US20110068018A1

US20110068018A1 - Carousel key organizer

Info

Publication number: US20110068018A1
Application number: US12/924,112
Authority: US
Inventors: Elizabeth C. Killeen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-09-23
Filing date: 2010-09-20
Publication date: 2011-03-24

Abstract

A carousel key organizer has a bottom section and a top section that are coupled to be rotatable relative to each other. The bottom section includes walls that define Cells for holding keys, and the top section has a peripheral opening to allow access to one of the cells for readily removing a desired key. A detent mechanism is provided between the top and bottom sections so that the peripheral opening may be positioned either to block access to the cells or to allow access to a desired one of the cells. An adjunct key organizer may be mounted on the carousel key organizer having an open end partially enclosed by a sliding door. The adjunct key organizer has at least two compartments, and the sliding door is positionable to block access to all of the compartments or allow access to only one of the compartments.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the filing date of Provisional U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/277,277 filed Sep. 23, 2009 entitled “Carousel Key Organizer”, which Provisional Application is incorporated herein by reference and hereby expressly abandoned upon the filing of the present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The current invention relates to key holders, and more particularly to a carousel key organizer that enables a user to organize keys for ready access.
Generally keys are held on a key ring or are loose in a pocket or purse. When a user seeks to find the appropriate key for a particular lock, such as a house key when returning home, the user generally has to fumble among the keys on the key ring or from the loose keys in the pocket or purse. This generally takes some time, and renders the user vulnerable to assault the more time it takes to find the key and unlock the particular lock for entry.
What is desired is a key organizer that enables a user to readily access a desired key for a particular lock in a timely manner:

