WO2001000374A1

WO2001000374A1 - Pocket-sized knife assembly having separable key holder

Info

Publication number: WO2001000374A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/000683
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kyung Yang Park
Original assignee: Harexinnotek Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 1999-06-30
Filing date: 2000-06-29
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Also published as: CN1315899A

Abstract

A pocket-sized knife assembly includes a separable key holder (181), a small-sized tool such as a pocket-sized knife (171) and an illumination unit (150), formed in slim manner. The pocket-sized knife assembly includes a center plate (110) forming a predetermined fulcrum, and at least one elastic member (194) contacting the fulcrum to thereby give an elastic force necessary for unfolding and folding the small-sized tools. Also, the pocket-sized knife assembly further includes a separable key holder in addition to the small-sized tool unfolding and folding structure. Further, the pocket-sized knife assembly includes a night illumination (110) unit in addition to the small-sized tool unfolding and folding structure and the separate key holder structure (181). Particularly, the small-sized tool unfolding and folding structure, the separable key holder structure and the illumination unit are assembled in slim pattern.

Description

POCKET-SIZED KNIFE ASSEMBLY HAVING SEPARABLE KEY

HOLDER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pocket-sized knife assembly having a separable key holder, and more particularly, to a pocket-sized knife assembly, in which small-sized tools, a separable key holder, and a night illumination lamp are integrally embodied into a slim assembly.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a key holder is used for carrying a variety of keys all at a time. The key holder is a ring-shaped loop itself basically, or has a body fitted with a ring- shaped loop. The ring-shaped loop is wound with steel wire of two or three turns to have an elastic force. To hold a key into the key holder, the key is rotated along the ring-shaped two-turns loop and inserted into the key holder. The above key holding mechanism makes it difficult to separate the key from the key holder and insert the former into the latter. Meanwhile, as one of emergency tools used for climbing and travel, an assembly knife structure including a variety of small-sized functional tools including a pocket-sized knife is being widely used. The assembly knife structure (which is hereinafter called a pocket-sized knife assembly) is shown in the accompanying drawing FIG. 1, in which knives 10 and 11, a nail finishing unit, a bottle opener and so on are installed on a body 12 together with elastic members 13 and 14 corresponding to each other, to receive an elastic force.

The pocket-sized knife assembly is fabricated for professional users, weighs considerably, and has the difficulty in embodying other functions than small-sized tool assembly structure due to the arrangement of the elastic members. For example, there is a spatial limit in embodying a key holder or an illumination unit, in the conventional pocket-sized knife assembly. In particular, it is difficult to carry it simply in the pocket, due to the size as well as the weight. Meanwhile, lanterns which are used for emergency or leisure, a hand lamp or an illumination indicator for emitting light, and so on are known as illumination units each using at least one portable battery. Recently, a key holder is known in which an illumination unit in order to identify a key hole is attached on the body of the key holder. A separable key holder structure is required in order to solve a key insertion problem in the conventional key holder.

Further, a portable pocket-sized knife assembly is required in order to avoid an assembly structure of only small-sized tools in the pocket-sized knife assembly, escape from a limitation in the arrangement structure, and improve the weight, in the conventional pocket-sized knife assembly.

Particularly, if the conventional pocket-sized knife assembly has both a separable key holder function and an illumination function, most of the above demerits or defects are improved.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

To solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a separable key holder facilitating frequent separation and insertion during use of the key holder. It is another object of the present invention to provide a pocket-sized knife assembly which is more compact, lighter and advanced than the conventional pocket- sized knife assembly.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a pocket-sized knife assembly having a separable key holder, in which the key holder, pocket-sized knives and an illumination unit are assembled.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a pocket-sized knife assembly in which each functional unit is assembled in an ultra-slim structure, in addition to the multi-functional feature in which a key holder, pocket-sized knives and an illumination unit are assembled.

To accomplish the above object of the present invention, there is provided a pocket-sized knife assembly having small-sized tools, the pocket-sized knife assembly comprising: a center plate forming a predetermined fulcrum; at least one elastic member contacting the fulcrum to thereby give an elastic force necessary for unfolding and folding the small-sized tools; and fixed plates covering external sides so that the center plate, the elastic member and the small-sized tools are fixedly engaged in the same thickness.

A pocket-sized knife assembly for accomplishing the second object of the present invention is accomplished by further comprising key holding means including: a key holder hole formed on the center plate and through which a key loop is held; a guide hole communicating with the entrance of the key holder hole in order to open and close the entrance of the key holder hole; and a moving pin moving in the guide hole in order to open and close the entrance of the key holder hole.

