WO1987005785A1 - Object carrier, particularly for keys or small hand tools - Google Patents

Abstract

Object carrier particularly for keys or small hand tools comprising a holding case of which the faces (100, 110) are triangular or square, pins (130) arranged at each angle receiving the objects (140) which are unfoldable by pivoting, as well as a storage space provided at the center of the case. Once a tool body has been unfolded, the assembly has the traditional aspect of the tool taken individually.

Description

 OBJECT HOLDER, ESPECIALLY FOR KEYS OR SMALL HAND TOOLS

The invention relates to an object holder containing several small tools, in particular keys, allowing rapid selection, deployment and operations.

A person is brought throughout the day to use in rotation small objects such as keys, screwdrivers, corkscrews, pipe fillers ... These objects normally consist of a tool body proper attached to a handle or head, in the form of a loop or disc. This shape makes it possible to use only the thumb and forefinger to apply to these tools the couple of forces necessary for their use.

The major drawback of these small objects is that they are easily lost at the bottom of pockets among coins or the handkerchief, hence the need to link them together. This is done either simply with a string or a ring, or in a more sophisticated way using a case or a case allowing their complete storage.

Such a case must satisfy several requirements simultaneously: the assembly must remain compact, contain a maximum of objects at the same time while allowing easy selection of one of them in particular, hold each object fairly firmly in the extended or retracted position and yet allow easy movement.

The majority of the solutions currently proposed for keys, for example in the presentations US 3 420 078, US 2 961 867, US 2 589 571, US 3 354 679 and US 3 355 917, include an oblong case containing at least one axis at one of the ends around which one or more bodies of keys are stacked. Either the number of keys is reduced to two, or the selection and deployment of one of them is rather difficult. Above all, the handle formed by the housing is more similar to that used for a common tool such as a file or hammer, that is to say that it is gripped with the full hand. We then tend to apply too strong a couple of forces which can lead to damage.

The disclosure US 4 348 881 presents a device where the case has a circular or rectangular shape, but the modest size of which allows the storage of only one key.

The object holder according to the invention offers a better response to the requirements mentioned above. In particular, once the tool body is completely out of its housing, the assembly finds a general shape analogous to that of the usual object: wrench or tool, which is used with the thumb and forefinger only. This object holder comprises a case open on the periphery and axes included between the two faces of the case receiving the deployable objects by pivoting.

The symmetrical faces of the case are characterized in that they have a polygonal shape with at least three sides, sides having a convex curvature. At each angle is arranged an axis supporting the objects. A storage space is provided in the center of the volume.

According to a first embodiment, the faces of the case have a triangular shape whose angles are rounded.

According to a second embodiment, the faces of the case have a square shape with also rounded angles.

Preferably, the head of each object attached to the case is reduced to a crown of small diameter whose outer edge, straight or beveled, includes striations.

The storage space located in the center of the case advantageously contains a wedge and a head that can be adapted to modified objects.

According to a preferred embodiment, the basic decoration is different from one face to the other, for example a smooth side and a rough side, and each decoration has a feature near the corners. It can be useful to use each side of the case as a support for an additional tool, for example a watch, a compass or a clip to attach the object holder to the belt.

The invention will be better understood on studying the embodiment taken as an example and illustrated by the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section of the object holder along the lines B-B 'of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 is a view in horizontal section along the plane A-A 'in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a modified key,

- Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the object holder.

Figures 1 and 2 show the object holder in a first embodiment in which the faces 100 and 110 of the case have a triangular shape whose angles are rounded. This rounding of the angles has a double function: on the one hand to reduce the general dimensions of the object-holder, on the other hand to avoid to perforate the pocket in which the object-holder is transported. On the lower face 100, in the middle, is welded a nut 160. On this same face 100, at each of the angles, are also welded three axes 130. The upper face 110 has in its center a tapped hole 170 and on each of its angles a hole with a diameter slightly greater than that of the axis 130 coming in correspondence. On each of the axes 130 are stacked an identical number of objects 140. If this number of objects to be stored is not a multiple of three, one or two shims 150 allow the complement. A boss 150 is added on the face 100 to the base of each of the axes 130 and on the face 110 around the corresponding holes. These bosses prevent the bodies of the objects from rubbing directly against the inside of the faces 100 or 110.

In Figure 2 we can better observe the central volume available for storage. Usually two wedges 150 are placed there, when they are not in use, and two false heads 160, the use of which will be indicated later.

