Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A44—HABERDASHERY; JEWELLERY
  • A44B—BUTTONS, PINS, BUCKLES, SLIDE FASTENERS, OR THE LIKE
  • A44B15/00—Key-rings

Definitions

• the present invention refers to an openable ring intended in particular but not exclusively for use as a keyring .
• ring we more generally indicate any closed shape, polygonal or continuous, which is not necessarily a circumference.
• Document EP 0 648 442 discloses an openable ring consisting of a first portion or arc of circumference, with an angle to the centre of about 270°, and a second and third portion of circumference, of suitable length, which cooperate with one another and with said first portion so as to form, in the ring's closed configuration, a complete circumference.
• the ring is thus provided with hinge connections between the first and the second portion of circumference and between the second and the third portion of circumference, so as to allow the ring to be opened and closed through mutual rotation of the different portions on the plane on which the ring itself lies, and it is also provided with locking means to prevent it from opening accidentally.
• the keyring described above also has some drawbacks .
• a first drawback is due to the fact that, to make keyrings of different thicknesses, be they made from metal or plastic, it is necessary to provide different moulds, with the consequent need to differentiate the production processes .
• the general purpose of the present invention is therefore to solve the drawbacks quoted above in an extremely simple, cost-effective and particularly functional manner.
• a purpose of the invention is to allow openable keyrings to be made that have different thicknesses, and therefore different mechanical strength and elasticity, using the same production process and the same manufacturing material.
• another purpose of the invention is to make rings with different materials and colours between their inner part and outer part, whilst still keeping the elastic and structural characteristics of the ring itself unchanged.
• a further purpose of the invention is to manufacture the openable ring, in particular if made from metal, through the simple shearing process, without needing to use special machine tools like work stations, with clear advantages in terms of reducing production costs.
• it has been thought of to make an openable keyring, preferably but not exclusively able to be used as a keyring, having the characteristics outlined in the attached claims .
• Figure 1 is a plan view of the openable ring according to the present invention, in closed configuration
• Figure IA is a perspective view of the- ring of figure 1
• Figure 2 is a plan view of the openable ring of figure 1, in partially open configuration
• Figure 2A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 2
• Figure 2B is a cross section view obtained along the line A-A of figure 2 ;
• Figure 3 is a plan view of the openable ring of figure
• Figure 3A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 3 ;
• Figure 4 is a plan view of the openable ring of figure
• Figure 4A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 4.
• Figure 4B is an enlarged view of the detail indicated with "A" in figure 4;
• Figure 5 is a plan view of another example embodiment of the openable keyring according to the present invention, in closed configuration
• Figure 5A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 5;
• Figure 6 is a plan view of the openable ring of figure
• Figure 6A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 6;
• Figure 6B is a cross section view obtained along the line A-A of figure 6;
• Figure 7 is a plan view of the openable ring of figure
• Figure 7A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 7;
• Figure 8 is a plan view of the openable ring of figure
• Figure 8A is a perspective view of the ring of figure 8;
• Figure 8B is an enlarged view of the detail indicated with "A" in figure 8 ;
• the ring according to the invention is wholly indicated with reference numeral 1 and consists of a succession along a circumference of three different curved portions - a main portion 10, preferably but not necessarily C- shaped, to which an arc of circumference shaped intermediate portion 12 is hinged, through the rotation pin 16, which in turn has an end portion 14, again arc of circumference shaped, hinged to it, through the rotation pin 18.
• the intermediate portion 12 and the end portion 14 are substantially shorter than the main portion 10 and they fit together with it in the formation of the ring 1.
• the rotation pins 16, 18 allow the rotation, about respective rotation axes perpendicular to the plane on which the ring 1 lies, of the intermediate portion 12 with respect to the main portion 10 and of the end portion 14 with respect to the intermediate portion 12, to go from a closed configuration (figures 1 and 5) to an open configuration (figures 3 and 6) of the ring 1 itself.
• each hook 20 and its corresponding cavity 22 are of a shape and have a radius of curvature suitable for engaging in contact with each other in the closed configuration of the ring 1.
• the end part 32 of the hook 20 has a curved profile to make it easier to insert the hook 20 itself into the cavity 22.
• the position of the hooks 20 and of the relative cavities 22 can be inverted by inverting the shape of the portions 10 and 14 in contact with each other.
• each of the three curved portions 10, 12 and 14 that constitute the ring 1 is made with a plurality of plates 24 laid over one another, preferably made from metal or resilient plastic material, permanently joined together through suitable fixed coupling means.
• the plates 24 both those that form the two outer surfaces of the ring 1, respectively indicated with reference numerals 26 and 28 in the sections of figures 2B and 6B, and the inner ones 27, present in the case in which the overall number of piled up plates is greater than two, can be made with different materials and/or with different thicknesses, to give the correct hardness to the three portions 10, 12 and 14 of the ring 1 according to its size or the particular type of use for which it is intended.
• the hook or the hooks 20 are not placed on the relative portions 10 and/or 14 but are made in a single piece with the plates 24 that form the ring 1, in particular being formed from the superposition of the plates 24 themselves.
• the join between the plates 24 can be obtained by means of various different attachment systems, like for example a plurality of pins 30 that can be inserted by screwing, both directly on the plates 24 and with small nuts or with male and female screws, by clinching or by forcing in suitable holes 36 (figures 2B and 6B) made through the plates 24 themselves in a direction perpendicular to the plane on which the ring 1 lies.
• the pins 30 can be inserted so as to be both flush with the end plates 26 and 28 (figures 1-3 and 5-7) or else projecting from such end plates (figures 4 and 8) .
• the connection hinges 16 and 18, respectively between the main portion 10 and the intermediate portion 12 and between the intermediate portion 12 and the end portion 14 of the ring 1 are also made from two of such W
• the plates 24 can be coupled with each other through front welding, projection welding, laser side welding or else with 5 other known joining systems.
• the ring 1 according to the invention is opened, from the closed configuration of figures 1 and 5, through pressing on the hinge connection 18 in the radial direction towards the centre of the ring 1
• hinge 18 itself can be distinctively coloured and/or be shaped (raised or else flat at the level of the plates) - S -
• the portions 12 and 14 must be displaced and rotated until the hook or hooks 20 engage with the relative seats 22, as can be seen in figures 2 and 6.
• the ring 1 then closes with sufficient pressure in point B (figures 2 and 6) until the parts 10, 12 and 14 are stably aligned (figures 1 and 5) .
• the hold in the closed position is determined by the inner and outer plates of the portions in contact 10 and 14. Such plates, being mounted and locked to one another, cannot move apart from one another, both in the radial direction with respect to the centre of the ring and with respect to the plane of the ring itself.
• the main portion 10, just like the entire ring 1, is made from a resilient material, the elasticity of which can advantageously be varied in many ways, in other words based upon the number and thickness of the plates 24 that make up the ring 1, based upon the quality of the material used, possibly also different between inner plates 27 and outer plates 26 and 28, and also according to the position and number of suitable notches 38 that can be made on the inner plates 27.

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• Sheet Holders (AREA)
• Switches With Compound Operations (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38430003

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2006
  • 2006-05-29 IT ITMI20061039 patent/ITMI20061039A1/it unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-05-24 WO PCT/IB2007/001420 patent/WO2007138459A2/en active Application Filing
  • 2007-05-24 EP EP07734712A patent/EP2023764A2/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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