It is preferable that the center plate, the elastic member and the key holding means in the pocket-sized knife assembly are engaged with fixed plates externally. It is preferable that external sides of the fixed plates are covered with cover members for design of the external appearance.

A pocket-sized knife assembly for accomplishing the third object of the present invention is accomplished by integrally embodying the separable key holder, small-sized tools and an illumination unit. It is preferable that the illumination unit further comprises a lamp and a battery positioned in the center plate and a button member communicating with the fixed plates and the cover members to turn the lamp on and off.

A pocket-sized knife assembly for improving an assembling performance according to the present invention is accomplished by comprising relatively thin small-sized tools and elastic members in order for the small-sized tools are unfolded and folded at an axis, and by engaging an accommodation space for realizing the unfolding and folding function of the small-sized tools and the center plate smaller than the fixed plates corresponding to the thickness of the accommodation space, with small-sized protrudes and small-sized holes.

The pocket-sized knife assembly comprising the center plate and the fixed plates is attached with cover members for taking an external design into consideration. It is preferable that the cover members are attached at the state that the tools performing various functions have been assembled, in which case the tools and cover members are configured in the structure which can be assembled and disassembled, using head portions of rivets and caps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing the preferred embodiment thereof in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional portable pocket-sized knife; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pocket-sized knife assembly including a separable key holder according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dismantled pocket-sized knife assembly having a separable key holder;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a partly exploded pocket-sized knife assembly having a separable key holder;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a pocket-sized knife assembly according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pocket-sized knife assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pocket-sized knife assembly including a separable key holder according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.

3 is a perspective view of a dismantled pocket-sized knife assembly having a separable key holder. A basic structure forming a pocket-sized knife assembly according to the present invention includes a center plate 110 of a predetermined shape, fixed plates

120 which are larger than the center plate 1 10, covering the left and right sides to thereby form a predetermined assembly space, and cover members 130 and 140 for covering the left and right sides of the fixed plates 120. Between the center plate 1 10 and the left and right side fixed plates 120 are positioned a key holder, a small-sized tool unfolding and folding structure, and an illumination unit for performing predetermined functions.

More specifically, a battery accommodation chamber 11 1 whose one side is opened and other side forms a dead end is formed in the center plate 110. A lamp hole 112 is formed upward from the battery accommodation chamber 1 12. Lamp terminal grooves (not shown) are formed in both sides of the lamp hole 1 12 to communicate with the battery accommodation chamber 1 11. A key holder hole 1 13 is formed in the lower side of the battery accommodation chamber 11 1. The key holder hole 1 13 communicates with a guide hole 118 upwards. A loading groove 116 is formed along the line of the guide hole 1 18 in the key holder hole 113. A small-sized protrude 1 14 and protrudes 1 15 are formed on either side of the center plate 110, and engagement holes 117 are formed thereon.

On each of the fixed plates 120 are formed a battery accommodation hole 121 corresponding to the battery accommodation chamber 1 1 1, a key holder hole 123 communicating with the key holder hole 1 13, a guide hole 122 communicating with the guide hole 1 18, in the left or right side of the center plate 1 10. In addition, an engagement hole 124, a small-sized hole 125 fitted with the small-sized protrude 1 14, a throughhole 127 fitted with the protrude 1 15. and a small-sized hole 126 attaching the cover member 130 or 140 are formed on each fixed plate 120.

The center plate 1 10 and the fixed plates 120 are engaged by engagement of the rivet 212 and the cap 214, via the engagement holes 124 formed on the fixed plates 120. The head portions of the rivet 212 and the cap 214 are stepped in slant form to have a predetermined locking structure. When the rivets 212 penetrate the engagement holes 124 of the fixed plates

120 of both sides, they penetrate an axis hole 174 of the small-sized tools positioned in a accommodation space "b" and the fixed hole 194 of the elastic members. Accordingly, the small-sized tools are rotatably elastically fixed.

Closely tight grooves 134 and 144 combined with the head portions of the rivet 212 and the cap 214 are formed in predetermined positions in the cover members 130 and 140 and small-sized protrudes 135 and 145 are formed thereon.

That is, the closely tight grooves 134 and 144 corresponding to the slant head portions of the rivet 212 and the cap 214 support the slant head portion closely tightly in the left and right cover members 130 and 140. For this reason, the cover members 130 and 140 are assembled on each fixed plate 120 without requiring any bolting means.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a partly exploded pocket-sized knife assembly having a separable key holder, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a pocket-sized knife assembly according to the present invention. The pocket-sized knife assembly including a key holder according to the present invention is comprised of a small-sized tool unfolding and folding portion, a key holder portion and an illumination unit, in view of a functional feature.

