Spring retractable car key

Claim 1

In a retractable key holder including an elongated body member having an external end abutment surface adapted to engage the face of a lock, said body member being hollow and containing a key for said lock, said key being longitudinally movable from a retracted position entirely within said body member to an extended position projecting outwardly from said body member through an aperture formed in said end abutment surface, carriage means disposed within said body memBer and slidable between a first position corresponding to said retracted position of said key and a second position corresponding to said extended position of said key; clamping means for clamping said key to said carriage means; a pair of compression springs disposed in said body member in parallel relation to said key, said springs being positioned equidistantly of the longitudinal centerline of said body member and on one side of said carriage means; spring engaging means disposed on said carriage means and engageable with said compression springs; and a rigid operating member attached to said carriage means and extending exteriorly of said body member, whereby pressure applied to said operating member to slide said carriage means from said first position to said second position causes said spring engaging means to compress said springs and bias said key from its resulting extended position towards its retracted position.