Key holding device

Claim 1

A security type holding device for keys comprising: a holder formed of a sheet of metal having its upper and lower end portions bent back to form a substantially flat back wall and having its central portion rounded to form an outwardly curved front wall spaced from said back wall so as to form a lateral opening through which a belt being worn by a person can be passed and held flat against the back wall, said outwardly curved front wall having a centrally disposed first opening and a second opening with a slot extending downwardly from said second opening and partly across the lower end portion of the holder, said second opening having a width larger than the width of said slot, a leaf spring having a button attached to the surface thereof, said leaf spring fixed at its upper end to the underside of the outwardly curved front wall with the button thereof projecting through the first opening on said front wall and with the surface of the leaf spring resiliently urged to bear closely against the underside of the outwardly curved front wall so as to cover the second opening on the upper end of the slot, a disconnect element having a cylindrical body and having a head formed on the upper end thereof by a recessed neck, said neck Having a diameter smaller than the width of said slot and said head and cylindrical body both having a diameter larger than the width of said slot, said head being of such a size that it can be inserted through the second opening to depress said leaf spring and then moved down such that said element is engaged by its recessed neck in said slot to thereby retain it on said holder, said neck when engaged in said slot having such a fit therein as to prevent said element from moving into the lateral opening of said holder, and means for securely coupling one or more keys to the lower end of said disconnect element, whereby the disconnect element has its head securely engaged by its recessed neck on the slot of said holder and can be removed therefrom by manually depressing said button to push the lower portion of the leaf spring inwardly into the spacing provided between the underside of the outwardly curved front wall and said belt to uncover said second opening and thereby enable the head of the disconnect element to be guided by its recessed neck along the slot up into and out of said second opening.