US3823587A

US3823587A - Key holder

Info

Publication number: US3823587A
Application number: US00297329A
Authority: US
Inventors: P Tcherdakoff
Original assignee: Arthus Bertrand SA
Current assignee: Arthus Bertrand SA
Priority date: 1971-10-13
Filing date: 1972-10-13
Publication date: 1974-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-16
Also published as: DE2249597A1; GB1392973A; IT968442B; ES184518Y; ES184518U; FR2157011A5

Abstract

The invention is a key-ring made up of a contiguous turn coil spring and of a base to which it releasably is mounted in the form of a U. Each end of the spring has an end member fixed thereto which comprises a neck portion and a spherical head may passage, this aperture being followed by two seats allowing sliding movement therein of the neck portions but preventing withdrawal of the head.

Description

[ July 16, 1974 United States Patent [191 Tcherdakoff 138,805 1/1953 Sweden................... 248,593 6/1912 Germany 281,099 12/1930 1taly.....,..,...... 1,028,606 2/1953 France...... 36,853 5/1955 Poland....................

S.A. Arthus Bertrand, Paris, France Oct. 13, 1972 Appl, No.: 297,329

Primary ExaminerRobert L. Wolfe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Raymond A. Robic; Arthur Schwartz [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 13, 1971 France 71.36834 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 70/456 R, 70/457 [51] Int. A47g 29/10 Th invention is a key-ring made up of a contiguous [58] Field of Search,...,.. 70/457, 459, 458, 456 R; turn coil spring and of a base to which it releasably is 24/3 K, 123 mounted in the form of a U. Each end of the spring has an end member fixed thereto which comprises a neck portion and a spherical head may passage, this aperture being followed by two seats allowing sliding movement therein of the neck portions but preventing withdrawal of the head.

24/1 23 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,158,566 1/1958 70/459 8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures KEY HOLDER This invention relates to improvements in key-rings.

Conventional key-rings are manufactured in various types such as the open spiral ring type, the ring-andlever type, the snap-hook type, the spring-ring type and others. I have found that the majority of these key-rings exhibit difficuties of opening and closing and, in some cases, there is with them a risk that the keys be lost.

It is therefore an objet of the present invention to provide an improved key-ring that enables great facility of opening and closing as will as greater security against loss as well as offering the possibility of presenting it in various models.

Accordingly, there is provided a key-ring comprising a coil spring having at an endthereof an end member provided with a neck and an enlarged head portion.

In one embodiment of the invention a coil spring is provided at one end with an end member releasably receivable in a base member, the other end being rigidly fixed to the base member.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a key-ring according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the key-ring of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the key-ring of FIGS. 1 and 2 with the-coil spring hanging from the base plate from one of its ends;

FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c are bottom, front and side views, respectively, of a base plate according to a first embodiment;

FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are bottom, front and side views, respectively, of a base plate according to a second embodiment;

FIGS. 6a, 6b and 6c are bottom, front and side views, respectively, of a base plate according to a third embodiment, and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of a base plate according to a fourth embodiment. The key-ring which is to retain a key K comprises, a coil spring 1 of the tension-spring type having contiguous turns and whose ends 2 each receive an end member 3. Each end member 3 comprises an enlarged head 6 connected to an extension piece 4 by a neck portion 5. The extension piece 4, whose diameter is slightly greater than that of the bore of the spring, may either be screwed into an end 2 of the spring 1, or it may be of such a size as to form a press fit into the spring 1: the head 6 and the neck portion 5 lying outwardly of the spring end 2.

Spring 1 is normally linear, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 but will assume the U-shaped configuration N FIG. 1 when the ends 2 are urged towards each other. It will retain the U-shaped configuration when mounted on a base plate such as that shown in FIGS. 2 and 4a. In this particular embodiment, the base plate 7 is provided with a cut-out forming a central aperture 8 communicating with a pair of lateral slots 10 extending in opposite directions away from the aperture 8.

The size of aperture 8 is such as to allow the passage of the head 6 of one end member 3 therethrough, the coil spring being retained in the base plate 7 when the neck 5 of the extension 4 is slid into engagement with one of the slots 10. The transverse dimension or diameter of the spherical head 6 is greater than the transverse width of the slot 10 so that the spring 1 can only be removed from the base plate 7 by sliding the neck 5 along the slot 10 and withdrawing the head 6 through the aperture 8, it being understood that the diameter of the neck portion 5 is smaller than the outer diameter of the spring 1, the latter being greater than the width of the slot 10.

To use the key-ring, one end of the spring 1 is mounted in the base plate 4, as aforesaid, and the end 11 of a key K to be held on the key-ring is moved toward the said end of the spring 1. The latter end is then forced towards the base plate 7 and the corresponding head 6 is passed through the aperture 8 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.

Due to the resilience between the ends 2 of the curved spring 1, the neck 5 of the end member 3 on the said other end of the spring 1 is forced into the unoccupied slot 10. Both ends 2 of the spring 1 are now retained within the base plate 7 as shown in FIG. 1.

.To remove the key K, one of the ends 2 of the spring 1 must be slid along in its respective slot 10 towards the other end 2, until thehead 6 of its end member 3 can be withdrawn through the aperture 8. The spring 1 will then reassume the configuration shown in full lines in FIG. 3.

The base plate 7 may have several configurations.

