US2854132A - Key case - Google Patents

Description

Sept- 30, 1958 R. BJERKNES Erm. 2,854,132

KEY CASE Filed Feb. '7. 1955 United States Patent PF .KEY CASE YRam'er fBjerknes and Einar Nygaard, Oslo, Norway Application February '1, 1955,?Seal No. 486,627 Claims priority, application Norway February 12, 1954 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-37) The present invention relates to a key carrying and storing device, especially for car keys and the like.

The key case of the invention comprises a at, elongated container, means for connecting a wristlet to said container, a drawer adapted to receive at least one key mounted slideably in said container in the longitudinal direction thereof, releasable locking means retaining said drawer in pushed in position and spring means operative to automatically move said drawer into opened position when said locking means are released.

An embodiment of the invention is as an example illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l shows a perspective view of the device with parts broken away,

Figure 2 is a plan view with the upper half of the container removed, one half of the drawer being shown in opened position and the other half in closed position, and

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-III of Figure 2.

According to the invention the device comprises a at, elongated container consisting of an upper and a lower part 1 and 2, which are detachably secured to each other, the lower part 2 being provided at opposite sides with protrusions 3 to which lugs 4 on the upper part 1 are secured by means of screws 5.

The width of the container decreases gradually from approximately the middle of its length towards the rear end 6 as shown.

The protrusions 3 are provided with spaced lugs 7 between which are secured pins 8 serving as anchorages for the ends of a wristlet 9 of suitable type.

The container forms the housing for a drawer 10 which is of approximately the same length as the housing and is slideable therein so as to be moved out from the container a limited distance through an opening 11 in the front end thereof. In order to limit the outward movement of the drawer 10 the bottom thereof is provided with a slit or keyway 12 receiving slideably a corresponding key 13 protruding from the bottom of the lower part 2 of the container.

The width of the drawer 10 also decreases from approximately the middle of the length thereof and towards the rear end 14 so that spaces 15 are formed between said reduced portion of the drawer and each of the adjacent side walls of the container.

At the front end the drawer at each side is provided with a resilient pawl-like locking member consisting of a leaf spring 16, having its inner end secured to the side wall of the drawer, such as by welding or soldering, and its outer free end arched inwardly and retained in an opening 17 in the adjacent wall of the drawer. In this manner the front edge of the opening 17 limits the outward movement of the free end of the leaf spring 16.

At the outer side of each of the leaf springs 16, adjacent the free end thereof, is provided a locking ridge 18 which in the closed position of the drawer is forced into engagement with a co-operating locking shoulder 19 formed on the adjacent side wall of the container. In order to release the spring pawls 16 when the drawer is ,Patented sept. so, s

lto be opened, Teach 'sidewall of 'the 'container "at Isome distance rearwardly of the flocking shoulder 19 .fis provided with fa here 20 the axis of which coincides with the divi- .sio'n plane of the container. In each of :said bores 20 :is gdisplaceably :supported a short pin 21 having a .head 22 at thel inner end and 'a head V23 'at the .outer end which heads limit the displacement `of the pin 'and retain the same in its respective bore.

When both the pins 21 are pushed inwards the inner heads 22 thereof engage the adjacent spring pawl 16 and force the same towards the side wall of the drawer disengaging the ridges 18 so that the drawer is released and may be opened.

In order to obtain automatic opening of the drawer 10 when released, the inner end thereof is provided at both sides with a hook 24 serving as anchorage for one end of a coil spring 25 the other end of which is anchored in a loop 26 secured to the adjacent side wall of the container approximately at the middle of the length thereof.

When the drawer is pushed into the container to closed position, the springs 25 are tensioned and serve, when the drawer is released, to automatically force the same outwards to open position in which the key 13 abuts the inner end of keyway 12.

In using locking and releasing means at both sides of the drawer 10, the same cannot be unintentionally released and opened if the releasing means at one of the sides, by coming in Contact with an object or in another way, is operated. The drawer 10 is adapted to receive one or more keys 27 of that at type, preferably two, of which one may be the key for the door of the motor car and the other the ignition key.

In this manner these keys always are at hand, the door key, after having been used for unlocking the door, being put back into the drawer after the ignition key has been removed to start the car. When leaving the motor-car, the door key is removed from the drawer, the ignition key inserted and,after the door has been locked, the door key is placed in drawer upon the ignition key therein. In that way the keys are lying in the correct succession for use.

On the bottom of the drawer 10 is supported an upwardly arched leaf spring 28 which, when the drawer is opened, lifts the outer end of the keys 27 upwards so that the keys may be easily gripped and removed from the drawer.

We claim:

A key case comprising in combination a flat elongated housing having an open end and including apair of side edge walls, an elongated key receiving drawer slidable in and out of said housing through the open end thereof, spring means connected to an -intermediate portion of the housing and to the inner end of said drawer for urging the drawer to its outwardly slid position, coacting means provided at opposite sides of the drawer for releasably locking the same in its inwardly slid position against the action of said spring means, said coacting means comprising a pair of detents provided at the inside of the side edge walls of the housing adjacent its open end, a spring leaf secured at one end thereof to each outer side of the drawer intermediate the ends of the latter and extending longitudinally forwardly alongside the drawer, said spring leaves having resiliently depressible free end portions laterally projectable and retractable through openings in the sides of the drawer and provided with locking ridges engageable with said detents when the spring leaves are laterally projected, and a pair of coacting release members depressible through apertures in the side edge walls of said housing adjacent its open end and simultaneously engageable with the free end portions of the respective spring leaves whereby to disengage said locking ridges from said detentsand permit" outward sliding of` the drawer underY the action of said spring means, means provided in said housing and drawer for limiting the extent of outward sliding of the latter, and means for urging a key in said -drawer to a readily accessiblevposition whenv the drawer is slid outward1y,`. said :last' mentioned means comprising an elongated leaf spring. disposed longitudinally on the bottom of the'drawer inY underlying relation with a key y References-Cited in the le of this'"lia'aite'nt':` 'i

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hanna May 13, Winterhalter July 7, Slotnick Ian. 16, Apfelbaum May 29, Butler` Apr. 15,

FOREIGN PATENTS i Y Germany JulyA 9, Norway V Dee. 20,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTTFTCATE @F CRRECTTON Patent Noo 2,854,132 September 30, 1958 Rainer Bjerknes et ale It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as oor=` reeted belowu In the grant', lines l and l2, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 3, name of the oo=inventor, for "Banier Bjerlmes", each occurrence, read B- Rainer Bjerknes vSigned and sealed this 17th day of February 1959,

KARL H AXLINE ROBERT c. WATSON Attestng Officer Y Conmissioner of Patents

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