KEY CHAIN

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a key chain that includes a key ring and a key encircled by the key ring. The key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/977,093, filed on Apr. 9, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to a mechanical device that helps users manage and organize keys for one or multiple residential or commercial properties.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to key chains with integrated key tags that help users better organize keys to their properties. The present invention integrates key tags with the key rings, resulting in new key chains. The key ring and key tag become one object, instead of two objects. More specifically, the key tag is encircled by the key ring and is attached to the key ring via one or two rods. The key tag has the option to rotate freely along the rods. The key tag can be centered, or off centered inside the key ring. The key ring can have the shape of a circle, an oval or it can have other shapes. Optionally, another smaller ring (the attachment ring) may be attached to the main key ring on the outside. The attachment ring can be used to attach the main key ring to another object such as the belt loop, another key ring, etc . . . The benefit of such an invention is that the key rings and key tags occupy less space. Additionally, the key tags are better organized in relation to the keys, therefore it takes less time for users to find the keys. Optionally, there can be a bump on a ring segment. When the bump is pressed down, the tip of the ring segment rises, creating an opening for the key to enter.

INTRODUCTION

The key rings and key tags on the market today typically are two separate objects. The key tags are used to mark the names for the keys so that the keys can be identified. The key rings and key tags are loosely attached to each other by putting the key tags through the loop and onto the rings. The drawback for this arrangement of key rings and key tags is that it occupies more space and it can be messy.

A new key chain has been invented to integrate a key ring with a key tag. Several embodiments of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be described in more detail herein below.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows some of the existing key rings and key tags on the market.

FIG. 2 shows various views of a key chain where the key tag is off center and there are two bumps on the ring.

FIG. 3 shows various views of another key chain where the key tag is off center and there is only one bump on the ring.

FIG. 4 shows the key ring shape to be oval.

FIG. 5 shows various views of how the key tag and the attachment ring fit onto the ring to allow rotation of the key tag and the attachment ring.

FIG. 6 shows various views of another key chain where the key tag is centered and there are two bumps on the ring.

FIG. 7 shows various views of the key chain where one of the ring bump is pressed down.

FIG. 8 shows various views of another key chain where the key tag is centered and there is no attachment ring.

FIG. 9 shows various views of another key chain where the key tag is centered and there is no attachment ring.

FIG. 10 shows various views of another key chain where the key tag is centered and the ring segments have the shape of a cylinder.

FIG. 11 shows an example of a key chain assembly where multiple keys, and key chains are attached to each other to form an assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified, as much as possible, with the same reference numerals. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto without deviating from the innovative concepts of the invention.

For clarity purposes, some identical elements in the same figure are not all marked. Marking of one of the identical elements serves as an indication for the reference to the other elements.

FIG. 1 shows the key rings and key tags sold on the market today. The key rings and key tags are separate objects. They are loosely attached to each other, therefore they takes up more space, and become messy when there are quite a few of them.

FIG. 2 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of a key chain where the key tag is off center. This embodiment comprises a key ring 100, a key tag 200 and a ring attachment 700.

The key ring 100 comprises a head ring segment 120, a tail ring segment 110, two bump ring segments 140, two no-bump ring segments 160. The head and tail ring segments 120 and 110 are cylinder segments curved as part of a circle. The shape doesn't have to be a circle, it can be an oval or other shapes. Both bump ring segments 140, and both no-bump ring segments 160 are half a cylinder where the cylinder is cut horizontally in half, they are also called horizontal cylindrical segments. These ring segments are also curved as part of the circle. Additionally, a bump ring segment 140 has a bump 141 and a bump tip 142. When the bump 141 is pressed down, the bump tip 142 goes up. Additionally, a no-bump ring segment 160 has a no-bump tip 162. The no-bump tip 162 allows the key to exit after traveling between the opposing ring segments.

The key tag 200 comprises a tag disk 210 and a head attachment rod 240. The tag disk 210 has an outer rim 211. The tag disk 210 also has an inner disk 212. An adhesive and removal label 213 where the names can be written can be placed on a face of the inner disk 212. The name written on the label can be used to identify the key(s) hanging off the key chain with the label. Alternatively, if a set of key chains and/or keys are hanging off the key chain with the label, then the name on the label can be used to identify this set of key chains and/or keys. Optionally, an image, a text or a combination of various media can be placed on a face of the inner disk 212. This multimedia content can be used for promotional or advertising purposes. For example, one face of the inner disk 212 can have a promotional logo (e.g., BMW logo), and the other face can have an adhesive and removable label. The outer rim 211 is slightly raised as compared to the inner disk 212 so that the outer rim 211 protects the label 213 from wear and tear on the label's edges. The head attachment rod 240 is an attachment element used to attach the tag disk 210 onto the head ring segment 120. Optionally, it can be designed so that the head attachment rod 240 rotates freely while attached to the head ring segment 120. Since the tag disk 210 are attached in a fix way to the attachment rod 240, the tag disk 210 can rotate freely as well.

The ring attachment 700 comprises an attachment ring 720 and a ring attachment rod 710. The ring attachment rod 710 is an attachment element where it can freely rotate around the attached head ring segment 120. Since the attachment ring 720 is attached to the ring attachment rod 710 in a fixed way, the attachment ring 720 can rotate freely as well. The ring attachment 700 is optional. It helps the key ring 100 to attach to another object such as a belt loop or another key ring. The rotation of the attachment ring 720 allows the key ring 100 to hang better off the belt loop, for example. And it facilitates finding the right keys quickly.

To attach a key to the key ring 100, a user can press down one of the two bumps 141 to raise the attached bump tip 142 so that it is easier for the key to enter the opening. Key rings on the market today require a user to dig in with his/her finger nails to open up the ring tip. Once the key enters the opening, it continues to travel between two opposing ring segments and comes out of the no-bump tip end 162. Additionally a user can label the attached keys by writing on the label. Since the ring tag 200 is encircled by the key ring 100, no extra space is taken by the ring tag 200.

To detach a key from the key ring 100, a user can press down one of the two bumps 141 to raise the attached bump tip 142 so that it is easier for the key to enter the opening. Once the key enters the opening, it continues to travel between two opposing ring segments and comes out of the no-bump tip end 162. This way, the key is detached from the key ring 100.

FIG. 3 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of another key chain where the key tag is off center and there is only one bump on the ring. The main difference between FIG. 3 and FIG. 2 is that there is only one bump ring segment 140 in FIG. 3 instead of two as shown in FIG. 2. As a result, there are three no-bump ring segments 160 in FIG. 3. Therefore, there is only one bump 141 and one bump tip 142 in FIG. 3. This is an alternate design that simplifies the key chain shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of another key chain where the key tag is off center and there is only one bump on the ring. The difference between FIG. 4 and FIG. 3 is that the key ring has the oval shape in FIG. 4 instead of the circle shape in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the various views of a rotation mechanism that can be used in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 where the key tag and the attachment ring fit onto the ring to allow rotation of the key tag and the attachment ring. FIG. 5 View C shows that the key tag and the attachment ring are two separate objects. Both the head attachment rod 240 and the ring attachment rod 710 have a flat cap, namely 241 and 711 respectively. FIG. 5 View B shows how the head attachment rod 240 and the ring attachment rod 710 fit into the supporting bottom ring segment 122. Since the flat caps 241 and 711 have a larger radius than the rest of the respective rods 240 and 710, the flat caps 241 and 711 can fixate the head attachment rod 240 and the ring attachment rod 710 respectively onto the bottom ring segment 122 which is part of the head ring segment 120. Then the top ring segment 121 which is part of the head ring segment 120 is placed on top of the bottom ring segment 122. The top and bottom ring segments 121 and 122 are welded together at the seams as shown in FIG. 5 View A. This rotation mechanism is one way to allow rotation for both the tag disk 210 and the attachment ring 720 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The rotation mechanism is not limited to this mechanism alone. There can be other rotation mechanisms. In this embodiment, the head attachment rod 240 is permanently fixated onto the key tag with no rotation. The rotation of the key tag takes place at the intersection of the head ring segment 120, and the head attachment rod 240 and the flat cap 241. In another embodiment, the head attachment rod 240 can be permanently fixated onto the head ring segment 120 without rotation. The rotation takes place at the opposite end of the attachment rod 240 where the head attachment rod 240 and the flat cap 241, and the key tag are co-located. Similarly, the rotation of the attachment ring can take place at the opposite end of the ring attachment rod where the attachment ring, and the ring attachment rod and the flat cap are co-located.

