Key and retainer card combination

Abstract

A key and card combination is provided wherein a convenient size key carrying card has at least one recess, or a pair of recesses for a set of keys, a key in each recess, and structure separably retaining the key in its recess. The keys may be hingedly attached to the card and adapted to be swung into and out of the plane of the card. Alternatively, each key may be retained in the card by breakaway means. Further alternatively, each key may be received endwise in a socket recess extending inwardly in an edge of the card, and with tongue and groove and detent structure retaining the key separably in its socket.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. A key and card combination, comprising: a key carrying generally rectangular wallet size plastic card of credit card-type thickness and dimensions and having opposite faces;   at least one key recess in said card extending entirely through the thickness of the card;   a key of greater thickness than the card in said recess consisting of the same plastic material as said card, said key having a thickness for substantially resisting twisting when used in a lock;   said key having an edge thereabout, and said recess being defined by an edge substantially surrounding said key edge;   and means on an area of said key edge and on a corresponding area of said recess edge for separably retaining the key in said recess and with the key having a face portion which is elevated from the plane of the adjacent card face.   
     
     
       2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said recess comprises a key socket within the plane of said card, and said separably retaining means comprising a hinge formed from the same material as the card and the key and integrally connecting a key head crown end of the key to said corresponding area of said recess edge of the card and adapting the key to be swung into and out of the plane of the card. 
     
     
       3. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said means separably retaining the key comprises breakaway structure. 
     
     
       4. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said means separably retaining the key comprises yieldable detent structure. 
     
     
       5. A combination according to claim 4, wherein said means separably retaining the key further includes a hinge connecting a head end of the key to the card so that the key can be swung into and out of said recess while remaining attached to the card. 
     
     
       6. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said card and said key are fabricated in one piece from a plastic material. .[.7. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said card is fabricated from a plastic 
     
     
        material, and said key is fabricated from metal..]. 8. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said recess comprises a socket extending inwardly in the card from one edge of the card, said key being receptive in the socket by an endwise shank-first maneuver into the socket, and said means separably retaining the key comprises tongue and groove structure in and along said edges of the key and along edges defining the socket in the 
     
     
        card. 9. A combination according to claim 8, wherein said socket is longer than the length of the key including the key shank and the key head, so that when the key is fully received in the socket said head is located within the socket and has its crown end spaced inwardly from said one end of the card, and said separably retaining means comprising a yieldably detent retainingly engagable with a shoulder at said key head crown end. 
     
     
          . A combination according to claim 8, wherein said recess has tapered lead in surfaces for facilitating reception of the key in the recess 
     
     
        socket. 11. A combination according to claim 1, wherein the card includes a second key recess, and a second key, and means for separably retaining the second key in the second recess, so that the card is adapted for 
     
     
        carrying a set of keys. 12. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said key has a further face portion opposite to said elevated face portion which is also elevated from the card face which is adjacent to said 
     
     
        further face portion. 13. A key card combination, comprising: a key-shaped recess socket in the plane of the card;   a key in the recess socket consisting of the same material as said card so that said key and card can be simultaneously formed;   integral hinge means consisting of the same material as said key and said card connecting an edge of a head end of the key to an edge of the card in said socket for permitting the key to be swung out from and swung back into the plane of the card without severing said hinge means; and   means formed of the same material as said key, said card and said hinge means for at least initially retaining the key separably in said recess   
     
     
        socket against being swung out of said recess. 14. A combination according to claim 13, wherein said key is thicker than said card and said retaining means comprising detent nib and keeper recess structure wherein the nib is on the card and the key has a keeper recess receptive of the detent nib. 
     
     
          . A combination according to claim 14, wherein said detent nib and 
     
     
        keeper recess are located at the tip end of a shank of the key. 16. A combination according to claim 14, wherein said structure is located on a 
     
     
        key neck at juncture of a head and shank of the key. 17. A key and card combination, comprising: a key carrying generally rectangular wallet size card of relatively thin section such as that commonly present in plastic credit cards and having opposite faces;   a recessed socket extending inwardly from an edge of the card, and complementary to a key to be received in the card;   a key thicker than said card and separably receptive by longitudinal maneuver of its shank and head into said socket; and   groove means in side edges of the key and complementary tongue means along sides of the recess slidably received in said groove means for separably retaining the key in the socket with a face area of the key being elevated   
     
     
        from the plane of the adjacent card face. 18. A combination according to claim 17, wherein said tongue and groove means are located along opposite sides of the key head and the key head receiving portion of the socket. 
     
     
            A combination according to claim 18, wherein said tongue and groove means further includes a tongue and groove structure at the tip end of the 
     
     
        key and the key tip receiving portion of the socket. 20. A combination according to claim 17, wherein the key has in the tip end of its shank a groove, and the card has a complementary tongue structure receptive in said groove. .Iadd.21. A key device comprising: card means, said card means including recess means therein;   key means;   connecting means connecting said key means and said card means, said connecting means being adapted to permit said key means to be swung out of and back into, said recess means; and   said card means, said key means and said connecting means being integrally   
     
     
        formed of plastic. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22.  A key device as defined in claim 21 wherein said key means includes a key head and a key shank, said card means including an edge defining said recess; said connecting means connecting said key head and said card edge. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. A key device as defined in claim 22 wherein said connecting means is adapted to be flexed to enable said key member to be swung out of and back into, said recess means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. A key device as defined in claim 23 including a break-away tab integrally connecting said key shank and said card means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. A key device as defined in claim 21 wherein said key means comprises a key blank situated in said recess means; said key blank, said connecting means and said card comprising a moulded plastic single-piece structure formed as a unit. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. A key device as defined in claim 21 wherein said key means comprises a plastic key which has been cut from a plastic key blank; said plastic key blank, having been integrally moulded with said card and said connecting means as a single piece structure. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. A key device as defined in claim 21 wherein said key means comprises two key blanks; each of said key blanks including a key head; said connecting means connecting each of said key heads to said card means and adapted to permit each of said key blanks to be individually swung out of and back into, said recess means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. A key device as defined in claim 21 wherein said recess means comprises an opening in said card means, said key means comprises a key blank having a key head and a key shank, said card means including an edge defining said opening, said connecting means connecting said key head to said edge, said connecting means being sufficiently flexible to permit said key blank to be swung out of and back into, said opening. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. A key device as defined in claim 21 wherein said connecting means comprises a hinge comprising a flexible member connecting said key means and said card means and integrally formed therewith. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. A plastics material card and key combination comprising: a generally credit card-shaped plastics material member having a top surface and at least one generally key-shaped recess formed therein open to the top surface;   a plastics material key blank, having a shank portion having one edge adapted to be processed to provide the key shank with appropriate tumbler operating notched edges, in said recess;   means for retaining said key in said key-shaped recess; and   said key, said means, and said card being molded in situ. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. The plastics material card and key of claim 30 wherein said means for retaining is flexible whereby said key can be biased out of the plane of the card without fracturing said means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.32. The plastics material card and key of claim 30 wherein said means for retaining is flexible whereby said key can be biased out of the plane of the card and back into the plane of the card without fracturing said means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.33. The plastics material card and key of claim 30 wherein the means for retaining includes a frangible connector. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. The plastics material card and key of claim 30 wherein the key has a greater thickness than the card. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. The plastics material card and key of claim 30 wherein the key-shaped recess extends, at least in part, through a thickness of the card. .Iaddend. .Iadd.36. The plastics material card and key of claim 30 including two plastics material key blanks. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. A key and card combination comprising:   (a) a molded plastics material thin card having top and bottom surfaces, and a surrounding thin edge surface;   (b) a recess in said card, shaped to receive a key blank of generally standard key blank size, the recess defined at least in part by a recess edge surface;   (c) a molded plastics material key blank of generally standard key blank size dimensioned to be received in the recess having an enlarged head end with a projecting shank, the head end defined by top, bottom and edge surfaces;   (d) a first molded surface configuration formed on a first surface of the card;   (e) a second molded surface configuration formed on a second surface of the key blank at the head end of the key blank;   (f) one of said first and second configurations being a female configuration projecting into its associate surface;   (g) another of said first and second configurations being a male configuration projecting from its associated surface;   (h) said first and second configurations adapted to releasably mate together having overlapping surfaces preventing removal of the key blank from the card to secure said key blank to said card against removal movement in at least one axis direction with said key blank in said recess with said first and second surfaces in opposition to one another; and   (i) and said key being repeatedly entirely removable from said card by releasing the mating of said configurations and secured to said card by mating said configurations together. .Iaddend. .Iadd.38. The key and card combination of claim 37 wherein the recess extends at least in part entirely through the card from the top surface to the bottom surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.39. The key and card combination of claim 37 wherein the first configuration is formed on the edge surface of the recess. .Iaddend. .Iadd.40. The key and card combination of claim 37 wherein the second configuration is formed on the edge surface of the key blank head end. .Iaddend. .Iadd.41. The key and card combination of claim 37 wherein the mating configurations secure the key blank against movement relative to the card in two axis normal to one another and a detent is provided securing the key blanks in a third normal axis. .Iaddend. .Iadd.42. The key and card combination of claim 37 wherein the female configuration is formed on the key blank and the male configuration is formed on the card. .Iaddend. .Iadd.43. The key and card combination of claim 37 including two   
     
