The Lighter Leash (tm) is a real, currently existing product (see link). It's basically a keychain device consisting of a springloaded pulley cord. There are other brands of this kind of device, but 'Lighter Leash' makes a handy term for it. They get used in workplaces all over the country to hold things like RFID badges, keys, and, in my case, a rubber stamp with my name and employee number that goes on the paperwork for every part that I perform any amount of work on. The lighter leashes are issued to us and we are expected to keep our stamps attached to our person thusly to ensure they don't get lost.

What happens occasionally is that the leash tether breaks and the stamp gets lost. If you keep your lighter leash attached to a keyring secured to a belt loop like many people do, it gets snagged frequently in couch cushions, seat belts, doors, and other places (and when you don't realize it's snagged and it suddenly gets loose and zings back and snaps you in the ass, it can hurt!) Though it is recognized that the breakage and subsequent loss happens occasionally and is unavoidable, it's still kind of a big deal when it does.

It occurs to me that an RFID chip in whatever is attached to the lighter leash and a scanner on the pulley unit could trigger a beeping alarm if the pulley has no tension on it (meaning it ought to be in it's fully retracted position) and the device needing to be secured is not detected. This should let you know right away if it has broken so you can retrieve your device from wherever it landed. That is all.
-- 21 Quest, Jul 07 2014

lighter leash https://www.google....NW5KlSxbEAkWRjYqpWQ
[21 Quest, Jul 07 2014]

//Though it is recognized that the breakage and subsequent loss happens occasionally and is unavoidable, it's still kind of a big deal when it does.//

I think that if you work in a job where breaking the leash on your rubber stamp is kind of a big deal, it may be time to think about alternative employment.

Simpler solution, though: a fine wire embedded in the relevant parts of the leash, so that when it breaks an alarm sounds.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jul 07 2014


M'lord, you make a good point, but we work in an environment where such things can come in useful.

I worked in a shop once where the external auditor, in his sweep of the building, saw that many employees had their stamps on their keychains, which they left in the locks of their toolboxes.

He simply collected them as he went by, and when he met with senior management turned the lot over to them, and suggested that perhaps improvement in control of stamps was merited.
-- normzone, Jul 07 2014


As these things typically have some pretension in the clockspring, an even simpler solution would be to have the spring activate a contact switch when it was loosened beyond the shortest theoretical point.

Here in Detroit we call them 'yo-yo's.
-- RayfordSteele, Jul 08 2014


off-hand wrist-holster, or mounted on top of a baseball cap brim, if you can't simply get (or retrofit) one with a stronger tether.
-- FlyingToaster, Jul 08 2014


" off-hand wrist-holster " - now there's a method of open carry I've not seen before...
-- normzone, Jul 08 2014



random, halfbakery