EP1106755B1 - Key - Google Patents
Key Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1106755B1 EP1106755B1 EP00123408A EP00123408A EP1106755B1 EP 1106755 B1 EP1106755 B1 EP 1106755B1 EP 00123408 A EP00123408 A EP 00123408A EP 00123408 A EP00123408 A EP 00123408A EP 1106755 B1 EP1106755 B1 EP 1106755B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- key
- insert
- grip part
- complementarily shaped
- key according
- 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.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
- E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- E05B19/00—Keys; Accessories therefor
- E05B19/24—Key distinguishing marks
Landscapes
- Supports Or Holders For Household Use (AREA)
- Air Bags (AREA)
- Push-Button Switches (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a key made of metallic material.
- An extremely wide variety of metallic keys is commercially known.
- Such keys are usually formed monolithically with a characteristic metallic color or can be provided with applied portions made of colored plastics.
- The keys that are most commonly used are formed monolithically from metallic material and have the particularity that they are difficult to tell apart.
- Once they have been grouped in a same bunch, it is in fact difficult to tell them apart simply by looking at the shape of the grip part or the type of serrations of the blade.
- This is the reason why plastic applied portions are used; they are provided in various colors but are in any case an additional accessory to the key.
- It is therefore onerous to provide the keys by using a single-color metallic material and then provide additional applied portions made of plastics, which can be separate or can be constituted by a covering of the grip part of the key, to the detriment of the amount of material employed and therefore of the costs, for large production volumes.
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US-A-4 336 701 discloses special key sets combining a serial number and detachable plug-in members to be plugged in the handle of a key for the management of hotel bedrooms. According to this solution, it is possible to couple a key serial number engraved on the key handle with a room number printed on the detachable plug-in. -
GB-A-1 587 368 - The aim of the present invention is to provide a key which allows
- The aim of the present invention is to provide a key which allows immediate visual confirmation even in different orientations of the key.
- Within the scope of this aim, an object is to provide a key which allows to save material with respect to conventional keys.
- Another object is to provide keys having a very wide choice of colors.
- Another object is to provide a key whose color can be changed at will.
- This aim, these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a key made of metallic material, which comprises a grip part and a blade, characterized in that said grip part is ring-shaped, with a radial opening, for the removable coupling of a complementarily shaped insert made of a different material.
- Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the key, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a key according to the present invention;
- Figure 2 is an exploded view of the key of Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the key shown in Figures 1 and 2;
- Figures 4 and 5 are, respectively, a transverse sectional view and a plan view of the same key portion, in which a detail has been changed;
- Figure 6 is a view of the same key portion shown in Figures 4 and 5, in which the detail is illustrated according to a third embodiment;
- Figure 7 is a plan view of a key with a portion thereof shown at rest and flexed.
- With particular reference to the figures, a key according to the present invention is generally designated by the
reference numeral 10. - The
key 10 comprises agrip part 11 which is monolithic with respect to ablade 12. - The
grip part 11 is constituted by acircular ring 13 provided with aradial opening 14 which lies in the direction of the longitudinal extension of theblade 12. - The
radial opening 14 allows the elastic deformation of thering 13 for the interlocking of aninsert 15 made of plastics or of a different metal, which is shaped complementarily to thering 13. - The
insert 15 is provided with acircumferential slot 16 which allows an optimum removable but nonetheless stable interlocking with thering 13. - The
insert 15 is provided with ahole 17 which allows to group a plurality of keys of thetype 10 in a key-holder, which is not shown in the figure but is in any case of a per se known type. - The
hole 17 is usually arranged in the end portion of thekey 10 and substantially in the direction of the longitudinal extension of theblade 12. - For this reason, the
insert 15 is shaped so as to have a single radial arrangement. - It is in fact provided with a
flat portion 18 which is shaped complementarily to a correspondingflat portion 19 of thegrip part 11. - The
insert 15 is further provided with atab 20 which is arranged in a radial direction and couples to theradial opening 14. - The
tab 20 is shaped complementarily to theradial opening 14 and can assume a substantially radial andstraight shape 21 or adovetail shape 22, in which thelarger portion 23 is arranged toward the outside of thekey 10, or can comprise aflat portion 24 arranged on the outside of thekey 10. - Advantageously, the
insert 15 can be concave on one or both of thesurfaces 26 in order to facilitate grip of thekey 10. - The
insert 15 made of plastics or of a different metal can of course assume many colors and/or metallic colorings and this allows to immediately identify the intendedkey 10 and to choose the color that one prefers to identify a certain key. - Once the
serrations 25 have been formed in theblade 12, it is possible to choose anyinsert 15 to be coupled to thegrip part 11. - The
key 10, in addition to being easily recognizable when viewed flat, can also be easily distinguished by virtue of the presence of thetab 20 when grouped in a bunch if it is viewed from thegrip portion 11. - The
tab 20, by protruding from theradial opening 14, in fact allows to identify the particular color, and theoptional dovetail shape 22 or theflat portion 24 further increases visual impact. - In practice it has been observed that the present invention has achieved the intended aim and objects.
- In particular, it is noted that once the chosen key has been made, a very wide choice of colors is possible and it is also possible to change color at will even at a later time.
- The provision of such a key structure entails a certain saving in metallic material.
- Moreover, the keys are easy to tell apart both when viewed flat and when viewed from one end, facilitating their identification if they are gathered in bunches.
- Finally, the grip portions that can be provided need not be circular; they may also be square or hexagonal or otherwise shaped, so long as said shape is elastically deformable by means of the radial opening.
- In practice, the metallic materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
- Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.
Claims (9)
- A key made of metallic material, comprising a grip part and a blade, characterized in that said grip part is ring-shaped, with a radial opening, for the removable coupling of a complementarily shaped insert made of a different material, said grip part being elastically deformable by means of said radial opening.
- The key according to claim 1 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that, said different material is plastics and/or a metallic material different from the material of the grip part.
- The key according to claim 1 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said insert has a circumferential slot for interlocking on said ring.
- The key according to claim 1 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said insert comprises a flat circumferential portion which is shaped complementarily to a corresponding portion of the grip part at the blade.
- The key according to claim 1 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said insert is provided with a substantially radial tab for insertion in said radial opening.
- The key according to claim 5 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said tab is dovetail-shaped, with a larger portion arranged toward the outside of the key.
- The key according to claim 5 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said tab is substantially straight and provided with a flat portion which is arranged on the outside of the key.
- The key according to claim 1 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said insert is provided with a hole for a key-holder which is located in the outermost vicinity of said key along the longitudinal extension of the blade.
- The key according to claim 1 and the complementarily shaped insert, characterized in that said insert has at least one surface which is concave in plan view.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
IT1999PD000119U IT247804Y1 (en) | 1999-12-10 | 1999-12-10 | KEY STRUCTURE |
ITPD990119U | 1999-12-10 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1106755A1 EP1106755A1 (en) | 2001-06-13 |
EP1106755B1 true EP1106755B1 (en) | 2007-09-05 |
Family
ID=11392638
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP00123408A Expired - Lifetime EP1106755B1 (en) | 1999-12-10 | 2000-11-02 | Key |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1106755B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE372435T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60036267T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2293883T3 (en) |
IT (1) | IT247804Y1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2899264A1 (en) * | 2006-03-30 | 2007-10-05 | Olivier Bascoul | Key for being assembled with lamp, has rod adapted to be assembled with lamp including LED and battery, and head with traversing light that is arranged across key`s thickness, where traversing light is adapted to receive battery and LED |
CH718481B1 (en) * | 2021-03-29 | 2024-01-15 | Sea Schliess Systeme Ag | Mechatronic key. |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1629343A (en) * | 1926-09-22 | 1927-05-17 | Forry Laucks S | Key-identification device |
US3568483A (en) * | 1969-12-08 | 1971-03-09 | Vernon Co The | Combination keyholding and retractable member device |
US4336701A (en) * | 1976-09-16 | 1982-06-29 | Raymond James W | Keying process for resettable lock |
GB1587368A (en) * | 1978-05-22 | 1981-04-01 | Craig M T | Key-ring |
-
1999
- 1999-12-10 IT IT1999PD000119U patent/IT247804Y1/en active
-
2000
- 2000-11-02 DE DE60036267T patent/DE60036267T2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-11-02 ES ES00123408T patent/ES2293883T3/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-11-02 EP EP00123408A patent/EP1106755B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2000-11-02 AT AT00123408T patent/ATE372435T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
ATE372435T1 (en) | 2007-09-15 |
DE60036267T2 (en) | 2008-06-05 |
DE60036267D1 (en) | 2007-10-18 |
ES2293883T3 (en) | 2008-04-01 |
ITPD990119U1 (en) | 2001-06-10 |
EP1106755A1 (en) | 2001-06-13 |
ITPD990119V0 (en) | 1999-12-10 |
IT247804Y1 (en) | 2002-09-10 |
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