US20040245305A1

US20040245305A1 - Waist supported structure with attachment band

Info

Publication number: US20040245305A1
Application number: US10/456,878
Authority: US
Inventors: Nicolas Garcia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-06
Filing date: 2003-06-06
Publication date: 2004-12-09

Abstract

A waist supported structure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of a wearer is provided that includes an upper portion having an outwardly directed surface adjacent the waist of a wearer. At least one band portion is attached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, wherein the band is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface to define a slot therebetween. A tool carrier extends through the slot and is releasably attached to the at least one band portion.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a waist supported structure having at least one band for attachment of a tool carrier, and more particularly, in one embodiment, to a waist supported structure having first and second thigh protectors to be worn by steel workers engaged in the task of moving elongate pieces of reinforcing material, such as steel rebar, and depositing these pieces of reinforcing material at various locations on a construction site.

BACKGROUND

Many waist supported structures exist that are adapted for attachment of tool carriers. For example, police belts, military belts and construction utility belts include attachment means such as eyelets, hooks, and/or pockets for the attachment of tools or tool carriers. However, these attachment means often cause the belt to torque or sag from the wearer's waist when a heavy tool is attached to them. Accordingly, an improved waist supported structure is needed for the attachment of tool carriers.

A need also exists for a waist supported structure that protects a wearer's thigh from injury at construction sites. For example, the construction of roads, bridges and buildings are tasks that are very labor intensive. While heavy construction equipment is used to move some structural components, a tremendous amount of the movement and positioning of structural components of the road, bridge or building are moved by hand. Rebar rods are construction materials that are used in almost all large structures. Rebar rods are composed of long steel rods, typically between ½ to 4 inches in diameter, that are positioned in concrete to provide reinforcement and additional strength to a structure. Typically, rebar is delivered to a central location on a construction site by trucks. However, as the rebar is likely to have to be distributed at many different locations on the construction site, individuals, often referred to as rodmen, pick up bundles of rebar and carry them to locations where individual rebar rods are to be installed.

Generally, a rodman picks up a bundle of rebar and carries it on his shoulder (FIG. 8) or suitcase-style at his waist-side to a particular location where one or more pieces of rebar are to be installed. Each piece of rebar in a bundle is typically between ½ to 4 inches in diameter and up to 40 or 50 feet long. Hence, each individual rebar rod can be quite heavy, making the transportation of a bundle of rebar a particularly difficult task. Moreover, it is also difficult to pull a single rebar rod out of the bundle of rebar rods and place it at a particular location on the construction site.

When the rodman arrives at the location that is to receive a single rebar rod, the rodman places one foot forward and crouches at the knees so one of his upper thighs is outwardly extended in a position that is approximately parallel to the ground (FIG. 9). The rodman then lifts the bundle of rods off of his shoulder or from the side of his waist and onto this outwardly extended thigh (FIG. 10). Subsequently, a single rod of rebar is shaken out of the bundle and released by the rodman so that it slides off of the rodman's thigh and lands on the ground in front of him (FIG. 11). Alternatively, the rodman can drop a specific number of rebar rods at a particular location. After the rodman has released the desired number of rebar rods at one particular location on the construction site, he returns the bundle to his shoulder and moves to another location on the construction site.

One difficulty that is encountered by rodmen during this process is the rods are so heavy that, when the bundle of rebar is dropped onto one of the thighs of the rodman, injuries can result. In fact, often each bundle of rebar rods that a rodman carries weighs several hundred pounds. As such, dropping the bundle on the rodman's thigh can result in a bruising of the rodman's thigh. Moreover, the rebar can have razor sharp edges, which can cause cuts and puncture wounds in the rodman's thigh. Further, when the single rebar rod is shaken out of the bundle, the single rod generally slides along the rodman's thigh and then drops toward the ground after it slides over the rodman's knee. Again, each individual rod can be so heavy that this sliding motion can further result in injuries to the rodman. Moreover, the dropping of the bundle of rods onto the rodman's thighs and the sliding of a single rod off of the rodman's thigh generally results in extensive wear and tear to the rodman's clothing.

Hence from the foregoing, there is a need for a protective device that can be worn by a rodman during the process of transporting and dropping bundles of rebar that provides greater protection for the rodman.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,775 to Garcia discloses a thigh protector to be worn by a rodman during the transport of rebar rods on a construction site. However, the disclosed thigh protector protects only a single thigh.

Other protective devices for use in applications outside of the construction field exist that protect both of a wearer's legs. For example, cowboys have often worn chaps with leather coverings that extend essentially along the entire length of the wearer's leg. However, chaps are designed to protect the full length of the wearer's legs and clothing from scrapes and cuts caused by bushes and the like when riding a horse through rough terrain. As chaps are designed to be worn generally while sitting, they are typically very encumbering when walking. Consequently, this type of protective clothing is not well suited for use by rodmen who must be generally unencumbered to perform their other job duties.

