CA2958453A1

CA2958453A1 - Key holder case

Info

Publication number: CA2958453A1
Application number: CA2958453A
Authority: CA
Inventors: William G. Krys
Original assignee: William G Krys Professional Corp
Current assignee: William G Krys Professional Corp
Priority date: 2017-02-21
Filing date: 2017-02-21
Publication date: 2018-08-21

Abstract

A key holder case comprises an external housing sized to contain a key, the housing having a first surface and second surface, side walls, and an operative end. A slidable sleeve is contained within the housing and the sleeve is shaped to hold a key. An opening in the operative end of the housing is shaped to allow passage of a portion of a key. A slot extends along a side wall of the housing such that a slide button may extend from the sleeve through the slot for translating the sleeve within the housing. The key is contained within the housing when the sleeve is retracted and a portion of the key protrudes from the housing when the sleeve is extended, and the key holder case is contiguously stackable with further key holder cases by a connecting mechanism.

Description

KEY HOLDER CASE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Key holder cases.
BACKGROUND

[0002] Keys are often hung on key chains or key rings, and keys that are unprotected in this way can cause damage to surfaces or pockets in which the keys are placed. Keys may also become entangled within key rings. Key holder cases are used to carry keys in a holder providing an orderly, immediate untangled access to the desired key when needed.
SUMMARY

[0003] In an embodiment, there is provided a key holder case, comprising an external housing sized to contain a key, the housing having a first surface and second surface, a top side, and an operative end; a slidable sleeve contained within the housing, the sleeve shaped to hold a bow of the key; an opening in the operative end of the housing shaped to allow passage of a blade of the key and a portion of a shoulder of the key; a slot extending along the top side of the housing; a slide button extending from the sleeve through the slot for translating the sleeve within the housing; and wherein the key is contained within the housing when the sleeve is retracted and a portion of the key protrudes from the housing when the sleeve is extended to allow the key to operate in a lock corresponding to the key, and wherein the key holder case is contiguously stackable with further key holder cases by a connecting mechanism.

[0004] In various embodiments, there may be included any one or more of the following features:
the connecting mechanism comprises a set of pockets inset in the first surface of the housing and a corresponding set of plugs extending from the second surface of the housing;
there are four pockets in the first surface of the housing and four corresponding plugs in the second surface of the housing;
the pockets are located in the corners of the first surface of the housing and the plugs are located in the corners of the second surface of the housing; and the portion of the key which protrudes from the housing is the blade portion of the key. Alternatively, the connecting mechanism in the four corners may comprise other fasteners such as screws, or bolts and nuts, or tabbed clip and slot or other suitable mechanism to maintain the case in its stacked configuration when fastened while allowing for addition or removal of key holder cases from the stack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0005] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which:

[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a key holder case, stacked with further key holder cases;

[0007] Fig. 2 is an expanded view of the embodiment of Fig. 1;

[0008] Fig. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of a key holder case, stacked with further key holder cases;

[0009] Fig. 4 is atop view of the embodiment of Fig. 3 in which one of the keys in the key holder cases is extended outside the case;

[0010] Fig. 5 is an expanded view of the embodiment of Fig. 3;

[0011] Fig. 6 is a first surface view of an embodiment of a key holder case;

[0012] Fig. 7 is a further first surface view the embodiment of Fig. 6 in which a key extends out of the case;

[0013] Fig. 8 is a second surface view of the embodiment of Fig. 6;

[0014] Fig. 9 is a further second surface view of the embodiment of Fig. 6 in which a key extends out of the case;

[0015] Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 6, along axis A-A;

[0016] Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 7, along axis A-A
in which a key extends out of the case;

[0017] Fig. 12 is a partial view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; in which a key extends out of the case;
and

[0018] Fig. 13 is further partial view of the embodiment of Fig. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here without departing from what is covered by the claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite articles "a" and "an" before a claim feature do not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each one of the individual features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by virtue only of being described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as defined by the claims.

[0020] Referring to Figs. 1, 6 and 8, an embodiment of a key holder case 10 is shown. The key holder case 10 comprises an external housing 12 sized to contain a key and sleeve 13, and the housing 12 has a first surface 14, a second surface 15, a top side 16, and an operative end 18.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 10-13, the external housing 12 has a slidable sleeve 20 contained within the housing 12 and the sleeve 20 is shaped to hold a bow 21 of the key 13. The external housing 12 has an opening 22 in the operative end 18 of the housing 12 and a slot 23 extending along top side 16 of the housing 12. The opening 22 is shaped to allow passage of the blade 24 or shoulder 26 of the key 13. A slide button 28 extends from the sleeve 20 through the slot 23 for translating the sleeve 20 within the housing 12.

