GB2235619A

GB2235619A - Carrier for key or hand tool

Info

Publication number: GB2235619A
Application number: GB8919987A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Parsons
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-09-05
Filing date: 1989-09-05
Publication date: 1991-03-13
Also published as: GB8919987D0

Abstract

A carrier for a key or small hand tool such as a screwdriver or file comprises a resilient body 11, 32, 45 and a resilient pivot 12, 33, 41 by means which the key or small handtool is pivotally attached to the body for movement between an operative and a retracted position. The pivot is in the form of a peg which can be engaged with the key (or with the body) by snap action. Friction developed between the pivot head 20, 35, 46 and the key and between the body face and the key provides resilient retaining means for releasably retaining the key in the retracted and operative positions. The carrier of Fig. 4 may be engaged with similar carriers to form a foldable chain by pivot head 42 snapping into hole 44. The carrier may carry more than one key or tool and may include more than one pivot (Figs. 6-8, not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

CARRIER FOR AN OBJECT SUCH AS A KEY OR SMALL HAND TOOL The invention relates to a carrier for an object such as a key or small hand tool.

Such carriers are intended to be used to carry, for example, a key for a house door or for an automobile, and/or a small hand tool such as a screwdriver or file. The carrier normally carries the object in a retracted position, in which the combination can safely be carried in a user's pocket or handbag. The object can readily be moved to an operative position, in which the operative part of the key or tool extends from the carrier for use, and can be readily returned to the retracted position after use.

Numerous different desians and constructions of such carriers have been proposed. However, those of which the applicant is aware are either comDlicated in construction. or are not easv to use.

The present invention is intended to provide a carrier which is both simple in construction and simple in use.

Accordingly, the invention provides a carrier for an object such as a key or small hand tool, which carrier comprises:a body; a pivot: and retaining means: the arrangement being such that the object can be engaged by the pivot to connect it to the body and can pivot thereabouts between an operative position, in which the operative part of the kev, tool or other object projects beyond the body so that it can be used, and a retracted position in which the operative position is masked by the body and in which retracted position the object is releasably retained by retaining means; in which the retaining means is provided by the pivot.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the appended claims and the folloina description.

Various embodiments of the invention, together with possible modifications thereof, will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are perspective views of four key carriers with different forms of pivot; Fiaures 5A shows the carrier of Fiaure 1 with its key in the retracted position; Fiaures 5B shows the same carrier with its key in the operative position: and Fiaures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate three different forms of multiple holder.

The key carrier shown in figure 1 is intended to carry a house key. It is a one piece moulding of suitable resilient plastics material, for example polythene. It comprises a body 11, and a pivot 12. The body is in the form of a plate or slab, havina a flat or substantially flat face 13.

The shape of the body is a representation of a house to aid identification of the key as belonging to a house. The pivot comprises a stalk 14 having a root end 15 with which it joins the face 15 of the body 11, and a pivot head 16 by which the key is engaged to the carrier. The pivot head 16 is formed at the free end of stalk 14. The head has an underhead face 20 taperinq radially outward to a rim 17, above which is a face 19 which tapers inwardly to the free end 18.

The key to be used with the carrier is afixed by bringina the hole in the key head into position above the pivot end 18 from where it is moved down on to the pivot with enough force delivered so that the resilient head 16, with tapered face 19 leading, is passed through the hole in the key until rim 17 emerges on the other side. The distance between the underhead taper face 20 and the body face 13 is such that the underhead taper face 20 bears aaainst the key head and presses it aaainst the body face 13. The conseauent frictional engagement between the pivot head and the key tends to retain the key in its retracted position. This retention is enhanced by the frictional engagement between the key and the body face 13. The retracted position of the key is shown in Figure 5A, in which the key is completely masked by the body 11.The key is pivoted about the pivot 12 to move the key to the operative position illustrated in Figure 5B, in which the operative part of the key projects from the body 11 so that the key can be used.

Figure 2 shows a key carrier with an alternative form of pivot. In this embodiment, the pivot peg 21 is divided along its length so that the snap-action engagement of the key to the carrier may be made more readily.

Fiaure 3 shows another alternative form of pivot. This pivot allows for fixing keys of thicknesses or hole size that cannot be accommodated readilv by the snar-action of the previous pivots.

The key is fixed by first aligning the hole in the key head with the hole 31 in body 32, the pivot peg 33 is then forced throuah the aligned holes so that the peg end 34 engages by snap-action to the carrier body 32 at hole 31. The key is then urged into frictional contact with the body 32 by the pressure delivered at the pivot peg head 35.

Figure 4 shows a carrier that has facilities to engage with other carriers thereby allowing the user to form foldable chains of carriers and their keys. The pivot peg 41 has an extra enlargement 42 at the free end 43. This enlargement 42 couples by snap-action into the hole 44 in the body 45 of the corresponding partner carrier. The keys are held by the first enlargement 46 on peg 41. The paired carriers are still capable of holding their keys in a usable fashion, the carriers being folded around the union at hole 44. The carriers are caDable of couDlina to further carriers by the availability of parts 42 and 44 at the ends of the chains.

A carrier may be arranged to carry more than one key or other similar object. Figure 6 shows one possible confiauration, in which two keys are carried, one on top of the other, on a single pivot.

Figure 7 shows another multiple configuration, in which two pivots are provided on opposite sides. Figure 8 shows two pivots, spaced apart, provided for the two keys respectively.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoina examples. For instance, the pivot may be provided by a tubular rivet through the body 11, so that the key is permanently secured to the carrier.

The body 11 may be of any convenient shape. The body may carry advertising matter for promotional purposes.

Claims

1/ A carrier for an object such as a key or small hand tool, which carrier comprises: a body; a pivot; and retaining means; the arranaement being such that the object can be engaged by the pivot to connect it to the body and can pivot thereabouts between an operative position, in which the operative bart of the kev, tool or other object projects beyond the body so that it can be used, and a retracted Position in which the operative position is masked by the body and in which retracted position the object is releasably retained by retaining means: in which the retainina means is provided by the pivot 2/ A carrier as claimed in claim 1, in which the pivot retains the object in the retracted position by friction.

3/ A carrier as claimed in claim 2, in which the pivot includes a part which bears against the object thereby to provide the aforesaid friction.

4/ A carrier as claimed in claim 3, in which the aforesaid friction-providing part of the pivot comprises a skirt or flange.

51 A carrier as claimed in claim 4, in which the skirt or flange bears on one side of the object, the other side of the obect being supported by the body of the carrier which also frictionally engages the object.

6/ A carrier as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, in which the part of the skirt or flange which bears on the object tapers radially outwards away from the object.

7/ A carrier as claimed in claim 4, in which the skirt or flange can be forced through a suitable aperture in the object so as to engage the side thereof remote from the carrier body, thereby to assemble the carrier to the object.

8/ A carrier as claimed in claim 7, in which the skirt or flange is formed with a tapering face to assist in passage through the aperture.

9/ A carrier as claimed in claim 1, in which the pivot is arranged to urge the object into frictional engagement with the body, thereby to retain the object in the retracted position as aforesaid.

10/ A carrier as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the retaining means also retains the object in the operative position.

11/ A carrier for an object such as a key or small hand tool, which carrier is substantially as herein before as described with -reference to, and illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.