Key holder

A key holder includes a circular housing including circular base and cover members riveted together centrally thereof and cooperating to define an annular chamber therebetween. Peripheral slots are equiangularly spaced apart around the perimeter of the housing in communication with the chamber, each slot having a narrow portion and an enlarged portion. A retainer clamped between the base and cover members has arms respectively resiliently engaging the cover member for closing the enlarged portions of the slots. Key hooks are respectively associated with the slots, each hook having an enlarged head which passes through the enlarged portion of the slot but not through the narrow portion thereof, the resilient arms of the retainer being deflectable by the key hook head for permitting insertion into and removal from the housing. Visual and tactile indicia are provided on the base member and/or the cover member for respectively designating the slots. Each key hook has a bent portion near the mounting head to permit it to hang vertically in the associated slot regardless of the orientation of the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to key holders and, more particularly, to a 
key holder which carries a plurality of key hooks thereon and provides a 
separate position for each key hook. 
Many types of key holders have heretofore been available, each having 
limitations in its use, suitability and appeal. Thus, for example, one 
type of key holder comprises a frame having a row of slots therein for 
respectively receiving key hooks, resilient retainers being provided to 
hold the key hooks in place and at the same time permit convenient 
mounting and demounting of the key hooks. This general type of key holder 
is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,678,555, issued May 18, 1954, and is 
commonly used in key cases which include flaps of material which wrap 
around the mounted keys and snap together to form an enclosure as 
illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,041, issued on Apr. 23, 
1968. But in this general type of key holder the keys are arranged in 
overlapping configuration within the case and have a tendency to bunch 
together and become entangled one with another, particularly when more 
than one key is mounted on each key hook. Furthermore, it can be very 
difficult to distinguish between the various key hooks in this type of 
holder, particularly in the dark. 
There have also been provided circular keys holders which afford a 
plurality of separate locations for each key or key hook. Such circular 
arrangements are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,053,848, 
issued Feb. 18, 1913, U.S. Pat. No. 1,161,529, issued on Nov. 23, 1915, 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,423,147, issued July 18, 1922, U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,358, 
issued Feb. 20, 1934, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,169, issued Sept. 21, 1976. 
But in each of these circular arrangements the mounting and demounting of 
the individual keys and/or key hooks is difficult and cumbersome at best 
and, in certain instances the key hooks are not detachable from the 
holder. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved key holder 
which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art key holders while affording 
additional operating and structural advantages. 
It is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved 
key holder which affords separate positions for each key or key hook, 
effectively preventing the keys from bunching together and permitting 
quick and easy selection of the desired key. 
In connection with the foregoing object, it is another object of this 
invention to provide a key holder of the type set forth, which 
additionally permits quick and easy mounting and demounting of individual 
key hooks. 
It is another object of this invention to provide a key holder which 
provides immediate access to all of the keys retained thereon. 
Still another object of this invention is the provision of a key holder 
which can hang vertically from an individual key regardless of the 
orientation of that key. 
Still another object of this invention is the provision of a key holder 
which affords various types of indicia respectively to designate the 
different key positions on the holder. 
These and other objects of the invention are attained by providing a key 
holder comprising a circular housing having a plurality of receptacles 
formed therein and spaced apart circumferentially thereof, a plurality of 
key hooks respectively associated with the receptacles and each having a 
mounting portion receivable in the associated one of the receptacles, and 
resilient retaining means carried by the housing and normally cooperating 
therewith to close the receptacles, the retaining means being deflectable 
upon engagement therewith by one of the key hook mounting portions for 
opening one of the receptacles to permit the mounting portion to be 
inserted into and removed from the one receptacle. 
The invention consists of certain novel features and the combination of 
parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying 
drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being 
understood that various changes in the details may be made without 
departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages, of the 
invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 3, 7 and 8 of the drawings, there is 
illustrated a key holder generally designated by the numeral 20, 
constructed in accordance with and embodying the features of the first 
embodiment of the present invention. The key holder 20 is adapted for 
retaining thereon a plurality of keys 21, with at least one such key 
mounted on each of a plurality of key hooks, one of which is illustrated 
and is generally designated by the numeral 25. Each key hook 25 has a loop 
26 continuous with a shank 27 which has a portion 28 at the end thereof 
bent at approximately a ninety degree angle and terminating in an enlarged 
mounting ball 29. 