Thus in FIGS. 4b and 4c.the base plate 7 of FIG. 4a is shown to have a pair of upstanding flanges 4f adapted to receive an identity tag 9 (FIG. 1) through a chain 12, the top surface of the'base plate 7 being substantially fiat.

FIGS. 50 to Sc show a base plate 7 with a substantially rectangular aperture 8 and having a curved outline. FIGS. 6a to 6c show a base plate 7' with a pair of pertures 8", each communicating with a single slot 10', said slots 10" extending colinearly away from the respective aperture. The base plate 7" is in the form of a substantially cylindrical tube.

Alternatively, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, one end of the spring 1 is permanently fixed to the base plate 7; the free end of the spring 1 being releasably engagable in the base plate through an aperture 8' and a slot 10. The permanently fixed end is through the use of a hole 13 having a diameter slightly greater than that of the nick portion 5 but smaller than the outer diameter of the head 6 and of the spring 1.

I claim:

1. A key-ring comprising:

a. a normally rectilinear contiguous turn coil spring having at least one open end;

b. an end member secured to said open end and formed of a substantially cylinderical neck portion projecting out of said open end, said end member being also formed with a substantially spherical head connected to said neck portion the diameter of which is greater than that of said neck portion;

c. a base portion formed with an aperture therein, said aperture being of a size to allow passage of said spherical head, a slot in communication with said aperture, said slot being of a width such as to allow sliding passage of said neck portion, the width being smaller than the diameter of said spherical head, the diameter of the neck portion being smaller than the outer diameter of the spring, and

the outer diameter of the spring being greater than the width of the slot; and

d. means securing the other end of said coil spring to said base portion in proximity to said aperture such that, in use, said coil spring is bent into a U for in- 5 sertion of said head through said aperture and said neck portion slides along and to the end of said slot under the resiliency of the bent spring.

2. A key ring comprising:

a. a normally rectilinear coil spring for supporting at least one key thereon.

b. said coil spring having at least one open end,

0. an end member having a neck portion and an enlarged head portion, at least a portion of said neck having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said open end,

d. a base member provided with an aperture receiving said neck portion and said enlarged head portion therethrough,

e. said aperture communicating with a slot dimensioned to receive said neck portion but preventing passage therethrough of said enlarged head portion,

f. wherein said coil spring is held to said base by means of said neck portion being inserted-into the open end of said coil spring and said enlarged head inserted in said aperture and slid into said slot portion.

3. A key ring as defined in claim 2 wherein said coil spring includes a second end, means on said second end and associated with said base member for holding said second end to said base member, whereby said coil spring is bent into a U when both of said ends are held on said base member.

4. A key-ring as claimed in claim 2 wherein both ends of the coil spring are each provided with an end memher.

5'; A keyring as claimed in claim 2 wherein said aperture communicates with a pair of slots, each slot being dimensioned to receive the neck portion of an end member but to prevent passage therethrough of the enlarged head portion, the slots extending in opposite directions away from the aperture.

6. A key-ring as claimed in claim 2 wherein the base member includes a pair of apertures, each aperture being dimensioned to allow passage therethrough of the head portion of an end member.

7. A key-ring as claimed in claim 6 wherein each aperture communicates with a slot dimensioned to receive the neck portion of an end member, but able to prevent passage therethrough of the head portion of an end member, the slots extending generally colinearly in opposite directions away from the respective aperture.

flanges adapted to receive an indentification tag.

Claims

1. A key-ring comprising: a. a normally rectilinear contiguous turn coil spring having at least one open end; b. an end member secured to said open end and formed of a substantially cylinderical neck portion projecting out of said open end, said end member being also formed with a substantially spherical head connected to said neck portion the diameter of which is greater than that of said neck portion; c. a base portion formed with an aperture therein, said aperture being of a size to allow passage of said spherical head, a slot in communication with said aperture, said slot being of a width such as to allow sliding passage of said neck portion, the width being smaller than the diameter of said spherical head, the diameter of the neck portion being smaller than the outer diameter of the spring, and the outer diameter of the spring being greater than the width of the slot; and d. means securing the other end of said coil spring to said base portion in proximity to said aperture such that, in use, said coil spring is bent into a U for insertion of said head through said aperture and said neck portion slides along and to the end of said slot under the resiliency of the bent spring.

2. A key ring comprising: a. a normally rectilinear coil spring for supporting at least one key thereon. b. said coil spring having at least one open end, c. an end member having a neck portion and an enlarged head portion, at least a portion of said neck having a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of said open end, d. a base member provided with an aperture receiving said neck portion and said enlarged head portion therethrough, e. said aperture communicating with a slot dimensioned to receive said neck portion but preventing passage therethrough of said enlarged head portion, f. wherein said coil spring is held to said base by means of said neck portion being inserted into the open end of said coil spring and said enlarged head inserted in said aperture and slid into said slot portion.

4. A key-ring as claimed in claim 2 wherein both ends of the coil spring are each provided with an end member.

5. A key-ring as claimed in claim 2 wherein said aperture communicates with a pair of slots, each slot being dimensioned to receive the neck portion of an end member but to prevent passage therethrough of the enlarged head portion, the slots extending in opposite directions away from the aperture.

8. A key-ring as claimed in claim 2 wherein the base member includes a pair of dependent converging side flanges adapted to receive an indentification tag.