That is, the small-sized tool unfolding and folding portion is comprised of the center plate 1 10, the fixed plates 120 engaged at the left and right sides of the center plate 110, and the elastic members 191, 192 and 193 accommodated in the accommodation space "b".

A fulcrum "a" is positioned at a predetermined position on the boundary surface of the center plate 110 and the accommodation space "b". The elastic members 191, 192 and 193 are pressed at the fulcrum "a" by the small-sized tools such as the unfolded knife 171 , to thereby obtain a necessary elastic force. It is possible to form the fulcrum "a" on the center plate 110 by meeting a slant surface of a predetermined angle.

When the fixed plates 120 are assembled at both sides of the center plate 110, a predetermined accommodation space "b" is formed. The total size of the accommodation space "b" and the center plate 110 is same as that of the fixed plate 120. The elastic members 191, 192 and 193 are fixed in the accommodation space "b", and the knife 171, the pair of the scissors 172 and the auxiliary elastic member 173 are rotatably fixed on the same layer. The auxiliary elastic member 173 maintains a split position during use of the scissors 172.

The knife 171, the scissors 172 and the auxiliary elastic member 173 are rotatably fixed at the axis hole 174 which is formed in the lower portion in the accommodation space "b". The elastic members 191, 192 and 193 form the fixing holes 194 in their upper portions, respectively. An auxiliary key holder hole 195 is formed in one of the elastic member 193.

The key holder portion is comprised of a key holder hole 1 13, a guide hole 118 for opening and closing the entrance "c" of the key holder hole 1 13, and a moving pin 181 which moves for opening and closing the entrance "c" of the key holder hole 1 13. The key holder hole 113 and the guide hole 118 are formed on the center plate

1 10. A protrude 182 is formed outwards on the moving pin 181 and a coil spring 183 is elastically installed on the upper portion. The protrude 182 formed on the moving pin 181 is exposed through the guide hole 122 formed on the fixed plate 120. The moving pin 181 is loaded into the loading groove 1 16 by the elastic force of the coil spring 183, to thereby block the entrance "c" of the key holder hole 1 13. Thus, if the protrude 182 is moved up to open the entrance "c", the key loop can be held in the key holder hole 133.

The illumination unit is comprised of a lamp 150 including positive and negative terminals 151 , a battery 162, a button member 161 and a plate spring 163.

The lamp 150 is accommodated into a lamp hole 112 which is formed inwards on the center plate 1 10. The battery 162 is accommodated in the battery' accommodation chamber 1 1 1 which is formed in the lower portion of the lamp hole 112 to be connected with the terminals 151 of the lamp 150. The button member 161 is positioned in a button hole 131 formed on the cover member 130 or 140, and is inserted into the battery accommodation hole 121 and the battery accommodation chamber 111 to have an elastic force. The button member 161 further comprises a plate spring 163.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pocket-sized knife assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which a nail grinder is provided.

The whole structure of the pocket-sized knife assembly including a key holder according to the present invention is assembled in the following manner.

First, the center plate 1 10 is positioned in the center portion. Then, the elastic members 191, 192 and 193, the knife 171 , the scissors 173. the auxiliary elastic member 173, the lamp 150 and the moving pin 180 are positioned in the accommodation space "b" to maintain a single thickness, whose both sides are covered with the fixed plates 120.

Four rivets 212 penetrate the loading groove 1 16 and engagement holes 1 17 formed on the center plate 110 in correspondence to four engagement holes 124, up to the engagement holes 124 formed on the other fixed plate 120, and then caps 214 are tightened externally in the other fixed plate 120. Thus, the center plate 1 10 is engaged with the fixed plates 120.

Also, the small-sized protrudes 1 14 protruding from both sides of the center plate 1 10 are fitted into the small-sized holes 125 formed on the left and right handed fixed plates 120, and the protrude 115 is fitted into a throughhole 127, which is in the form of a fitting and engagement structure. The fitting and engagement structure is accomplished by the small-sized protrudes 135 and 145 formed on the cover members 130 and 140, and the small-sized holes 126 formed in the fixed plates 120. The heads protruding from the rivets 212 and the caps 214 are inserted and fitted into the closely tight groove 144 provided in the inner side of each cover member 130 and 140.

