CARD-HOLDING DEVICE

BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Disclosure

At least one example in accordance with the present disclosure relates generally to card- holding devices.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Many individuals carry cards such as credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, and so forth, on their person. Card-holding devices, such as wallets, may be used to store the cards for easy and consolidated access by the individual. For example, one popular form of wallet includes the bifold wallet, which typically includes several compartments for cards and a pouch for carrying paper money.

SUMMARY

Examples of the disclosure include a card-holding device comprising a housing, a plurality of blades, each blade including a sleeve to receive a card, each sleeve having at least one side rail at a respective edge of the sleeve, and at least one retaining member to exert a force on the card against the at least one side rail, and at least one fastener coupled to the housing and the plurality of blades to enable each blade of the plurality of blades to rotate relative to each other and the housing.

In at least one example, a first blade of the plurality of blades includes a first slot and a first protrusion, a second blade of the plurality of blades includes a second slot, and a third blade of the plurality of blades includes a second protrusion. In at least one example, the second blade is stacked on a first side of the first blade, and the third blade is stacked on a second side of the first blade. In at least one example, the first side is opposite the second side. In at least one example, the first protrusion is inserted within the second slot.

In at least one example, the second protrusion is inserted within the first slot. In at least one example, the second protrusion is inserted within the first slot. In at least one example, the first protrusion is slidably and rotatably coupled to the second blade about the second slot. In at least one example, the second blade rotates about the third blade responsive to the first protrusion sliding within the second slot. In at least one example, the first slot is slidably and rotatably coupled to the third blade about the second protrusion. In at least one example, the third blade rotates about the second blade responsive to the second protrusion sliding within the first slot. In at least one example, the housing includes an RFID-blocking material.

In at least one example, the at least one retaining member includes a plurality of cut-outs to reduce the force applied by the at least one retaining member on the card against the at least one side rail. In at least one example, the device includes a clip coupled to a back surface of the housing. In at least one example, the device includes a tracking-device attachment configured to be removably slid over the clip and configured to hold a tracking device. In at least one example, a blade of the plurality of blades includes a release mechanism configured to physically contact the housing and prevent the plurality of blades from rotating about the at least one fastener. In at least one example, the blade is configured to deflect in a first direction responsive to a force being applied to the release mechanism in the first direction, and wherein deflecting the blade decouples the release mechanism from the housing and enables the plurality of blades to rotate about the at least one fastener.

According to at least one aspect of the present disclosure, a card-holding device includes a housing, a plurality of blades, each blade including a sleeve to receive a card, each sleeve having at least one side rail at a respective edge of the sleeve, and at least one retaining member to exert a force on the card against the at least one side rail; and at least one fastener coupled to the housing and the plurality of blades to enable each blade of the plurality of blades to rotate relative to each other and the housing.

In at least one example, each blade of the plurality of blades includes an opening configured to be rotatably coupled to the at least one fastener. In at least one example, each blade of the plurality of blades includes a protrusion configured to be rotatably coupled to a corresponding slot. In at least one example, each blade of the plurality of blades includes a slot configured to be slidably and rotatably coupled to a corresponding protrusion of at least one other blade. In at least one example, the plurality of blades are stacked on one another. In at least one example, a first blade of the plurality of blades includes a first slot and a first protrusion, a second blade of the plurality of blades includes a second slot, and a third blade of the plurality of blades includes a second protrusion.

In at least one example, the second blade is stacked on a first side of the first blade, and the third blade is stacked on a second side of the first blade. In at least one example, the first side is opposite the second side. In at least one example, the first protrusion is inserted within the second slot. In at least one example, the second protrusion is inserted within the first slot. In at least one example, the second protrusion is inserted within the first slot. In at least one example, the first protrusion is slidably and rotatably coupled to the second blade about the second slot. In at least one example, the second blade rotates about the third blade responsive to the first protrusion sliding within the second slot.