Sporting manufacturers have developed protective pads that protect the thighs of athletes. For example, football players often wear pants that have pads inserted therein which are designed to reduce thigh injuries. However, these types of protective pads have generally not been adapted for use by construction workers and, in particular, rodmen.

Moreover, the longstanding custom in the construction field is that construction workers generally wear heavy-duty pants that allow for unencumbered movement of the wearer's legs, such as jeans. This custom is the result of the construction workers, and in particular rodmen, being required to do a variety of tasks other than carrying heavy bundles of rebar. These other tasks require that the rodmen be generally unencumbered and able to easily move about tight spaces on the construction site. Unfortunately, there has been little effort on the part of the construction industries to adapt protection for use by rodmen that protects the rodmen from injuries resulting from moving large bundles of rebar, while still allowing the rodmen to perform other tasks in an unencumbered fashion.

Hence, there is a continued need for a waist supported structure that is specifically adapted for use by rodmen, that provides protection against injury, and yet does not inhibit walking or movement of the rodmen during the performance of their other job duties. To this end, the protective device should be relatively lightweight, form fitting, and able to absorb and distribute the weight of a bundle of rebar when the bundle of rebar is deposited onto a rodman's thigh.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention is a waist supported structure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of a wearer that includes an upper portion having an outwardly directed surface adjacent the waist of a wearer. At least one band portion is attached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, wherein the band is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface to define a slot therebetween. A tool carrier extends through the slot and is releasably attached to the at least one band portion.

