I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to locks and keys, and more particularly to plastic spare or duplicate keys.

II. Description of the Prior Art

Keys for automobile and door locks or the like can easily be mislaid or damaged. Although it is possible to carry a spare or duplicate key, such carrying is often awkward and inconvenient in that it is impractical to carry entire sets of extra keys on key chains, due to the weight of the keys and their inconvenient bulk when positioned adjacent one another. Moreover, conventional wallets often do not provide spaces or pockets suitable for keeping spare keys. As a result, conventional spare keys stored loosely in the wallet are easily shifted and lost. The intended goal of carrying a spare key is therefore often fustrated and may give a false sense of security to the person who thinks they are carrying a spare key.

Combinations including at least one key and a member for carrying the key are known. For example, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,637,236 (January 20, 1987 D. F. Almbald) 4,677,835 show a key either detachably or permanently affixed to a card disposed about the key. Summary of the Present Invention

The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages of previously known spare key or key combinations by providing a key and carrying card combination including means for snappingly reattaching the keys to the card, to permit the spare keys to be easily carried in the wallet or the like. In brief, the spare key and card combination of the present invention comprises a credit card-sized card body surrounding one or more keys, and means for snappingly and repeatedly

reattching the keys to the card body. The keys are preferably initially held to the card body by frangible means such as bridges extending between the edge of the keys and the interior edge of the card. The key and card combination of the present invention can advantageously be produced by many of the known plastic forming processes, such as injection molding, stamping or pressing. The card and keys are preferably unitarily and integrally formed from a plastic material, although the key may be formed separately from the card holder and may be formed with a plastic head and a steel shank.

While the key and card combination of the present invention are primarily intended for emergency use, such as when the user misplaces a conventional key, the spare key and card of the present invention advantageously provide for the repeated use of the key without sacrificing the convenience of the card-sized carrier. Once the key is broken from the card body by breaking the frangible bridges, the key may be snappingly reattached to the card body by the snap means. For example, the snap means can be formed by a post or stud formed on the card body and an aperture in the key which, when placed one over the other, can snap into a removably locking position.

A variety of types of keys can be provided in the card, for example, flat keys, notched keys, channeled keys, or any combination of them. In addition to being easy to carry and retained, the spare key and card combination of the present invention is -inexpensive to produce and ship. Additionally, keys may be swapped between different card bodies if sufficient space is provided, so that instead of having, for example, two duplicates of a front door key and two duplicates of a rear door key on two different cards, each card can carry thereon one of the front door keys and one of the rear door keys. The present invention is useful with

keys such as automobile keys, door keys, trunk keys, case or container keys, cabinet keys or any type of key which is adaptable for snap affixment to a card body. Brief Description of the Drawing

A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear plan view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, detailing an area of the card body and the key; and

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the Present Invention

With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a preferred embodiment of a spare key and card combination 10 according to the present invention is thereshown and first comprises a card body 12 disposed about at least one and preferably two spare keys 14 and 16. The keys each comprise a key shank 15 or 17 and a key head 19 or 21, respectively. Preferably, so as to facilitate use (for example, to ease insertion into a wallet), the keys 14 and 16 preferably are thinner than or only as thick as the card body 12.

The card body 12 is provided with a hole 13 for attachment of the combination 10 to a conventional key chain, key ring or the like. Such attachement is a

atter of choice or convenience, however, since the key and card combination 10 is also adapted to ready insertion into a wallet, purse or the like. Such placement is facilitated by the fact that the card body 12 is preferably substantially similar in size and proportion to a conventional credit card.

The keys 14 and 16 are configured as key blanks adapted to be machined or cut with notches to fit and actuate a conventional lock. For example, they can include channels 20 identical to the channels provided on a key conventionally or originally provided with the lock with which the keys 14 and 16 are associated. Preferably, the keys 14 and 16 are formed as key blanks, although under some circumstances the operative notches on other portions on the shanks may be partly or completely formed when the combination 10 is molded.

Each of the keys 14 and 16 includes a portion defining key edge 22. The card body 12 similarly includes a facing portion defining an interior card edge 24 generally disposed about the key edge 22. The keys 14 and 16, when formed, are preferably held to the card body 12 by a breakable or frangible attachment means. The keys 14 and 16 may, of course, be formed separately from the card body 12. If formed with the card body 12,. the frangible attaching means preferably comprises at least one and preferably two laterally opposed notched bridges 26 extending between and connecting the keys 14 and 16 and the card edge 24. Severance or breaking of these bridges 26 detaches the keys 14 and 16 from the card body 12. The key, of course, cannot be used until the bridges 26 are broken.

