HAND TOOL

OUTIL MANUEL

English Abstract

A tool case includes a first housing member defining a plurality of
receptacles for storing
a plurality of fastener driving bits. A second housing member defines a recess
for receiving a
drive guide accessory. The first housing member is pivotally coupled to the
second housing
member. A wire stripper assembly includes a first stripper portion member
coupled to the first
housing member and a second stripper member coupled to the second housing
member.

Claims

CLAIMS
1. A tool case comprising:
a first housing member defining a plurality of receptacles for storing a
plurality of
fastener driving bits; and
a second housing member defining a recess for receiving a drive guide
accessory,
wherein the first housing member is pivotally coupled to the second housing
member; and
a wire stripper assembly including a first stripper member coupled to the
first
housing member and a second stripper member coupled to the second housing
member.
2. The tool case of claim 1, further comprising a coil spring that engages the
first housing
member and the second housing member such that the first housing member is
biased toward the
second housing member.
3. The tool case of claim 1, wherein one of the first housing member and the
second
housing member includes a socket for receiving a fastener driving bit in a
position of use.
4. The tool case hand tool of claim 3, wherein the socket has a hexagonal
cross-sectional
profile.
5. The tool case hand tool of claim 4, wherein the hexagonal cross-sectional
profile receives
a 1/4" hexagonal shank bit.
6. The tool case of claim 1, wherein the first stripper member includes a
first metallic insert
fixedly coupled to the first housing member, and the second stripper member
includes a second
metallic insert fixedly coupled to the second housing member.
7. The tool case of claim 6, wherein the first metallic insert and second
metallic insert
define a plurality of apertures.
8. The tool case of claim 7, wherein each aperture is of a different diameter.
5

9. The tool case of claim 1, wherein the second housing member includes a wire-
bender
defined by an aperture extending through the second housing member.
10. The tool case of claim 1, wherein the second housing member defines a
window for
pushing the drive guide accessory out of the recess.
11. A tool case comprising:
a first housing member defining a plurality of receptacles for storing a
plurality
of fastener driving bits; and
a second housing member defining a recess for receiving a drive guide
accessory,
wherein the first housing member is pivotally coupled to the second housing
member and the
plurality of bits are retained within the plurality of receptacles when the
second housing member
is closed against the first housing member, and further wherein the plurality
of bits are accessible
from the plurality of receptacles when the second housing member is pivoted
away from the first
housing member; and
a wire stripper assembly including a first stripper portion member coupled to
the
first housing member and a second stripper member coupled to the second
housing member.
12. The tool case of claim 11, further comprising a coil spring that engages
the first housing
member and the second housing member such that the first housing member is
biased toward the
second housing member.
13. The tool case of claim 11, wherein one of the first housing member and the
second
housing member includes a socket for receiving a fastener driving bit in a
position of use.
14. The tool case hand tool of claim 13, wherein the socket has a hexagonal
cross-sectional
profile.
15. The tool case hand tool of claim 14, wherein the hexagonal cross-sectional
profile
receives a 1/4" hexagonal shank bit.
6

16. The tool case of claim 11, wherein the first stripper member includes a
first metallic
insert fixedly coupled to the first housing member, and the second stripper
member includes a
second metallic insert fixedly coupled to the second housing member.
17. The tool case of claim 16, wherein the first metallic insert and second
metallic insert
define a plurality of apertures.
18. The tool case of claim 17, wherein each aperture is of a different
diameter.
19. The tool case of claim 11, wherein the second housing member includes a
wire-bender
defined by an aperture extending through the second housing member.
20. The tool case of claim 11, wherein the second housing member defines a
window for
pushing the drive guide accessory out of the recess.
7

Description

CA 02783455 2012-07-20
Attorney Docket No. 066042-8352 US01
HAND TOOL
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
100011 This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application
No.
61/509,925, filed on July 20, 2011, the entire contents of which is
incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND
[00021 This invention relates to hand tools, and in particular, to multi-
function hand tools.
[00031 A multi-functional hand tool allows a user to perform a combination of
tasks, such as
wiring and fastener driving, without having to switch tools. Multi-functional
hand tools may be
configured to receive multiple fastener types. Fasteners come in a variety of
fastener head
configurations that require a variety of bit configurations. A drive guide can
be used to hold a
selected bit and fastener simultaneously while driving the fastener into a
workpiece.
SUMMARY
[00041 In one embodiment, the invention provides a tool case. The tool case
includes a first
housing member defining a plurality of receptacles for storing a plurality of
fastener driving bits.
A second housing member defines a recess for receiving a drive guide
accessory. The first
housing member is pivotally coupled to the second housing member. A wire
stripper assembly
includes a first stripper portion member coupled to the first housing member
and a second
stripper member coupled to the second housing member.
[00051 In another embodiment, the invention provides a tool case. The tool
case includes a
first housing member defining a plurality of receptacles for storing a
plurality of fastener driving
bits. A second housing member defines a recess for receiving a drive guide
accessory, wherein
the first housing member is pivotally coupled to the second housing member and
the plurality of
bits are retained within the plurality of receptacles when the second housing
member is closed
against the first housing member. The plurality of bits are accessible from
the plurality of
receptacles when the second housing member is pivoted away from the first
housing member. A
1