In at least one example, the first slot is slidably and rotatably coupled to the third blade about the second protrusion. In at least one example, the third blade rotates about the second blade responsive to the second protrusion sliding within the first slot. In at least one example, the housing includes an RFID-blocking material. In at least one example, the RFID-blocking material includes aluminum. In at least one example, the device includes a clip coupled to a back surface of the housing. In at least one example, the clip exerts a force against the back surface of the housing on at least one object placed between the clip and the housing.

According to at least one example, a method of opening a card-holding device including a housing and a plurality of blades is provided, the method comprising rotating, by a first blade of the plurality of blades, about an axis; exerting, by a first protrusion from the first blade while rotating about the axis, a first force on a first slot of a second blade that the first protrusion is inserted into; rotating, by the second blade responsive to the first protrusion exerting the first force on the first slot, about the axis; and exerting, by a second protrusion from the second blade while rotating about the axis, a second force on a second slot of a third blade that the second protrusion is inserted into.

According to at least one example, a card-holding device is provided comprising a housing, a plurality of blades, each blade including a sleeve to receive a card, each sleeve having at least one side rail at a respective edge of the sleeve, and at least one retaining member to exert a force on the card against the at least one side rail, and at least one fastener coupled to the housing and the plurality of blades to enable each blade of the plurality of blades to rotate relative to each other and the housing.

In at least one example, each blade of the plurality of blades includes an opening configured to be rotatably coupled to the at least one fastener. In at least one example, each blade of the plurality of blades includes a protrusion configured to be rotatably coupled to a corresponding slot. In at least one example, each blade of the plurality of blades includes a slot configured to be slidably and rotatably coupled to a corresponding protrusion of at least one other blade. In at least one example, the blades of the plurality of blades are stacked on one another. In at least one example, a first blade of the plurality of blades includes a first slot and a first protrusion, a second blade of the plurality of blades includes a second slot, and a third blade of the plurality of blades includes a second protrusion.

In at least one example, the first slot is slidably and rotatably coupled to the third blade about the second protrusion. In at least one example, the third blade rotates about the second blade responsive to the second protrusion sliding within the first slot. In at least one example, the housing includes an RFID-blocking material. In at least one example, the at least one retaining member includes a plurality of cut-outs to reduce the force applied by the at least one retaining member on the card against the at least one side rail. In at least one example, the device includes a clip coupled to a back surface of the housing. In at least one example, the device includes a tracking-device attachment configured to be removably slid over the clip and configured to hold a tracking device.

In at least one example, a blade of the plurality of blades includes a release mechanism configured to physically contact the housing and prevent the plurality of blades from rotating about the at least one fastener. In at least one example, the blade is configured to deflect in a first direction responsive to a force being applied to the release mechanism in the first direction, and wherein deflecting the blade decouples the release mechanism from the housing and enables the plurality of blades to rotate about the at least one fastener.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures, which are not intended to be drawn to scale. The figures are included to provide an illustration and a further understanding of the various aspects and embodiments, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, but are not intended as a definition of the limits of any particular embodiment. The drawings, together with the remainder of the specification, serve to explain principles and operations of the described and claimed aspects and embodiments. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure. In the figures:

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a card-holding device in a closed position according to an example;

FIG. 1B illustrates a back view of the card-holding device in the closed position according to an example;

FIG. 1C illustrates a left-side view of the card-holding device in the closed position according to an example;

FIG. 1D illustrates a right-side view of the card-holding device in the closed position according to an example;

FIG. 1E illustrates a front view of the card-holding device in the closed position according to an example;

FIG. 1F illustrates a top view of the card-holding device in the closed position according to an example;

FIG. 1G illustrates a bottom view of the card-holding device in the closed position according to an example;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a housing according to an example;

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of the card-holding device in an open position according to an example;

FIG. 3B illustrates a back view of the card-holding device in the open position according to an example;

FIG. 3C illustrates a left-side view of the card-holding device in the open position according to an example;

FIG. 3D illustrates a right-side view of the card-holding device in the open position according to an example;

FIG. 3E illustrates a front view of the card-holding device in the open position according to an example;

FIG. 3F illustrates a top view of the card-holding device in the open position according to an example;

