Multipurpose Tool Carabiner Nesting for Compact Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multipurpose tools with carabiners face challenges in achieving a compact form while maintaining ruggedness and lightweight design, as the carabiner often limits the tool's compactness and increases size.
Innovation Solution
A multipurpose tool design where a tool, such as a bit driver, is at least partially disposed within the carabiner between its sidewalls when the handles are in the closed position, allowing the tool to be securely stored and reducing the overall size, and a handle with an integral carabiner that can be formed by stamping and bending a workpiece to define a carabiner with an engagement aperture and a pocket for storing extra bits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a carabiner is added to a multipurpose tool for secure attachment, then the tool can be securely clipped to a belt loop, but the tool size increases and compactness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The bit driver is nested within the carabiner structure, with the bit driver body positioned inside the carabiner's opening when the tool is in the closed position. This nesting arrangement allows the carabiner to provide secure attachment functionality while accommodating the bit driver without significantly increasing overall tool volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The carabiner and bit driver are merged into a single integrated structure where the carabiner serves dual purposes: providing secure attachment capability and housing the bit driver. This merging eliminates the need for separate components and reduces overall tool size while maintaining both functionalities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If extra bits are stored with the multipurpose tool for increased functionality, then bit availability is improved, but the tool size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Extra bits are stored within the carabiner structure or handle cavity, nesting them inside the existing tool volume. This allows multiple bits to be carried without proportionally increasing tool size, as the bits occupy space already allocated for the bit driver and carabiner mechanisms.
3Volume of moving object
If the multipurpose tool is made foldable for compactness, then the closed position size is reduced, but the complexity of the tool structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into separable components (handles, bit driver, carabiner) that can move relative to each other through defined pivot points. This segmentation allows the tool to fold into a compact closed position while maintaining structural integrity through standardized connection points and movement paths.
Data Source
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AI summary
A multipurpose tool (10) is provided that includes a carabiner (24) and that is designed to fold into a closed position that is relatively compact. As such, the carabiner (24) of the multipurpose tool (10) can be utilized to secure the multipurpose tool (10) to a user, such as to a belt loop or the like, while permitting the multipurpose tool (10) to be folded into a compact form. A handle (12) that includes a carabiner (24) and that can be utilized by such a multipurpose tool (10) as well as a method of forming the handle (12) are also provided. Still further, a multipurpose tool (10) is provided that includes a handle (12) defining a pocket (56) for storing at least one bit (64) in instances in which the bit (64) is not engaged by the bit driver (22), thereby reducing the likelihood that the bit (64) will be lost or otherwise separated from the multipurpose tool (10).