Patent Publication Number: US-2011068018-A1

Title: Carousel key organizer

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the filing date of Provisional U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/277,277 filed Sep. 23, 2009 entitled “Carousel Key Organizer”, which Provisional Application is incorporated herein by reference and hereby expressly abandoned upon the filing of the present application. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The current invention relates to key holders, and more particularly to a carousel key organizer that enables a user to organize keys for ready access. 
     Generally keys are held on a key ring or are loose in a pocket or purse. When a user seeks to find the appropriate key for a particular lock, such as a house key when returning home, the user generally has to fumble among the keys on the key ring or from the loose keys in the pocket or purse. This generally takes some time, and renders the user vulnerable to assault the more time it takes to find the key and unlock the particular lock for entry. 
     What is desired is a key organizer that enables a user to readily access a desired key for a particular lock in a timely manner: 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly the present invention provides a carousel key organizer that enables a user to readily access a desired key from among a plurality of keys in a timely manner. A bottom section of the organizer is generally circular, and has a central post having a central hole. Extending radially from the central post are walls that define cells within which keys may be held. A top section encloses the bottom section, and has a central hole and a peripheral opening equal in width to the distance between radial walls of the bottom section. The top section is coupled to the bottom section using any suitable means, such as a rivet or bolt and screw, that allows the top section to rotate relative to the bottom section. Detents formed between the top section and bottom section, such as indentations in the periphery of the bottom section and a rib on the interior of the periphery of the top section, allow the top section to be located either so as to have the peripheral opening aligned with one of the cells to allow access to the key located within that cell, or to block adjacent cells so no keys may be extracted. With appropriate labeling on the bottom section, the user may readily rotate the top section with respect to the bottom section so that the peripheral opening in the top section aligns with the appropriate cell containing the desired key, as indicated by the label. 
     The objects, advantages and other novel features of the present invention are apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a carousel key organizer according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a bottom section of the carousel key organizer according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom plan view of a top section of the carousel key organizer according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the carousel key organizer with an adjunct key organizer according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1  a carousel key organizer  10  is shown having a top section  12  with a peripheral opening  14  disclosing an interior cell defined by radial walls  16  integral with a bottom section  18  within which a key  20  is contained. Along the peripheral rim  22  of the bottom section  18  is an indentation  24  that forms a portion of a detent. A bolt and screw or rivet  26 , or other suitable means to allow rotation between the top and bottom sections  12 ,  18 , extends through the central portion of the organizer  10 , preferably flush with the top surface of the top section and the bottom surface of the bottom section to avoid snagging with other items in a pocket or purse within which the organizer may be carried. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the bottom section  18  is shown having a central post  28  from which the walls  16  extend radially toward the periphery  22  of the bottom section. The central post  28  includes a hole  30  through which the rivet or bolt  26  may extend to allow rotation of the top and bottom sections relative to each other. The detent indentations  24  are shown around the periphery  22  spaced equally apart to allow the top portion to rotate one-half cell each indentation.  FIG. 3  shows the interior of the top section  12  with a central hole  32  for the rivet or bolt for rotatable connection to the bottom section  18 . Also shown is a rib  34  for engaging the indentations  24  of the bottom section  18 , as well as the peripheral opening  14 . Although only one rib  34  is shown, equally spaced ribs around the periphery may be used for engaging the indentations  24  of the bottom section  18 . Alternatively one indentation  24  in the bottom section  18  may be used while a plurality of ribs  34  are spaced equally around the periphery of the inner wall of the top section  12  at one-half cell intervals. The indentations  24  and rib  34  form a detent mechanism so that the top and bottom sections  12 ,  18  are not free to rotate without some force applied by the user. 
     The material of the organizer  10  may be any suitable, durable material, such as a hard plastic, that is not slippery so that the user may readily grip the top and bottom sections  12 ,  18  in order to rotate them relative to each other. In a first position of the top section  12  relative to the bottom section  18  the peripheral opening  14  is centered on one of the walls  24  (as shown in  FIG. 1 ) so that the keys  20  in the adjacent cells cannot be removed or accidentally fall out. In a second position of the top section  12  relative to the bottom section  18  the peripheral opening  14  extends between two adjacent walls  16  so that the key  20  contained within the cell defined by the walls may be readily removed. Suitable means may be used on the bottom of the bottom section  18  to label the lock to which the key  20  contained in the cell immediately above pertains. 
     In operation the user rotates the top section  12  relative to the bottom section  18  until the peripheral opening  14  exposes the cell labeled to identify the particular key  20  that the user wishes to use. There is no fumbling in purse or pocket or with a key ring to find the appropriate key. Therefore the user minimizes the amount of time spent in finding the appropriate key. 
     For keys that are larger than the cells contained within the carousel key organizer  10  or for a small garage door opener, an adjunct key organizer  40  may be attached, either permanently or detachably. The adjunct key organizer  40  may be molded as part of the carousel key organizer  10  or attached using a suitable epoxy to either the top or bottom sections  12 ,  18  for a permanent attachment. Alternatively the carousel key organizer  10  may have appropriate slots molded in one of the sections with the adjunct key organizer  40  having legs that slidably engage the slots for a friction fit. Another detachable alternative is to have magnets molded into either the top or bottom sections  12 ,  18  of the carousel key organizer  10  with corresponding magnets in the bottom of the adjunct key organizer  40  so that the adjunct key organizer is magnetically attached to the carousel key organizer. 
       FIG. 4  shows the adjunct key organizer  40  mounted on the carousel key organizer  10  using any of the methods discussed above. As shown the adjunct key organizer  40  is enclosed except for an open end  42 . A rib  44  extends the length of the adjunct key organizer  40  to provide at least two compartments  46 . A sliding door  48  partially encloses the open end  42  with detents, within grooves that restrict the sliding door from becoming detached from the adjunct key organizer  40 , for example, so that the sliding door may be moved to any one of three positions. In the middle position, as shown, the sliding door  48  partially encloses both compartments  46  of the adjunct key organizer  40 . The sliding door  48  from the middle position may be moved to one side or the other to completely block one of the compartments  46  while allowing access to the other compartment. A ridge  50  in the middle of the sliding door  48  provides a ready means for a user to move the sliding door to the desired position. 
     Thus the present invention provides a carousel key organizer that allows a user to readily find a desired key by having a bottom section with walls defining cells within which the keys may be located, a top section with a peripheral opening to allow extraction of the desired key, and a detent mechanism that allows the positioning of the two sections relative to each other in either a first position to ensure that the key may not be inadvertently extracted or in a second position that assures that the key may be readily extracted. An adjunct key organizer may be mounted on the carousel key organizer to accommodate keys that are too large for the cells of the carousel key organizer or to accommodate a small garage door opener.