CA2086350A1 - Key and flat article holder - Google Patents

Key and flat article holder

Info

Publication number
CA2086350A1
CA2086350A1 CA 2086350 CA2086350A CA2086350A1 CA 2086350 A1 CA2086350 A1 CA 2086350A1 CA 2086350 CA2086350 CA 2086350 CA 2086350 A CA2086350 A CA 2086350A CA 2086350 A1 CA2086350 A1 CA 2086350A1
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
container
ring
lid
accordance
back wall
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
CA 2086350
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Truc Tran-Ngoc
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TRAN NGOC TRUC
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to CA 2086350 priority Critical patent/CA2086350A1/en
Publication of CA2086350A1 publication Critical patent/CA2086350A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A44HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
    • A44BBUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
    • A44B15/00Key-rings
    • A44B15/005Fobs
    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A45HAND OR TRAVELLING ARTICLES
    • A45CPURSES; LUGGAGE; HAND CARRIED BAGS
    • A45C11/00Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00
    • A45C11/32Bags or wallets for holding keys

Landscapes

  • Closures For Containers (AREA)

Abstract

KEY AND FLAT ARTICLE HOLDER

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to article holders comprising a container or case attached to a ring or a plurality of rings for retaining and enclosing, in an orderly and compact manner, a plurality of thin and generally flat articles such as keys.
Said holder includes means to isolate a selected article from the others when they are mounted on a ring holder. The main objective of this invention is to improve the usefulness and convenience of a ring holder in storing, selecting, and using an article. The container also provides means for a fashionable or suitable decoration and identification of said holder.

Description

- -~

BACKGROUND OF 1~ INVENTION:

, This invention relates to article holders that include a container or case -attached to a ring or a plurality of rings for retaining, in an orderly and compact manner, a plurality of thin and generally flat articles such as keys. From here on in this disclosure the articles are generally referred to as keys, but the holders are not limited to the holding of keys.

~1 .; . : ' A ring holder is the most convenience, simplest and most economical device for :......................................................................... :
c~ holding a plurality of keys. Keys can be freely moved around a ring to facilitate their selection and to allow easy recognition of a particular key by sight or by touch, some keys have a special head design for identification purpose. The ; -accessibility to the key head on a ring allows a firm grip during use. These are, . ~, some of the main features that make it the preferred choice of many users for a key holder. However, one of the major drawback of a ring holder is its lack of means to retain the loose end of the keys together for compactness during storage or calliage, and to enclose their sharp edges to reduce the abrasion darnage to the lining of purses and pockets. Moreover, from an aesthetic point of view, an ;~!
identification plate or souvenir object is usually mounted on a key ring to attract `~ -2-`1 ~9 the buyer. This, however, unnecessarily increases the bulkiness of the set. Other designs of key holder address the problem by employing a different concept to mount the key such as a pivotal mounting arrangement described in US patents i:
2,245,381 4,045,984 4,646,913 4,596,126. These designs are less versatile, more difficult to use, especially in selecting and using a key, and expensive for fabrication.

' A primary object of the present invention is to provide a ring type holder with ,~
means for enclosing and retaining the loose end of the keys together in an orderly and compact manner for added convenience during storage or carriage in a pocket "~ or a purse. This prevents sharp edges on the keys, especially along the cut profile of a key blade, to rub or punch through pocket and purse lining in order to reduce the wear and tear of the lining. Another primary object is to permit the selection and isolation of a key from a key set by leaving it outside of the container while others are enclosed within. This feature improves the usefulness of the holder such as: isolation of the most frequently used key, pre-selection of a particular key in a well lit area before using it out in the dark, enhancement of the aesthetic aspect of a ring holder by hiding the unlike keys while showing others, preventing scratching of the wall or surface adjacent to the key hole during use. Another primary object is to provide means for decoration or identification of a key set :i ' -3-i, ~ .
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20863~0 "' with art-works performed on the container surfaces, thus avoid adding unnecessary bulkiness to the set. The container also provides a reference point : ~ on the ring so that a key could be identified by it~ mounting order after . ~:
frequent use.

These and other objects will be understood more readily in the following ~ -:
`. description of the invention together with illustrations presented in the , accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an article holder of the present invention with the lid of .-:
~ . .. .:
the container in a closed position enclosing one key and leaving another key outside for usage;

FIG. 2 illustrates an article holder of the present invention with the lid of the container in a fully open position showing one key laying within the holding compartment and another key been moved out of the container along the ring and ready for usage;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A of a design variation of the present invention;

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FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B of the same design ~`
~. ~
~ ~ variation illustrated in FIG. 3; ~ ~

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FIG. 5 is a front view of an article holder of the present invention where ~ ~ ~
~, the container comprises a plurality of key holding compartments;
!.` ' ~ :
: ~"'.'.' FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a single lid for the container illustrated in FIG. 5.