In another embodiment, the present invention further includes a first thigh protector and a second thigh protector that each form a portion of the outwardly directed surface, wherein each thigh protector extends from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer's knee. An attachment mechanism is coupled to each thigh protector to retain each thigh protector in front of a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: [0015]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a waist supported structure according to one embodiment of the invention being worn by a rodman; [0016]
FIG. 2 is front view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1 unattached from the rodman; [0017]
FIG. 3 is a back view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1; [0018]
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1; [0019]
FIG. 5 is a side view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1 being worn by a rodman; [0020]
FIG. 6 is a back view of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1 being worn by a rodman; [0021]
FIG. 7 is a front exploded perspective view of a band that is attached to the waist supported structure of FIG. 1 for attachment of a tool carrier; [0022]
FIG. 8 is a front perspective view of a tool carrier that is removably attached to the band of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1; [0023]
FIG. 8A is a front perspective view of a tool carrier that is attached to the band of the waist supported structure of FIG. [0024] 1, where a portion of the waist supported structure has been removed for clarity;
FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of another tool carrier that is removably attached to the band of the waist supported structure of FIG. 1 as well as an exemplary tool that is carried by this tool carrier; [0025]
FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating how a rodman carries a bundle of rebar on his shoulder while wearing the waist supported structure of FIG. 1; [0026]
FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating the posture of a rodman as the rodman prepares to lower the bundle of rebar from his shoulder onto his thigh when wearing the waist supported structure of FIG. 1; [0027]
FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating a rodman supporting a bundle of rebar on his thigh when wearing the waist supported structure of FIG. 1; and [0028]
FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating how a rodman removes a single rod from a bundle of rebar that is being supported on his thigh and deposits it to the ground.[0029]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the current invention relate to a waist supported [0030] structure 100 for carrying tools at the waist of a wearer 101, such as a rodman. As shown in FIG. 1, the waist supported structure 100 includes an upper portion 102 having an outwardly directed surface 103 adjacent the waist of a wearer 101 and at least one band portion 104 attached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface 103. The attachment of the band 104 to the outwardly directed surface 103 forms a slot 106. The band 104 is tightly attached to the outwardly directed surface 103 such that even when the band 104 is pulled in a direction away from the outwardly directed surface 103, the band 104 is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface 103. The slot 106 allows for a tool carrier 108, such as the exemplary tool carriers 108A and 108B of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively, to be removably attached to the band 104.
As shown in FIG. 1, the waist supported [0031] structure 100 may additionally include a first thigh protector 110A and a second thigh protector 110B, each of which extend from the waist of the wearer 101 to a position just above the knee 113 of the wearer 101.
In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the waist supported [0032] structure 100 includes at least one band 104 attached at its opposite ends to an outer surface 114 of the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100. The band 104 may be attached to the waist supported structure 100, for example, by rivets 151. The attachment of the band 104 to the waist supported structure 100 forms the slot 106 for receiving the tool carrier 108, such as the exemplary tool carriers 108A and 108B of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively. Each tool carrier 108 may be removably attached to the band 104 as illustrated in FIG. 8 and as described in detail below. The band 104 is tightly attached to the waist supported structure 100 such that even when the band 104 is pulled in a direction away from the outer surface 114 of the waist supported structure 100, the band 104 is substantially parallel to and facing the outer surface 114 of the waist supported structure 100. As a result, the tool carrier 108 that is attached to the band 104 is tightly held thereon.
FIG. 7 shows an exemplary embodiment of the [0033] band 104. In this embodiment, the band 104 is composed of a flexible material 174, such as leather. As shown, the band 104 may include a reinforcing material 176 that is attached to a back surface of the flexible material 174 to add stability to the band 104. The reinforcing material 176 of the band 104 is preferably attached to the flexible material 174 of the band 104 by stitching and/or rivets.
As shown in FIG. 2, by laterally spacing [0034] rivets 151 about the length of a single band 104, multiple slots 106 can be formed in a single band, such that separate tool carriers 108 can be inserted into each formed slot 106. As is also shown in FIG. 2, the waist supported structure 100 may include at least one belt loop 178 attached to the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100, for example, by rivets 124. In the depicted embodiment, the belt loop 178 is attached to the outer surface 114 of one of the hip protecting portions 162. The belt loop 178 defines a slit 180 between the outer surface 114A of the hip protecting portion 162 and an inner surface of the belt loop 178. As such, when the belt portion 166 of the waist supported structure 100 is attached to the buckle portion 168 of the waist supported structure 100, an end portion 182 of the belt 166 can be inserted into the slit 178 to secure the end portion 182 of the belt 166 between the outer surface 114 of the hip protecting portion 162 and an inner surface of the belt loop 178.
As shown, the [0035] belt loop 178 can also serve to further secure the at least one band 104 to the waist supported structure 100. For example, in the depicted embodiment prior to attaching the band 104 to the waist supported structure 100, the band is threaded through openings 161 in the belt loop 178. Rivets 151 are then inserted through the belt loop 178 and the band 104 to secure both the belt loop 178 and the band 104 to the waist supported structure 100.
FIG. 8 shows an [0036] exemplary tool carrier 108A being attached to the band 104. Preferably, the tool carrier 108A is composed of a flexible material, such as leather. The tool carrier 108A includes a main portion 186 and an upper portion 190. The main portion 186 may carry any one of a variety of tool carrying means 188. In the depicted embodiment, the tool carrying means 188 includes pockets of various sizes that are secured to the main portion 186 by rivets 185. Some of the pockets additionally contain clamps. The pockets and clamps may be used to carry any one of a variety of tools, such as side-cutters, chalk, or sticks among other appropriate tools. In other embodiments, the tool carrying means 188 include pockets, clamps, eyelets, hooks, straps or any combination thereof, among other appropriate tool carrying means.
The [0037] tool carrier 108A may be removably attached to the band 104. For example, in one embodiment an outwardly facing flap 192 is coupled to the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A. Preferably, the flap 192 is composed of a flexible material such as leather. The flap 192 may be attached to the upper portion 190 in a manner that allows the flap 192 to be rotated away from the upper portion as shown in FIG. 8. Preferably, an upper end 192A of the flap 192 is rigidly affixed to a top marginal portion 190A of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A, forming a rigidly attached juncture 220 between the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192; and a lower end 192B of the flap 192 contains a coupling means 196 that forms a releasable interlocking connection with a coupling means 198 on a bottom marginal portion 190B of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A. For example, the rigidly attached juncture 220 of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192 may be formed by stitching 194A and/or rivets 194B, and the releasable interlocking connection may be formed by buttons 196 on the flap 192 that snap fit onto corresponding button receiving members 198 on the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A.