The key holder 20 includes a housing, generally designated by the numeral 
30, which includes a generally circular base member 31 and a generally 
circular cover 40 and a circular retainer 50 therebetween, all arranged 
coaxially and secured together centrally thereof. More specifically, the 
base member 31 has a bottom wall 32 integral at the outer edge thereof 
with an upstanding cylindrical side wall 33. The bottom wall 32 has a 
raised flat planar central portion 34 centrally thereof. Formed in the 
base member 31 at the periphery thereof are a plurality of generally 
radially inwardly extending slots 35, each of the slots 35 extending 
downwardly through the side wall 33 and radially inwardly a predetermined 
distance into the bottom wall 32. Each slot 35 is generally rectangular in 
shape, the slots 35 being equiangularly arranged around the base member 
31. 
The bottom wall 32 may be provided with a plurality of tactile indicia 
thereon, such as projections 36 and indentations or depressions 37. More 
particularly, the indicia are respectively arranged opposite the slots 35 
for respectively designating the slots 35 and permitting the slots to be 
distinguished from one another in the dark. In addition, the outer surface 
of the bottom wall 32 may be divided into a plurality of equal sectors 
(see FIG. 8), each containing one of the slots 35 and each bearing a 
different color to facilitate daylight differentiation among the several 
slots 35. Alternatively, referring to FIG. 9, indicia 39 such as Arabic 
numerals may respectively be associated with the slots 35 along the outer 
surface of the bottom wall 32. 
The cover 40 includes a top wall 41 forming a first depressed flat planar 
portion and integral at the outer edge thereof with an upstanding 
cylindrical wall 42 which is in turn integral at its upper edge with a 
radially outwardly extending annular wall portion 43. The annular wall 
portion 43 is continuous at its outer edge with a downwardly extending 
cylindrical side wall 44. Formed in the cover 40 at equiangularly 
spaced-apart points therealong are a plurality of slots, each generally 
designated by the numeral 45. Preferably, each of the slots 45 extends 
generally radially inwardly of the cover 40 and includes a narrow 
rectangular portion extending inwardly through the peripheral side wall 44 
and the annular wall portion 43 and downwardly along a portion of the 
cylindrical wall 42, and an enlarged part-circular portion 46 which 
extends inwardly a predetermined distance along the top wall 41. Formed 
centrally of the cover 40 is a second depressed flat planar portion. 
In use, the central portion of the retainer 50 is disposed between the 
recessed circular portions 34 and 47 of the base member 31 and the cover 
40, the three parts being fixedly secured together as by a rivet 48 in an 
assembled configuration, best illustrated in FIG. 3. In this assembled 
configuration, the side wall 44 of the cover 40 overlaps the side wall 33 
of the base member 31 in surrounding telescopic relationship therewith, 
the base member 31 and the cover 40 cooperating to define therebetween an 
annular chamber 49. The slots 35 in the base member 31 are equal in number 
to the slots 45 in the cover 40 and are arranged respectively in alignment 
therewith, the width of each slot 35 being substantially identical to the 
width of the narrow portion of the corresponding slot 45. 
The retainer 50 comprises a generally circular body of spring steel which 
has a plurality of radially outwardly extending arms 51 thereon, each of 
the arms 51 including an upwardly inclined shoulder portion 52 terminating 
at the upper end thereof in a radially outwardly extending end portion 53. 
The retainer 50 is arranged so that the end portions 53 of the arms 51 
respectively normally resiliently bear against the top wall 41 of the 
cover 40 for respectively covering the enlarged portions 46 of the slots 
45. It will be noted that each of the end portions 53 extends radially 
outwardly beyond the cylindrical wall 42 of the cover 40, but is spaced 
from the side wall 44 a predetermined distance greater than the diameter 
of the mounting ball 29 of the key hook 25. 
