Separable Holder

The present invention relates to separable holders and, more particularly, separable holders primarily used for holding keys.

Recently, holders for keys and the like have been commercially available which allow separation of keys onto rings. The two rings can be separated by a suitable mechanical arrangement which allows the rings to be pulled apart. This will permit the ignition key of a car to be readily separated from the driver's trunk and house keys when entering a parking lot, for example. The type of mechanical arrangement commonly used for such pull-apart holders is of the metallic insert type. Such arrangements are purely functional and have no inherently aesthetic appeal. Such arrangements also feature spring catches which, with time, may fatique.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a separate holder which is simple and mechanically reliable which, at the same time, is aesthetically attractive. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a separable holder which utilizes both metal and machine plastic portions.

In accordance with the invention, a separable holder comprises a plastic central portion having a body portion and having first and second threaded projections extending from opposite ends of the body portion. The body portion also has annular shoulders at opposite ends thereof. First and second end portions are included, each having an internally threaded longitudinal opening and an annular end wall surrounding the opening. The first and second threaded projections are for being removably screwed into corresponding internally threaded openings of the first and second end portions. The annular shoulders of the body abut corresponding annular walls of the first and second end portions. Each of the first and second end portions have transverse holes therethrough. Finally included are first and second split ring elements inserted in the corresponding transverse holes of the first and second end portions. The ring elements are for having hole-bearing elements inserted thereon.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description and accompanying drawings, while the scope of the present invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates in pictorial representation the separable holder of the present invention in its disassembled state;

FIG. 2 illustrates in pictorial representation the separable holder of the present invention in assembled state;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken along section 3,3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial representation of another embodiment of the separable holder of the present invention in its disassembled state;

FIG. 5 is the separable holder shown in FIG. 4 in its assembled state in pictorial representation; and

FIG. 6 illustrates in partial sectional view taken along line 6,6 of FIG. 5 .

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 3, shown there is a separable holder in accordance with the present invention. The separable holder 10 comprises three major parts, the plastic central portion 13 and the two end portions 11 and 12, which are preferably of metal.

The plastic central portion includes a body 14 which is typically a transparent tubular plastic element. Attached to the body and forming an integral part thereof are threaded projections 15 and 16. These projections are also of plastic and are suitably machined from a stock of plastic which is common with body 14.

Surrounding the threaded projections are annular shoulders of the body 17 and 18. As will be described below, these shoulders provide an essential aspect of the overall construction of the holder which results in its durability and also prevents the more delicate projections 15 and 16 from otherwise being snapped off the central portion.

The end portions 11 and 12 have internally threaded longitudinal openings 21 and 22 which cooperate with the projections 15 and 16. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the assembled holder, FIG. 3 indicating in cross-section the way the central portion is screwed into the internally threaded portions of the end portions 11 and 12.

The end portions have annular shoulders which abut annular shoulders 18 and 17 of the central portion. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 3 in side view, these shoulders provide an interlocking fit which prevents any torsional or shear forces from breaking off the plastic projection elements 15 and 16.

In the end portions 11 and 12 are disposed through-holes 19 and 20 which are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the holder when assembled. In these through-holes are disposed split ring elements 34 and 35. These split ring elements are intended to hold keys or similar hole-bearing elements. Each key has a hole therein which is slid along a split ring until the key fully engages the ring itself.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a second embodiment of the invention is there shown. In this embodiment, elements which are identical with those shown in the first embodiment have the same numerical designation. The essential difference in this embodiment is the provision of a central portion which has two sub-portions 23 and 24. Each sub-portion is composed of solid plastic. One of the sub-portions 23 has a body 25, a threaded projection 26 and an internally threaded portion 32. The other sub-portion 24 includes a body 33 and also two threaded projections 27 and 28, much like the entire central portion 13 in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The two sub-portions cooperate by having one of the projections of sub-portion 24, in this case projection 27, removably insertable in internal threaded portion 32 of the sub-portion 23.

Both sub-portions include annular shoulders, in this case indicated as shoulders 29, 36, 30 and 31. As seen in FIG. 6, these various shoulders interlock when the elements are screwed together to provide a stable assembly similar to that of the first embodiment.

In this second embodiment, if it is desired that only the screw arrangement of the plastic portion should open when the assembly is screwed apart, then a some form of glue or cement can be applied to the threads of projections 28 and 26 upon insertion in the end portions. This will lock these assemblies so that only the screw coupling formed by projection 27 and internal threaded portion 32 will come apart when the elements are separated.

While the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention.