GB2286518A

GB2286518A - Key fob

Info

Publication number: GB2286518A
Application number: GB9402686A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gian Pearson
Original assignee: PROMOULD Ltd
Current assignee: PROMOULD Ltd
Priority date: 1994-02-11
Filing date: 1994-02-11
Publication date: 1995-08-23
Anticipated expiration: 2014-02-11
Also published as: GB9402686D0; GB2286518B

Abstract

A key fob comprises a body (12) and a key ring holder (13) having at one end portion an aperture (17) for accommodating a key ring (25) and at its other end a snap fit connection (24) into a hole in the body (12). The hole is circular and said other end portion of the holder (13) engages in said hole to form a rotary connection between the key ring holder (13) and the body. <IMAGE>

Description

A Key Fob This invention relates to key fobs, with and without key rings.

Key ring fobs are available in many forms traditionally in leather and are now becoming more commonly manufactured from moulded plastics material. In particular a known key fob is injection moulded with an integral tab which has a hole therein for attachment of a key ring. Such designs are suitable for substantially two dimensional key fobs.

The present invention provides a key fob which is suitable for forming into any shape, and especially into cylindrical shapes such as a miniature can.

Accordingly there is provided a key fob comprising a body, and a key ring holder having at one end portion an aperture for accommodating a key ring and at its other end a snap fit connection with the body.

The fob is preferably injection moulded from plastics material as two parts which may both be formed from the same plastics material e.g. polypropylene r polyethylene or different materials as is desired.

Preferably the body has a hole therein in which the holder makes a snap-fit connection at its other end with the portions of the body surrounding the hole.

The hole is conveniently round and said other end of the holder has a portion, preferably cylindrical, that forms a rotary connection for the holder with the body so that the holder can rotate about its own longitudinal axis.

Preferably the holder is formed with a detent at said other end which engages the external surface of the body adjacent a hole in which the key ring holder is engaged to prevent removal of the key holder.

The key ring is preferably held in an elongated bore at said one end of the holder, and is free to pivot in the bore.

The combination of pivotable key ring and rotatable holder produces a highly articulate key fob.

Because the key ring holder is connected to the body, this allows for a single design of holder to be used with a large number of different body designs.

Conveniently the body has an open cavity therein and the hole also opens into the cavity, the key ring holder having an abutment on its inner end and being insertable into the hole through the cavity to make the snap fit connection, with the abutment preventing further axial outwards movement of the holder.

The abutment is preferably spherical which shape is convenient to mould.

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section through a key fob according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the key ring holder and key fob body prior to assembly, Figs. 3 to 5 show alternative designs of key ring holder, and Fig. 6 shows an alternative key ring holder.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a key fob 11 comprising at least two parts, a body 12 and a key ring holder 13.

The body 12 may be any desired shape but is illustrated as a miniature can shape with a cavity 14 therein having an open mouth 14A. The end 15 of the body 12 opposite the mouth 14A of the cavity 14 has a circular hole 16 therein. The open mouth of the cavity may be closed by a cap insert 28 if desired to form a body having a continuous external surface.

The key ring holder 13 has an elongate cylindrical shank 20 having a swelling with an aperture 17 for receipt of a key ring 25 at one end and a snap fit connection 18 at the other end for making a snap fit engagement with the body 12.

The holder 13 has a spherical abutment 21 at its other end and adjacent the abutment is a cylindrical portion 22 which is a sliding fit in the hole 16 in the body. The other axial side of the cylindrical portion 22 (axial refers to the horizontal axis of the holder 13) away from the abutment is bordered by a raised annular rib 24 which forms a snap fit detent with the portions of the end face 15 surrounding the hole 16.

The shank 20 of the holder 13 is inserted through the mouth 14A of the cavity 14 so that the shank 20 passes through the hole 16.

The rib 24 is an interference fit with the hole 16 which then accommodates the cylindrical portion 22. The degree of interference between the rib 24 and hole 16 is such that the resilience of the material from which the body is made allows the hole to expand the allow the rib 24 to pass through and the hole 16 the resiliently contracts to hinder the withdrawal of the holder. The spherical abutment 21 prevents further axial movement of the holder 13 which is now held in the body 12. The mouth of the cavity may if desired be closed by a push in cap insert 28.

The end 15 of the body is axially trapped between the annular rib 24 and the abutment 21. The cylindrical portion 22 allows the holder 13 to rotate about its longitudinal axis relative to the body 12 and the rib 24 forms a detent against the end of the body to prevent disassembly of the fob. The rib 24 forms a snap-fit connection with the hole 16 in the end 15.

The aperture 17 can receive a key ring 25 and has a bore of sufficient diameter to allow the key ring to pivot relative to the shank 20 around an axis substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the holder.

The pivoting of the key ring 25 relative to the holder 13, and the holder 13 relative to the body 12 provide a key fob which is articulate and can take various configurations to relieve stresses when in use.

With reference to Figures 3 to 5, there are shown key fobs having different types of snap in connection. In Fig. 3 the holder 13 has a different shape abutment 121 which is now in the form of a disk.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a key fob 11 similar to key fob in Fig.

3, excepting that the annular rib 24 has been replaced by a spherical swelling 124 which has a slightly larger diameter than that of the hole 16 so that the swelling 214 makes an interference fit with the hole forming a snap fit connection with the boy 12 and forming a detent with the end 15.

Fig. 5 shows a key fob formed by a mixture of features from Figures 1 and 4 with the detent being formed on the holder 13 by a spherical swelling 124 and a spherical abutment 21.

The key fob parts 12 and 13 are injection moulded from plastics material separately of each other. This allows for a standard design of key ring holder to be used with a number of different body designs which have an open cavity 14 therein and standard sized hole 16 for receipt of the holder 12.

The holder and body 13 can be moulded from the same or different material as is required.

In another arrangement shown in Fig. 6 the shank 20 can be reduced in length so that the swelling and aperture 17 for the ring 25 is adjacent the rib 24. Further the cylindrical portion 22 may be ommitted so that the spherical abutment 21 is adjacent the rib 24 on the side away from the aperture 17.

Claims

1. A key fob comprising a body, and a key ring holder having at one end portion an aperture for accommodating a key ring and at its other end a snap fit connection with the body.

2. A key fob according to Claim 1 wherein the body has a hole therein, and the key ring holder makes its snap-fit connection at its other end with said hole.

3. A key fob according to claim 2 wherein the hole is a circular hole and said other end has a portion engaged in said hole to form a rotary connection for the key ring holder with the body.

4. A key fob according to claim 3, wherein the body has a cavity therein and the hole also opens into the cavity, the key ring holder having an abutment on its inner end and being insertable into the hole through the mouth of the cavity to make a snap-fit connection in the hole.

5. A key fob according to claim 4 wherein the inner end of the abutment on the key holder is substantially spherical in shape.

6. A key fob according to Claim 4 or Claim 5 wherein said other end of the key ring holder has a detent thereon.

7. A key fob as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the detent comprises an annular rib which engages an outer surface of the body

8. A key fob as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the key ring holder has an elongated bore in its one end portion in which a key ring is locatable.

9. A key fob as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 wherein the key ring holder is in the form of a cylindrical strut which is rotatable relative to the body around its longitudinal axis.

10. A key fob as Claimed in Claim 3 , Claim 4, and Claim 5 wherein said portion engaged in the hole is cylindrical.

11. A key fob as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the holder and body are moulded from plastics material.

12. A key ring fob including a fob as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 , and further including a key ring attached to the holder through said aperture.