Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02958453 2017-02-21
KEY HOLDER CASE
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Key holder cases.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Keys are often hung on key chains or key rings, and keys that are
unprotected in this way can
cause damage to surfaces or pockets in which the keys are placed. Keys may
also become entangled
within key rings. Key holder cases are used to carry keys in a holder
providing an orderly, immediate
untangled access to the desired key when needed.
SUMMARY
[0003] In an embodiment, there is provided a key holder case, comprising an
external housing sized
to contain a key, the housing having a first surface and second surface, a top
side, and an operative
end; a slidable sleeve contained within the housing, the sleeve shaped to hold
a bow of the key; an
opening in the operative end of the housing shaped to allow passage of a blade
of the key and a
portion of a shoulder of the key; a slot extending along the top side of the
housing; a slide button
extending from the sleeve through the slot for translating the sleeve within
the housing; and wherein
the key is contained within the housing when the sleeve is retracted and a
portion of the key
protrudes from the housing when the sleeve is extended to allow the key to
operate in a lock
corresponding to the key, and wherein the key holder case is contiguously
stackable with further key
holder cases by a connecting mechanism.
[0004] In various embodiments, there may be included any one or more of the
following features:
the connecting mechanism comprises a set of pockets inset in the first surface
of the housing and a
corresponding set of plugs extending from the second surface of the housing;
there are four pockets
in the first surface of the housing and four corresponding plugs in the second
surface of the housing;
the pockets are located in the corners of the first surface of the housing and
the plugs are located in
the corners of the second surface of the housing; and the portion of the key
which protrudes from the
housing is the blade portion of the key. Alternatively, the connecting
mechanism in the four corners
may comprise other fasteners such as screws, or bolts and nuts, or tabbed clip
and slot or other
suitable mechanism to maintain the case in its stacked configuration when
fastened while allowing
for addition or removal of key holder cases from the stack.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0005] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in
which like reference
characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which:
[0006] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a key holder case,
stacked with further key
holder cases;
[0007] Fig. 2 is an expanded view of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
[0008] Fig. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of a key holder case, stacked
with further key holder
cases;
[0009] Fig. 4 is atop view of the embodiment of Fig. 3 in which one of the
keys in the key holder
cases is extended outside the case;
[0010] Fig. 5 is an expanded view of the embodiment of Fig. 3;
[0011] Fig. 6 is a first surface view of an embodiment of a key holder case;
[0012] Fig. 7 is a further first surface view the embodiment of Fig. 6 in
which a key extends out of
the case;
[0013] Fig. 8 is a second surface view of the embodiment of Fig. 6;
[0014] Fig. 9 is a further second surface view of the embodiment of Fig. 6 in
which a key extends
out of the case;
[0015] Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 6, along axis A-
A;
[0016] Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 7, along axis A-A
in which a key
extends out of the case;
[0017] Fig. 12 is a partial view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; in which a key
extends out of the case;
and
[0018] Fig. 13 is further partial view of the embodiment of Fig. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here
without departing
from what is covered by the claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" is
used in its inclusive
sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite
articles "a" and "an" before a
claim feature do not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each
one of the individual
features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by
virtue only of being
described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as defined by
the claims.
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[0020] Referring to Figs. 1, 6 and 8, an embodiment of a key holder case 10 is
shown. The key
holder case 10 comprises an external housing 12 sized to contain a key and
sleeve 13, and the
housing 12 has a first surface 14, a second surface 15, a top side 16, and an
operative end 18.
[0021] As shown in Figs. 10-13, the external housing 12 has a slidable sleeve
20 contained within
the housing 12 and the sleeve 20 is shaped to hold a bow 21 of the key 13. The
external housing 12
has an opening 22 in the operative end 18 of the housing 12 and a slot 23
extending along top side 16
of the housing 12. The opening 22 is shaped to allow passage of the blade 24
or shoulder 26 of the
key 13. A slide button 28 extends from the sleeve 20 through the slot 23 for
translating the sleeve 20
within the housing 12.
[0022] The key 13 may be retracted for orderly storage or extended for use. As
shown in Figs. 10
and 13, the key 13 seated in the sleeve 20 is contained within the housing 12
when the sleeve 20 is
retracted, and as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, a portion of the key 13 protrudes
from the housing 12
when the sleeve 20 has been slide extended to allow the key to operate in a
lock corresponding to the
key 13. When the key 13 is fully extended, the key 13 can be used to open the
lock.
[0023] As shown in Figs. 1-5, the key holder case 10 is stackable with further
key holder cases by a
connecting mechanism 30. A set of key holder cases may form a stack of cases
32. The key holder
cases 10 may be stacked so that the operative end 18 of each case operates in
the same direction or in
the opposite direction of another case.
[0024] As shown in the connecting mechanism 30 comprises a set of pockets 34
inset in the first
surface 14 of the housing 12 and a corresponding set of plugs 36 extending
from the second surface
15 of the housing 12. There may be, for example, four pockets 34 in the first
surface 14 of the
housing and four corresponding plugs 36 in the second surface 15 of the
housing 12. The four
pockets 34 and four plugs 36 may be located in the corners of the housing 12.
However, there may be
greater or fewer pockets 34 and corresponding plugs 36. The pockets 34 and
plugs 36 may connect to
each other by a friction fit, and the pockets 34 may have troughs
corresponding to ridges in the plugs
36 to increase the strength of the connection. The plugs 34 may be screws or
bolts and the pockets
may have corresponding screw or bolt threads or nuts. If screws or bolts are
used, alternating
housings in a stack of cases may be offset to provide spacing for the screws
or bolts.
[0025] As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the bow 38 of the key 13 is held by the
sleeve 20, may be held
in the sleeve 20 by the shape of the sleeve 20 or by friction, a clip or a
latch. For example, the sleeve
20 may have a lip which prevents a portion of the bow of the key 13 from
sliding out of the sleeve
20. The slide button 28 may be connected directly to the sleeve 20, and the
slide button 28 may have
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an extension element 40 which connects the sleeve 20 to the slide button 28.
The extension element
40 may be smaller than the main portion of the slide button 28 in order to
pass through the slot 23.
The extension element 40 may be, for example, a short rod. The extension
element 40 is sufficiently
stiff that the translation of the slide button 28 results in a corresponding
translation of the sleeve 20.
[0026] The sleeve 20 may slide within the housing 12 along a guide. For
example, the sleeve 20 may
have runners which correspond to tracks of the housing 12, or the sleeve 20
may have tracks which
correspond to runners on the housing 12. The slide button 28 can be manually
moved along the
length of the slot 23 to move the sleeve 20 and therefore the key 13 from a
retracted position inside
the housing 12 to an extended position outside the housing 12.
[0027] Key 13 is shown fully extended in Figs. 4, 7, 9, 11 and 12. Key 13 is
shown retracted in the
housing in Figs. 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 13. Figs. 1 and 2 show key 13 in various
positions, including
partially extended, fully extended and fully retracted.
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