Sometimes it can be difficult, and especially for certain people, to remember if the door of the house or any other lock was locked. Then the person has to return to check whether the lock was locked or be nervous because the uncertainty of the state of the locking until the person has the possibility to return. If the lock was not locked it might be too late when the person returns and somebody has had admission to a place where he/she is not allowed admittance or thai an article already is stolen.

To indicate if a lock is locked or not with a corresponding key there are previously known complicated special keys having springs, balls and other mechanical details integrated with the key.

An object of the present invention is to provide an indicating device which may be mounted to an ordinary key.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicating device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which functions reliably also when stored and used a dirty and dusty environment.

These objects are met according to the invention by means of an indicating device according to the preamble which is characterized in that bolt means are arranged in the keyring opening of a head of a key, which bolt means follow the movement of the head of the key in the inner space and the position of the key inside the housing is indicated both visually and by touch.

According to an embodiment the bolt is movably arranged in a cylinder in the housing.

According to another embodiment the bolt means show a substantially V-shaped recess in which the head of the key is positioned.

The invention will now be described more in detail by means of exemplifying embodiments with reference to appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 illustrates in a side view an indicating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 illustrates in a longitudinal cross-sectional view the indicating device of Fig. 1 with a key mounted therein, Fig. 3a illustrates in a side view bolt means according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3b illustrates in a top view the bolt means of Fig. 3a, Fig. 3c illustrates in a front view, i. e. from the key'. the bolt means of Fig. 3a,

Fig. 4 illustrates in a transverse cross-sectional view the indicating device of Fig. 1 with a key in one of the end positions, Fig. 5 illustrates in a side view an indicating device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 6 illustrates a key which suits the second embodiment, Fig. 7a illustrates in a side view bolt means according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7b illustrates in a top view the bolt means of Fig. 7a, Fig. 7c illustrates in a rear view, i. e. from the head end of the key, the bolt means of Fig. 7a, Fig. 8 illustrates in a transverse cross-sectional view the indicating device of Fig. 5 with a key in one of the end positions, Fig. 9 illustrates in a transverse cross-sectional view an indicating device provided with bolt means made up by two parts, Fig. 10 illustrates bolt means made up by two parts.

Fig. 1 shows that the indicating device according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 1, with sides 4, a base 5, a top 8 and an inner space 3, which is substantially V-shaped in cross-section, which housing 1 is provided with a through recess or cylinder 12 and a keyring holder 17.

A key 18 having a head 2 is inserted into the indicating device, the indicating device, more precise the top 8 of the housing, will be stretched outwards by means of the head 2 of the key, see Fig. 2, so that the key 18 will stay and be held by the indicating device. The possibility to stretch the housing is aided by a recess 22. One or several recesses 22 may be positioned in the housing at optional positions. This spring action possibility of the indicating device gives the wished function also when the keys to be used differs in sizes.

Thereupon a bolt 11, see Figs. 3a-c, is pressed through the recess 12 and the keyring opening 19 of the head 2 of the key until the front edge 13 of the keyring opening 19 snaps into the substantially V-shaped recess 9 which locks the key from moving forwards and backwards. Preferably the bolt shows a cross- section shape which reminds of the key ring opening 19. As an alternative a bolt 21 made up by two parts may be used, whose two parts are inserted from a side direction each through the recess 12 in the indicating device into the key ring opening 19 of the head 2 of the key and connected therein. The outer portions of the bolt parts extend outside the keyring opening 19 so that the bolt may follow the side movements of the key 18 in the indicating device, see Figs. 9 and 10. The two parts of the bolt 21 may preferably be manufactured in two different colours for clear indication.

The head 2 of the key may be in two different end positions in the housing 1, the head 2 of the key is kept in place at an end position by means of frictional force between the rear portion 14 of the bolt 11 and the rear edge 20 of the keyring opening 19 and above all by means of a bead 7 which protrudes inwards into the inner space 3 in the housing 2 and urges the head 2 of the

key towards either side 4 and down towards the base 5 of the housing.

When the key 18 is used for locking, or un-locking, depending on the last operation, the indicating device is pressed by the user so that the key 18 will occupy the other end position by means of the bead 7 is pressed outwards by the head 2 of the key so that the bead 7 snaps over to the other side of the head 2 of the key, thus the head 2 of the key has occupied the other end position.

The base portion 6 of the head or the key rests at the base 5 or the housing and a very small displacement occurs when the key 18 is moved between the end positions. The bolt 11 is moved in the recess 12 from one side 4 to the other side 4 of the hosuing 1 since the head 2 of the key is provided in the recess 9 of the bolt 11 and therefore the bolt 11 follows the movement of the head 2 of the key.

The bolt 11 indicates in which end position the key 18 is, i. e. which operation that was performed last, locking or un-locking, since the key will end up in one of the end positions when a lock is locked and in the other when a lock is un-locked.

In the illustrated embodiment the bolt 11 is flush with the outside 4 of the housing at that side where the key 18 is present but may just as well be designed to protrude outside the housing 1.

The housing may also be provided with recesses to that it is possible to see in which end position the key 18 is present, for example, in the front or rear end of the indicating device, illustrated with reference numerals 15 and 16, respectively. The embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5-8 show how the invention is modified for another kind of key. As for the rest, the function corresponds with the first embodiment.