As such, in one embodiment, the [0038] tool carrier 108A is releasably attached to the band 104 by inserting the tool carrier 108A into the slot 106 formed by the band 104 and the outer surface 114 of the waist supported structure 100 (see FIGS. 8-8A); rotating the flap 192 away from the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A to allow the band 104 to be positioned adjacent to the rigidly attached juncture 220 between the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192; extending the flap 192 over the band 104; and depressing the buttons 196 of the lower portion 192B of the flap 192 to from the releasable interlocking connection with the button receiving members 198 of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A.
When so connected, the [0039] upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A is disposed adjacent to an inner surface of the band 104, and the flap 192 is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the band 104, such that the band 104 is confined between the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192. In addition, a top edge of the band 104 is disposed adjacent to the rigidly attached juncture 220 of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192, and a bottom edge of the band 104 is disposed adjacent to the interlocking connection between the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192, such that the band 104 is also confined between the rigidly attached juncture 220 and the releasable interlocking connection of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A and the flap 192. In this position, the band 104 presses against the outer surface of the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A to secure the tool carrier 108A to the waist supported structure 100. The flap 192 and/or the upper portion 190 of the tool carrier 108A may include a reinforcing material, such as plastic, to increase the structural stability of the tool carrier 108A.
FIG. 9 shows a tool carrier [0040] 108B, similar to the tool carrier 108A shown in FIGS. 8-8A. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 9, the flap 192 is shown in a closed position for clarity. The depicted tool carrier 108B contains an elongated tool carrying means 188A designed to carry a specialized tool 210, such as a wire spool. The tool 210 includes a pair of brackets 212 that extend from a rear surface of the tool 210 and define a pair of loops 211. The brackets 212 and corresponding loops 211 are substantially parallel and aligned along a bracket axis 214. The elongated tool carrying means 188 engages the brackets 212 through the loops 211 to releasably secure the tool 210 to the tool carrier 108B.
The elongated tool carrying means [0041] 188 may be attached to the main portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B by rivets and/or stitching. In one embodiment, the elongated tool carrying means 188 is attached to the main portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B at an inclined position with respect to a horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B. As such, when the brackets 212 are attached to the elongated tool carrying means 188, the bracket axis is also disposed at an inclined position with respect to the horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B, such that one of the brackets 212 is disposed at a higher position than the other of the brackets 212. In one embodiment, the elongated tool carrying means 188 is attached to the main portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B at an inclined position of approximately 45° with respect to the horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B, such that when the brackets 212 are attached to the elongated tool carrying means 188, the bracket axis 214 is also disposed at an inclined position of approximately 45° with respect to the horizontal axis 218 of the tool carrier 108B. The inclined positioning of elongated tool carrying means 188 and the bracket axis 214 reduces a rocking motion of the tool 210 with respect to the tool carrier 108B caused by movements of the wearer, such as walking.
In the depicted embodiment, the elongated tool carrying means [0042] 188 includes a belt 204 that is secured to the main portion 186 by a series of belt loops 208 and rivets 206. The belt 204 may be threaded through the loops 211 of the brackets 212 to confine the brackets 212 between an outer surface of the main portion 186 of the tool carrier 108B and an inner surface of the belt 204 to releasably secure the tool 210 to the tool carrier 108B. In other embodiments, the elongated tool carrying means 188 may include clamps, eyelets, hooks, straps or any combination thereof, among other appropriate tool carrying means.
FIG. 2 shows an [0043] outer surface 114 of the waist supported structure 100. As shown, the first thigh protector 110A includes a first shield member 116A and a first reinforcing member 118A. Similarly, the second thigh protector 110B includes a second shield member 116B and a second reinforcing member 118B. The thigh protectors 110 are connected at an interconnecting section 120. For example, in one embodiment the thigh protectors 110 are formed as mirror images of each other. In this embodiment, each thigh protector 110 includes a laterally extending connecting portion 122 (see FIG. 4 for clarity), such that when the thigh protectors 110 are connected, the connecting portions 122 of each thigh protector 110 overlap at the interconnecting section 120. In one embodiment, the thigh protectors 110 are connected by a series of rivets 124. In addition, or in the alternative, the thigh protectors 110 may be connected by stitching. In another embodiment, the thigh protectors 110 may be integrally formed.
FIG. 3 shows an [0044] inner surface 126 of the waist supported structure 100. As shown, each reinforcing member 118 is attached to its corresponding shield member 116 on the inner surface 126 of the waist supported structure 100, such that when worn each reinforcing member 118 is disposed between its corresponding shield member 116 and one of the wearer's thighs.
Preferably, each [0045] shield member 116 is composed of a planer piece of flexible material, such as leather, and is sized and shaped to cover one of the wearer's legs from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer's knee 114. Each reinforcing member 118 is preferably formed out of a rigid material, such as plastic, so that when the wearer places a bundle of rebar rods 128 (FIG. 10) on the outer surface 114 of either one of the shield members 116, the weight of the rebar rods is supported, absorbed and distributed by the underlying reinforcing member 118 so as to reduce the possibility of the wearer's thigh being bruised, pinched, cut or otherwise damaged by the weight or sharp ridges of the rebar rods.
In a preferred embodiment, each [0046] shield member 116 is formed using a piece of leather that is generally 21 inches long by 18 inches wide and having a thickness in the range of 5 to 9 ounces and, more preferably, an average thickness of 5 to 5½ ounces. Also in a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing members 118 are made of a ballistic quality polycarbonate material that is approximately {fraction (1/16)} inch in thickness. The length of each reinforcing member 118 is preferably sized so as to extend substantially across the entire lateral dimension of its corresponding shield member 116.
As shown in FIG. 1, the [0047] first thigh protector 110 covers a first thigh of the wearer 101 and the second thigh protector 112 covers a second thigh of the wearer 101. As such, the wearer 101 can support a bundle of rebar rods on either of the wearer's thighs since each of the wearer's thighs are protected by a shield member 116 and its underlying reinforcing members 118.
