Systems and methods for a key optimized double gated carabiner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12473943-B2
Application number	US-202318295290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2023
Priority date	Jul 20, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

A carabiner includes a carabiner body having a first opening, a first gate coupled to the carabiner body, the first gate configured to open and close the first opening, and a second gate coupled to the carabiner body, the second gate, when closed, defining a first area and a second area and, when opened, providing a second opening to the second area. The first gate, when opened, provides a first opening to the first area. The first gate is configured to open via rotation in a first rotational direction and the second gate is configured to open via rotation in the first rotational direction.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1 . A carabiner comprising:
a carabiner body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a first opening formed on the first side; a first gate pivotably coupled to the carabiner body on the first side, the first gate configured to open and close the first opening; and a second gate pivotably coupled to the carabiner body, the second gate, when closed, defining a first area and a second area, the second gate, when closed, providing a separator between the first area and the second area that prevents an object from moving between the first area and the second area, and the second gate, when opened, providing a second opening to the second area from the first area, wherein the second gate is configured to be closed via an absence of an external force on the second gate and configured to be opened via a presence of the external force on the second gate; wherein the first gate, when opened, provides the first opening to the first area, wherein the first gate is configured to be closed via the absence of the external force on the first gate and configured to be opened via the presence of the external force on the first gate; wherein the first gate is configured to open via rotation in a first rotational direction and the second gate is configured to open via rotation in the first rotational direction; wherein the first gate, when closed, contacts a first stop located on the first side, and the second gate, when closed, contacts a second stop located on the second side, wherein the first gate is configured to rotate completely independently from the second gate, and the second gate is configured to rotate completely independently from the first gate.

2 . The carabiner of claim 1 , wherein the first gate opens inwardly on the carabiner body in the first rotational direction.

3 . The carabiner of claim 2 , wherein the second gate opens inwardly on the carabiner body in the first rotational direction and closes against the second stop in a direction opposite the first rotational direction.

4 . The carabiner of claim 3 , wherein the carabiner body includes a cutout that allows the second gate to rotate in the first rotational direction.

5 . The carabiner of claim 1 , wherein the carabiner body comprises a thickness to allow a key comprising an aperture to slide along the carabiner body via the aperture.

6 . The carabiner of claim 1 , wherein the first gate is pivotably coupled to the carabiner body approximately at a center of the carabiner body adjacent to the first opening or below the center of the carabiner body.

7 . The carabiner of claim 6 , wherein the second gate is pivotably coupled to the carabiner body on the first side below where the first gate is coupled to the carabiner body.

8 . The carabiner of claim 1 , further comprising an arm formed by the carabiner body that extends inwardly between the first area and the second area.

9 . The carabiner of claim 8 , wherein the second gate is pivotably coupled to an inwardly extending portion of the arm.

10 . The carabiner of claim 8 , wherein the carabiner body, including the arm, forms a G shape.

11 . A method of using a carabiner comprising a carabiner body having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, and a first opening formed on the first side, a first gate pivotably coupled to the carabiner body on the first side; the first gate configured to open and close the first opening; and a second gate pivotably coupled to the carabiner body, the second gate, when closed, defining a first area and a second area, the second gate, when closed, providing a separator between the first area and the second area that prevents an object from moving between the first area and the second area, and the second gate, when opened, providing a second opening to the second area from the first area, wherein the second gate is configured to be closed via an absence of an external force on the second gate and configured to be opened via a presence of the external force on the second gate; wherein the first gate, when opened, provides the first opening to the first area wherein the first gate is configured to be closed via the absence of the external force on the first gate and configured to be opened via the presence of the external force on the first gate; wherein the first gate is configured to open via rotation in a first rotational direction and the second gate is configured to open via rotation in the first rotational direction; the method comprising:
sliding an object having an aperture onto the carabiner body while using the object to open the first opening via the first gate to enter the first area; sliding the object around the carabiner body; using the object to open the second gate; and sliding the object into the second area; wherein the first gate, when closed, contacts a first stop located on the first side, and the second gate, when closed, contacts a second stop located on the second side.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first gate opens inwardly on the carabiner body in the first rotational direction.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second gate opens inwardly on the carabiner body in the first rotational direction and closes against the second stop in a direction opposite the first rotational direction.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the carabiner body includes a cutout that allows the second gate to rotate in the first rotational direction.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the object is a key and carabiner body comprises a thickness to allow the key to slide along the carabiner body via the aperture.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first gate is pivotably coupled to the carabiner body approximately at a center of the carabiner body adjacent to the first opening or below the center of the carabiner body.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the second gate is pivotably coupled to the carabiner body on the first side below where the first gate is coupled to the carabiner body.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising an arm formed by the carabiner body that extends inwardly between the first area and the second area.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the second gate is pivotably coupled to an inwardly extending portion of the arm.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the carabiner body, including the arm, forms a G shape.

Assignees

• Nite Ize Inc

Inventors

• Adelman Gregory M

Classifications

• A44B15/00 Primary

  Key-rings · CPC title

• F16B45/02 Primary

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

• F16B45/036

  with an elastically bending closing member · CPC title

• F16B45/023

  the closing member pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the hook · CPC title

• F16B45/008

  plastics · CPC title