[0022] The key 13 may be retracted for orderly storage or extended for use. As shown in Figs. 10 and 13, the key 13 seated in the sleeve 20 is contained within the housing 12 when the sleeve 20 is retracted, and as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a portion of the key 13 protrudes from the housing 12 when the sleeve 20 has been slide extended to allow the key to operate in a lock corresponding to the key 13. When the key 13 is fully extended, the key 13 can be used to open the lock.

[0023] As shown in Figs. 1-5, the key holder case 10 is stackable with further key holder cases by a connecting mechanism 30. A set of key holder cases may form a stack of cases 32. The key holder cases 10 may be stacked so that the operative end 18 of each case operates in the same direction or in the opposite direction of another case.

[0024] As shown in the connecting mechanism 30 comprises a set of pockets 34 inset in the first surface 14 of the housing 12 and a corresponding set of plugs 36 extending from the second surface 15 of the housing 12. There may be, for example, four pockets 34 in the first surface 14 of the housing and four corresponding plugs 36 in the second surface 15 of the housing 12. The four pockets 34 and four plugs 36 may be located in the corners of the housing 12.
However, there may be greater or fewer pockets 34 and corresponding plugs 36. The pockets 34 and plugs 36 may connect to each other by a friction fit, and the pockets 34 may have troughs corresponding to ridges in the plugs 36 to increase the strength of the connection. The plugs 34 may be screws or bolts and the pockets may have corresponding screw or bolt threads or nuts. If screws or bolts are used, alternating housings in a stack of cases may be offset to provide spacing for the screws or bolts.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the bow 38 of the key 13 is held by the sleeve 20, may be held in the sleeve 20 by the shape of the sleeve 20 or by friction, a clip or a latch. For example, the sleeve 20 may have a lip which prevents a portion of the bow of the key 13 from sliding out of the sleeve 20. The slide button 28 may be connected directly to the sleeve 20, and the slide button 28 may have an extension element 40 which connects the sleeve 20 to the slide button 28.
The extension element 40 may be smaller than the main portion of the slide button 28 in order to pass through the slot 23.
The extension element 40 may be, for example, a short rod. The extension element 40 is sufficiently stiff that the translation of the slide button 28 results in a corresponding translation of the sleeve 20.

[0026] The sleeve 20 may slide within the housing 12 along a guide. For example, the sleeve 20 may have runners which correspond to tracks of the housing 12, or the sleeve 20 may have tracks which correspond to runners on the housing 12. The slide button 28 can be manually moved along the length of the slot 23 to move the sleeve 20 and therefore the key 13 from a retracted position inside the housing 12 to an extended position outside the housing 12.

[0027] Key 13 is shown fully extended in Figs. 4, 7, 9, 11 and 12. Key 13 is shown retracted in the housing in Figs. 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 13. Figs. 1 and 2 show key 13 in various positions, including partially extended, fully extended and fully retracted.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A key holder case, comprising:
an external housing sized to contain a key, the housing having a first surface and second surface, a top side, and an operative end;
a slidable sleeve contained within the housing, the sleeve shaped to hold a bow of the key;
an opening in the operative end of the housing shaped to allow passage of a blade of the key and a portion of a shoulder of the key;
a slot extending along the top side of the housing;
a slide button extending from the sleeve through the slot for translating the sleeve within the housing; and wherein the key is contained within the housing when the sleeve is retracted and a portion of the key protrudes from the housing when the sleeve is extended to allow the key to operate in a lock corresponding to the key, and wherein the key holder case is contiguously stackable with further key holder cases by a connecting mechanism.

2. The key holder case of claim 1 in which the connecting mechanism comprises a set of pockets inset in the first surface of the housing and a corresponding set of plugs extending from the second surface of the housing.

3. The key holder case of claim 2 in which there are four pockets in the first surface of the housing and four corresponding plugs in the second surface of the housing.

4. The key holder case of any one of claims 1-3 in which the pockets are located in the corners of the first surface of the housing and the plugs are located in the corners of the second surface of the housing.

5. The key holder case of any one of claims 1-5 in which the portion of the key which protrudes from the housing is the blade portion of the key.