Patent Publication Number: US-4224815-A

Title: Key holder

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 371,388, filed June 20, 1973 now abandoned. 
    
    
     SUMMARY 
     It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a key holder of extremely simple construction which may be very economically manufactured and sold and which is capable of effectively and securely holding one or a plurality of keys, without risk of loss of a key from the holder. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a key holder which can be assembled in different ways for holding the keys either together or separated. 
     Still a further object of the invention is to provide a key holder which is extremely light in weight enabling it to be most conveniently carried in a garment pocket. 
     Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the key holder before assembly; 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating one manner of assembling the key holder; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the key holder partially assembled in a second manner, and 
     FIG. 4 is a similar view showing complete assembly of the key holder in the second form. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring more specifically to the drawing, the key holder in its entirety is designated generally 5 and comprises a tubular member 6 and a strand 7 of a plastic material, preferably solid nylon monofilament, not readily subject to breakage. The tubular member 6 is illustrated as a short sleeve but could constitute a ring having an opening of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the bore of the sleeve 6. An enlargement or knob 8 is shown on one end of the strand 7. Said enlargement is integral with the strand and is formed by subjecting said end to heat, as by holding a lighted match 9, FIG. 3, beneath the strand end to cause the strand end to fuse. 
     The other end of the strand end 7 is then passed through the usual openings or eyes 10 of one or more keys 13 and through the sleeve 7 one or more times so that said other end portion will protrude beyond the other end of the sleeve from the end thereof beyond which the knob 8 is disposed. A knob 11, corresponding to the knob 8, is then formed in the same manner of said other end of the strand 7. The knobs 8 and 11 are too large to pass through the sleeve 6, so that said sleeve functions to retain the strand 7 in the form of one or more loops 12, two loops being shown in FIG. 2, on which the keys 13 are strung. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate another arrangement of the strand end 7 relative to the sleeve 6. After the knob 8 is formed by the lighted match 9, as previously described, on one end of the strand 7, the other end thereof is passed through the eye 10 of a key 13 and then back through the sleeve 6 toward the knob 8 to form a loop 14. Said strand end is then passed through the eyes 10 of one or more additional keys 13 and then back in the opposite direction through the sleeve 6 to form a second loop 15, which may be larger than the loop 14. The knob 11 is then formed by the lighted match 9 on said other strand terminal, as seen in FIG. 4, after which the loop 15 can be pulled and enlarged to draw the knob 11 to a position adjacent the end of the sleeve, as in FIG. 2. 
     With the arrangement of the holder 5, as seen in FIG. 4, a single key, such as a door key or ignition key, which is most frequently used, can be separated from the remainder of the keys being carried, so that it can be located without any inconvenient, especially in the dark. Obviously, more than one key could be retained on the loop 14. 
     To remove a key or apply additional keys to the holder 5, it is only necessary to cut off the strand 7 adjacent either knob 8 or 11 and thereafter reform another knob, in the same manner as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, after the key or keys have been removed or added. 
     Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention.