The present disclosure relates to physical keys and, in particular, to key covers suitable for use with different types of keys.
A key cap provides a protective cover for the bow, or head, of a key. When the bow of a key is inserted into a key cap, the key cap covers the outer surface of the bow and retains the bow (for example, by friction fit), leaving the blade of the key to be exposed outside of the key cap. Keys can be differentiated by fitting their bows with key caps of varying shapes, colours and/or designs. Key caps can also provide improved grip of the covered key and display information for identifying the key.
The shape of a key's bow can be useful in identifying the type of the key. Various different bow shapes for common key types are known. A popular type of key is the “SC1” key, which is compatible with, for example, a Schlage® five-pin, “C” keyway. An SC1 key has a bow that is generally wider than the bows of other common key types, such as “KW1” (Kwikset) and “WR5” (Weiser). As a consequence, a key cap for covering a KW1 key or a WR5 key may not be suitable for use with an SC1 key. For example, the bow of an SC1 key may not fit in a smaller key cap for other common key types. Even if the SC1 bow can be fitted in the smaller key cap, the wider SC1 bow may cause the key cap material to experience an unusual amount of stretching, with the resulting stress eventually causing the key cap to tear. Conversely, a key cap which is appropriately sized to cover an SC1 bow may not provide a secure friction fit for keys that have narrower bows.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,845 ('845) discloses a universal key cap that fits around different edged bows of various common house keys. The key cap in '845 includes a hollow chamber for receiving the bow of a key and edged segments molded on an inner surface of the chamber that register with at least one of the edges of the key bow. The edged segments of the key cap are designed to accommodate the varied geometry of the key bows of a plurality of common key types. As a result, the key cap of '845 includes a chamber having a complex internal make-up defined by multiple edges and edged corners. In particular, the chamber of the key cap is designed to be wide enough to house the bow of SC1 keys and, accordingly, the key cap has a large width, which may result in undesirable bulk.
Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show example embodiments of the present application and in which:
Like reference numerals are used in the drawings to denote like elements and features.
In an aspect, the present disclosure describes a key cover. The key cover includes a first wall, a second wall opposite to the first wall, and an outer wall extending between the first wall and the second wall. The outer wall defines a pair of slots which extend through the outer wall and which are positioned opposite to each other on the outer wall. The first wall, the second wall, and the outer wall together define a closed chamber for receiving a bow of the key as well as an opening to the chamber.
Other example embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following detailed descriptions in conjunction with the drawings.
In the present application, the terms “key cap” and “key cover” will be used interchangeably.
Reference is now made to
The key cover 200 includes a first wall 220 and a second wall 221 opposite to the first wall 220. In at least some embodiments, the first wall 220 and the second wall 221 are generally planar and in parallel spaced relation to each other. For example, a distance between the first wall 220 and the second wall 221 may be between 0.75 and 12 millimeters. For key covers that are used for covering larger keys (e.g. automotive keys), the distance between the first wall 220 and the second wall 221 may be between 5 and 12 millimeters. Each of the first wall 220 and the second wall 221 includes an exterior surface, an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface, and an outer periphery having at least a side edge 210 which forms an end surface of the wall. The first wall 220 and the second wall 221 may have the same thickness (i.e. distance between the exterior and interior surfaces of a wall), or one of the walls may be thicker than the other. The key cover 200 also includes an outer wall 202 which extends between the first wall 220 and the second wall 221. The outer wall 202 terminates at a first end 250 and a second end 251. The first wall 220, the second wall 221, and the outer wall 202 together define a closed chamber 205 for receiving the bow of a key. In particular, the chamber 205 is defined by an interior surface 222 of the first wall 220, an interior surface 223 of the second wall 221, and an interior surface 224 of the outer wall 202. The outer wall 202 extends at least partially along a periphery of the first wall 220 and the second wall 221, respectively, and joins the walls 220 and 221 together to form a complete cover over the bow of a key.
The first wall 220, the second wall 221, and the outer wall 202 also define an opening 206 to the chamber 205. In at least some embodiments, the opening 206 may be an aperture located on one side of the key cover 200. More generally, the opening 206 may form an open end of the key cover 200, defined, in part, by portions of the periphery of the first wall 220 and the second wall 221 that are not joined by the outer wall 202. The opening 206 facilitates insertion (and removal) of a key bow into (and from) the chamber 205. Accordingly, the opening 206 is dimensioned to allow smooth ingress and egress of a key bow. For example, in some embodiments, the length of the opening 206 may range between 15 and 40 millimeters. For key covers that are used for covering larger keys (e.g. automotive keys), the length of the opening 206 may be between 25 and 40 millimeters. In another embodiment, the first wall 220, the second wall 221, and the outer wall 202 may define a second opening (not shown in diagrams) that is located opposite to the opening 206. The second opening provides another aperture through which a key can be inserted into the body of key cover 200. In particular, by having two separate, opposite openings in the key cover 200, the key bow may be inserted into the key cover 200 in two different ways. The bow end (i.e. the end of the key furthest from the blade) of the key may be inserted/forced through the opening 206 (or the second opening) until the bow is positioned/fit inside the chamber 205. Alternatively, the blade end (i.e. the end opposite to the bow end) of the key may be inserted through the second opening (or opening 206) and drawn out through the opening 206 (or the second opening) until the bow is positioned/fit inside the chamber 205.
The outer wall 202 defines a pair of slots 201a and 201b which extend through the outer wall 202. In particular, the slots 201a and 201b are in communication with the chamber 205. The slots 201a and 201b are positioned opposite to each other on the outer wall 202. As shown in
The slots 201a and 201b defined on the outer wall 202 are positioned to receive the lateral bow tips 105a and 105b of an SC1 key bow through the slots when the key bow is inserted into and retained in the chamber 205. For example, the slots 201a and 201b may be located in spaced relation to the ends 250 and 251, respectively, along the outer wall 202 such that the lateral bow tips 105a and 105b fit through the slots when the key cover 200 is slipped over an SC1 key 104. The placement of these slots on the outer wall 202 allows the lateral bow tips of an SC1 key 104 to be exposed through the key cover 200, as shown in
The dimensions of the slots 201a and 201b are appropriate for receiving the lateral bow tips of an SC1 key. For example, one or both of the slots may have a width of at least 0.75 millimeters and a length of at least 2 millimeters. In some embodiments, the widths of slots 201a and 201b may be equal to the width of opening 206. In
In at least some embodiments, the opening 206 of the key cover 200 is defined by a rim formed by edges of the first wall 220, the second wall 221, and the outer wall 202. For example, as illustrated in
The key cover 200 may also include a key ring aperture 209 for receiving a key ring. In at least some embodiments, the first wall 220 may define a first key ring aperture 209a extending through the first wall 220 and the second wall 221 may define a second key ring aperture 209b extending through the second wall 220, such that the first key ring aperture 209a is in alignment with the second key ring aperture 209b. For example, the key ring apertures 209a and 209b may be cylindrical bores in the first wall 220 and the second wall 221, respectively. The key ring apertures may be located on their respective walls such that they are both aligned with a corresponding aperture on the bow of a key being covered by the key cover 200. For example, since the locations of the key ring aperture and lateral bow tips on a standard SC1 key may be known, the slots 201a and 201b as well as the key ring apertures 209a and 209b can be placed at appropriate positions on the body of the key cover 200 of
Reference is now made to
In at least some embodiments, the cavity 407 accommodates installation of a magnet therein, such that a magnetic field may be provided on at least one side of the key cover 300. A magnet (e.g. ring magnet, disk magnet, cylindrical magnet, etc.) can be installed in the cavity 407 as part of the assembly process for the key cover 300, or it may be manually inserted into the cavity 407 by a user of the key cover 300. The magnet may be sized such that it fits completely inside the cavity 407 and is flush (or near flush) with the exterior surface of the first wall 320. In some embodiments, the magnet can be retained in and secured to the cavity 407 by means of an adhesive (e.g. glue). For example, an adhesive may be applied to the walls and/or base of the cavity 407 prior to inserting the magnet in the cavity 407. Alternatively, a user may insert, into the cavity 407, a magnet (e.g. peel-and-stick type magnet) that includes an adhesive which is protected by a removable covering.
In at least some embodiments, a first planar surface, or end face, 560 of the metallic plate 555 forms the base 408 (i.e. terminal/closed end, or bottom wall) of cavity 507. In particular, the area of surface 560 of the metallic plate 555 is greater than a cross-sectional area of the cavity 507, and the metallic plate 555 is positioned such that the center 570 of surface 560 aligns with the central axis of cavity 507. The metallic plate 555 may thus provide an encased margin surrounding the circumference of the cavity 507. The embedded metallic plate 555 may enhance the magnetic pull force of an attached magnet that is secured directly to the metallic plate 555 within the cavity 507. The metallic plate 555 may also anchor an attached magnet and prevent it from being unintentionally dislodged from the cavity 507, since the encased margin of the metallic plate 555 can prevent a magnet from being pulled out of the cavity 507. Furthermore, attaching a magnet directly to a planar surface of a metallic surface, such as surface 560 of plate 555, may provide a reliable long-term bond, as compared to the attachment of a magnet to a polymer material. A magnet may be attached to the plate 555, for example, by using an adhesive (e.g. glue) applied to one or both of the magnet and the plate 555.
The metallic plate 555 may take various different forms. For example, the metallic plate 555 may be a disk, such as disk 556, having a plurality of protrusions/projections 545 on at least one planar surface 561 (e.g. the surface of plate 555 that is opposite to the surface 560). The protrusions 545 extend from the planar surface 561 of the disk 556 and may serve as legs that are used to support and anchor the disk 556 (as shown in
In some embodiments, the cavity 507 may be in alignment with the key ring aperture 509 of the key cover 500. That is, as shown in
Embodiments of the present disclosure may be suitable for use with large head keys, keys having plastic-covered bows or bows formed with and having a plastic body, automotive transponder keys, heavy equipment keys, tractors keys, key fobs, and non-symmetrical keys, such as key 600 shown in
In some embodiments, the key cover 200 may include RFID transponder(s) embedded within the walls of the key cover 200 and at least one activation/command button for automotive and motorized equipment applications, and for operating electronic doors (e.g. garage doors, entrance doors, etc.). In some embodiments, the key cover 200 may include, in at least one of its walls, an embedded battery and a function button, both of which are suitably wired within the key cover body to activate a light emitting diode located on a base rim of the key cover 200.
The various embodiments presented above are merely examples and are in no way meant to limit the scope of this application. Variations of the innovations described herein will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art, such variations being within the intended scope of the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-described example embodiments may be selected to create alternative example embodiments including a sub-combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. In addition, features from one or more of the above-described example embodiments may be selected and combined to create alternative example embodiments including a combination of features which may not be explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and sub-combinations would be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art upon review of the present application as a whole. The subject matter described herein and in the recited claims intends to cover and embrace all suitable changes in technology.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/493,143 filed on Jun. 24, 2016 and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/631,022 filed on Jun. 23, 2017, the contents of these prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20190063110 A1 | Feb 2019 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62493143 | Jun 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15631022 | Jun 2017 | US |
Child | 16172979 | US |