Abstract:
A method and apparatus for holding a key or key blank while copying a key including at least one holder having an opening configured to at least partially enclose at least two sides of a keyway is provided herein. The opening of the holder includes at least one longitudinal groove or one longitudinal protrusion configured to mate with at least one longitudinal protrusion or longitudinal groove of the keyway. A user slides a first holder over the keyway of a key blank, and a second holder over a keyway of a key to be copied and places the holders into clamping jaws of a key cutting machine prior to copying a key.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefits of and priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Ser. No. 61/364,228 titled “Method and Apparatus for Holding Keys During The Cutting Process” filed on Jul. 14, 2010. This provisional patent application is incorporated herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This invention relates to a method and apparatus for holding keys during the cutting process. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Some keys have keyway configurations that make it difficult to accurately and reliably position the key into clamping jaws of a key cutting machine. For example, several key manufactures make a key that has a “Z-Keyway.” Keys with Z-Keyways are difficult to position and hold in the clamping jaws of a key cutting machine because the grooves that run along the front and back sides of the key blades are offset. One attempt to solve this problem is through use of a metal adaptor that is substantially flat with a longitudinal protrusion that runs the length of the adaptor. The metal adaptor is intended to be reused for the cutting of many keys. This metal adaptor is expensive, difficult to use, and easily lost. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    An adaptor for holding a key and a key blank in a key cutting machine while copying the key is disclosed herein. The adaptor includes a first holder having a first opening configured to at least partially enclose two sides of a blade of a key, the first opening includes at least one longitudinal groove or one longitudinal protrusion configured to mate with at least one longitudinal protrusion or longitudinal groove of the blade of the key. In addition, the adaptor includes a second holder having a second opening configured to at least partially enclose two sides of a key blank, the second opening also includes at least one longitudinal groove or one longitudinal protrusion configured to mate with at least one longitudinal protrusion or longitudinal groove of the blade of a key blank. The adaptor allows an accurate copy to be made of keys that are difficult to hold in the clamp jaws of the key cutting machine. 
         [0005]    Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a prospective view of an adaptor having two holders, one for holding a key and one for holding a key blank. The two holders are attached in a wishbone configuration; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is front view of the adaptor of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the adaptor of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an end view of the adaptor of  FIG. 1 , and; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a side view of an adaptor having two holders connected to a data source; and 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is another embodiment of a front view an adaptor having two holders for holding a key and a key blank. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Objects having the same number, but with different suffixes “a” and “b” are substantially the same and accordingly, in the detailed description herein a description of an object, for example, object  108   a,  is the same description for object  108   b,  unless noted otherwise. Accordingly, objects having a number that ends in the suffix “b,” may not be separately described herein. Similarly, objects having the same number in different figures are substantially the same and accordingly are not re-described with respect to the later figures. 
         [0013]      FIGS. 1-4  illustrate an embodiment of an adapter for holding a key and a key blank during a cutting process to duplicate or copy the key. Wishbone adaptor  100  includes a body  102 , legs  108   a,    108   b,  and holders  110   a  and  110   b.  Body  102  also includes connectors  106  and a hole  104  located in the center of body  102 . Preferably wishbone adaptor  100  is made of a plastic material, such as for example, polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), making them relatively inexpensive to mass produce, and in one embodiment, disposable after use. 
         [0014]    Holders  110   a  and  110   b  are preferably releasably secured to wishbone connector  100 . In one embodiment, grooves  202   a,    202   b  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ) facilitate the releasability of holders  110   a,    110   b  from legs  108   a,    108   b.  Grooves  202   a  and  202   b  are frangible areas of reduced cross-section that allows holders  110   a,    110   b  to be bent back and forth in the area of reduced cross-section and broken off of legs  108   a,    108   b.    
         [0015]    It may be desirable to ship wishbone adapter  100  along with a key blank (not shown), and accordingly, wishbone adaptor  100  includes one or more connectors  106  for connecting the wishbone adapter  100  to a key blank (not shown). In one embodiment, one or more connectors  106  are configured to snap fit into a hole on a key blank (not shown). Connectors  106  are upwardly standing projections that include at least a portion of a tapered flange  302 . When the connectors  106  are pressed into the hole in a key blank, the upwardly standing projections deflect inward as the tapered flange  302  passes through the hole in the key blank and spring back to their normal position after the tapered flange  302  passes through the hole in the key. After springing back to their normal position, the outside diameter of tapered flanges  302  on connectors  106  extend beyond the edge of the key hole and cannot easily be pulled back through the hole in the key blank. Accordingly, the wishbone adaptor  100  is securely, but releasably, connected to the key blank. In one embodiment, wishbone adaptor  100  has a hole  104  between connectors  106 . Hole  104  is configured to allow the key blank, with wishbone adaptor  100  connected thereto, to slide over a hook at the retailer&#39;s location. 
