Belt clip for power tools

Abstract

A power tool, such as a drill/driver or a reciprocating saw, can be provided with a belt clip which attaches to the tool at multiple positions to adapt to the user's preference. The belt clip can be side-mounted to a drill/driver to facilitate holstering of the drill/driver and to reduce the profile of the drill/driver.

1 . A drill/driver comprising: 
 a housing with a barrel portion, the barrel portion at least partially enclosing a rotary motor, the housing having a switch which controls the rotary motor;    the housing having a central axis defined by a plane that approximately divides in half the barrel portion of the housing with a first side of the housing on one side of the central axis and a second side of the housing on the other opposite side of the central axis;    a clip assembly capable of suspending the drill/driver from a surface, the clip assembly comprising a tool mating surface and being selectively mountable by a user to the housing in at least two separate positions: a first position where the clip assembly is on the first side of the housing and a second position where the clip assembly is on the second side of the housing;    a pad formed on the housing at the first position and comprising a bore formed in the pad and a projection receiving recess formed in the pad, the shape of the pad generally conforming with the shape of the clip assembly tool mating surface.    
   
   
       2 . The drill/driver of  claim 1 , the barrel portion further comprising: 
 a top side;    a bottom side generally opposite the top side;    a front side;    a back side portion generally opposite the front side;    a chuck for holding a drill or screwdriver bit extending from the front side; and    a grip attached to the bottom side.    
   
   
       3 . The drill/driver of  claim 1  wherein the second position is approximately symmetrical about the central axis with respect to the first position.  
   
   
       4 . The drill/driver of  claim 1  wherein the clip assembly has a bore for receiving a fastener that holds the clip on the housing.  
   
   
       5 . The drill/driver of  claim 4  wherein the fastener passes through the bore in the clip assembly and attaches to the bore formed in the pad.  
   
   
       6 . The drill/driver of  claim 5  wherein the clip assembly comprises a projection extending from the clip assembly and engaging the projection receiving recess formed in the pad.  
   
   
       7 . The drill/driver of  claim 6  wherein the projection is an indexing projection and the projection engaging recess is an indexing projection engaging recess such that when the projection engages the recess, the clip assembly tool mating surface cannot rotate relative to the housing.  
   
   
       8 . The drill/driver of  claim 6 , the drill/driver further comprising a second pad formed on the housing at the second position and comprising a second bore formed in the second pad and a second projection receiving recess formed in the second pad, the shape of the second pad generally conforming with the shape of the clip assembly tool mating surface.  
   
   
       9 . The drill/driver of  claim 8 , wherein the clip assembly may be positioned on the first pad and secured to the housing by the fastener attaching to the first bore and alternatively may be positioned on the second pad and secured to the housing by the fastener attaching to the second bore.  
   
   
       10 . The drill/driver of  claim 1  wherein the pad is a raised pad.  
   
   
       11 . The drill/driver of  claim 1  wherein the clip assembly is generally rigid and unitary in construction.  
   
   
       12 . A drill/driver comprising: 
 a housing with a barrel portion and a grip portion, the barrel portion at least partially enclosing a rotary motor, the grip portion having a switch which controls the rotary motor;    the housing being generally symmetrical about a central plane with a first side of the housing on one side of the central plane and a second side of the housing on the other opposite side of the central plain;    a belt clip being selectively mountable by a user to the housing in at least two separate positions: a first position where the belt clip is on the first side of the housing and a second position where the belt clip is on the second side of the housing;    a bore formed in the first side of the housing;    a projection receiving recess formed in the first side of the housing; and    a pad formed on the first side of housing for attaching the belt clip, the pad having a perimeter that corresponds generally to the shape of the belt clip when the belt clip is attached to the housing;    wherein the bore and the projection receiving recess are each formed on the pad.    
   
   
       13 . The drill/driver of  claim 12  wherein the second position is approximately symmetrical about the central plane with respect to the first position.  
   
   
       14 . The drill/driver of  claim 12  wherein the barrel portion comprises: 
 a top side portion;    a bottom side portion generally opposite the top side portion;    a first side portion;    a second side portion generally opposite the first side portion;    a front portion, a chuck for holding a drill or screwdriver bit extending from the front side portion; and    a back side portion generally opposite the front side portion, the grip portion being attached to the bottom side portion;    wherein, the first pad is positioned on the first side portion, and a second pad is positioned on the second side portion.    
   
   
       15 . The drill/driver of  claim 14  wherein when the belt clip is mounted in either of the first position or the second position, the belt clip is positioned closer to the back side portion of the barrel portion of the housing than to the front side portion.  
   
   
       16 . The drill/driver of  claim 12  wherein belt clip comprises a fastener that extends into the bore formed in the pad.  
   
   
       17 . The drill/driver of  claim 16  wherein the belt clip further comprises a bore, the fastener extending through the clip bore and into the housing bore.  
   
   
       18 . The drill/driver of  claim 12  wherein belt clip comprises a projection extending therefrom, the projection engaging the projection receiving recess.  
   
   
       19 . The drill/driver of  claim 12  wherein the belt clip comprises: 
 a tool mating surface;    a first projection having a first end generally adjacent the tool mating surface and a second end spaced some distance from the first end; and    a second projection extending generally perpendicularly to the first projection.    
   
   
       20 . A drill/driver comprising: 
 a housing with a barrel portion and a grip portion, the barrel portion at least partially enclosing a rotary motor, the grip portion having a switch which controls the rotary motor;    the housing having a central axis defined by a plane that approximately divides in half the barrel portion of the housing and the grip portion of the housing with a first side of the housing on one side of the central axis and a second side of the housing on the other opposite side of the central axis;    a means for holding the drill/driver from a surface when the drill/drive is not in use, the means for holding selectively detachably mountable by a user to the housing in at least two separate positions: a first position where the means for holding is on the first side of the housing and a second position where the means for holding is on the second side of the housing;    a first bore formed in the first side of the housing;    a first indexing projection receiving recess formed in the first side of the housing; and    a pad formed on the housing with a perimeter that corresponds generally to a profile of the means for holding that is adjacent to the housing when the means for holding is attached to the housing, wherein the first bore and the first indexing projection receiving recess are each formed on the pad.