Patent Application
20200113303
Many people regularly carry a wallet to store money, credit cards, identification, and other important documents. One place a wallet is often carried is in a rear pants pocket. Although having one's wallet in one's pocket is convenient, the wallet may be susceptible to theft.
Carrying a wallet to store money, credit cards, identification, and similar documents is a common practice. Often, people, particularly men, will carry their wallet in a rear pocket of a pair of pants. This allows the wallet to be easily accessible while remaining unobtrusive when not needed. However, carrying a wallet in a back pocket also presents a risk, namely, the wallet being stolen by a pickpocket or similar. Unfortunately, by the time the theft is discovered, the thief may be long gone with the wallet and its contents. As a result, the owner of the wallet may have to replace cards and identification, which is stressful and takes both time and money.
One way to help mitigate the chance of getting one's wallet taken is to change the pocket in which the wallet is carried to, for example, a front pocket of the pair of pants. By moving the wallet to the front pocket, a potential thief would have to reach around the wallet's owner or be facing the owner in order to steal the wallet. Since much pickpocket-type theft is based on ease of target (i.e., a pickpocket is more likely to target a person who they think they can steal from without getting caught), a pickpocket is less likely to attempt to, or be successful in, theft of the wallet. However, not all pants pockets are sufficiently deep to allow a wallet, particularly a bulky wallet, to fit comfortably. In addition, not all pants have front pockets to place a wallet into.
Another option is to carry one's wallet in a separate, secondary accessory, such as a purse, a backpack, or a fanny pack. Although such accessories may be useful, particularly in situations such as when traveling, they may not be practical for everyday use. In addition, it may not always be feasible to carry additional accessories, particularly for the sole purpose of carrying a wallet. Moreover, not everyone may be comfortable with carrying an additional accessory, particularly in certain circumstances. For example, wearing a fanny pack while out sightseeing may serve to mark a user as a “typical tourist”, which may lead to a pickpocket or other thief marking the user as an easy target.
The anti-theft device of the present disclosure, by contrast, is small and unobtrusive enough that a user is able to deploy the device without giving an indication that such a device is, in fact, being used. A pair of tubes are joined by a spring that is able to be compressed and released. On an outer end of each tube is a plurality of angled tines that are able to engage with the fabric of a pocket when the wallet including the device is inserted. The tubes, including the tines, may be compressed at the spring by a pair of lips to insert the wallet into a pocket; then, upon release of the spring, the tines may engage with the fabric of the pocket. As a result, the wallet may be prevented from inadvertent removal and, should someone attempt to remove the wallet, the owner of the wallet may be alerted.
A spring 110 may be disposed between the first tube 102 and the second tube 106. Spring 110 may be a metal spring and may be a coil spring, a compression spring, or any other type of spring. A first end of spring 110 may be coupled to first tube 102, while a second end of spring 110 may be coupled to second tube 106. As a result, spring 110 may be disposed between the first tube 102 and the second tube 106 such that the first tube 102 is coupled to the second tube 106 by the spring 110. Said differently, spring 110 may join the first tube 102 and the second tube 106.
Spring 110 may be compressible; that is, spring 110 may be pressed together such that its length decreases. Because first tube 102 and second tube 106 may be coupled together by spring 110, compression of spring 110 also moves first tube 102 and second tube 106 closer together. However, because first tube 102 has a greater diameter (first diameter 104) than the second tube 106 (having second diameter 108), second tube 106 may slidably engage with first tube 102. That is, second tube 106 may slide into the first tube 102 when the spring 110 is compressed. When spring 110 is released, second tube 106 may retract from first tube 102.
Device 100 may further include a plurality of tines 112-, 112-2, 112-3, 112-4, 112-5, 112-6 . . . 112-N (collectively, tines 112). As used herein, a tine refers to a prong or other sharp point that extends outwardly from a surface. Tines 112 may be disposed at a first end of first tube 102 and at a first end of second tube 106. In some examples, tines 112 may be disposed on opposing ends; that is, tines 112 may be on the outwardly-facing ends of device 100. Tines 112 may engage with fabric of a pocket when device 100 is in use.
In some examples, tines 112 may be disposed at an angle with respect to the first tube 102 and the second tube 106. Tines 112 may be disposed at an angle of between 50 degrees and 70 degrees with respect to the surface upon which tines 112 are disposed. For example, tines 112 may be disposed at a 60 degree angle with respect to the first tube 102; however, examples are not so limited and other angles may be used. By being angled, tines 112 may engage with the fabric of a pocket in such a way that removal of device 100 is rendered more difficult because removing the device 100 without compressing the spring 110 moves tines 112 opposite the angle at which they are disposed. Said differently, angling tines 112 may provide an additional layer of security when device 100 is in use; not only are tines 112 engaged with a pocket, tines 112 are engaged with the pocket in such a way as to make unwanted removal of device 100 more difficult, and more apparent to a user.
Device 100 may further include a first lip disposed on an upper surface of first tube 102. The first lip may extend past the first diameter 104 of first tube 102; that is, the first lip may reach past the edge of first tube 102. A second lip may similarly be disposed on an upper surface of second tube 106. Like the first lip, the second lip may extend past the second diameter 108 of the second tube 106. Together, the lips may allow a user to compress spring 110, thus compressing first tube 102 and second tube 106, at an easier-to-grasp location than, for example, tines 112. In addition, the first lip and the second lip may be accessible when device 100 is in use, such that a user is able to remove device 100 should he or she so desire.
System 214 may further include a device 200 to engage with wallet 216. Device 200 may be akin to device 100, discussed with respect to
Device 200 may include a first tube 202 having a first diameter 204 and a second tube 206 having a second diameter 208. Second diameter 208 may be less than first diameter 202 such that second tube 206 is able to slidably engage with first tube 202. A spring 210 may be disposed between first tube 202 and second tube 206 such that first tube 202 and second tube 206 are coupled to one another by spring 210.
A first lip 220 may be disposed on an upper surface of first tube 202. As shown in
First lip 220 and second lip 222 may receive an applied force from a user. When first lip 220 and second lip 222 receive an applied force, spring 210 may be engaged and may compress. Engagement of spring 210 may cause second tube 206 to slide into first tube 202 such that the overall length of device 200 is shortened. By contrast, when first lip 220 and second lip 222 are in a resting position, i.e. not having a force applied, spring 210 may be disengaged, or not compressed.
Device 200 may further include a plurality of tines 212-1, 212-2, 212-3, 212-4, 212-5 . . . 212-N (collectively, tines 212) disposed on a first end of first tube 202 and on a first end of second tube 206. As discussed with respect to
When device 200 is engaged with wallet 216, device 200 may be placed along a fold of wallet 216. Tines 212 may extend past the edge of wallet 216, as shown in
Upon insertion into a pocket, the spring 210 may be disengaged by releasing the applied force on first lip 220 and second lip 222. By releasing the spring 210, first tube 202 and second tube 206 may cease being slidably engaged with one another. In addition, tines 212 may engage with the fabric of the pocket. Because tines 212 are disposed at an angle with respect to the ends of the first tube 202 and the second tube 206, tines 212 may catch the fabric of the pocket, particularly at a seam of the pocket. Tines 212 thus retain wallet 216 in its position with respect to the pocket and make it more difficult for the wallet 216 to be removed by someone other than a user. However, the user is able to remove the wallet 216 by reapplying a force to first lip 220 and second lip 222, compressing the spring 210. This draws the tines 212 away from the pocket such that wallet 216 is able to be removed as necessary by the user.
In the foregoing detailed description of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration how examples of the disclosure may be practiced. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the examples of this disclosure, and it is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and that process and/or structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit corresponds to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Elements shown in the various figures herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional examples of the present disclosure. In addition, the proportion and relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the examples of the present disclosure and should not be taken in a limiting sense.