~` SUMMARY 01~ IHE ~VENTION
.~, Said holder, as shown in FIG. 1 and 2, comprises a container or case 11, attached to a ring 12 of any size or shape, providing means for enclosing and kee~Y;' keys 13 together in an orderly and compact manner for storage and carriage. The container includes a lid 14 with operable means such as hinging about a pivot axis 15 or sliding in and out on a front face of the container. With the lid in its open t ~
~ position, a key 16 or a plurality of keys could be removed from the container, ~
i,. ~ . ~
they are then free to be moved along or rotated around ~he ring 12 for ease of identification, selection and use. ! ' '~

'5~
~ ' ' '~
:`.' :...... ':.:' Alternatively one or several keys 16 could be selected and left outside of the container, the remaining keys 13 are left inside the container with the lid closed, .:.. . .
thus separating the selected keys from the enclosed ones on the set. ~ ~-Said container could be made out of rigid material including plastic, metal and wood, or flexible material including leather or other tissues that wrap around the `' keys to hold them together. The preferred embodiment is that of a rigid container, made out of plastic with 3 walls and an operable front lid 14. The top . .
wall is omitted to ease the accommodation of the key heads and facilitate the ?.1 movement of keys in and out of the container along the ring. The bottom wall !' ,, iS omitted to accommodate exceptionally long key blade, whereas, for the majority of keys, their blades would be completely enclosed by the container walls in a storage position. The back wall 17 and the front lid are longer than the side walls 18,19, extending to cover the key heads and hold them in a parallel relationship ~j with each others on the ring. A hole 20 is provided at the extended end near the ~''3 ' top edge of the back wall to provide means for either direct mounting of the ring on the container or indirectly attaching it to the container by other means ~;
including a metal tab, linking wire or rod. The hole may be reenforced by a metal insert. In the case of direct mounting, the ring pass through the hole and is generally perpendicular to the back wall, the front lid 14 could be of the same ~, ~1 .. -.
. .

20863~
>. ; ~

~ ~ .
length as the back wall 17 and has a clearance slot 21 to accommodate the ring when the lid is in its closed position. The lid could also be made shorter than the back wall, enough to clear the ring and still adequately trap and hold the key heads in aparallel relationship to each other during storage. The side walls 18,19 are shorter than the back wall 17 or the lid 14, leaving spaces on both sides of the .~
container adjacent to the mounting location of the ring. The spaces allow accommodation of keys with unusually wide head, permit visual inspection and recognition of key heads when they are in a storage position. For a key that has been selected in any order other than the first one from the lid side and left outside of the container, the spaces also allow sideways rotational movement and -,~
; finger accessibility to the head of said key for a firm grip during use.

In its closed position, the lid 14 is held in place by snap-on clips 22 engaging with ~ profiles 23 disposed on the side wall 18 of the container, other means such as a `~' spring loaded mechanism located on the hinge side, or friction engagement ;~
between the side wall and the lid of the container could also be used for the same purpose. A recess 24 on the outside surface of the side wall readily identify the -ji movable side of the lid and allow adequate fingers access to pull the lid open. -~ , . ~
` The hinge 15 could be located on either the left or right side wall 18 or l9 ~
allowing a user dexterous preference. The hinge is disposed entirely along the ~ - ;

`' '~"; ':.
,., ~., . ~ .
.`l ''~'.'~'' r 1: ~
side wall to improve the aesthetic aspect of the holder. The hinge is designed in such a way that when fully opened, the lid swings out and stops at about a 90 degrees angle relative to the container front face, in this position the lid helps guide the keys into their places between the walls of the container for storage., ~
Different kinds of artwork 25 including printing, painting, embossing, stamping ~; and sculpting can be performed on the surfaces of the container wall and lid to identify, decorate, enhance the artistic or commercial value of the holder or toallow the holder to be served as mementoes at special occasions, places or events.

' ~
~ Several design variations for the invention include but not limited to the -~ followings:
" .:
, , FIG. 3 and 4 illustrate a design variation where the container 26 has no lid, it ~ ~
i ., .
''',J fully encloses the keys except at the top end where it is open to allow keys - i removal and insertion. The ring 12 holding the key set is attached to a bar 27 -~that slides in and out of the container while being guided by a slot 28 and a recess ';.`~1 c~ 29 disposed in the centre of the back wall. With the bar in its outermost position, the key blades clear ~e shorter side walls 30, hence they could be swung ~ ~`
sideways out of the container and become free to move along the ring. In an ~;

~ 20863~o i innermost position, the blades of stored keys are fully enclosed by the wall of the container. The bar is located and slid along an outside recess 29 on the back wall 31. An inside recess 32 located at the top end of the back wall, in combination with the outside recess 29, guide the bar at this location. The bottom end of the bar is shaped into a T-spring 33, bent inward through the slot 28 to clip on the inside surface of the back wall 31 and hold the bar sliding along the recess 29.
At the ends of its travel the spring engages in notches or grooves 34 provided on the inside surface of the back wall 31 to hold the key set in either the extended or the retracted position relative to the container.

