US2851872A - Key ejector case - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1958 c. E. sTow KEY EJECTOR CASE Filed Dec. 3, 1955 ATTO l United States Patent O KEY EIECTOR CASE Application December 3, 1956, Serial No. 625,668

1 Claim. (Cl. 70-456) This invention relates to a key case and more particularly to a key-receiving device that normally houses the key therewithin and is provided with means for automatically ejecting the same to a position rendering the same usable in its intended manner simply by releasing a movable retainer carried by the key-receiving body.

It is the most important object of the instant invention to provide a key case of the aforementioned character that automatically swings a key to a position extended from one end of the case upon release of the key by shifting a retainer to one end of its path of travel.

Another important object of the instant invention is the provision of a key case having resilient means therewithin for automatically swinging the key outwardly about a pintle upon which the key is mounted upon release of the retainer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel spring-loaded retainer which normally holds the key within the case against the action of spring means for ejecting the key.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a single spring that performs the dual function of holding the retainer in its key-retaining position and ejecting the key upon release of the retainer.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a key ejector case made pursuant to my present invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing the case and key with one of the side walls of the case removed.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the key in the ejected position.

Fig. 4 is an edge elevational view, parts being broken away and in section for clearness.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, transverse, cross-sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

Case 10, for one or more keys 12, includes a pair of spaced, substantially identical, rectangular side walls 14 and 16 adapted to receive the key 12 therebetween. Key 12 has a lhead 18 provided with an opening 20 that is received by a pintle 22 in the nature of a bolt and tubular nut as seen in Fig. 4 and which interconnects the walls 14 and 16.

The wall 14 has integrally formed on the inner face thereof, a rear wall 24 terminating below the uppermost longitudinal edge 26 thereof and a bottom wall 28 terminating in spaced relationship to the forwardmost end 30 of wall 14. When the walls 14 and 16 are interconnected, the inner face of wall 16 atly engages the walls 24 and 28 and the means of attachment may consist of a suitable adhesive between the wall 16 and the walls 24 and 28.

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the bottom wall 28 progressively decreases in height as both ends thereof a-re approached, presenting a pair of inclined, uppermost or innermost surfaces 32 and 34, there being a substantially 2,851,872 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 ICC semi-circular notch 36 in the upper face of wall 28 between the surfaces 32 and 34 thereof. A pin 38 integral with the inner face of wall 14 extends across the notch 36 thereabove and is received by a cavity 40 within the inner face of wall 16.

An elongated leaf spring 42 between the walls 14 and 16 has a bight 44 composed of a pair of stretches 46 and 48 that normally converge downwardly as a transversely arcuate offset 50 in bight 44 is approached. The bight 44 is interposed between the wall 28 and the pin 38, the offset 50 being in underlying engagement with the cylindrical pin 38, and partially fitting into the notch 36. An inwardly bowed loop 52 forms an integral part of the stretch 48 and a similarly bowed loop 54 Iforms an integral part of the stretch 46. The loop 54 is provided with an outwardly bowed terminal end 56.

Walls 14 and 16 are provided with elongated, longitudinally-extending grooves 58 and 60 respectively adjacent the uppermost edges 26 and 62 thereof, and adjacent the rear Wall 24 thereabove. The grooves 58 and 60 receive a reciprocable tingerpiece or retainer 64 having rectangular lugs 66 on opposite faces thereof slidably received by the grooves 58 and 60. Note that the terminal end 56 of spring 42 extends across the grooves 58 and 60 within the path of travel of retainer 64 when the latter is moved toward the end wall 24 and that such terminal end 56 is adapted to extend into overlying relationship to the wall 24 when the retainer 64 is at the extreme rearmost end of its path of travel.

Retainer 64 is provided with a notch or cutaway protion 68 normally receiving the free end of the key 12 in the manner illustrated by Fig. 2 of the drawing. That part of the retainer 64 above the notch 68 is triangularshaped presenting an inclined, uppermost surface 70 against which the `free end of the key 12 engages when the latter is swung to a position within the case 10.

As seen in Fig. 2, the loop 52 is partially compressed by the key 12 and the stretch 48 of spring 42 engages the inclined surface 34 of wall 28 when the latter is retained within the case 10 by the retainer 64.

As is apparent in Figs. 2 and 3, the loop 54 of spring 42 yieldably biases the retainer 64 toward the innermost end of its path of travel and when the latter is moved to the extreme outermost end of its path of travel, the stretch 46 of spring 42 bears against the inclined surface 32 of wall 28.

The interlocking relationship between otfset 50, pin 38 and notch 36, presents accidental displacement of the spring 42 from within the case 10.

Ejection of the key 12 is automatic since the loop 52 forces the key 12 out of the case 10 for rotation clockwise, viewing Fig. 3, about the axis of pintle 22 when the retainer 64 is shifted toward the wall 24 against the action of loop 54. When it is desired to reinsert the key 12 into the case 10, it is but necessary to swing the key 12 into engagement with the inclined surface 70 of retainer 64, which action forces the retainer 64 toward the wall 24 whereupon the key 12 snaps into place within the notch 68 of retainer 64.

Substantially semi-circular notches 72 within the edges 26 and 62 of walls 14 and 16, render key 12 accessible to the ngers for removal if for any reason the spring loop 52 fails to eject the key by virtue of binding through collection of dirt and foreign matter. More particularly, the notches 72 facilitate forcing of the key 12 into the position shown in Fig. 2 in the manner above described.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a key ejector of the type provided with an elongated body having a pair of side walls adapted to pivotally receive a key therebetween, a key retainer reciprocably.'

3 carried byi the body and a substantially U-shaped spring mountedwithinthe body, having abight,v a' stretchA attached to said retainer for yieldably maintaining the latter at one endof its reciprocable p ath of travel in a, keyretaining positionand anothei` 'opposed stretch disposed" in ay position to 4pivotally eject a portion ofY the 'key' from` the body-'uponrelease of said retainer, the improvementfof" which comprises an elongated lbottom interconnecting the longitudinal margins o-f said side walls'remote-from said retainer and integral with one-of saidtside-Walls; said bottom-having-a pair of opposed longitudinal surfaces, the innery surface offsaidbottom-between the side-wallsprogressively approaching the outersurface'of-the bottom as-theends'ofthe latter are approached whereby.y saidlbot tomisbsubstantially triangular. in configuration, saidb'ot References :Cited in thele of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,6l8,958 -5 Goodson Nov. 253.1952

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