Keyholder

The invention relates to a keyholder for removably retaining keys together in a key bundle which consists of a disc-shaped body having a recessed groove formed along its edge with preferably ball-shaped retaining members disposed in the groove and adapted to engage a number of keys. The body has a passage for inserting the retaining members into the recessed groove and a spring-loaded slide is so disposed in the body that in its normal position the slide closes the passage to prevent disengagement of the key retaining members from the disc-shaped body.

Such a keyholder is known, for example, from the German Utility Model No. 1900399 which shows a circular disc having a passage closed by a movable slide.

Experienece shows that, on the average, four keys are used with each keyholder. For the exchange or removal of a key which is not arranged next to the passage, that is, whenever a key is in second or third place in the holder, it is necessary to first remove one or two keys or at least move their retaining members across the passage before such key, that is, its retaining member, can be removed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a keyholder which is more convenient to use but will retain the key just as safely as the keyholders presently on the market.

In a keyholder with a disc-shaped body consisting of two interconnected body halves a recessed groove with a narrow slot opening is formed circumferentially between the body halves, the recessed groove being adapted to receive the head portions of key retainers which project through the slot opening for holding keys to the body. A slide cavity extends centrally through the body and intersects the circumferential recessed groove so that openings are provided at the opposite ends of the slide cavity for inserting key retainers into, or removing them from, the circumferential groove. A slide of a length corresponding to the slide cavity length is slidably disposed in the cavity and is retained in its center position by a spring so as to block both openings. The slide is provided with an operating structure and one of the disc halves has a window into which the operating structure extends to permit sliding of the slide out of its center position in either direction to thereby clear either of the openings for the insertion of a key retainer into, or its removal from, the disc-shaped body.

The keyholder according to the invention has not only one passage for the key retaining members but two passages which are arranged opposite one another and which both are closed by a single slide member. As a result, with four keys, each of the keys is adjacent a passage so that any key may be easily removed or replaced.

Besides the keyholder design as given herein is very simple and easy to manufacture. The disc-shaped body is separated in the disc plane, that is, it consists of two halves which can be easily combined. Only one groove extending straight across the body needs to be provided for receiving the slide and providing the two passages normally closed by the slide. Preferably, the slide is trough-shaped and a coil-type compression spring is disposed therein and abuts two pegs formed in the disc halves. Also preferably, the trough cavity walls are stepped such that it has a middle section of increased width corresponding to the diameter of, and receiving, the coil spring and opposite end sections of smaller width into which the pegs of the disc halves extend just adjacent the spring ends. The slide is resiliently centered in a middle position without the need for special stop members.

It has been found to be advantageous if the disc is not circular as is usually the case but of another, preferably squared, shape. This advantage is especially noticeable when the keys need to be grasped in the dark, since then the locations of the, for example, two and two keys (at opposite sides of the disc) can be found more easily.

FIG. 1 is a view of one side of the key retainer;

FIG. 2 is a view of a disc half showing in dashed lines the slide and the coil-type compression spring;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the slide with the compression spring inserted; and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the slide of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 the keyholder 1 consists of two disc halves 2, 3 which are mounted together and receive therebetween a slide 4 provided with an operating structure 5 and containing within a coil-type compression spring 6. At its circumference the keyholder disc has a recessed groove 7 formed therein with a narrow slot opening to the outside. Nesting strips 8 adapted to engage one another during assembly are provided in the opposite disc halves to insure correct positioning of the disc halves 2, 3 upon assembly of the keyholder.

Both disc halves are provided at opposite sides with passages 9, 10 in which the opposite ends of the slide 4 are normally disposed. As shown in FIG. 3, the slide has stepped trough sections 11, 12 formed therein with the center trough section 12 being somewhat wider and receiving the coil spring 6 and the end sections 11 being narrower than the spring diameter so that the spring 6 is engaged axially by the steps of the walls of the trough 11, 12. The disc half 3 has pegs 13 which project therefrom into the narrower trough sections 11 adjacent the ends of the spring 6 and which are slidably received therein. In this manner the slide 4 is resiliently retained in a center position but is slidable out of its normal center position against the force of the spring 6 by applying a sliding force to the operating structure 5 which projects into a window 14 formed in one of the two body disc halves. Key retainers 15 with ball-shaped retaining members 16 are received in the recessed circumferential groove in a known manner. The circumferential groove 7 is divided by the slide into two groove areas each of which may receive, for example, two key retainers so that each key retainer can be easily and directly removed from the groove 7 by appropriate operation of the slide. It is noted, however, that more or less than the exemplary four key retainers can be used in connection with the keyholder according to the invention.

Since the keyholder as shown has an essentially square outside configuration and since the keys are divided into two distinct groups, it is easy to find certain keys even when it is dark. Finally, it is noted that the keyholder according to the invention is very economical to manufacture which is very important for articles which are to be manufactured in large numbers.