. It does not utilize adhesive or hook and loop fasteners. Theattachment mechanism82 is a mechanical fastener for conjoining mating parts that are sized and shaped to fit together, like pieces of a puzzle.
• Thestorage container72 also includes anaperture94 defined on one of theside walls88 of thecontainer72 adjacent thelid74 for use in opening the container. Since thestorage container72 is configured to hold nails, when thecontainer72 is entirely filled with nails, it is difficult to open thelid74. By using anaperture94 on theside wall88 of thecontainer72, the user can insert a finger into theaperture94 in order to engage thelid74 from the inside and pry thelid74 open. Theaperture94 may also be used as a viewing window to determine whether any nail sticks80 are stored inside thestorage caddy70.
• In a preferred embodiment of astorage caddy70, thecaddy70 includesindicia96 for determining the size of nails stored in thecaddy70. This indicia96 may be defined on thebottom surface78 of thecontainer72, on thelid74 of thecontainer72, or on another surface, if desired. Warning and instructional messages may also be provided in the form of indicia on thecaddy70.
• FIG. 16 shows theattachment mechanism82 of thestorage caddy70 installed between theribs92 of anail magazine18. Thelegs82 of the attachment mechanism are captured between the tworibs92 of thenail magazine18 to firmly hold thestorage caddy70 in position. Theattachment mechanism82 is preferably configured to allow attachment to and disassembly of thestorage caddy70 from thenailer10 without the use of any tools. Legs that are shaped differently from thelegs82 shown in the drawings may also be used, the invention not being limited to the shape shown. Other types of attachment mechanisms can also be utilized. For instance, thecaddy70 may be screwed or bolted onto themagazine18.
• Thestorage caddy70 is preferably positioned on the side of themagazine18 where loading of nails occurs in order to provide easy access to any nails stored in thecaddy70, although thecaddy70 can be installed on either side of themagazine18.
• In order to install thenail caddy70 on amagazine18, the user first opens thenailer magazine18 and pulls the nail magazine cover backward. The user then moves thenail caddy70 into alignment with theribs92 on the magazine cover and slides thecaddy70 between theribs92. The user then closes the magazine cover and the caddy is installed. In order to remove thenail caddy70 from themagazine18, the user opens thenailer magazine18, slides thecaddy70 off the magazine cover, and closes themagazine18.
• Thestorage caddy70 is preferably made of a lightweight, durable material, such as plastic. Other types of materials may alternatively be utilized, if desired. The storage caddy can be molded as a single piece, with the lid hinged to the container with a living hinge. Alternatively, the lid can be a separate member that is hinged with a mechanical hinge to the container.
• In a preferred embodiment, thestorage caddy70 is configured to hold five standard sticks ofnails80. Thecaddy70 is also designed to hold the full range of sizes of nails that can be utilized with thenailer10. In addition, although not shown, thecaddy70 may include a built in tool for measuring the gauge of a nail to determine whether or not the nail is suited for use with the tool.
• The term “nail” is used herein generically to refer to nails or staples. Likewise, the term “nailer” as used herein is used generically to refer to a nailer or a stapler. In addition, while the above-description was presented in the context of anailer10, other power tools may also benefit from the invention disclosed herein. In the case of thestorage caddy70, while nails are discussed as being stored in thecaddy70, any type of matter may alternatively be stored in thecaddy70, and thecaddy70 may be specially designed such that theinterior cavity76 is shaped to accept other types of matter. For instance, with a drill, it may be desirable to install drill bits or drills inside thecaddy70. For a power saw, it may be desirable to install extra saw blades in thecaddy70.
• While various features of the claimed invention are presented above, it should be understood that the features may be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, the claimed invention is not to be limited to only the specific embodiments depicted herein.
• Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications may occur to those skilled in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. The embodiments described herein are exemplary of the claimed invention. The disclosure may enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments having alternative elements that likewise correspond to the elements of the invention recited in the claims. The intended scope of the invention may thus include other embodiments that do not differ or that insubstantially differ from the literal language of the claims. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (19)

1. A storage caddy for a power tool comprising:

a container having an internal cavity for storing matter, an access to the internal cavity, and a mechanical attachment mechanism coupled to the container for removably affixing the container to a power tool.

2. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism is configured to attach to a magazine of a nailer and the internal cavity is sized to hold at least one stick of nails.

3. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises at least one leg that extends outwardly from the container, said leg having a shape to firmly engage a recess defined on a power tool.

4. The storage caddy ofclaim 3, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a first leg positioned at a first end of the container and a second leg positioned at a second end of the container.

5. The storage caddy ofclaim 4, the attachment mechanism further comprising at least one third leg positioned on the bottom of the container and being axially aligned with the first and second legs.

6. The storage caddy ofclaim 2, wherein the internal cavity is sized to hold five sticks of nails.

7. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein the access is a door hinged to the container, and further comprising a latch coupled between the door and the container for latching the door to the container.

8. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein the container includes a measuring tool for determining the size of the nails stored in the container.

9. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein the container has a viewing window for viewing matter stored in the container.

10. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, wherein the container includes a bottom surface and four side walls, and the access is a door hinged to one of the four side walls, with the attachment mechanism being defined on at least one of the four side walls, and the bottom surface of the container being elevated above the attachment mechanism.

11. The storage caddy ofclaim 10, wherein an aperture is defined in one of the four side walls adjacent the door, said aperture for allowing easier access to the door when a stick of nails is positioned inside the container.

12. The storage caddy ofclaim 1, further comprising indicia for determining the size of nails in the container, for providing operational instructions to a user, or for providing safety information to a user.

13. A storage caddy for a nailer comprising:

a container having an internal cavity for storing nail sticks and means for removably attaching the storage caddy to a magazine of a nailer.

14. The storage caddy ofclaim 13, further comprising a door for gaining access to the internal cavity.

15. A storage caddy for a power tool comprising:

a storage member configured for storing matter and a mechanical attachment mechanism coupled to the storage member for removably affixing the storage member to a power tool.

16. The storage caddy ofclaim 15, wherein the storage member is a container having an internal cavity for storing matter.

17. A power tool having a storage caddy comprising:

a housing; and

the storage caddy ofclaim 1 coupled to the housing.

18. A nailer having a storage caddy for storing nail sticks comprising:

a housing having at least a handle;

a magazine coupled to the housing; and

the storage caddy ofclaim 1 removably coupled to the magazine, wherein the container is configured to store at least one stick of nails.

19. A nailer having a storage caddy comprising:

a housing having at least a handle;

a magazine coupled to the housing; and

the storage caddy ofclaim 13 removably attached to the magazine, wherein the container is configured to store at least one stick of nails.

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