A snap means 28 is also provided for repeatedly attaching and detaching the keys 14 and 16 from the card body 12. The snap means 28 preferably first comprises a reversibly detachable securing means

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38 located or formed on a first shelf 30 of a first face 32 of the card body 12 (FIG. 1), and on a second shelf 34 of a first face 36 of the key 14 or 16 (FIG. 2). The securing means 38 preferably comprises a compressible male member 40 formed on one of the shelves 30 or 34, and a female portion 48 formed in or through the upper of the shelves 34 and 30, dimensioned to compressibly contain the male member 40 therein.

As more clearly shown in FIG. 3, the male member 40 can, for example, comprise a stud 42 formed on the card shelf 30 having a vertical slot 44 formed therethrough. The stud 42 includes a flared head 46. The female portion 48 can, for example, be formed so as to define a hole 50 through the second shelf 34 and through the key 14 or 16. The hole 52 preferably includes tapered edges 52, a lowered tapered edge 52 serving as a ramp edge to facilitate insertion of the male member 40 into the female portion 48, and on upper tapered edge 52 (opposite the second shelf 34) serving to firmly retain the key 14 or 16 on the card body, by abutting against the flared head 46.

The initial position of the key 14 or 16 with respect to the card body 12 is shown in phantom at 54, in FIG. 3. Either or both of the keys 14 or 16 are removed from the card body 12 by pressing, pulling or pivoting them so as to break the notched bridges 26 or other affixment means. If not previously provided, notches cor esponding to the particular locks with which the keys are associated are then cut into the key shanks 15 or 17. The key is then reversibly detachably secured to the key body 12 by the means 38, specifically, by positioning the shelves 30 and 34 facing one another, with the female portion 48 aligned with the compressible male member 40, and the keys 14 or 16 in the body 12 pressed together, to engage the securing means 38.

When it is desired to employ one of the keys 14 or 16 to open a lock, the key 14 or 16 is merely pushed or pulled from the front or back of the card, so as to cause the halves of the stud 42 to compress together (the tapered edge 52 of the hole 50 riding against the flared head 46 of the stud 42, and the slot 44 providing space for compression of the stud 42) and the keys 14 or 16 removed from the card body 12. The keys are then used to open the appropriate lock, and returned to the card in the fashion described earlier.

The position of the key 14 or 16 on the card body 12, when held there by the reversible securing means 38, is shown in FIG. 4. Preferably, a gap 55 is provided between the key edges 22 and the interior card edges 24. This gap provides a clearance space for a fingernail to lift the key 14 or 16 from the card body 12, if the interior card edge 24 does not pass all the way through the card body 12, that is, if a card portion (not shown) is provided beneath the key 14 or 16. The gap 55 also provides space for defining the frangible means originally connecting the keys 14 and 16 to the card body 12.

A second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a key and card combination 56. The combination 56 comprises a card body 58 and a pair of oppositely disposed keys 60 and 62 formed therein. Like the keys 14 and 16, the keys 60 and 62 include key shanks 64 and 66. A pair of spaces 68 and 70 are formed in the card body -58 about the key shanks 64 and 66, so as to provide sufficient space for the key blanks 60 and 62 to be notched or cut (and thereby adapted to particular locks) jj situ, without requiring that they be removed from the card body 58 at all.

The key and carrying card combination of the present invention can readily be formed of numerous

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materials, although it is preferred that the key and card combination be formed from a plastic material. The combination can be formed from such plastics by many of the conventional plastic forming means, including stamping or pressing. However, it is most preferred that the key and card combination be unitarily and integrally formed as a single piece by plastic injection molding. This provides an advantageous combination of a lightweight product, an adequately strong product, and a product which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Of course, other materials such as metal may be used for either or both of the keys and the card body, or any part of the keys or card body. Indeed, the snap means 28 may, in part, be formed as a plastic piece attachable to a conventional space metal key, obviating the need to provide different card bodies for different types of keys; only the piece needs to be varied to fit or accept different key heads.

Also the card body 12 can be formed separately from the keys 14 and 16. In this way, it would only be necessary to manufacture one style of card body 12 which would be capable of holding keys 14 and 16 of many different styles.

Having described the invention, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains, without deviating from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: