Claims
- 1. A support structure for a plurality of key rings comprising a group of at least three interconnected support members, each of at least two of the support members having means for attaching thereto a respective key ring, each of said members having two attachment parts at two separate locations which are directly connectable to other members at said two separate attachment locations by means of manually separable interlocking of respective attachment parts on the respective members at each of said locations, one of said support members of said group being manually separable from said group with the remainder of the support members of said group being interconnectable by said interlocking attachment parts, and wherein two of said members are manually separable from said group of at least three interconnected support members whereby said two members may be interconnected to each other by interlocking attachment parts at two separate attachment locations on each of the respective two members.
- 2. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 1 wherein two support members having means for attaching key rings thereto are separable from the support structure and are mutually interconnectable as a separate structure by interconnection of both interlocking attachment parts of one of the two separable support members with respective interlocking attachment parts of the other of the two separable support members.
- 3. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 1 wherein each of said support members which has means for attaching a key ring thereto is a relatively flat thin member having exposed opposite faces and which will lie flat within a garment pocket.
- 4. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 3 wherein each of said support members which has means for attaching a key ring thereto has attachment pats comprising a round male part with a protuberance and a round female part with a protuberance receiving recess therein.
- 5. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 4 wherein said round male and female parts when mated permit a set of two support members interconnected by one pair of such mating attachment parts to have relative angular movement such that the other attachment parts of said set of two support members are completely separated from each other to permit insertion and connection of another such support member therebetween.
- 6. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 1 wherein one of said support members is a carrier member having means for attaching the carrier member to another object for supporting the key ring support structure.
- 7. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 1 wherein each of members having means for attaching a key ring thereto is an elongated member with the attachment parts thereof separated from each other by an intermediate portion of said member and said means for attaching a key ring to said member is located at said intermediate portion.
- 8. A support structure for a plurality of key rings comprising a group of at least three interconnected support members, each of at least two of the members having means for attaching thereto a respective key ring, each of said members having two separate attachment parts at different locations on said member by means of which each said member may have its attachment parts directly connected to one or more members of said group by manually separable interlocking attachment means formed by portions of connected attachment parts of the respective members at each of said locations, at least one of said support members of said group being manually separable from said group with the remaining of the support members of said group, if more than one member, being interconnectable by interlocking attachment parts on respective remaining support members.
- 9. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 8 wherein, in a set of at least three support members interconnected end to end and forming a loop, such support members are flat with exposed opposite faces and one of the members can have its opposite exposed faces selectively reversed relative to the faces of the other such support members.
- 10. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 8 wherein each of the interconnected support members have attachment parts comprising a round male part with a protuberance and a round female part with a protuberance receiving recess therein and also having principal exposed opposite faces of curved teardrop shapes.
- 11. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 10 wherein, in a set of four support members interconnected end to end, the centers of the female attachment parts are at the centers of the large ends of said curved teardrop shapes and the curved teardrop shapes have concave curved edges with centers of curvature essentially at the centers of the male attachment parts and wrapping about 90 degrees around the large ends of the teardrop shapes.
- 12. A support structure for a plurality of key rings comprising a group of at least two interconnected support members, each of the support members having means for attaching thereto a respective key ring, each of said support members having two separate attachment parts at different locations thereon by means of which each said member may have its attachment parts directly connected to one or more members of said group by manually separable interlocking mating means formed by connected attachment parts of the respective members at each of said locations, said support members being relatively movable and having their attachment parts so configured to permit at least one additional such support member to be interconnected by its attachment parts as a further component of the support structure.
- 13. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 12 wherein said interlocking mating means comprises interfering surfaces at the inside of a female structure and at the outside of a male structure which mates with such a female structure.
- 14. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 13 wherein at least one of the interfering surfaces is resiliently yieldable.
- 15. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 14 wherein the resiliently yieldable surface is part of a protuberance on the male structure.
- 16. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 13 wherein said interfering surfaces provide for pivoted movement of said male structure relative to the female structure through an angle of at least 60 degrees to enable three members to be connected end to end in a loop.
- 17. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 16 wherein said angle is at least 180-360/n degrees for connecting n members end to end in a loop and n is at least 3.
- 18. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 12 wherein at least three of said members are connected to form an array having two support members at opposite ends thereof with each such end member having two such interlocking mating parts, at least one additional supporting member being connected between said end members.
- 19. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 18 wherein each such additional member two sets of interlocking mating parts at opposite sides thereof for connection to interlocking mating parts on the end support members or on other such additional supporting members.
- 20. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 19 wherein said support members together present on each of opposite faces of the structure a large continuous surface between rows of said mating parts with each surface having transverse separation lines between adjacent connected members.
- 21. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 6 wherein said carrier member has means for hanging said key ring support structure from part of a garment.
- 22. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 6 wherein said carrier member has means for anchoring it to a wall.
- 23. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 19 wherein the location of the means for attaching a key ring to a member is at a side of the member and essentially longitudinally intermediate the attachment parts of the respective member.
- 24. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 19 wherein at least one of said support members of said group is manually separable from said group with the remainder of the support members of said group, if more than one remaining member, being interconnectable by said interlocking mating parts.
- 25. A support structure for a plurality of key rings according to claim 19 wherein one attachment part for each member comprises a pair of spaced plates defining a female gap therebetween and the other attachment part for such member comprises a male blade moveable into the female gap of another member.
Parent Case Info
This is application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 07/828,242, filed Jan. 30, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 07/828,242. The disclosure of that application Ser. No. 07/828,242 contained material in common with an earlier co-pending application of the inventor hereof, Ser. No. 07/732,454, filed Jul. 18, 1991, which was a continuation-in-part of previous application, Ser. No. 07/257,728, filed Oct. 14, 1988, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
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2093340 |
Sep 1982 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
828242 |
Jan 1992 |
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