         [0016]    Other types of connectors are contemplated herein, such as, for example, connectors that fit through a round hole in a key blank, or connectors that secure around outside edges of the key blank or key bow. In addition, other configurations for securing the wishbone adaptor  100  to the key blank are also contemplated herein, such as, for example, an adhesive, a two part connector that snaps together and connects through the hole in the key blank, or around an outside portion of the key blank. Thus, as well as being capable of being sold separately, wishbone adaptor  100  may be secured to a key blank at or about the time of manufacturing and shipped along with the key blank to its final destination. 
         [0017]    Holders  110   a  and  110   b  are substantially identical. In one embodiment, holder  110   a  has an open area that includes a plurality of longitudinal projections,  402   a,  and  406   a,  and a longitudinal groove  408 . Preferably, the longitudinal groove and longitudinal projections extend the length of holder  110   a.  The open area is configured to receive the blade of a key (or key blank). The longitudinal groove  408   a  and projections  402   a,    406   a  match in a mating fashion with projections and grooves in the key or key blank (not shown). In one embodiment, the longitudinal projections,  402   a,    406   a  and the longitudinal groove  408  are configured to mate with the grooves in a “z-key.” Accordingly, the key and key blanks may be identically positioned with respect to the holders  110   a,    110   b.    
         [0018]    In operation, wishbone adaptor  100  is connected to a key blank (not shown) after manufacture by pressing connectors  106  into the hole in the key blank. The key blank and wishbone adaptor  100  are shipped through a distribution system to a retailer. When a customer requests a copy of a key, the sales person obtains the proper key blank, which has wishbone adaptor  100  connected to it. The sales person snaps off holders  110   a,  and  110   b  and disregards the rest of wishbone adaptor  100 . Holder  110   a  is used to hold the master key (customer&#39;s key) and the second holder  110   b  is used to hold the key blank. The open area is configured to receive the blade of the master key (or the key blank). The sales person slides holder  110   a  over the master key and slides holder  110   b  over the key blank. The longitudinal groove  408   a,  and projections  402   a  and  406   a  are aligned with the mating groove and projections in the master key respectively. The longitudinal groove  408   b  and projections  402   b  and  406   b  are aligned with the mating grooves and projections in the key blank respectively. 
         [0019]    The sales person then places the customer&#39;s key and holder  110   a  in a first set of clamping jaws, which has a protrusion that fits into groove  112   a.  The sales person places the key blank and holder  110   b  in the second set of clamping jaws, which also has a protrusion that fits into groove  112   b.  Groves  112   a,    112   b  ensure holder  110   a,    110   b  are identically positioned in their respective jaws, the key and key blanks are identically positioned with respect to the holders  110   a,    110   b,  and with respect to the clamping jaws. As a result, an accurate copy of the customer&#39;s key can be readily made by known key cutting machines used to duplicate keys. 
         [0020]    The embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is for a Z-Keyway having a z-key jaw. Other embodiments for different keyways, different clamping jaws, and combinations thereof are contemplated herein. 
         [0021]      FIG. 5  illustrates another embodiment of wishbone adaptor  500 . Wishbone adaptor  500  is substantially the same as wishbone adaptor  100 , however, connectors  506  have been modified. Connectors  506  are configured to pass through a hole in a key blank and connect to a data source  502 . Connectors  506  may be similar to connectors  106 , but longer so that they may also pass through a hole in data source  502 . Optionally, data source  502  may have a connector (not shown) that mates with, or snaps onto, connector  506 . 
         [0022]    Data source  502  is a media capable of conveying data. Data source  502  may be made of any suitable material, such as, for example, cardboard or plastic. Data source  502  may be a card with written instructions. Those written instructions may include, for example, how to connect the holders to the key and key blank and positioned them in the key cutting machine when making a copy of the key. In one embodiment, data source  502  includes an electronic information storage device containing coded instructions that are machine readable. These instructions may be read by a computer and displayed for a user/sales person to follow. These instructions may include, for example, instructions on how to position the key and key blanks in the cutting machine, instructions to obtain the customer&#39;s identification information, instructions on the proper forms to fill out, instructions to offer the customer promotional deals or discounts on additional keys or other related items, such as, key chains, and bow covers. Additional information may include the type of key blank, an origination address, a destination address, a manufacturer, a manufacturing date, and/or a lot number. 
         [0023]      FIG. 6  illustrates another embodiment of an adaptor  600 . Holders  610   a,    610   b  are substantially identical to holders  110   a,    110   b.  Holders  610   a,    610   b  are releasably connected to one another by legs  602 . In this embodiment, holders  610   a,    610   b  may be connected to a key blank (not shown) for shipping by sliding one of the holders  610   a,    610   b  over the blade of the key blank. Holders  610   a,    610   b  are substantially the same as holders  110   a,    110   b  described above. 
         [0024]    It should also be clear from this disclosure that the present invention has numerous additional uses outside of the key industry. The present invention is equally applicable to other applications wherein the tracking of inventory of a multitude of like but not identical products through manufacturing, distribution and retailing systems. 
         [0025]    In addition, while the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in some detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For example, various configurations of the adaptor may be used to match different keys having different characteristics, as well as to match different clamping jaws of different key cutting machines, and are contemplated herein. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant&#39;s general inventive concept.