The cover 40 is provided with a generally circular cap 55 provided with a 
cylindrical side wall 56 terminating at the lower edge thereof with a 
radially inwardly extending annular attachment flange 57 adapted to be 
fixedly secured by any suitable means to the outer surface of the top wall 
41 of the cover 40 coaxially therewith. The cap 55 thereby provides a 
decorative covering for concealing the rivet 48. Additionally, the top 
surface of the cap 55 may be divided into a number of identical sectors, 
each of which defines an angle which includes a corresponding one of the 
slots 45 thereon. Each of the sectors may bear a different color as at 58 
to provide ready distinction among the several slots 45. Additionally, if 
desired, the cap 55 may bear indicia 59 thereon, such as the user's 
initial or the like. 
In operation, each of the combined slots 45 and 35 cooperates with the 
adjacent portion of the chamber 49 and the corresponding one of the 
retainer arms 51 to form a receptacle for one of the associated key hooks 
25. More specifically, the enlarged portions 46 of the slots 45 are 
dimensioned so that the mounting ball 29 of the key hook 25 can pass 
therethrough, but the slots 35 and the narrow portions of the slots 45 are 
dimensioned so that the shank 27 and bent portion 28 of the key hook 25 
will pass therethrough, but the mounting ball 29 will not pass 
therethrough. 
When it is desired to mount a key hook 25 in the housing 30, the mounting 
ball 29 of the key hook 25 is positioned over the enlarged portion 46 of 
one of the slots 45, as illustrated in FIG. 4, in engagement with the 
underlying one of the retainer arm end portions 53. The key hook 25 is 
then pushed downwardly, deflecting the retainer arm end portion 53 
downwardly away from the top wall 41 of the cover 40, as illustrated in 
FIG. 5, to allow the mounting ball 29 to pass into the chamber 49, as 
illustrated in FIG. 6, the retainer arm end portion 53 thereafter snapping 
back into its normal position against the cover top wall 41 to reclose the 
enlarged portion 46 of the slot 45 and prevent accidental removal of the 
key hook 25 therefrom. Thus, it will be appreciated that the key hook 25 
is now securely retained in the corresponding slot of the housing 30. If 
it is desired to remove the key hook 25 from the housing 30, the mounting 
ball 29 is lifted back up onto the distal end of the retainer arm end 
portion 53 for deflecting it downwardly and allowing the mounting ball 29 
to be passed back through the enlarged portion 46 of the slot 45. 
It is a significant feature of the present invention that the bent portion 
28 of the key hook 25 cooperates with the slots 35 and 45 to permit the 
key hook 25 to be moved through nearly 360 degrees in the direction of the 
arrow in FIG. 5. This permits the key holder 20 and the keys mounted 
therein to be laid flat on a horizontal surface and it also permits the 
housing 30 to hang vertically from one of the keys 21 mounted thereon, 
regardless of the orientation of that key. It is another important feature 
of this invention that the slots of the housing 30 form discrete separate 
receptacles for the key hooks 25 which prevent the keys from being jammed 
together and entangled with one another. Furthermore, these discrete 
receptacles, together with the visual and tactile indicia on the bottom 
wall 32 and the cap 55 facilitate ready differentiation among the several 
slots in daylight or darkness to facilitate location of a specific key. 
Additionally, the slot and retainer arrangement of the key holder 20 
permits simple and easy mounting and demounting of the key hooks 25 in the 
housing 30. 
Referring now also to FIG. 10 of the drawings, there is illustrated an 
alternative embodiment of the present invention which is identical to that 
illustrated in FIG. 1 with the exception that there is provided an 
alternative form of retainer, generally designated by the numeral 60. The 
retainer 60 is similar to the retainer 50, comprising a circular body of 
spring metal having a plurality of resilient arms 61 extending radially 
outwardly therefrom and equal in number to the slots 45. Each of the arms 
61 is folded back upon itself, forming a curved elbow 62 and an 
overlapping end portion 63 which covers the enlarged portion 46 of a 
corresponding one of the slots 45, resiliently bearing against the inner 
surface of the cover top wall 41 for this purpose. For mounting and 
demounting of a key hook 25 in the housing 30, the arms 61 are resiliently 
deflectable in the same manner as was described above with respect to the 
arms 51 in FIGS. 4-6. In all other respects, the operation of the key 
holder illustrated in FIG. 10 is identical to that illustrated in FIG. 1. 
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided an improved 
key holder of simple and economical construction which provides separate 
receptacles for key hooks, simple and easy mounting and demounting of the 
key hooks and ready identification of the different key hook locations in 
daylight or darkness.