For clarity, FIG. 4 shows a front view of only one of the [0048] thigh protectors 110. However, the components shown in FIG. 4 and described immediately below apply to both the first thigh protector 110A and the second thigh protector 110B. As shown, a first elastic strap 130A is attached to a first end 132A of each reinforcing member 118 and a second elastic strap 130B is attached to a second end 132B of each reinforcing member 118. A buckle mechanism 134 is attached to the elastic straps 130 to allow the wearer to secure each thigh protector 110 around one of the wearer's thighs. Preferably, the straps 130 are positioned on each reinforcing member 118 such that when the waist supported structure 100 is worn, each thigh protector 110 covers the front of one of the wearer's thighs and the straps 130 wrap around the back of the wearer's thighs following the interface between the back of the wearer's thigh and the wearer's buttocks and the interface between the inside of the wearer's thigh and the wearer's crotch. This positioning of the strap allows the strap to remain stationary during movements of the wearer, such as during walking, which results in a device that does not encumber or otherwise hinder the freedom of movement of the wearer.
In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the [0049] buckle mechanism 134 includes a male buckle member 136 that is attached to the first elastic strap 130A and a female buckle member 138 that is attached to the second elastic strap 130B. The female buckle member 138 and the male buckle member 136 are preferably formed of a plastic material. The male buckle member 136 includes a plurality of teeth 140 including outer teeth 142 that are elastic so that the outer teeth 142 can be compressed into an opening 139 of the female buckle member 138 and spring outwardly when the outer teeth 142 are positioned within openings 144 in the female buckle member 138. When the outer teeth 142 are positioned within the openings 144 in the female buckle member 138 the buckle members 136 and 138 form a secure interlocking connection. To disengage the interlocking connection of the buckle members 136 and 138, the wearer simply depresses the outer teeth 142 of the male buckle member 136 away from the openings 144 in the female buckle member 138 and pulls the buckle members 136 and 138 apart.
The tension of the [0050] elastic straps 130 can be adjusted by the wearer by pulling on a tail end 146 of the first elastic strap 130A. A leather extension 148 may be attached to the tail end 146 of the first elastic strap 130A to facilitate grasping the first elastic strap 130A. By adjusting the tension of the elastic straps 130, the reinforcing members 118 can be pulled closer too or loosened from the wearer's thigh when the waist supported structure 100 is worn.
Preferably, the material of the [0051] elastic straps 130A and 130B includes a 2-inch wide heavy duty elastic material. Consequently, it is a generally dense, relatively stiff, elastic material such as an 8-10 ounce density elastic strap. The strap 130A that is attached to the male buckle member 136 is preferably longer than the strap 130B that is attached to the female buckle member 138. For example, in one embodiment the strap 130A that is attached to the male buckle member 136 is approximately 12 inches in length and the strap 130B that is attached to the female buckle member 138 is approximately 7 inches in length. The increased length of the strap 130A that is attached to the male buckle member 136 facilitates an adjustment of the buckle mechanism 134. As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferred that the tail end 146 of the first elastic strap 130A of each thigh protector 110 be positioned on the outer side of the wearer's leg. This facilitates an adjustment of the strap 130A since the wearer can easily reach the tail end 140 by merely lowering his hand to his side to grasp the tail end 140 of the strap 130.
As shown in FIG. 4 (as well as FIGS. 2 and 3), each reinforcing [0052] member 118 and its corresponding elastic straps 130 are attached to the outer edges 150A and 150B of a corresponding one of the shield members 116 via rivets 124 that extend through openings 152 in the shield member 116, openings 154 in the elastic straps 130 and openings 156 in the reinforcing member 118. Preferably each elastic strap 130 is disposed between its corresponding reinforcing member 118 and the inner surface 126 of its corresponding shield member 116.
In addition, as shown for example in FIGS. 2 and 3, each reinforcing [0053] member 118 may be attached to its corresponding shield member 116 such that the reinforcing member 118 is positioned higher on the wearer's outer leg than on the wearer's inner leg. This positioning facilitates transferring rebar rods from the wearer's shoulder to the wearer's thigh and also facilitates transferring rebar rods from the wearer's side to the wearer's thigh. As also shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each reinforcing member 118 includes an lower section 160 that extends along the wearer's thigh in a direction toward the wearer's knee. As such, when one or more rebar rods slide along and eventually off of the wearer's thigh, the lower section 160 of the reinforcing member 118 supports the rebar rods 128, thereby further preventing injury to the wearer's thigh.
To further provide comfort to the wearer, each reinforcing [0054] member 118 may include a soft compressible material, such as a foam padding, that is attached to an inner surface of the reinforcing member 118 such that when the waist supported structure 100 is worn, the compressible material is disposed between the reinforcing member 118 and the wearer's thigh.
Preferably, each reinforcing [0055] member 118 is positioned on its corresponding shield member 116 such that when the waist supported structure 100 is worn by the average wearer each reinforcing member 118 is positioned adjacent the interface between the wearer's thigh and the wearer's groin. This location is the preferred location to place a bundle of rebar rods as it places less stress on the wearer's joints. As such, this location is also the preferred location for the reinforcing members 118.
As shown in FIG. 4, each reinforcing [0056] member 118 is preferably formed in a curved shaped so as to fit the contours of the wearer's thigh. The combination of the curvature of the reinforcing members 118 and the elastic straps 130 keeps each shield member 116 centered on the front of the wearer's thigh during subsequent movements by the wearer. In one embodiment, each reinforcing member 118 is approximately 7 inches wide by 10 ¼ inches long and is curved so that the first and second edges 132A and 132B are approximately 6½ inches apart. The separation between the first and second ends 132A and 132B of each reinforcing member 118 is selected so as to keep each shield member 116 centered about the average wearer's thigh.
As shown in FIGS. 2-3, the [0057] upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100 may include laterally extending first and second hip protecting portions 162A and 162B. For example, in one embodiment a hip protecting portion 162 laterally extends from each thigh protector 110. The hip protecting portions 162 wrap around and protect the wearer's hips when a belt portion 166 of the waist supported structure 100 is buckled to a buckle portion 168 of the waist supported structure 100 as shown, for example, in FIG. 6 and described in detail below.
As is also shown in FIG. 3, the [0058] upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100 may include a padded section 164 composed of a soft compressible material, such as a foam padding, that is attached to the inner surface 126 of the waist supported structure 100 between the shield members 116 and the wearer's waist. Preferably, the length of the padded section 162 is sized so as to extend substantially across the entire lateral dimension of the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100, from the first hip protecting portion 162A to the second hip protecting portion 162B.
The [0059] hip protecting portions 162 and the padded section 164 protect the wearer's hips from injury, for example when the wearer carries a bundle of rebar rods by his side, suitcase-style. In such an instance, the wearer is allowed to balance the bars against his hips without risking injury to his hips. Moreover, the padded section 164 also protects the wearer's groin, waist and hips from injuries caused by heavy objects, such as tools that the wearer carries on an upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100 as described in detail below. It will be appreciated that the exact positioning and composition of the padding can vary without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the padded [0060] section 164 includes a first padded section 164A attached to the first thigh protector 110A and a second padded section 164B attached to the second thigh protector 110B. Alternatively, the padded sections 164 may be integrally formed. In the depicted embodiment, the padded sections 164 are attached to the waist supported structure 100 by rivets 124. The padded sections 164 may be alternatively or additionally secured to the waist supported structure 100 by stitchings.
As shown in FIGS. 2-3, a [0061] belt portion 166 is attached on one side of the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100 and a corresponding buckle portion 168 is attached on an opposite side of the upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100. For example, in one embodiment, the belt portion 166 is attached to the first hip protecting portion 162A and the buckle portion 168 is attached to the second hip protecting portion 162B. The belt and buckle portions 166 and 168 may be wrapped around and buckled behind the wearer's back to form a releasable interlocking connection that secures the waist supported structure 100 around the wearer's waist. In one embodiment, the belt portion 166 includes a flexible material 170, such as leather, having a padded backing 172 that is disposed between the flexible material 170 and the wearer's back when worn by the wearer. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the waist supported structure 100 may also include a line of ornamental stitching 176 that outlines the waist supported structure 100, for example, at a distance of approximately ¼ of an inch from the outer edge of the waist supported structure 100.
The manner in which the wearer wears the waist supported [0062] structure 100 of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6. In particular, when the wearer desires to wear the waist supported structure 100, the wearer positions the shield members 116 over his thighs, such that the shield members 116 extend from the wearer's waist to the wearer's knee 113, so that the shield members 116 do not cover any joint of the wearer that would otherwise hinder movement of the wearer. The interconnecting section 120 of the waist supported structure 100 is positioned generally in front of the wearer's fly and is tapered downwardly so that if the wearer has a belt buckle 214 attached to his pants, the interconnecting section 120 does not press the belt buckle 214 against the wearer's stomach.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the wearer can secure the [0063] upper portion 102 of the waist supported structure 100 to his waist by wrapping the belt 166 around his back and attaching the belt 166 to the buckle 168. As shown if FIG. 5, when the belt 166 is so attached to the buckle 168, the wearer's hips are covered by the hip protecting portions 162 of the waist supported structure 100.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the wearer can secure each [0064] thigh protector 110 to a corresponding thigh by wrapping the straps 130 around the back of his thighs and fastening the buckle mechanism 134. The wearer can then pull on the tail end 124 of the strap 130 to pull the reinforcing member 118 snugly against the outer surface of the wearer's front thigh. The straps 130 are attached to the reinforcing members 118 at a location that allows the straps 130 to be positioned immediately adjacent the wearer's crotch and immediately underneath the wearer's buttocks when buckled around the wearer's thigh. This placement of the straps 130 results in the straps 130 being unlikely to move as a result of the wearer walking around while wearing the waist supported structure 100.
Hence, the waist supported [0065] structure 100 can be positioned so as to protect the wearer's hips and thigh's against damage that can result from carrying and positioning pieces of reinforcing material, such as rebar rods, while still permitting generally unencumbered movement by the wearer while wearing the waist supported structure 100.
The use of the waist supported [0066] structure 100 according to the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 10-13. In general the waist supported structure 100 is designed to be used by a construction worker, such as a rodman, who is engaged in the task of moving pieces of rebar rods from one location to another on a construction site. Typically, a rodman carries a bundle of rebar rods 128 over his shoulder as shown in FIG. 10. Alternatively, the rodman may carry the bundle of rebar rods at his side, suit-case style. The rodman transports the bundle of rebar rods 128 to a location on the construction site that is to receive one or more of the rebar rods 128. At this point, the rodman assumes a posture similar to the posture of the rodman shown in FIG. 11. Specifically, the rodman places one of his legs 218 forward and bends his knee 220 such that one of his thighs 222 is substantially parallel to the ground. The opposite leg 224 is preferably positioned slightly behind the back of the rodman so as to provide stability when the rodman lowers the bundle of rebar 210 from his shoulder to his thigh 222 as shown in FIG. 12.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 12, the bundle of [0067] rebar rods 128 is preferably lowered onto one of the thigh protectors 110 at a point where the center of mass of the rods 128 is positioned on the shield member 116 at a location that is directly over the reinforcing member 118. In this manner, the reinforcing member 118 bears and distributes a significant portion of the weight of the rebar thereby reducing the likelihood of bruising, pinching or injury to the thigh 222 of the rodman as a result of the thighs bearing the weight of the bundle of rods 128. As discussed above, each thigh protector 110 is sized so that its corresponding reinforcing member 118 is generally positioned substantially adjacent the interface between the rodman's thigh 222 and groin. Positioning the bulk of the rods 128 at this point allows for the greatest stability in handling and in supporting the rods.
Once the rodman has balanced the bundle of [0068] rebar 128 on one of his thighs 222 in the manner shown on FIG. 12, the rodman selects a single rod 128A to shake loose out of the bundle of rods 128 and let fall to the ground in front of the rodman as shown in FIG. 13. Typically, the selected rod 128A is the rod that is located on the outermost portion of the bundle 128, i.e. the rod 128A located closest to the rodman's knee 220. The selected rod 128A then slides along the shield member 116 until it reaches a point adjacent the rodman's knee 220 where it falls onto the ground generally forward of the rodman's foot. Hence, the shield member 116 protects the rodman from injury and also protects the underlying cloth of the rodman from damage as a result of the rebar rod 128A sliding off of the rodman's thigh 222 and onto the ground. Further, the rodman may resume the posture shown in FIG. 10 and transport the bundle of rebar rods 128 to another location on the construction site that is to receive one or more of the rebar rods 128 in the manner described above.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the waist supported [0069] structure 100 of the preferred embodiment enables the rodman to carry bundles of rebar to particular locations and then drop individual rods of rebar onto the ground in a manner where the likelihood injury to the rodman's thigh or damage to their clothing is reduced. In this embodiment, the combination of the shield member 116 extending generally over the length of the rodman's thigh and the reinforcing member 118 being positioned at a location where the rodman is to rest the bundle of rebar reduces the likelihood of injury to the rodman's thigh or damage to the rodman's clothing.
Moreover, the configuration and attachment of the flexible [0070] elastic straps 130 that circle the rodman's thigh at a location immediately adjacent the groin securely maintains the thigh protectors 110 on the rodman's thigh in a manner that does not encumber walking, bending or other movement of the rodman during other tasks that he performs on the construction site. Hence, the waist supported structure 100 according to the present invention enables the rodman to comfortably move about the construction site and still be able to transport rebar and deposit rebar at specific locations on the construction site with the reduced risk of injury to himself and his clothing.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in terms of certain embodiments, other embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, in view of the disclosure herein. Accordingly the present invention is not intended to be limited by the recitation of the preferred embodiments, but is instead intended to be defined solely by reference to the appended claims. [0071]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A waist supported structure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of a wearer comprising:

an upper portion having an outwardly directed surface adjacent the waist of a wearer;

at least one band portion attached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, wherein the band is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface to define a slot therebetween; and

a tool carrier extending through the slot and releasably attached to the at least one band portion.

2. The waist supported structure of claim 1, wherein the tool carrier comprises:

an upper portion comprising:

a top marginal portion rigidly affixed to an upper end of a flap forming a rigidly affixed juncture between the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap, and

a bottom marginal portion having a coupling means that forms a releasable interlocking connection with a coupling means that is attached to a bottom end of the flap; and

a main portion having a tool carrying means attached thereto.

3. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein when the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the band is confined between the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap.

4. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein when the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the upper portion of the tool carrier is extended through the slot and the flap is extended over the band and releasably attached to the upper portion of the tool carrier.

5. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein when the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the upper portion of the tool carrier is disposed in the slot and adjacent to an inner surface of the band portion; the flap is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the band portion; the rigidly affixed juncture between the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap is disposed adjacent to a first edge of the band portion; and the coupling means of the upper portion of the tool carrier is interlocked with the coupling means of the flap to form the releasable interlocking connection adjacent to a second edge of the band portion.

6. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein the tool carrying means is an elongated tool carrying means that is attached to the main portion of the tool carrier at an inclined position with respect to a horizontal axis of the tool carrier.

7. The waist supported structure of claim 2, wherein the elongated tool carrying means engages a pair of aligned brackets of a tool to releasably secure the tool to the tool carrier, and wherein the aligned brackets form a bracket axis that is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis of the tool carrier when the elongated tool carrying means engages the pair of aligned brackets, such that a first of the pair of aligned brackets is disposed at a higher position than a second of the pair of aligned brackets.

