Accessory bit carrier

Abstract

A personal carrying device provides structures for carrying bit accessories, such as screwdriver bits and drill bits. In one embodiment a tool-carrying device includes a depending hook and bit-storage cavities within a housing. A latch and a release button hold the bits within the bit-cavities in a manner that facilitates installing and removing bits. A single structure guides the hook, and supports the latch and the release button. Further structures are disclosed that provide improvements to holding and extracting bits in general portable and non-portable devices.

1 . A personal carrying device including a housing, a mounting element attached to the housing that provides for attaching the device to a user, a normally depending hook, the hook including a hook shaft extending into a hook cavity within the housing; 
 a bit-cavity includes an opening in an exterior of the housing, the bit-cavity extending into the housing from the opening, the bit-cavity elongated in a parallel and spaced relationship with the hook shaft, the housing including at least two parallel elongated cavities: the hook cavity containing the hook shaft, and the bit-cavity;    the bit cavity including a holding element movable between an open position and a closed position, the holding element partially obstructing the opening in the exterior of the of the housing in the closed position.    
   
   
       2 . The carrying device of  claim 1  wherein the holding element is resiliently attached to the housing and biased toward the closed position.  
   
   
       3 . The carrying device of  claim 1  wherein the bit-cavity extends lengthwise between an upper opening in the housing to a lower opening in the housing, the holding element includes a resiliently movable stop edge, and the lower opening is partially obstructed by the stop edge, the stop edge being a portion of a release button.  
   
   
       4 . The carrying device of  claim 3  wherein the upper opening is partially obstructed by a resiliently movable latch.  
   
   
       5 . The carrying device of  claim 1  wherein an elongated bit extends within the elongated bit-cavity, and a weight of the bit presses a movable holding element at a lower opening in the exterior of the housing.  
   
   
       6 . The carrying device of  claim 1  wherein the opening in the housing is at one end of the elongated bit-cavity.  
   
   
       7 . The carrying device of  claim 1  wherein the opening in the housing is along an elongated side of the elongated bit-cavity.  
   
   
       8 . A personal carrying device including a housing, a mounting element attached to the housing that provides for attaching the device to a user, a normally depending hook, the hook including a hook shaft extending into a hook cavity within the housing; 
 a bit-cavity is elongated within the housing in a parallel and spaced relationship with the hook shaft, the bit-cavity extends lengthwise between an upper opening in the housing to a lower opening in the housing, and the lower opening is partially obstructed by a resiliently movable stop edge portion of a release button.    
   
   
       9 . The carrying device of  claim 8  wherein the upper opening is partially obstructed by a resiliently movable latch.  
   
   
       10 . The carrying device of  claim 8  wherein an elongated bit extends within the elongated bit-cavity, and a weight of the bit presses the stop edge at a lower opening in the exterior of the housing.  
   
   
       11 . A holding device including a housing, wherein: 
 a bit-cavity is elongated within the housing, the bit-cavity extending lengthwise between an upper opening in the housing to a lower opening in the housing;    a release button is at the lower opening, the release button being attached to a resilient lower arm of the portable device;    the lower opening being partially obstructed by a resiliently movable stop edge portion of the release button in a closed stop edge position, the button extending to a lower distal end of the button including a pressing area of the button, whereby an applied force upon the pressing area causes the resilient arm to deflect and the stop edge to move toward an open position of the stop edge, the lower opening being unobstructed in the open position of the stop edge.    
   
   
       12 . The holding device of  claim 11  wherein the upper opening is partially obstructed by a resiliently movable latch.  
   
   
       13 . The holding device of  claim 12  wherein a central structure of an insert in the housing includes oppositely extending arms, the lower arm extending downward from the central structure to a distal end including the release button, and an upper arm extending upward from the central structure to a distal end including the movable latch.  
   
   
       14 . The holding device of  claim 12  wherein the upper opening in the housing includes a notch open toward a exterior side of the bit-cavity, and the latch is positioned across the bit-cavity on an interior side of the bit-cavity.  
   
   
       15 . A holding device including a housing, wherein: 
 a bit-cavity is elongated within the housing, the bit-cavity extending lengthwise from an upper opening in the housing to within the housing;    a resiliently movable latch is positioned at the upper opening, the upper opening includes a notch open toward a exterior side of the bit-cavity, and the latch is positioned across the bit-cavity on an interior side of the bit-cavity.    
   
   
       16 . A holding device including a housing, wherein: 
 a bit-cavity is elongated within the housing, the bit-cavity extending lengthwise along an exterior of the housing whereby the bit-cavity forms an elongated recess in the housing including an opening toward the exterior of the housing and a terminating wall toward an interior of the housing;    the terminating wall of the recess includes a resilient arm biased toward the opening of the recess;    a bit latch is movable between a closed position obstructing the opening and an open position away from the opening.    
   
   
       17 . The holding device of  claim 16  wherein the housing is of a plastic molded material, the resilient arm extends longitudinally along a length of the recess, and the resilient arm extends toward the opening, the resilient arm being cantilevered from the terminating end of the recess, the resilient arm being formed from a cut-out portion of the terminating end of the recess.  
   
   
       18 . The holding device of  claim 16  wherein a bit is positioned within the bit-cavity, the resilient arm presses the bit toward the opening of the bit-cavity and against the bit latch in the bit latch closed position.  
   
   
       19 . The holding device of  claim 18  wherein the bit extends outward through the opening of the recess in the latch arm open position.  
   
   
       20 . A holding device including a housing, wherein: 
 a bit-cavity is elongated within the housing, the bit-cavity extending lengthwise along an exterior of the housing whereby the bit-cavity forms an elongated recess in the housing including an opening toward the exterior of the housing and a terminating end toward an interior of the housing;    a bit latch is movable between a closed position obstructing the opening and an open position away from the opening;    the bit latch includes a spring arm cantilevered from the bit latch toward a spring arm distal end, and the spring arm presses a post of the housing so that the bit latch is biased toward the closed position.    
   
   
       21 . The holding device of  claim 20  wherein the bit cavity includes two obstructions in the open side of the bit cavity in the bit latch closed position, a first obstruction being the bit latch, and a second obstruction being an exterior wall of the housing.  
   
   
       22 . The holding device of  claim 20  wherein a bit is positioned with the bit cavity, and the bit extends coaxially along a length of the bit cavity in the bit latch closed position.  
   
   
       23 . The holding device of  claim 21  wherein a resilient arm within the bit cavity is biased toward the opening of the bit cavity, and a bit within the bit cavity is forced to angle outward from the bit cavity in the bit latch open position by the resilient arm pressing one side of the bit, and the exterior wall pressing an opposite side of the bit.  
   
   
       24 . The holding device of  claim 20  wherein the bit latch is pivotably attached to the housing at a pivot post of the bit latch, the bit latch pivots between the closed position and the open position, and the spring arm is cantilevered from the post.