Also, the battery 162 is accommodated in the battery accommodation chamber 1 1 1 and the button member 161 is assembled in the button hole 131 on the cover members 130 and 140 toward the battery accommodation hole 121 together with the plate spring 163.

The operation of the pocket-sized knife assembly according to the present invention will be described in more detail.

First, when the knife 171 is unfolded, it is unfolded while pressing the end of the elastic member 191 supported in the rear end thereof. After having unfolded, the elastic member 191 maintains the unfolded state of the knife 171 elastically.

In the case that the scissors 172 is used, the elastic member 192 elastically supports the scissors 172 and the auxiliary elastic member 173 elastically supports the elastic member 193. to thereby maintain the unfolded state of the scissors 172. In this state, the auxiliary elastic member 173 pressing the elastic member 193 tends to be restored but stopped by a protrude 175 of the scissors, to thereby split the scissors 172. The exert force of the scissors 172 is a restoring force after a cutting work and thus the scissors can be maintained always in a split manner during use.

When the key holder shown in FIG. 6 is fitted into the key holder holes 1 13, 123, 133 and 143, the moving pin 181 elastically supported by the spring 183 is moved up to open the entrance "c". and then the key loop is fitted into the key holder holes 1 13, 123, 133 and 143. Thereafter, the moving pin 181 is restored to close the entrance "c". That is, the moving pin 181 is elastically supported by the spring 183, in the guide hole 118 formed on the center plate 1 10, and the protrude 182 is exposed via the cover member 130, and the guide hole 122 or 132 formed on the fixed plate 120. In this state, when the protrude 182 located in the guide hole 132 on the cover member 130 is moved upwards, the moving pin 181 presses the spring 183 and moves. Reversely, if the former is released, the spring 183 is restored into an original position. In doing so, a separable key holder which can open and close a key holder by opening and closing the entrance "c" of the moving pin 181 is provided in the pocket-sized knife assembly.

The operation of the illumination unit is started from pressing of the button member 161. The battery 162 is located in the inner side of the button member 161. The plate spring 163 is elastically supported in the inner side of the button member 161. Thus, the positive and negative terminals disconnected by the plate spring 163 are connected with the battery 162 by pressure of the button member 161, to accordingly turn the lamp 150 on. Instead of the illumination unit, a sound unit working through a power supply such as a battery can be added to realize a sound function. The above illumination or sound function can be realized widely through a respectively different embodiment of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, in the pocket-sized knife assembly of the present invention, a key holder hole can be opened and closed with a elastic opening and closing unit to facilitate holding and taking out of the key.

The present invention provides an effect of integrating a small-sized tool unfolding and folding function, a separable key holder function and an illumination function into a single portable small-sized tool assembly.

The present invention elastically supports the elastic members on predetermined plate bodies, in which the small-sized tool unfolding and folding state is maintained firmly and multi-functions such as the separable key holder and illumination functions can be effectively accomplished

The present invention provides a slim pocket-sized knife assembly in which each functional unit is located in a thin plate structure on the center, and thm cover members are assembled on a plate structure externally. The present invention removes an exposure portion necessary for engagement of the slim pocket-sized knife assembly, to thereby provide an effect of a higher quality pocket-sized knife assembly

Claims

1. A pocket-sized knife assembly having small-sized tools, the pocket-sized knife assembly comprising: a center plate forming a predetermined fulcrum; at least one elastic member contacting the fulcrum to thereby give an elastic force necessary for unfolding and folding the small-sized tools; and fixed plates covering external sides so that the center plate, the elastic member and the small-sized tools are fixedly engaged in the same thickness.

2. The pocket-sized knife assembly of claim 1 , further comprising key holding means including: a key holder hole formed on the center plate and through which a key loop is held; a guide hole communicating with the entrance of the key holder hole in order to open and close the entrance of the key holder hole; and a moving pin moving in the guide hole in order to open and close the entrance of the key holder hole.

3. The pocket-sized knife assembly of claim 1 , further comprising cover members for covering the engagement members externally exposed from the fixed plates.

4. The pocket-sized knife assembly of claim 3, wherein said fixed plate comprises at least one small-sized protrude outwards, and the corresponding cover member comprises a groove corresponding to the small-sized protrude, so that the cover member is fitted into the outer side of the fixed plate.

5. The pocket-sized knife assembly of claim 4, further comprising an illumination unit.

6. The pocket-sized knife assembly of claim 5, wherein said illumination unit comprises a lamp and a battery positioned in the center plate and a button member communicating with the fixed plates and the cover members to turn the lamp on and off.