CA 02783455 2012-07-20
Attorney Docket No. 066042-8352 US01
wire stripper assembly includes a first stripper portion member coupled to the
first housing
member and a second stripper member coupled to the second housing member.
[0006] Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of
the detailed
description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front side of a hand tool according
to one
embodiment of the invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along section line 2-2 of a backside
of the hand tool
of FIG. 1.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along section line 2-2 of the hand
tool of FIG. 2 with
a bit drive guide removed.
[0010] FIG. 4 is an open perspective view of the hand tool of FIG. 1.
[0011] Before any constructions of the invention are explained in detail, it
is to be
understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details
of construction and the
arrangement of components set forth in the following description or
illustrated in the following
drawings. The invention is capable of other constructions and of being
practiced or of being
carried out in various ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a hand tool, more specifically, a multi-function
tool case 10. The
tool case 10 includes a housing body 14 formed by first housing member 18 and
a second
housing member 22. The first housing member 18 has a first end 21 and a second
end 23, and
the second housing member 22 has a first end 24 and a second end 25. The first
end 21 of the
first housing member 18 is pivotally coupled to the first end 24 of the second
housing member
22 about a pivot pin 26 disposed along a pivot axis 30. Referring to FIG. 2, a
coil spring 34 is
disposed about the pivot pin 26. The coil spring 34 engages the first housing
member 18 and the
2

CA 02783455 2012-07-20
Attorney Docket No. 066042-8352 USO1
second housing member 22, such that the first housing member 18 is biased
toward the second
housing member 22.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 2, the housing body 14 includes a socket 38 for
receiving a
fastener-driving bit 40 or a bit holder such as a drive guide 78, as described
below. In the
illustrated construction, the socket 38 is formed within the first end 21 of
the first housing
member 18. In other constructions the socket 38 may be formed within the
second housing
member 22. In the illustrated construction, the socket 38 has a hexagonal
cross-sectional profile
42, such as for receiving a standard 1/4" hexagonal shank bit or bit holder.
In other constructions,
the socket 38 may have a square cross-sectional profile, such as for receiving
bits with a square
shank profile. The socket 38 may include various bit-retention means, such as
a magnet, a
resilient member, a spring clip, a ball detent, etc. When using a bit 40 or a
bit holder within the
socket 38 to drive a fastener (not shown), the housing body 14 serves as a
handle for the user.
[0014] With continued reference to FIG. 2, a first stripper member 46 is
coupled to the
second end 23 of the first housing member 18. A second stripper member 50 is
coupled to the
second end 25 of the second housing member 22. The first stripper member 46
and the second
stripper member 50 may be a first metallic insert and a second metallic
insert, respectively.
Together, the first stripper member 46 and the second stripper member 50 form
a wire stripper
assembly 54, as shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the wire stripper
assembly 54 defines
apertures 58 configured for stripping an insulating jacket from a wire (not
shown). Each aperture
58 is defined by a pair of semi-circular cutouts 62 formed on the opposing
stripper members 46
and 50. Each aperture 58 of the wire stripper assembly 54 is a different
diameter, to
accommodate different wire gauges.
[0015] To use the wire stripper assembly 54, the first housing member 18 and
the second
housing member 22 are pivotally separated, as shown in FIG. 4. A length of
wire to be stripped
(not shown) is inserted into an appropriately sized aperture 58 and the
housings 18 and 22 are
pivoted together, as shown in FIG. 1. The wire stripper assembly 54 penetrates
the wire
insulation, without damaging the underlying conductor. Drawing the wire away
from the wire
stripper assembly 54 separates the wire insulation from a portion of the wire,
thereby exposing a
length of conductor.
3

CA 02783455 2012-07-20
Attorney Docket No. 066042-83 52 USO1
[0016] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second housing member 22 includes
a wire-
bender 66, defined by a lateral aperture 70 extending through the second end
25 of the second
housing member 22. To use the wire bender 66, an uninsulated end portion of a
wire (not
shown) is inserted into the aperture 70. With the uninsulated portion of the
wire inserted into the
aperture 70, the insulated portion of the wire is bent approximately 90
degrees, thereby forming a
wire portion for connecting to a terminal board, switch, or outlet.
[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the tool case 10 further includes a storage recess
74 for a bit
holder such as the illustrated drive guide 78 (FIG. 2.). The storage recess 74
is formed in the
second housing member 22. Resilient retention clips 82 are integrally formed
in the second
housing member 22, as shown in FIG. 3. The retention clips 82 are for
receiving and retaining
the drive guide 78 or other bit holder. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a window 86
is provided in the
second housing member 22 for pushing the drive guide 78 out of the storage
recess 74.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the tool body 14 further includes receptacles 90
for storage of the
fastener-driving bits 40. More specifically, the first housing member 18
includes receptacles 90
for receiving the bits 40. With the second housing member 22 closed against
the first housing
member 18, each bit 40 is retained within a receptacle 90. In order to remove
or exchange bits
40, a user pivots the second housing member 22 away from the first housing
member 18, as
shown in FIG. 4, thereby providing access to the receptacles 90 and allowing
for exchange of the
bits 40. The bits 40 may be additionally retained within the receptacles 90 by
a friction fit with
walls of the receptacles 90, by magnets disposed within the receptacles 90, by
a resilient member
disposed within the receptacles 90, or by other known means.
[0019] Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a multi-function tool
case. Various
features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following
claims.
4