Abstract:
A means for holding a plurality keys is disclosed. The means comprises: a flat card rectangular in shaped, one or more fold lines in order to divide the card into a plurality of panels. The fold lines wherein allow the plurality of panels to pivot relative to each other by 180-degree angle. One or more panels of the card comprise a sleeve which has one or more openings to facilitate the insertion of keys.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    Various implementations relate generally to a means for carrying keys and particularly to a card-type key holder. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In everyday life, various keys are carried by users such as key to one&#39;s apartment or security locker etc. Multiple keys are attached in a key chain or a ring structure to be carried around in one&#39;s pocket. In various exemplary scenarios, a key holder in the form of frame having hooks to hold number of keys is provided. However, these conventional key chains or rings or holders tends to become bulky and cumbersome for a user to carry. Conventional key holders have to be separately carried along with a wallet. 
         [0003]    Prior art does not provide a key holder which can easily fit in a wallet and enables the user to carry keys easily. 
       SUMMARY OF SOME EMBODIMENTS 
       [0004]    This Summary is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.73, requiring a summary of the present technology briefly indicating the nature and substance of the present technology. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 
         [0005]    In one embodiment, a card-type key holder is provided to enable a user to carry multiple keys in a wallet. The key holder may comprise of a rectangular shaped card. The card may be similar to a credit card or an electronic card. The card may be shaped and dimensioned in a way that it may fit into a wallet of a user. The card may be thin enough and made of a material such as plastic, vinyl, polymer and/or a metal etc. 
         [0006]    The card-type key holder may be divided into plurality of panels by means of a plurality of fold lines. The fold lines may enable the card to be folded by pivoting the panels relative to each other. The fold lines may act as a hinge and allow the panels to pivot by 180-degrees relative to other panels. In an embodiment, the key holder may include a single fold line which may divide the key holder into two panels. The small panel may include a sleeve with pocket opening facing the side of the bigger panel. The sleeve may be used to contain a head portion of a key. In this manner, the key may remain in a snug or tight contact with the key holder. This may allow the key to be retained in the key holder and be carried around. 
         [0007]    In an embodiment, the larger panel may include a depression region in order to secure a blade portion of the key. The depression region may allow the key holder to hold key in a compact manner. 
         [0008]    In an embodiment, the sleeve may be made using a strip of thin plastic attached to the edges of the card from three sides. The open side may be used to allow key head to be inserted into the sleeve. Examples of materials which may be used to make the sleeve can be plastic, polymer, leather and/vinyl. The sleeve material may have elasticity and may be tensile to hold the key in place without tearing. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment, the key holder may comprise two fold lines which in turn may divide the card into three panels. Each side panels may include a sleeve to accommodate a key head and the centre panel may include two depression regions, adjacent to each other, in order to hold the keys in place. Therefore, two keys may be held by the sleeves in the side panels. In order to use a key, the centre panel and one of the side panels may be pivoted relative to the other side panel allowing the blade portion of one of the key to be detached from the key holder. In this manner, the key may be used without removing it from the key holder. 
         [0010]    In an embodiment, the key holder may comprise two fold lines which may divide the card into three panels. The centre panel may be small in size as compared to two side panels. In this embodiment, the sleeve may be provided in the centre panel having two openings which may face towards the two side panels. The key heads of the keys are retained in the sleeve, placed adjacent to each other, with the blades of the keys facing opposite sides. Therefore, the blade of one key is secured in a first depression region given on a first side panel and the blade of second key is secured in a second depression region given on a second side panel. The first or the second side panel may be pivoted by a 180-degree relative to the centre panel in order to access the first or the second keys respectively. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment, the key holder may include two sided adhesive pads. The adhesive pads may be used to stick the key heads of the keys in order to attach the keys to the key holder. The adhesive pads may be made of any material known in the art. 
         [0012]    Other aspects and example embodiments are provided in the drawings and the detailed description that follows. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    For a more complete understanding of example embodiments of the present technology, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1 a    illustrates a card-type key holder  100  divided into panels, in accordance with one embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 1 b    illustrates a card-type key holder  100  including a key  112  held in one of the panels, in accordance with one embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1 c    illustrates use of a key held in the card-type key holder  100 , in accordance with one embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b    illustrate a card-type key holder  20  for holding two keys in accordance with another embodiment. 
           [0018]      FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    illustrate a sleeve structure in card-type key holder according to an embodiment. 
           [0019]      FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    illustrate use of adhesive pads for holding the keys in a card-type key holder. 
           [0020]      FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    illustrate a card-type key holder, in accordance to an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present technology. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present technology can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form only in order to avoid obscuring the invention. 
         [0022]    Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. The appearance of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments. 
         [0023]    Moreover, although the following description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and/or alterations to said details are within the scope of the present technology. Similarly, although many of the features of the present technology are described in terms of each other, or in conjunction with each other, one skilled in the art will appreciate that many of these features can be provided independently of other features. Accordingly, this description of the present technology is set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the present technology. 
         [0024]    According to  FIG. 1 a   , a card-type key holder  100  is provided, in accordance with an embodiment. The key holder  100  is substantially rectangular in shape with trimmed corners and includes a flat card portion  102 . The key holder  100  is preferably the size of a standard credit card or an electronic card which can easily fit in a wallet of a user. Examples of the material the card-type key holder  100  can be made of are plastic, vinyl, metal, polymeric and/or plastic etc. The material which possesses card-like stiffness. 
         [0025]    The flat card portion  102  includes a fold line  108  that divides the flat card portion into portions  104  and  106 . The fold line  108  may define a zone of weakness for folding the card portion  102  at least partially. Thus, the fold line  108  acts as a hinge to facilitate folding the card portion  102  by pivoting the portions  104  and  106  relative to each other. The fold line  108  can be provided by crimping the card material along the fold line  108 . 
         [0026]    According to  FIG. 1 b   , a card-type key holder  100  is provided with a sleeve  110  in one of the panels for holding a key. The sleeve  110  is made of but not limited to plastic or polymerized material which is relatively flexible and has sufficient tensile strength to prevent tearing while holding a key. The sleeve  110  is appropriately shaped and dimensioned to receive a bow or key head  114  of a key  112  as shown in  FIG. 1 b   . The key head  114  of the key  112  is inserted into a sleeve  110  such that it is in a snug or tight fit with the holder  100 . The key head  114  is contained in the sleeve  110  without the key  112  separating from the holder  100 . Advantageously, in this position, the key  112  is pushed tightly against the flat card portion  102  of the holder  100  so that the card holder  100  carries or holds the key  112  in a compact manner. The form factor of the key holder  100  is thin which allows it to be carried in a wallet of a user. 
         [0027]    A depressed region in the shape of a blade  116  of the key is provided in the panel  106 . The depressed region secures the blade  116  of the key to prevent slipping of the key  112 . The panel  106  is appropriately sized to include the blade  116  of the key. 
         [0028]    The key holder  10  is preferable made as thin as possible, considering the thickness of keys to be contained, to appear as a credit card as much as possible so that bulk is minimized. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1 c   . illustrates an exemplary scenario to use a key  112  being attached in a card-type holder  100 . The panels  104  and  106  are pivoted in a manner that the head  114  of the key  112  is retained inside the sleeve  110  without separating from the panel  106 . The panels  104  and  12 . 3  are pivoted around the fold line  108  of as shown in  FIG. 1 c   . This causes a shaft or blade  116  of the key to be exposed so that it can be inserted into a lock to open it. This allows using the key  112  while being attached to the key holder  100 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 2 a    illustrates a card-type key holder  200  for keeping two keys  214  and  216  in accordance to an embodiment. The flat card portion  102  (as shown in  FIG. 1 a   ) is divided into three portions  204 ,  206  and  208  by means of fold lines  201  and  203  as shown in  FIG. 2 a   . Two sleeves  210  and  212  are provided in the panels  204  and  208  respectively which allow the key holder  200  to hold two keys  214  and  216  respectively as embodied in  FIG. 2 a   . There are two depressed regions in the central panel  206  of the key holder  200  which secures the keys in position without slipping. 