A second design variation, shown on FIG. 5 and 6, is that of a plurality of rings 35 been attached to the back wall of a container 36 along a same edge or on opposite edges to each other. This increases the holding capacity of the container .~ . ~
-'~; or, with a same capacity, it would decrease the overall thickness of the container by increasing the width to accommodate a plurality of key compartments. A
~........................................................................... .
`~ single lid 37 or a plurality of lids one for each key compartment could be used to ~ ~
~ ! . .: :
enclose the keys. The lid 37 or lids have clearance slots 38 aligned with the mounting positions of the rings 35 to accommodate them when the lids are in a closed position. Side spaces are provided on the side walls 39,40 near the ' ¦ mounted location of each ring for the same purposes as outlined in the description ~; ;;

~`i ,~: .

~` 20863S~~ il ~:' of the preferred embodiment. Internal walls 41 are used to divide the container into different holding compartments.
, ~' ::
..
.~ :

.-. ....................................................................... .
~, - .

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i. .~ .
'f.'l ~` ,`1 ~``1

Claims (12)

1) A holder comprising a ring or a plurality of rings of any size and shape and a container or case, including attaching means to joint them together to provide means for retaining and enclosing a plurality of flat articles such as keys in an orderly and compact manner.
2) The device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container is rigid having a single or a plurality of lids with operable means; with said lids in their open position, the articles could be removed from the container and are free to be moved along and around said ring or rings for ease of selection and use.
3) The device in accordance with claim 2 wherein a single lid is operable by rotation about an axis located on one side or at the bottom of the container;
closing means is provided to hold the lid in a closed position; the top wall is omitted and attaching means for a single ring is disposed near the top edge of the back wall of said container.
4) The device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said attaching means for the ring comprises a hole, plain or reenforced; the ring is directly mounted through said hole and is generally in a perpendicular relationship to the back wall and pass through a clearance slot disposed at the centre of the top edge of the front lid.
5) The device in accordance with claim 3 wherein closing means to hold the lid in a closed position includes snap-on clips engaging with profiles or grooves disposed on the side wall.
6) The device in accordance with claim 3 wherein said lid is rotatable about an axis located along one side wall, a recess is cut on the outside surface of the other side wall of the container, it identifies the operable side of the lid, and allows adequate fingers access to pull the lid open.
7) The device in accordance with claim 3 wherein side walls are shorter than the back wall and the front lid, leaving spaces above their top edges on either sides of the ring to: a) accommodate unusually wide head of articles disposed in a perpendicular relationship to the side walls; b) allow an article, selected in any order and left outside of the container, to be free to moved around the ring; and c) allow finger access for manipulating and using of the article.
8) The device in accordance with claim 3 wherein the bottom is open accommodating abnormally long key blades.
9) The device in accordance with claim 2 wherein a plurality of rings are disposed on the back wall of the container along a same edge or along opposite edges to each other; clearance slots are disposed on the lids which aligned with the mounting positions of the rings on the back wall when the lids are in a closed position; clearance spaces are also provided on the side walls near the mounting location of each ring; divider walls define articles's holding compartments inside the container.
10) The device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said container is enclosed on all sides without lid, except that it is open at the top end and at section of the side walls adjacent to a ring; a ring or a plurality of rings, each mounted at the outer end of a bar with means provided to move the bar in and out relative to the container.
11) The device in accordance with claim 10 wherein each said bar slide along while being guided by a double recesses and a slot on the back wall of the container; the bottom end of the bar is shaped into a T-spring and bent inward through the slot to clip on the inside surface of the back wall and hold said bar in the recess while sliding; the spring engages in notches on the inside surface of the back wall at the end of the travel of said bar to keep the bar in either the extended or retracted position relative to the container.
12) The device in accordance with claim 1 wherein decoration or identification means is provided by artwork performed on the surfaces of the container or lid.
CA 2086350 1992-12-29 1992-12-29 Key and flat article holder Abandoned CA2086350A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2086350 CA2086350A1 (en) 1992-12-29 1992-12-29 Key and flat article holder

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA 2086350 CA2086350A1 (en) 1992-12-29 1992-12-29 Key and flat article holder

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2086350A1 true CA2086350A1 (en) 1994-06-30

Family

ID=4150913

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA 2086350 Abandoned CA2086350A1 (en) 1992-12-29 1992-12-29 Key and flat article holder

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2086350A1 (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2785158A1 (en) * 1998-11-02 2000-05-05 Deny Key protection case comprises sheath formed by cover and back which has hollow impression corresponding to shape and dimensions of key
GB2375475B (en) * 2001-05-15 2003-12-17 Larry Owolabi Key Protector
ES2249160A1 (en) * 2004-07-30 2006-03-16 Luis Maria Aizpurua Plaza Retractable key-holder

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2785158A1 (en) * 1998-11-02 2000-05-05 Deny Key protection case comprises sheath formed by cover and back which has hollow impression corresponding to shape and dimensions of key
GB2375475B (en) * 2001-05-15 2003-12-17 Larry Owolabi Key Protector
ES2249160A1 (en) * 2004-07-30 2006-03-16 Luis Maria Aizpurua Plaza Retractable key-holder
WO2006027396A1 (en) * 2004-07-30 2006-03-16 Aizpurua Plaza Luis Maria Retractable key-holder
US7856859B2 (en) 2004-07-30 2010-12-28 Luis Maria Aizpurua Plaza Retractable key-holder

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Legal Events

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