The present invention relates to oblong object holders and, more particularly, to oblong object holders which have one end of the objects free while also being held at the other end thereof.
Many people have needs for keeping a variety of oblong objects with them as they go about their various daily activities, objects such as keys, nail files or other tools shaped oblong by handles or tool structures therein, electronic memory devices having electrical interconnections plugs at one end thereof, and the like. Carrying them about as individual, unconnected objects makes difficult finding them in a carrier's pocket or purse if there are several of such objects, especially with them having geometric outlines more or less similar to one another. Thus, people typically use some kind of organizing holder device to hold at least some of such carried about objects in some ordered arrangement.
A substantial variety of kinds of these holder devices are in current and past use. There are many kinds of key holders, for example, some having keys which swing out of the holder for use through rotating about a pivot of some sort, or about a ring, or swing with a ring that is somehow captured so as to allow that ring with the key to rotate. Other kinds of holders allow keys or other oblong objects to be slid in and out of the holder.
Many of these holders are formed from a multitude of parts of different materials and which must be individually assembled in fabricating the holder structure. Often, mounting the oblong objects to be held in the holder is inconvenient, or even difficult, and many allow holding therein only very limited numbers of objects. Similarly, the means for selecting objects from the holder to thereby become accessible for use is often inconvenient or difficult. Thus, there is a desire for an economical and convenient oblong object holder that can accommodate a variety of different oblong objects therein.
The present invention provides a holder of oblong objects pivotably mounted therein so as to be selectively positionable and selectively retainable therein comprising a pair of oblong sidewall structures spaced apart across an object retaining space from one another each having a mounting side end across from one another with a restraining spring formed of a resilient sheet curved sufficiently to form a joined spring end with a pair of spring sides across from one another each extending away from said joined spring end to each have a free end across from one another with each free end having a spring opening therethrough such that these spring openings are also across from one another and with the restraining spring supported on the mounting side end of a supporting one of the sidewall structures in the pair thereof such that the spring openings therein are also across from one another. An ejector is mounted in the holder to be positioned in the object retaining space at an ejector side of the object retaining space to extend between the pair of spaced apart oblong sidewall structures with the ejector formed of a resilient material such that an end thereof can be forced further into the object retaining space and thereafter return to the ejector side when that forcing ceases. A pivot pin is positionable concurrently through each of the spring openings, and also removable therefrom.
In addition, in housing 14, there is an end side, 15, having an inner surface ridge, 15′, (not shown in
A dashed line circular opening is shown extending through side 17 of housing 14 in
Separator slats 12 extend lengthwise perpendicular to end side 15, and have the supported ends thereof, located opposite the unsupported ends thereof, at the end side 15 region of base plate 11. Those two slats nearest outer sides 16 and 17, respectively, are spaced apart from end side 15. Those two of slats 12, and the further away slats in each of the succession of pairs of slats 12 between them in larger capacity holders than holder 10 shown, together form a group of positioning slats, 12′, in the plurality of separator slats 12. Each of positioning slats 12′ has between it and the next closest one thereto, or between it and each of the next closest ones thereto, another of the plurality of separator slats 12 not in the positioning slats group. The one such slat in holder 10 between two positioning slats 12′, and all such slats between positioning slats in larger capacity holders than holder 10 shown, are joined to end side 15. These slats in the plurality of separator slats 12 that are each between a pair of positioning slats 12′ form a group of structure slats, 12″, in the plurality of separator slats 12.
The unsupported end of outer side 16 also has a circular entrance opening extending therethrough, 18, as can be seen in the partial disassembled side view of
A slot opening, 19, extending through the unsupported end of outer side 17, can be seen in the partial disassembly side view of
In
In addition, there are two turning clearance section recesses, 19″, in outer side 17 opposite one another each extending between an outer portion of slot opening 19 and an adjacent outer portion of detent recess 19′, and not extending into outer side 17 as deeply as detent recess 19′. Thus, each turning clearance section recess 19″ two joined perpendicular straight sides, one set by slot opening 19 and one set by detent recess 19′, with the remaining ends joined by a circular arc with a radius equal to half the length of opening 19. There further is a circular shaped recess at the inner surface of outer side 17 so as to effectively leave a reduced thickness integral wall structure about slot opening 19. Outer side openings 19 and 18 are further indicated in an end side cross section view in
Two relatively resilient material U-shaped ejection members, 20, are provided in housing 14 with a representative one of them shown in the top and side views of
There is, in addition in each of ejection members 20, two push bars, 24, each extending perpendicularly outward to and past the outer surface of base plate 11 from relatively near the free ends thereof and from the side of each of the two long side structures in that ejection member facing base support dividing bar 11′. Thus, there is a pair of push bars 24 provided for each ejection member 20, each extending from a corresponding one of long side structures 21 and 22. One of push bars 24 in the pair thereof in an ejection member 20 extends from long side structure 21 in that member on the base plate 11 side of base support dividing bar 11′ relatively far from the free end of that long side structure, and the other of push bars 24 in the pair extends from long side structure 22 in that member on the opposite side of base support dividing bar 11′ relatively near the free end of that long side structure. Hence, base support dividing bar 11′ divides the space between push bars 24 in each of ejection members 20 as assembled in housing 14 of holder 10, and aids in preventing items passing across these bars from snagging them (though this dividing bar is not required to be present in holder 10). The last described push bar near the free end of long side structure 22 also has a chamfer beginning at its outermost surface angled toward that long side structure free end to further aid in its avoiding any snagging of interior material surfaces passing thereby as may occur with any containing arrangement into which holder 10 is inserted such as a pocket or a purse.