         [0031]    The panels  204  and  206  are pivoted together relative to panel  208  along the fold line  203  to access key  214  as shown in  FIG. 2 b   . The key blade  216  is exposed in this configuration which allows the use of key  214 . Similarly, the panels  206  and  208  can be pivoted together relative to panel  204  along the fold line  201  by 180-degrees to access the key  216 . The two keys  214  and  216  can be accessed without having to remove the keys from the key holder  200 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 3 a    illustrates an insertion of key  310  into a sleeve  302  of the key holder  300 . The side panel  304  is pivoted relative to the other panels  306  and  308  as show in  FIG. 3 b   . Key  310  is inserted into the sleeve opening  302  which is pocket like structure. The sleeve  302  allows the key head  214  (as shown in  FIG. 2 b   ) of the key  310  to be inserted into the sleeve  302  as depicted in  FIG. 3 b   . Thus, key  310  is snugly or tightly attached to the key holder  300  with the help of the sleeve  302 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4 a    illustrates the use of adhesive pads for holding the keys in the key holder  400  in accordance with an embodiment. Adhesive pads  408  and  410  having adhesive property on either sides are attached to the side panels  402  and  406 . On one side the adhesive pads  408  and  410  are attached to the key holder  400  and on other side to the key heads of the key as shown in  FIG. 4 b   . Adhesive pads can be of a suitable shape and size for adhesively sticking to the panels of the key holder  400 . Examples of adhesive pads may include but are not limited to two sided tape or similar adhesive means well known in the art. The adhesive pads  408  and  410  are attached to the panels  402  and  406  for sticking the key heads  414  and  416  of the of the keys  420  and  418  respectively to the side panels  402  and  406  respectively and thus to the key holder  400 . 
         [0034]    In an embodiment, magnetic strips can be embedded in the panels of the key holder  400  for holding the keys made of ferromagnetic materials. Examples of ferromagnetic materials are iron, nickel and/or cobalt and the like. 
         [0035]      FIG. 5 a    illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a card type key holder  500 . The key holder  500  includes adhesive pads in the centre panel  504 . The sleeve can be a strip like structure attached on two sides to the card edge and with an opening on either sides for securing two key heads  508  and  510  of the keys  512  and  514 .  FIG. 5 b    illustrates two keys being attached to the centre panel  504 . In an embodiment, a sleeve can be used to hold the key heads to the centre panel  504 . The sleeve can be a strip like structure attached on two sides to the card edge of the centre panel  504  and with an opening on either sides for securing two key heads  508  and  510  of the keys  512  and  514 . The keys are placed such that that blade of one key  512  is included in the side panel  502  and of the other key  514  is included in the side panel  506 . The side panels  502  and  506  can be pivoted by 180 degrees angle relative to the centre panel  504  to access either of the keys. 
         [0036]    Also, techniques, devices, subsystems and methods described and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules, techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the present technology. Other items shown or discussed as directly coupled or communicating with each other may be coupled through some interface or device, such that the items may no longer be considered directly coupled with each other but may still be indirectly coupled and in communication, whether electrically, mechanically, or otherwise, with one another. Other examples of changes, substitutions, and alterations ascertainable by one skilled in the art, upon or subsequent to studying the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology. 
         [0037]    It should be noted that reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages should be or are in any single embodiment. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages may be understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, discussions of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment. 
         [0038]    Various embodiments of the present disclosure, as discussed above, may be practiced with steps and/or operations in a different order, and/or with hardware elements in configurations which are different than those which are disclosed. Therefore, although the technology has been described based upon these exemplary embodiments, it is noted that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions may be apparent and well within the spirit and scope of the technology. Although various exemplary embodiments of the present technology are described herein in a language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.