8. The waist supported structure of claim 1, further comprising a first thigh protector that forms a portion of the outwardly directed surface, wherein the first thigh protector extends from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer's knee.

9. The waist supported structure of claim 8, further comprising a second thigh protector that forms a portion of the outwardly directed surface, wherein the second thigh protector extends from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer's knee.

10. A waist supported structure for mounting a tool carrier to carry tools at the waist of a wearer comprising:

at least one band portion attached at its opposite ends to the outwardly directed surface, wherein the band is substantially parallel to and facing the outwardly directed surface to define a slot therebetween;

a tool carrier extending through the slot and releasably attached to the at least one band portion;

a first thigh protector and a second thigh protector that each form a portion of the outwardly directed surface, wherein each thigh protector extends from the wearer's waist to a position just above the wearer's knee; and

an attachment mechanism coupled to each thigh protector to retain each thigh protector in front of a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs.

11. The waist supported structure of claim 10, wherein the tool carrier comprises:

an upper portion comprising:

a main portion having a tool carrying means attached thereto.

12. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein when the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the band is confined between the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap.

13. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein when the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the upper portion of the tool carrier is extended through the slot and the flap is extended over the band and releasably attached to the upper portion of the tool carrier.

14. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein when the tool carrier is attached to the at least one band portion, the upper portion of the tool carrier is disposed in the slot and adjacent to an inner surface of the band portion; the flap is disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the band portion; the rigidly affixed juncture between the upper portion of the tool carrier and the flap is disposed adjacent to a first edge of the band portion; and the coupling means of the upper portion of the tool carrier is interlocked with the coupling means of the flap to form the releasable interlocking connection adjacent to a second edge of the band portion.

15. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein the tool carrying means is an elongated tool carrying means that is attached to the main portion of the tool carrier at an inclined position with respect to a horizontal axis of the tool carrier.

16. The waist supported structure of claim 11, wherein the elongated tool carrying means engages a pair of aligned brackets of a tool to releasably secure the tool to the tool carrier, and wherein the aligned brackets form a bracket axis that is inclined with respect to the horizontal axis of the tool carrier when the elongated tool carrying means engages the pair of aligned brackets, such that a first of the pair of aligned brackets is disposed at a higher position than a second of the pair of aligned brackets.

17. The waist supported structure of claim 10, wherein the first thigh protector comprises:

a first shield member sized so as to cover a first thigh of the wearer, wherein the first shield member comprises a planar piece of flexible material that is adapted to reduce injury to the wearer's first thigh and clothes as a result of positioning a bundle of reinforcing bars on the wearer's first thigh and sliding a selected one of the bundle of reinforcing bars along at least a portion of the first shield member so as to fall to the ground; and

a first reinforcing member attached to the first shield member at a location selected so as to be adjacent the interface between the wearer's first thigh and the wearer's groin, wherein the first reinforcing member comprises a curved rigid member that is attached to a side of the shield member that is positioned adjacent the wearer's first thigh so that the weight of the bundle of rods, when balanced on the wearer's first thigh, is distributed by the reinforcing member so as to reduce the likelihood of injury occurring to the wearer's first thigh when the bundle of rods is balanced thereon.

18. The waist supported structure of claim 17, wherein the second thigh protector comprises:

a second shield member sized so as to cover a second thigh of the wearer, wherein the second shield member comprises a planar piece of flexible material that is adapted to reduce injury to the wearer's second thigh and clothes as a result of positioning a bundle of reinforcing bars on the wearer's second thigh and sliding a selected one of the bundle of reinforcing bars along at least a portion of the second shield member so as to fall to the ground; and

a second reinforcing member attached to the second shield member at a location selected so as to be adjacent the interface between the wearer's second thigh and the wearer's groin, wherein the second reinforcing member comprises a curved rigid member that is attached to a side of the shield member that is positioned adjacent the wearer's second thigh so that the weight of the bundle of rods, when balanced on the wearer's second thigh, is distributed by the reinforcing member so as to reduce the likelihood of injury occurring to the wearer's second thigh when the bundle of rods is balanced thereon.

19. The waist supported structure of claim 18, wherein each attachment mechanism is attached to a corresponding one of the reinforcing members so as to retain each reinforcing member in the desired location with respect to a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs, wherein each attachment mechanism comprises an adjustable buckle assembly that is attached to a corresponding one of the reinforcing members and is adapted to extend around a corresponding one of the wearer's thighs so as to encircle the corresponding one of the wearer's thighs and retain each thigh protector on the front of the corresponding one of the wearer's thighs.

20. The waist supported structure of claim 10, wherein the first thigh protector includes a first hip protector that extends laterally outward from the first thigh protector and is sized to cover a first hip of the wearer.

21. The waist supported structure of claim 20, wherein the second thigh protector includes a second hip protector that extends laterally outward from the second thigh protector and is sized to cover a second hip of the wearer.