FIG. 6 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of another key chain where the key tag is centered and there are two bumps on the ring. The difference between FIG. 6 and FIG. 2 is that the key tag is centered instead of being off centered. Additionally, there are two attachment elements, namely the head attachment rod 240 and the tail attachment rod 250 instead of just the head attachment rod 240. Both the head and the tail attachment rods 240 and 250 can use the same rotation mechanism as shown in FIG. 5. Similarly, the attachment ring 700 also can use the same rotation mechanism as shown in FIG. 5. This embodiment in FIG. 6 has two organizing compartments for keys, namely 310 and 320. These two organizing compartments are separate from each other, therefore the keys that are attached to one compartment cannot enter the other compartment. Sometimes the two compartments may be preferred by users because the users may have two sets of keys to organize, one set for each compartment. Additionally, the labels 2131 and 2132 correspond to the two compartments, each identifying the corresponding compartment. The two labels 2131 and 2132 can be color coded for quicker identification of keys. Elements such as 210, 211, 212, 710, 720,141, 142, and 140 are the same in both FIG. 6 and FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of a key chain where one of the ring bump is pressed down. FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 except that one of the bumps 141 is pressed down, resulting in the attached bump tip 142 to rise, thus creating an opening. This facilitates the key to enter the opening. Also the label 213 isn't divided in half. Optionally it can be divided in half as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of another key chain. FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 6, except that there is no bumps or bump tips. In FIG. 8, there are four no-bump ring segments 140, each ending with a no-bump tip. Additionally, there is no attachment ring. As mentioned previously, the attachment ring is optional.

FIG. 9 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of another key chain where the key tag is centered and there is no attachment ring. The only difference between FIG. 9 and FIG. 8 is that the no-bump tips 162 in FIG. 9 don't have a sloped edge instead they have a sharp edge.

FIG. 10 shows the top, bottom and side perspective views of another key chain where the ring segments have the shape of a cylinder instead of half a cylinder. FIG. 10 and FIG. 6 are similar. The differences are the following:

• • None of the four ring segments 170 have bumps in FIG. 10.
  • All ring segments 170 have the cylinder shape instead of half a cylinder.
  • All four no-bump tips 172 have a different shape in FIG. 10.
  • The head and tail attachment rods 190 and 180 have a different shape in FIG. 10. Both the head and tail attachment rods 190 and 180 are a curved cylinder as part of the key ring. Additionally, each attachment rod curves vertically to allow the ring segments around it to fit more compactly. This is shown in FIG. 10 Side Perspective View where the attachment rod 180 is located.

FIG. 11 shows an example of an assembly 800 of multiple keys, and key chains that are attached to each other in an organized manner. Keys 600 hang off the key chains 400, which hang off another key chain 300, forming a hierarchical structure. Additionally, the labels 2131 and 2132 denote two separate properties with different addresses. Label 213 denote a specific compartment at the address specified by Label 2132. Even though FIG. 11 only shows two tiers of key chains, it is not difficult to configure the assembly 800 so that multiple tiers are supported. The structure of the assembly 800 resembles a tree. The number of tiers of an assembly represents the depth. The breadth of the assembly refers to the number of key chains on the same tier. The more key chains there are on the same tier, the more breadth the assembly has. There is no limit as to the breadth and the depth an assembly can have.

The assembly 800 can be easily configured by manipulating the breadth and depths to closely represent the tiered structure of the keys. Please note that a regular key chain with or without a conventional key tag can be attached to any key chain described by this invention.

The labels that are attached to the key tags are very important to help a user organize a large set of keys. Each label of a key chain identifies a subset of keys and/or key chains that are hanging off the key chain with the label.

Although the above embodiments have been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of illustration and that numerous changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring defining a plane; and

a key tag; wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element; and the key tag is configured to rotate around the attachment element and is configured to rotate out of the plane defined by the key ring.

2. The key chain of claim 1, wherein

the key tag is centered in relation to the key ring.

3. The key chain of claim 1, wherein

the key tag is off centered in relation to the key ring.

4. (canceled)

5. The key chain of claim 4, wherein

the key ring comprises a plurality of ring segments.

6. The key chain of claim 5, wherein

the attachment element comprises a rod with a flat cap; and

the flat cap and a portion of the rod attached to the flat cap are inside one ring segment and are configured to facilitate the rotation of the key tag.

7. The key chain of claim 5, wherein

at least one ring segment comprises a bump and a bump tip such that when the bump is pressed down, the bump tip moves up.

8. The key chain of claim 5, wherein

at least one ring segment has the shape of a horizontal cylindrical segment.

9. The key chain of claim 5, wherein

at least one ring segment has the shape of a cylinder segment.

10. The key chain of claim 1, wherein

the key tag comprises a tag disk and at least one attachment element attached to the tag disk.

11. The key chain of claim 10, wherein

the tag disk comprises an inner disk and an outer rim; wherein

the outer rim has a thickness larger than a thickness of the inner disk.

12. The key chain of claim 11, wherein

the inner disk further comprises a label placed on a face of the inner disk.

13. The key chain of claim 12, wherein

the label is removable.

14. The key chain of claim 11, wherein

the inner disk further comprises multimedia content including an image or text placed on a face of the inner disk.

15. The key chain of claim 1, wherein

the key tag attaches to the key ring via a plurality of attachment elements; and

the key ring, the key tag, and the plurality of attachment elements are configured to form a plurality of separate compartments.

16. The key chain of claim 15, wherein

the key tag comprises an inner disk; and

the inner disk further comprises a label on a face of the inner disk, the label being divided into a plurality of parts, each identifying the corresponding compartment.

17. The key chain of claim 1, wherein

the key chain further comprises an attachment ring outside the key ring.

18. The key chain of claim 17, wherein

the attachment ring is attached to the key ring via an attachment element.

19. The key chain of claim 18, wherein

the attachment ring is configured to rotate around the attachment element.

20. The key chain of claim 19, wherein

the attachment element comprises a rod with a flat cap; and

the flat cap and a portion of the rod attached to the flat cap are inside one ring segment and are configured to facilitate the rotation of the key tag.

21. A key chain assembly, comprising:

a first tier that comprises a first tier key chain, the first tier key chain being the key chain of claim 1.

22. The key chain assembly of claim 21, further comprising:

at least one key attached to the first tier key chain.

23. The key chain assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

a second tier that comprises a plurality of second tier key chain; wherein each second tier key chain attaches to the first tier key chain.

24. The key chain assembly of claim 23, further comprising:

a plurality of keys attached to at least one of the second tier key chains.

25. The key chain assembly of claim 21, further comprising:

a plurality of tiers of key chains.

26. The key chain assembly of claim 25, further comprising:

a plurality of keys attached to at least one of the key chains in the lowest tier.

27. The key chain assembly of claim 26, wherein each key chain comprises a key tag and a label, and the label is attached to a face of the key tag in each key chain and identifies the key chain or keys hanging off the key chain to which the label is attached.

28. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring; and

a key tag; wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element; and the key tag is centered in relation to the key ring.

29. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring; and

a key tag; wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element; the key tag is configured to rotate around the attachment element; the key ring comprises a plurality of ring segments; the attachment element comprises a rod with a flat cap; and the flat cap and a portion of the rod attached to the flat cap are inside one ring segment and are configured to facilitate the rotation of the key tag.

30. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring; and

a key tag; wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element; the key tag is configured to rotate around the attachment element; the key ring comprises a plurality of ring segments; and at least one ring segment comprises a bump and a bump tip such that when the bump is pressed down, the bump tip moves up.

31. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring; and

a key tag; wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element; the key tag is configured to rotate around the attachment element; the key ring comprises a plurality of ring segments; and at least one ring segment has the shape of a horizontal cylindrical segment.

32. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring; and

a key tag; wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via a plurality of attachment elements; and the key ring, the key tag, and the plurality of attachment elements are configured to form a plurality of separate compartments.

33. The key chain of claim 32, wherein

the key tag comprises an inner disk; and

the inner disk further comprises a label on a face of the inner disk, the label being divided into a plurality of parts, each identifying the corresponding compartment.

34. A key chain, comprising:

a key ring;

a key tag; and

an attachment ring outside the key ring, wherein the key tag is encircled by the key ring; the key tag is attached to the key ring via at least one attachment element; and the attachment ring is attached to the key ring via an attachment element.

35. The key chain of claim 34, wherein

the attachment ring is configured to rotate around the attachment element.

36. The key chain of claim 35, wherein

the attachment element comprises a rod with a flat cap; and

the flat cap and a portion of the rod attached to the flat cap are inside one ring segment and are configured to facilitate the rotation of the key tag.