     
        key blanks. .Iaddend. .Iadd.44.  The key and card combination of claim 37 wherein the key blank has a greater thickness than the card. .Iaddend. .Iadd.45. A key and card combination comprising: (a) a thin molded plastics material card carrier having top and bottom surfaces with a recess molded in said card from said top surface, said recess being sized to receive a standard sized key blank therein and being defined by an edge surface;   (b) a molded plastics material key having an enlarged head end and a projecting shank, said head end having top, bottom and edge faces;   (c) said key dimensioned to be received in said recess with at least one face opposed to at least one surface;   (d) molded resilient snap securing means molded into one of said opposed surfaces and said opposed faces effective to interact with a portion of the opposed one of said faces and surfaces when said key is fully seated in said recess;   (e) said snap means effective to releasably retain said key in said recess;   (f) said portion positioned and configured with respect to remaining portions of its one of said faces and surfaces to cause at least parts of said securing means to resiliently move during insertion or removal of said key from said recess. .Iaddend. .Iadd.46. The combination of claim 45 wherein the recess has a head end configured to closely mate with the key head end. .Iaddend. .Iadd.47. The combination of claim 45 wherein the securing means is a projecting detent on the edge surface of the head end of the recess and the position is part of the edge face of the key head end. .Iaddend. .Iadd.48. The combination of claim 45 wherein the recess extends entirely through the carrier. .Iaddend. .Iadd.49. A key and key carrier combination comprising: a plastics material key carrier of generally rectangular wallet size and of relatively thin section such as that commonly present in plastic credit cards, and having opposite end edges, first and second key receiving recesses in said carrier extending into said carrier from opposite edges of said carrier longitudinally of said carrier, first and second molded plastics material keys having a thickness greater than the material thickness of said carrier, said keys longitudinally slidably received in said recesses and slidable with respect to said recesses into and out of said opposite edges, and complementary tongue and groove means formed on a head end of said keys and by wall means of said recesses said complementary tongue and groove means allowing said keys to slide with respect to said recesses in a direction longitudinal of said keys but restraining said keys against movement normal to said longitudinal movement and restraining means associated with said recess and with said head end of said keys for retaining said keys in said recess. .Iaddend.