Integral One-piece Key Ring Or Locking Ring

Abstract

The invention comprises a locking ring molded of plastic material. The ring is molded in a single piece which provides a free arm on which the articles, such as keys, can be hung. The body is provided with a groove or passageway into which the free arm can be slipped. A projection on the body enters a notch on the arm to releasably lock the arm in position to hold the keys on the ring. By lifting the arm away from the projection, the arm is released and can be swung into open position. The ring is molded so that the completed item comes from the mold and requires no further assembly operation.

Parent Case Text

The present application constitutes a refiling of our application Ser. No. 710,516, filed Mar. 5, 1968 and abandoned.

Description

Our present invention relates to locking rings, and more particularly to a novel construction of an integral one-piece locking ring.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a locking ring which can be molded in a single piece requiring no additional parts or assembly operations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a locking ring made in a single integral piece of plastic material and which can readily be locked and released without injuring the lock ring.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking ring which is extremely economical to manufacture, requiring no further operations after it is removed from its mold.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, our invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts, more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a locking ring embodying our present invention in open position.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the rear of the ring.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the ring in closed or locked position.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4--4 on FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of a modified form of our invention.

Key rings are usually provided with free arms which permit the insertion of keys, and some method of locking the free arm to lock the key to the ring. Most key rings are made of metal and require a plurality of parts to produce the intended results. The present invention is designed to provide a key ring which can be molded in a single operation requiring no further assembly. The ring of the present invention can also be used as a luggage tag, a clothing tag, identification tag, or any other use where a locking tag is desirable. FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate a key ring. Referring more in detail to the drawings embodying our invention, the key ring 10 is molded of any suitable plastic material having strength and a stiff resiliency. Nylon, urethane or any other suitable plastic can be used. The key ring is molded with a triangular base portion 11 having an opening 12 for attachment to a key chain. The base 11 is molded with an arcuate strip 13 forming a ledge extending integrally from the bottom edge as shown in FIG. 1. The body of the base portion is provided with a downwardly extending triangular detent 14 protruding integrally over the ledge 13 and slightly to the left of center in the view shown in FIG. 1. Towards the right in FIG. 1, an integral strap member 15 extends upwardly away from the ledge 13 and across to the base to form a loop. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the rear portion of the ledge 13 at this point is provided with an opening 16 which permits the insertion of an insert in the mold to form the strap 15.

The arm portion, which is molded integrally with the base comprises an elongated arcuate arm 17 extending from the left side edge of the base as shown in FIG. 1. The arm is provided with a sharp angled bend 18 and then continues integrally with a short slightly arcuate portion 19. The arcuate portion 19 has the same curvature as the bottom edge of the base 11. Adjacent its outer end, the arcuate portion 19 is provided with an opening 20 and the outer tip is provided with a tapered end 21.

The above described key ring is molded as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 and requires no further assembly. In use, the keys are slipped through the gap between the end 21 of the short arm portion 19 and the left end of the ledge 13 as shown in FIG. 1. After one or more keys have been slipped over the arms 19 and 17, the arm 19 is pushed inwardly at the bend 18 so that it slides across the ledge 13 and under the loop 15. This action is continued until the opening 20 snaps over the protuberance 14 with a snap action, the inherent resiliency of the material and the pressure of the loop 15 tending to keep the arm on the ledge and in engagement with the lock member 14. To remove a key, it is merely necessary to engage the tapered corner end 21 with the finger nail and pull downwardly against the resilient action of the arm 19. This will pull the opening 20 away from the protuberance 14 and allow the arm 19 to be pulled to the right in FIG. 3 to slip it from beneath the loop 15 and out of the ledge portion 13.

Thus the manipulation of the arm portion 19 to open and close the key ring is very simple. Yet the locking action provided by the resiliency of the material is firm and positive. Note that when the arm portion 19 is in locked position, the arm portion 17 forms a regular even loop. The general shape of the arm 17 can of course be varied to form a circle or any other desired configuration. The use of a suitable plastic material also ensures no sharp corners which may tear a pocket, reduces the jingling of the keys, and provides a key ring which is normally lighter than the metallic rings now in use. Of course, with the single molding operation being all that is required, the cost of the key ring is reduced to an absolute minimum. Of course the ring can also be used as a locking ring for other purposes.

It is occasionally desirable, instead of attaching the base 11 to a key chain, to provide the ring with a tab which can be grasped for easy use or provided advertising space. In such cases the form shown in FIG. 5 can also be readily molded. In this form, the ring is provided with a solid rectangular tab portion 22 which forms the base of the ring. The tab is formed at one end and a ledge 23 similar to the ledge 13 in the form shown in FIG. 1 and the loop or strap portion 24 for holding the arm in position. In this form the arm 25 is molded similarly to the arm 17, together with a sharp bent portion 26 and the arcuate arm portion 27 which slides beneath the loop and across the ledge 23. In this form also, the base is provided with a small triangular protuberance 28 which locks into an opening 29 in the arm 27. The end of the arm 27 may be arcuately bent to form a gap 30 between the end of the arm and the bottom of the base portion 22. This permits a finger nail to be inserted to snap the arm away from the protuberance 28 to open the key ring.

We have thus provided a novel locking ring which can be readily molded in a single integral construction of a plastic material. The ring is simple and easy to operate and requires no further assembly, coming completely finished from the mold. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

Claims

I claim:

1. An integral one-piece locking ring formed from resilient plastic material adapted to be employed as a key ring, said ring having a substantially flat base, an elongated arm extending integrally from one end of said base and lying in the plane of said base, said arm having an elongated portion terminating after a sharp bend in a short free end extending toward said base and adapted to releasably engage a projection extending integrally from said base, said projection being engageable with a notch formed adjacent said free end, said projection lying in the plane of said base, a ledge extending integrally from one side edge of said base away from said base and lying in a plane parallel to the plane of said base so as to underlie said first-mentioned projection, integral means secured to the opposite side edge of said base and positioned opposite said last-mentioned projection and extending in a plane parallel to the plane of said base and having a portion thereof extending perpendicular to the plane of said base and there-across so as to provide means for guiding said free end of said elongated arm so that said notch may be engaged in said first mentioned projection so as to retain said free end of said arm in locked position.