Article holder
AssigneeSherrette, LLC
InventorsDavid C. Turner, III, Bernadette A. Turner, Ted J. Sprinkle, Sheryl L. Sprinkle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An open ring-like device for holding articles such as plastic cards and keys is formed so that its ends are opposed to one another and includes tips at the ends. The distance between the tips is less than the thickness of an article. Articles can be inserted into the device by pushing the edge of an article against the tips to spread the tips apart. The article is slid in between the tips to fit a tip through a hole in the article to hold the article on the device. The device allows for the insertion or extraction of articles without a separate step of opening or closing the device.
Claims13
A device for holding together at least one of keys and cards, comprising:
- a) an open ring in one of an annular and a non-annular shape, formed into a configuration such that distal ends are opposed to one another;
- b) a tip disposed at each of the distal ends of the ring, said tips being operative to be displaced apart with respect to each other by the at least one of keys and cards to create a sufficiently wide opening between the distal ends and to allow the at least one of keys and cards to be inserted or extracted from the device, wherein the tips are of spherical shape and immovably disposed at the distal ends;
- and
- c) a jacket attached to the ring, said jacket being operative to cover the at least one of keys and cards.
A device for holding together at least one of keys and cards, comprising:
- a) an open ring in one of an annular and a non-annular shape, formed into a configuration such that distal ends are opposed to one another;
- b) a tip disposed at each of the distal ends of the ring, said tips being operative to be displaced apart with respect to each other by the at least one of keys and cards to create a sufficiently wide opening between the distal ends and to allow the at least one of keys and cards to be inserted or extracted from the device, wherein each of the tips further comprises:
- an encasement disposed at a corresponding one of the distal ends,
- a biasing component inside the encasement, and an end tip disposed at an end of the encasement opposite the end disposed on the corresponding distal end;
- and
- c) a jacket, the ring being attached to a binding portion of the jacket, said jacket being operative to cover the at least one of the keys and cards and to cover said ring in its entirety.
In combination with at least one card, a card holder comprising:
- a) an open ring in one of an annular and a non-annular shape, formed into a configuration such that distal ends are opposed to one another and form an opening between the distal ends;
- b) a spherical tip disposed at each of the distal ends of the ring, wherein the distance between the tips is less than the thickness of said at least one card, said tips being operative to be displaced away from each other by said at least one card to create a sufficiently wide opening between the distal ends and to allow said at least one card to be inserted or extracted from the device, said tips comprising:
- an encasement disposed at a corresponding one of the distal ends;
- a biasing component inside the encasement;
- and
- an end tip disposed at an end of the encasement opposite the end disposed on the corresponding distal end;
- and
- c) a jacket, the ring being attached to a binding portion of the jacket, said jacket being operative to cover said at least one card and to cover said ring in its entirety.
A method of holding at least one of keys and cards together, said method comprising:
- a) forming an open ring in one of an annular and a non-annular shape, into a configuration such that distal ends are opposed to one another and tips are respectively immovably disposed at the distal ends;
- b) pushing an edge of at least one of a key and a card in between the tips to push the tips apart and sliding the at least one of a key and a card in between the tips;
- c) threading a distal end through a hole in the at least one of a key and a card;
- and
- d) covering the at least one of keys and cards with a jacket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.