Systems and methods for a secure carabineer key ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10624426-B2
Application number	US-201414776256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

A key ring includes a body having an upper ring and a lower ring, the upper ring having a closable opening. The upper ring and the lower ring are separated by a pinch point. The pinch point includes a first and second side of the body, the first and second sides of the body in very close proximity at the pinch point, such that a key sliding along the lower ring of the body may not easily pass the pinch point to the upper ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A key ring comprising:
a body having an upper ring and a lower ring, the upper ring having a hook and a closable opening, the upper ring and the lower ring separated by a pinch point, and
a carabiner gate pivotably coupled to the body at an attachment point, the carabiner gate pivoting about an axis defined by the attachment point to selectively engage the hook to selectively close the closable opening, the carabiner date defined by a wire gate,
wherein the pinch point includes a first and second side of the body, the first and second sides of the body together at the pinch point, such that a key sliding along the lower ring of the body flexes the body to pass the pinch point to the upper ring, wherein the body is flexible, and the first side of the body is adapted to be flexed away from the second side of the body such that the key sliding along the lower ring of the body passes the pinch point to the upper ring when the body is flexed, and wherein a portion of the hook extends at least partially through the wire gate to close the closable opening.

2. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the body is a thin piece of material with a rectangular cross section.

3. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the body is a thin piece of material with a circular cross section.

4. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the body is a single piece of material.

5. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the body is a unitary piece of material.

6. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the carabiner gate defines a closed loop through which the hook extends to close the closable opening.

7. The key ring of claim 6 , wherein the carabiner gate extends from opposing third and fourth sides of the body.

8. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the pinch point is defined by first and second body portions, the first body portion defined by a plate-like portion, the second body portion defined by a rounded tube-like portion.

9. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the carabiner gate is pivotably coupled to the body proximate to the pinch point.

10. The key ring of claim 1 , wherein the carabiner gate is pivotably coupled to the upper ring of the body.

11. A key ring comprising:
a flexible body having an upper ring and a lower ring, the upper ring having a closable opening, the upper ring and the lower ring separated by a pinch point defined by first and second sides of the body, the first and second sides of the body together at the pinch point, such that a key sliding along the lower ring of the body passes the pinch point to the upper ring when the first side of the body is flexed away from the second side of the body; and
a carabiner gate pivotably coupled to the body to selectively close the closable opening,
wherein the carabiner gate is pivotably coupled to a first portion of the upper ring and selectively engages a second portion of the upper ring to selectively close the closable opening; and
wherein the carabiner gate is defined by a wire gate; and the body includes a hook receiving the wire gate, such that a portion of the hook extends at least partially though the wire gate to close the closable opening.

12. The key ring of claim 11 , wherein the carabiner gate pivots about an axis defined by one or more attachment points between the carabiner gate and the body.

13. The key ring of claim 11 , wherein the carabiner gate pivots within the upper ring.

14. A key ring comprising:
a flexible body having an upper ring and a lower ring, the upper ring having a closable opening, the upper ring and the lower ring separated by a pinch point defined by first and second sides of the body, the first and second sides of the body together at the pinch point; and
a carabiner gate pivotably coupled to the body to selectively close the closable opening, the carabiner gate defined by a wire gate,
wherein the carabiner gate is pivotably coupled to a first portion of the upper ring and selectively engages a second portion of the upper ring to selectively close the closable opening, and
wherein the body includes a hook receiving the wire gate, such that a portion of the hook extends at least partially through the wire gate to close the closable opening.

Assignees

• Nite Ize Inc

Inventors

• Adelman Gregory M

Classifications

• A44B15/002 Primary

  Separable rings · CPC title

• F16B2/22

  of resilient material, e.g. rubbery material {(F16B2/205 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• A44B15/00 Primary

  Key-rings · CPC title

• F16B45/02

  Hooks with pivoting {or elastically bending} closing member · CPC title

• F16B45/036

  with an elastically bending closing member · CPC title