Patent Publication Number: US-2005115997-A1

Title: Handcuff case

Description:
The present invention relates to a case for handcuffs of the type constituted by a hollow body with a top opening serving for the reception of handcuffs and a flap for closing the body, this flap being applied in the closed position against the so-called forward surface of said body.  
      Handcuffs are at present stored in a case. Generally, the key to the handcuffs is stored outside the case. It often results that there is a loss of the key to the handcuffs, rendering the assembly unusable.  
      Such cases can have a large number of shapes, as shown particularly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,786. There are moreover key carrying housings with a winder as shown particularly in French patent 2259559 or WO 99/21451.  
      An object of the present invention is thus to provide a handcuff case whose design permits permanently retaining the key serving to open/close the handcuffs without risk of loss of this latter, this key being directly accessible upon opening the case whilst being masked in the closed condition of the case.  
      Another object of the present invention is to provide a handcuff case whose design permits associating permanently and in a protective manner the key to the case without increasing the size and in particular the thickness of said case.  
      To this end, the invention has for its object a case for handcuffs of the type constituted by a hollow body with a top opening serving for receiving handcuffs and a closure flap for the body, this flap being applied in the closed position against the so-called forward surface of said body, characterized in that the flap is provided, on its inner surface, with a key carrying housing with a winder, this housing, in the closed position of said flap, projecting within the body by means of an opening, preferably a slot, provided in the forward surface of the body so as to permit particularly the positioning of the housing for carrying a key with a winder in the free space delimited by the bracelets of the handcuffs.  
      The positioning of the housing is adapted to prevent the loss of the key on the closure flap and its coaction with the forward surface of the edge of the case permits masking the key in the closed position of the case whilst rendering it easily accessible in the open position of the case.  
      This positioning also permits not increasing the size of the case by judicious utilization of the internal volume of the handcuffs and facilitating the removal of the handcuffs from the case because of the presence of a slot on the forward surface of said case. 
    
    
      The invention will be better understood from a reading of the following description of examples of embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a handcuff case according to the invention in the open position of the closure flap, and  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective of a case for handcuffs according to the invention in the closed position of the closure flap. 
    
    
      As mentioned above, the case  1  for handcuffs  10  is of the type constituted by a hollow body  2  with an upper opening serving for reception of handcuffs  10 . The rear surface of this hollow body  2  is prolonged by a closure flap for the body  2 . This flap  3  is connected to the rear surface of the body  2  by a bend zone. The assembly of this case can be made of leather or any other material. The closure flap  3  is applied in the closed position, against the so-called forward surface  2 A of said body  2 . In a manner characteristic of the invention, this flap  3  is provided, on its internal surface, with a housing  5  for carrying a key  6  with a winder. This housing  5  will not be described in detail because it is well known to those skilled in this art. This housing  5 , in the closed position of the flap  3 , projects within the body  2  by means of an opening  4  provided in the forward surface  2 A of the body  2  so as to permit particularly the positioning of the housing  5  carrying the key  6  with a winder, in the free space delimited by the bracelets of the handcuffs  10 . This opening  4 , provided in the forward surface of the body, preferably has the shape of a slot. This slot  4  begins at the upper edge of the forward surface of the body  2  of the case  1 . It has the advantage of facilitating moreover the removal of the handcuffs  10 .  
      To prevent any loss of the key, the housing  5  carrying the key  6  with a winder is non-removably fixed to the closure flap  3 . This housing  5  carrying a key  6  with a winder can be fixed to the flap  3  by means of a connection permitting rotation of the housing on itself through 360°, thereby permitting positioning the housing  5  according to the desires of the user. This housing  5  carrying a key  6  with a winder houses with automatic rolling up, a cord of which one end projects from the housing  5 . This projecting end is securable directly or by means of at least one connection member  11  to the key or keys  6  of handcuffs  10 . In the illustrated example, the connection member  11  of the automatic rollup line is connected to the key by means of a supplemental line. Thanks to the possibility of rotation of the housing  5  on itself, it is thus possible to position the connection member  11  in any position whatsoever.  
      So as further to reduce the size of such a case, in particular its height, the region of connection of the flap  3  to the body  1  comprises a cutout portion  8  through which can project at least the lock  10 A of the handcuffs  10  and if desired the chain interconnecting the handcuff bracelets to each other. This body  2  also comprises, in each connection zone between wall  2 C at the bottom and lateral wall  2 B of the body, a recess  9  facilitating the reception of the handcuffs within the interior of the housing. Finally, this body  2  generally comprises, on its rear surface, securement means to the belt of a wearer. These securement means can be constituted by a loop connected to the rear surface of the body  2  or by a double wall of the rear surface serving as a loop. Finally, the flap  3  is held in closed position by means of a press button  7  or any other closure member. Thus, when the case  1  for handcuffs  10 , according to the invention, is in the closed position as shown in  FIG. 2 , the key  6  to the handcuffs is perfectly masked and the assembly has a reduced size because of the possibility of disposing the housing  5  within the free space within the bracelets of the handcuffs. During opening of the case  1 , the key  6  becomes directly accessible and can, whilst being held by means of the connection piece  11  to the retractable line of the housing  5  with a winder, serve to open the handcuffs  10  whose removal from the case is facilitated thanks to the presence of the slot  4 . Thus, this slot  4  permits the user to insert at least one finger into the space left free within the bracelets of the handcuffs to facilitate the withdrawal of these latter from the case.