Objects 140, either keys or tools, once they are threaded on the axes 130 and the elements 150 or 160 are possibly stored in the appropriate space, the assembly is covered with the upper face 110 that the it is kept in position with the screw 120. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the plate 110 does not come into abutment with the nut 150. This makes it possible to tighten the screw 120 more or less tightly, which regulates the intensity of the tightening by the faces 100 and 110 of the keys or tools 140. This tightening, correctable at any time, is established so that one can rotate an element 140 around the axis 130 by a simple effort, but that once released, the element 140 remains in position. This adjustment is all the easier since the added boss 170 is made of plastic, teflon or other elastic material. The head of the screw 120 has a sufficiently wide slot allowing the use of a coin as a screwdriver, and / or a series of radial grooves making it possible to tighten it with the tip of a finger only. If the head of the object is sufficiently small such as the key 140b in FIG. 2, it can possibly be mounted without modification. But for the sake of overall homogeneity, it is preferable to make a modification on each of the objects as presented in FIG. 3. This modification consists in reducing the head 143 to a crown of outside diameter close to the width of the body 146. The edge of this crown can be bevelled, but in any case a series of streaks 147. is cut around the periphery. Once mounted in the case, such an object leaves only these streaks appear in the closed position, or splines. These allow a simple movement of the thumb to rotate the head 143 about its axis, and thus reveal the body 146 out of the case.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the rotation of the key is continued until it aligns with the axis b '. The case itself then constitutes a head symmetrical relative to the axis of the body of the object.

If for any reason we wish to use one of the objects individually again, such as a key to lend to a third person, for example, simply unscrew the screw 120, remove the upper face 110, remove the desired key from its axis, replace it with a shim, finally remove one of the false heads from the storage volume. We can then put the upper face 110 back in position and hold it in place using the screw 120. Finally, it suffices to insert the modified key head 143 into the false head 160 to find an appearance key and of normal size. The embodiment shown in Figure 1 and 2 is designed for the storage of a number of objects between four and nine, a minimum of two layers comprising three keys on the one hand and a key plus two wedges; or a maximum of three layers each comprising three keys.

FIG. 4 shows a second variant according to the invention in which the faces of the case have a square shape with rounded edges. Similarly, this variant allows the storage of a number of objects between six and twelve, that is to say either a layer comprising four objects and a second comprising two objects and two wedges, or three layers each comprising four objects. Thus, a person chooses a model according to his needs.

The decoration of the faces of the case is designed so that it allows the rapid selection of a particular object. For this the background decoration is different from one face to the other and on each face a special feature is added at each of the angles. By way of non-limiting example, one face is smooth, the other rough, and, on each of the faces, the angles are distinguished by the engraving of a Roman numeral. Thus, remembering for example that the car key is located at the angle n ° 3 on the side of the smooth face, the motorist turns the object holder in his pocket so as to bring the thumb on the grinding of the said key. While extracting the object holder from his pocket he begins to print the rotational movement which brings the body of the key out of its housing. The implementation was therefore rapid. For those whose memory is weaker, Roman numerals are advantageously replaced by symbols representing for example a car or a house or an office.

In addition, the faces of the case can also constitute a support for complementary, preferably flat, tools: quartz watch, clip, housing for photos, pill boxes ...

From the previous description, it appears that we have an object holder, according to the invention, which is compact, which allows to contain up to nine or even twelve objects at a time, each being of quick access and whose implementation is greatly facilitated by the knurling performed on the periphery of the modified head 143. The tightening system, adjustable by the screw 120, keeps all the keys in their chosen position, while respecting a so-called "viscous" movement. Once a tool is deployed, the set takes up the traditional aspect of the tool taken individually, that is to say that the head consists of a flat disc held between the thumb and forefinger, which allows to modulate the couple of forces applied to it. Thus, in the case of a key threaded into a blocked or frozen lock, one avoids forcing what can lead either to the breaking of the key or to the destruction of the lock.

The distribution points of this object-holder are provided with a machine allowing the modification on the spot of keys or tools brought by the customer. The cutting elements of this machine, normally a guillotine, are specially made for this use 3

allowing for example to cut at once the crown and the central hole according to the prescribed dimensions as well as the knurling on the outer edge.

Claims

1. Object holder in particular for keys or small hand tools, comprising a case open on the periphery and axes maintained in the two faces of the case receiving the objects which can be removed by pivoting, characterized in that the symmetrical faces of the case are polycones whose sides, at least three in number, have a convex curvature; characterized in that an axis is arranged at each corner and that a storage space is provided in the center of the case. 2. Object holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the faces of the case have a triangular shape with rounded angles. 3. Object holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the faces of the case have a square shape with rounded corners. 4. Object holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the head of each object attached to it is reduced to a crown of small diameter whose outer edge is straight or beveled and includes striations. i 5. Object holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the storage space contains one or more wedges. 6. Object holder according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the storage space contains one or more heads adaptable to the modified objects. 7. Object holder according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the basic decoration is different from one face to the other and that each of these decorations has a special feature near the corners. 8. Object holder according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each face of the case constitutes a support for an additional tool.