Belt mounted folding tape holder
View Patent ↗Belt mounted folding tape holders and related methods and systems. In a first illustrative embodiment, a tape holder assembly has a body with a belt clip disposed on a first side, on the opposite side, a folding hook may be stored in a recess when not in use to provide a slim profile. For use, the folding hook is released from the recess and folded down to provide a generally horizontal shelf on which one or more rolls of tape may be placed. A generally vertical member is disposed at a distal end of the shelf to retain the tape roll thereon. In some embodiments, the vertical member may fold and in others it may be fixed to the end of the shelf member.
1. A belt mounted tape holder assembly comprising:
a body having a front surface with a recess disposed therein;
a belt clip attached to the body; and
a folding hook comprising a shelf portion and a retaining portion, the retaining portion disposed at a distal end of the shelf portion in a generally orthogonal relationship when actuated, and the folding hook rotatably attached to the body, such that at least a portion of the folding hook is disposed in the recess in an unactuated position.
2. The belt mounted tape holder assembly of claim 1 , wherein the belt clip comprises a curved member attached to a rear surface of the body near an upper end of the body.
3. The belt mounted tape holder assembly of claim 1 , wherein the retaining portion is formed as a generally planar member rotatably attached near the distal end of the shelf member, such that the retaining portion rotates towards the shelf member in the unactuated position.
4. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 3 , wherein the retaining portion comprises a generally planar contact surface and the shelf portion has a counterpart contact surface, which abut one another when the folding hook is actuated to stop further rotation of the retaining portion with respect to the shelf portion.
5. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 3 , further comprising a spring that urges the retaining portion away from the shelf portion when the folding hook is actuated.
6. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 1 , wherein the shelf portion is rotatably attached to the body near a lower end of the body.
7. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 1 , wherein the shelf portion comprises a generally planar body contact surface and the body has a counterpart shelf contact surface, which abut one another when the folding hook is actuated to stop further rotation of the shelf portion with respect to the body.
8. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 1 , further comprising at least one locking structure disposed on the shelf portion which interacts with a counterpart locking structure disposed on the body when the locking hook is rotated to an undeployed position to retain the locking hook in the undeployed position.
9. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 8 , wherein the at least one locking structure disposed on the shelf portion comprises a dimple disposed in a sidewall of the shelf portion and the counterpart locking structure comprises a locking tab disposed on a sidewall of the recess.
10. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 1 , wherein the folding hook is rotatably attached to the body by an axle passing through at least a portion of the body and a bore formed in the shelf portion.
11. A folding belt mounted tape holder comprising:
a body having a front surface and a rear surface;
a belt clip attached to the back surface; and
a folding hook comprising a shelf member rotatably attached to the body, the shelf member rotated to a position generally parallel to the body when in an undeployed position and rotated to a position generally orthogonal to the body when in a deployed position, and a retaining member rotatably attached to the shelf member, the retaining member rotated to a position generally parallel to the shelf member when in an undeployed position and rotated to a position generally orthogonal to the shelf member when in a deployed position.
12. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , wherein the body further comprises a recess accessible from at least the front surface and at least a portion of the folding hook is disposed in the recess in the undeployed position.
13. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 12 , further comprising at least one locking structure disposed on the shelf member which interacts with a counterpart locking structure disposed on the body when the locking hook is rotated to the undeployed position to retain the locking hook in the undeployed position.
14. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 13 , wherein the at least one locking structure disposed on the shelf portion comprises a dimple disposed in a sidewall of the shelf portion and the counterpart locking structure comprises a locking tab disposed on a sidewall of the recess.
15. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , wherein the shelf member has a recessed inner surface and the retaining member is rotated to reside in the recessed inner surface when in the undeployed position.
16. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , wherein the retaining member comprises a generally planar contact surface and the shelf member has a counterpart contact surface, which abut one another when the folding hook is deployed to stop further rotation of the retaining member with respect to the shelf member.
17. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , further comprising a spring that urges the retaining member away from the shelf member when the folding hook is deployed.
18. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , wherein the shelf member is rotatably attached to the body near a lower end of the body.
19. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , wherein the shelf member comprises a generally planar body contact surface and the body has a counterpart shelf contact surface, which abut one another when the folding hook is actuated to stop further rotation of the shelf member with respect to the body.
20. The belt mounted tape holder of claim 11 , wherein the folding hook is rotatably attached to the body by an axle passing through at least a portion of the body and a bore formed in the shelf member.
21. A belt mounted tape holder assembly comprising:
a body having a front surface with a recess disposed therein;
a belt clip attached to the body; and
a folding hook comprising a shelf portion and a retaining portion, the retaining portion disposed at a distal end of the shelf portion when actuated, and the folding hook rotatably attached to the body, such that in an unactuated position the recess is covered by at least a portion of the folding hook.