EP0170762B1

EP0170762B1 - Writing instrument with spare key

Info

Publication number: EP0170762B1
Application number: EP19850100194
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tomoyoshi Moriyama
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-07-26
Filing date: 1985-01-10
Publication date: 1990-05-23
Also published as: EP0170762A1; JPS6128693U

Description

The present invention relates to a writing instrument and key combination comprising a barrel.
Many people feel concern about how a spare key should be carried and kept. It is quite likely that spare keys are called for suddenly on unexpected opportunities. For example, a driver may lock the doors of his or her car from outside while the ignition key is still in the ignition switch. The occupant of an apartment may leave the apartment and lock the door without taking the door key with him or her.
Although people are in need of spare keys in such occasions, they forget to carry the spare key more often than not. When they are locked out without a spare key, they feel quite embarrassed, putting themselves in trouble or sending for a key expert to unlock the door, which will cost them an unexpected amount of money.
Since the spare key is a spare, it is not required usually, and the user tends to forget its whereabouts. The spare key may be coupled with its original key, or may be kept in an inconvenient place. On the other hand, the user may carry the spare key at all times. However, since the spare key is made of metal, it will produce noise upon contact with other object, and give the user a pain when it hits the user's body. The spare key is relatively large in a user's pocket or pouch, and can easily be dropped out of the pocket or pouch. For the reasons set forth above, the spare key is quite awkward to handle.
The document CH-A-258 239 describes a writing instrument and key combination which is of complex construction and is obstructive during storage and use of the writing instrument. It is the object of the invention to overcome this drawbacks of the state of the art.
According to the invention this object is solved by the features of the second part of the only claim.
The invention will became more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a writing instrument combined with a spare key, with a cap removed;
Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of the writing instrument; and
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the writing instrument with the spare key positioned for use.
Fig. 1 through 3 are illustrative of an embodiment of the present invention, the principles thereof being applied to a ball-point pen 1 of the type in which a point 3 and be projected from a tip end of a barrel 4 by turning a cap 2.

A rotatable tube or support member 5 has central conical flange 6 projecting from a central portion thereof. The rotatable tube 5 has a portion extending from the flange 6 toward the tip end of the barrel 4 and having an outside diameter selected such that the proximal portion of the barrel 4 is securely fitted over that portion of the rotatable tube 5. The rotatable tube 5 has a portion extending from the flange 6 away from the tube end of the barrel 4 and having an outside diameter selected such that it can be securely fitted in an end of the cap 2.
As shown in Fig. 2, the rotatable tube 5 has a non-tubular end remote form the flange 6 and having a central deep groove 7 in which a proximal end of a spare key 8 is pivotally fitted and detachably fastened by a screw 9.
The cap 2 has a cavity 10 defined therein when the cap 2 is fitted over the rotatable tube 5 until the cap 2 abuts against the flange 6 on the tube 5. The spare key 8 projecting from the end of the tube 5 should have a length and a width such that the spare key 8 will not contact the bottom and inner peripheral surface of the cap 2.
The hole in the end of the tube 5 through which the screw 9 extends is countersunk so that the head of the screw 9 will not project into engagement with the inner peripheral surface of the cap 2. As illustrated in Fig. 3, one corner of the pivoted proximal end of the spare key 8 is bevelled at 11, so that the spare key 8 can be tilted only in the direction in which the bevelled corner 11 will clear the groove 7. With the spare key 8 thus angularly turned, as shown in Fig. 3, a large torque can be given to the spare key 8 when it is to be turned in a lock by gripping the barrel 4.
With the arrangement of the invention, a writing instrument such as a ball-point pen, a refillable lead pencil, or a fountain pen, which people carry for ready use in clothes and bags, is combined with a spare key which has not been carried within ready reach and which is called for suddenly. Therefore, the spare key can function highly effectively as a spare.
Since the spare key is normally concealed fully within the cap of the writing instrument, the troubles and shortcomings which the spare key has conventionally caused are eliminated.
It is important according to the present invention that the writing instrument be equipped with a cap. However, the cap may be of any construction provided it defines a required cavity therein at the time it is attached to the barrel of the writing instrument.
The spare key may be a spare of an ignition key to an automobile door, a spare of a key to an apartment door, an original key to a save or locker which the user does not usually want somebody else to know its whereabouts, or a spare of such an original key. However, the overall shape of a key to be accommodated in the cap may be restricted by the shape and the type of the writing instrument with which the key is combined, and the shape of the cap of the writing instrument.

Claims

Writing instrument and key combination comprising a barrel (4), characterized by a support member (5) coupled with the barrel (4), a cap (2) detachably mounted on said support member (5) and a groove (7) defined in the support member (5), wherein the key (8) is pivotally fitted in said groove (7) and detachably connected with the support member (5) by a screw (9) and is fully accommodated in said cap (2) when the cap (2) is mounted on said support member (5).