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly the present invention provides a carousel key organizer that enables a user to readily access a desired key from among a plurality of keys in a timely manner. A bottom section of the organizer is generally circular, and has a central post having a central hole. Extending radially from the central post are walls that define cells within which keys may be held. A top section encloses the bottom section, and has a central hole and a peripheral opening equal in width to the distance between radial walls of the bottom section. The top section is coupled to the bottom section using any suitable means, such as a rivet or bolt and screw, that allows the top section to rotate relative to the bottom section. Detents formed between the top section and bottom section, such as indentations in the periphery of the bottom section and a rib on the interior of the periphery of the top section, allow the top section to be located either so as to have the peripheral opening aligned with one of the cells to allow access to the key located within that cell, or to block adjacent cells so no keys may be extracted. With appropriate labeling on the bottom section, the user may readily rotate the top section with respect to the bottom section so that the peripheral opening in the top section aligns with the appropriate cell containing the desired key, as indicated by the label.
The objects, advantages and other novel features of the present invention are apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended claims and attached drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carousel key organizer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a bottom section of the carousel key organizer according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of a top section of the carousel key organizer according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the carousel key organizer with an adjunct key organizer according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1 a carousel key organizer 10 is shown having a top section 12 with a peripheral opening 14 disclosing an interior cell defined by radial walls 16 integral with a bottom section 18 within which a key 20 is contained. Along the peripheral rim 22 of the bottom section 18 is an indentation 24 that forms a portion of a detent. A bolt and screw or rivet 26, or other suitable means to allow rotation between the top and bottom sections 12, 18, extends through the central portion of the organizer 10, preferably flush with the top surface of the top section and the bottom surface of the bottom section to avoid snagging with other items in a pocket or purse within which the organizer may be carried.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the bottom section 18 is shown having a central post 28 from which the walls 16 extend radially toward the periphery 22 of the bottom section. The central post 28 includes a hole 30 through which the rivet or bolt 26 may extend to allow rotation of the top and bottom sections relative to each other. The detent indentations 24 are shown around the periphery 22 spaced equally apart to allow the top portion to rotate one-half cell each indentation. FIG. 3 shows the interior of the top section 12 with a central hole 32 for the rivet or bolt for rotatable connection to the bottom section 18. Also shown is a rib 34 for engaging the indentations 24 of the bottom section 18, as well as the peripheral opening 14. Although only one rib 34 is shown, equally spaced ribs around the periphery may be used for engaging the indentations 24 of the bottom section 18. Alternatively one indentation 24 in the bottom section 18 may be used while a plurality of ribs 34 are spaced equally around the periphery of the inner wall of the top section 12 at one-half cell intervals. The indentations 24 and rib 34 form a detent mechanism so that the top and bottom sections 12, 18 are not free to rotate without some force applied by the user.
The material of the organizer 10 may be any suitable, durable material, such as a hard plastic, that is not slippery so that the user may readily grip the top and bottom sections 12, 18 in order to rotate them relative to each other. In a first position of the top section 12 relative to the bottom section 18 the peripheral opening 14 is centered on one of the walls 24 (as shown in FIG. 1) so that the keys 20 in the adjacent cells cannot be removed or accidentally fall out. In a second position of the top section 12 relative to the bottom section 18 the peripheral opening 14 extends between two adjacent walls 16 so that the key 20 contained within the cell defined by the walls may be readily removed. Suitable means may be used on the bottom of the bottom section 18 to label the lock to which the key 20 contained in the cell immediately above pertains.
In operation the user rotates the top section 12 relative to the bottom section 18 until the peripheral opening 14 exposes the cell labeled to identify the particular key 20 that the user wishes to use. There is no fumbling in purse or pocket or with a key ring to find the appropriate key. Therefore the user minimizes the amount of time spent in finding the appropriate key.
For keys that are larger than the cells contained within the carousel key organizer 10 or for a small garage door opener, an adjunct key organizer 40 may be attached, either permanently or detachably. The adjunct key organizer 40 may be molded as part of the carousel key organizer 10 or attached using a suitable epoxy to either the top or bottom sections 12, 18 for a permanent attachment. Alternatively the carousel key organizer 10 may have appropriate slots molded in one of the sections with the adjunct key organizer 40 having legs that slidably engage the slots for a friction fit. Another detachable alternative is to have magnets molded into either the top or bottom sections 12, 18 of the carousel key organizer 10 with corresponding magnets in the bottom of the adjunct key organizer 40 so that the adjunct key organizer is magnetically attached to the carousel key organizer.
FIG. 4 shows the adjunct key organizer 40 mounted on the carousel key organizer 10 using any of the methods discussed above. As shown the adjunct key organizer 40 is enclosed except for an open end 42. A rib 44 extends the length of the adjunct key organizer 40 to provide at least two compartments 46. A sliding door 48 partially encloses the open end 42 with detents, within grooves that restrict the sliding door from becoming detached from the adjunct key organizer 40, for example, so that the sliding door may be moved to any one of three positions. In the middle position, as shown, the sliding door 48 partially encloses both compartments 46 of the adjunct key organizer 40. The sliding door 48 from the middle position may be moved to one side or the other to completely block one of the compartments 46 while allowing access to the other compartment. A ridge 50 in the middle of the sliding door 48 provides a ready means for a user to move the sliding door to the desired position.
Thus the present invention provides a carousel key organizer that allows a user to readily find a desired key by having a bottom section with walls defining cells within which the keys may be located, a top section with a peripheral opening to allow extraction of the desired key, and a detent mechanism that allows the positioning of the two sections relative to each other in either a first position to ensure that the key may not be inadvertently extracted or in a second position that assures that the key may be readily extracted. An adjunct key organizer may be mounted on the carousel key organizer to accommodate keys that are too large for the cells of the carousel key organizer or to accommodate a small garage door opener.

Claims

1. A carousel key organizer comprising:

a bottom section having walls defining cells within which keys are contained;

a top section having a peripheral opening, the peripheral opening being positionable either to block access to the cells so the keys cannot be removed or to open a particular one of the cells so a desired one of the keys may be readily removed.

2. The carousel key organizer as recited in claim 1 further comprising an adjunct key organizer having an open end with a sliding door, the adjunct key organizer being mounted on the carousel key organizer and having at least two compartments, the sliding door being positionable to either block access to the compartments or to allow access to only one of the compartments.