A locking pin, 30, is provided for extending through openings 18, 13 and 19 to capture and hold oblong objects, such as keys, having capture openings in them through which pin 30 can also extend, and shown in the three side views of
The length of shaft 31 is sufficient to have the opposite end thereof extend into the circular shaped recess at the inner surface of outer side 17 to thereby support that end of the shaft in side 17. The opposite end of shaft 31 is also attached to a locking bar, 33, extending in length parallel to a diameter of main shaft 31. Locking bar 33 is attached to main shaft 31 by a reduced diameter circular cylindrical subshaft, 34, having its axis of symmetry coaxial with the axis of symmetry of main shaft 31. The length of locking bar 33 is just slightly less than the length of slot opening 19 and of detent recess 19′, and the length of subshaft 34 is just slightly less than the thickness of the material in outer wall 17 at sector recesses 19″. The support provided by side 17 to shaft 31, because of extension of shaft 31 into the circular shaped recess at the inner surface of outer side 17, aids in isolating locking bar 33 and subshaft 34 from lateral forces that they would be less able than shaft 31 to withstand because of their smaller cross sectional dimensions. However, in some alternatives, this circular shaped recess at the inner surface of outer side 17 can be omitted with one such alternative being the omission of locking bar 33 and provision of screw threads on subshaft 34 and along the surface of an interior opening in outer side 17, extending therein from the inner surface of side 17. This latter arrangement thereby allows locking pin 30 to extend through outer side 16 to be screwed into outer side 17.
Two hemispherical protrusions, 35, extend toward locking bar 33 from the interior disk surface of knurled knob 32 at a radius from the axis of symmetry of shaft 31 equal to the radius to the positions of hemispherical recesses 18″ in the outer surface of outer side 16. The radii of protrusions 35 are slightly less than the radii of recesses 18″ and also slightly less than the radii of the cross section half circular disks partial semicircular arc shaped recesses 18′. Locking pin 30 is typically formed of a relatively stiff polyamide polymer such as nylon.
A plurality of object restraining springs, 40, are each mounted about the unsupported end of a corresponding positioning slat 12′ with each spring having two bar and lobe side structures, 41 and 42. Each of those lobe side structures has a constrained end and a free end extending away from the constrained end in the direction of the slat, and so the outer side, free ends are thus at opposite ends of the spring. Hence, one free end in each spring provides a spring force directed at structure slat 12″ between them to thereby provide oppositely directed but balanced force against the two sides of that slat, and the other free end thereof provides a spring force directed at the corresponding one of sides 16 and 17.
A representative one of these springs is shown in the side and top views of
Capturing an oblong object such as a key in holder 10 starts by positioning, as an example, a key, 50, between two adjacent separator slats 12, as shown in the example of
Positioning captured key 50 for use once it has been captured on locking pin 30 is indicated in the side cross section views of
The resiliency of housing 14 and springs 40 limits the torque to a degree which the user, through rotating holder 10, can apply to key 50 to thereby reduce the risk of the user's force breaking the extended portion of that key from its base. The resiliency of housing 14 is due to the polymer material of which it is constructed, a material that also reduces accumulations of, and transfers of, static electricity in that housing and similarly in ejection member 20.
An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in the overhead perspective view of
Holder 10 has been shown and described with oblong objects such as keys captured therein by locking pin 30 at one end thereof. However, capturing such objects at two opposite ends thereof to allow holding more of them in a single holder can be accomplished by joining housings 14 of two of holders 10 at the outer surface of end walls 15 of each so as to have the holders extend in opposite directions from such a joint, or by integrally forming those end walls together as a common end wall with a resulting similar structural geometry in the resulting housing arrangement. Alternatively, two of such holders 10 could be reconfigured with end walls 15 omitted and then joined together at the remaining portions of housings 14 such as outer walls 16 and 17 and perhaps base plates 11, or again forming them integrally with a resulting similar structural geometry in the resulting housing arrangement. In this latter alternative, short side structure 23 of ejection members 20 from both of such holders 10 could be merged into a single bar so as to leave push bars 24 in each spaced apart from those push bars adjacent thereto to thereby form a double sided comb-like structure. Thus, the push bars on each side of the single bar, extending in opposite directions as “teeth” in these two comb structures, are affixed to, or integrally formed with, this common single bar that extends perpendicularly to the push bars and the resulting double sided comb-like structure is suitably held again in the resulting housing.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/277,811 filed Sep. 30, 2009 for OBLONG OBJECT HOLDER, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This application is related to the following co-pending applications that are filed on even date herewith and are commonly owned: OBLONG OBJECT HOLDER, Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No. P486.12-0002; and OBLONG OBJECT HOLDER, Ser. No. ______, Attorney Docket No. P486.12-0003. The disclosures of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61277811 | Sep 2009 | US |