FIG. 3G illustrates a bottom view of the card-holding device in the open position according to an example;

FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of a sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 4B illustrates a back view of the sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 4C illustrates a left-side view of the sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 4D illustrates a right-side view of the sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 4E illustrates a front view of the sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 4F illustrates a top view of the sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 4G illustrates a bottom view of the sleeve according to an example;

FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of a retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 5B illustrates a back view of the retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 5C illustrates a left-side view of the retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 5D illustrates a right-side view of the retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 5E illustrates a front view of the retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 5F illustrates a top view of the retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 5G illustrates a bottom view of the retaining component according to an example;

FIG. 6A illustrates a perspective exploded view of the card-holding device according to an example;

FIG. 6B illustrates a front exploded view of the card-holding device according to an example;

FIG. 6C illustrates a right-side exploded view of the card-holding device according to an example;

FIG. 7 illustrates a back perspective view of the card-holding device coupled to a clip according to an example;

FIG. 8 illustrates a back perspective view of a tracking-device-holder attachment according to an example;

FIG. 9A illustrates a front perspective view of the tracking-device-holder attachment coupled to the clip of FIG. 7 according to an example;

FIG. 9B illustrates a right-side view of the tracking-device-holder attachment coupled to the clip of FIG. 7 according to an example;

FIG. 10 illustrates a front perspective view of a card-holding device implementing a locking mechanism in a closed position according to an example;

FIG. 11 illustrates a front view of the card-holding device implementing the locking mechanism in an open position according to an example;

FIG. 12 illustrates a close-up, side-perspective view of the card-holding device according to an example;

FIG. 13 illustrates a front perspective view of the card-holding device according to an example;

FIG. 14 illustrates a front view of a retaining component according to an example; and

FIG. 15 illustrates a back, partially transparent view of a card-holding device implementing the retaining component according to an example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples of the methods and systems discussed herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The methods and systems are capable of implementation in other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. In particular, acts, components, elements and features discussed in connection with any one or more examples are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in any other examples.

Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Any references to examples, embodiments, components, elements or acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular may also embrace embodiments including a plurality, and any references in plural to any embodiment, component, element or act herein may also embrace embodiments including only a singularity. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the presently disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements. The use herein of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms. In addition, in the event of inconsistent usages of terms between this document and documents incorporated herein by reference, the term usage in the incorporated features is supplementary to that of this document; for irreconcilable differences, the term usage in this document controls.

As discussed above, card-holding devices (for example, wallets) may be carried by individuals to easily store multiple cards, paper money, and/or other goods. Wallets come in various designs. Many wallet designs are bulky relative to the size of the cards themselves. Some individuals may prefer a smaller, more compact wallet design for carrying cards.

Examples of the disclosure include a compact card-holding device, or wallet. In one example, the wallet includes several sleeves, or blades, capable of fanning out from an outer housing. Each blade may be capable of carrying or housing a respective card. A user may therefore fan the blades out, such as by flicking the wallet to one side, to select a desired card. Once the user has used the card, the user may replace the card and flick the blades back in. Accessing and storing cards is thus easy, convenient, and compact.

In some examples, the housing may include a radio-frequency-identification (RFID)-blocking material, such as aluminum, to prevent undesired RFID scanning of stored cards. The wallet may include additional features in various examples, such as a notch in the housing for easy access to a most-frequently-accessed card, a money clip on the back of the housing, a pouch on the outside of the housing to store cards for which RFID-blocking is not desired, a holder for a user's tracking device, a combination of the foregoing, and so forth.

FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate various views of a card-holding device 100 in a closed position according to an example. FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example. FIG. 1B illustrates a back view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example. FIG. 1C illustrates a left-side view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example. FIG. 1D illustrates a right-side view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example. FIG. 1E illustrates a front view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example. FIG. 1F illustrates a top view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example. FIG. 1G illustrates a bottom view of the card-holding device 100 in the closed position according to an example.

The card-holding device 100 includes a housing 102, which houses a plurality of blades 104. As discussed below, each blade of the plurality of blades 104 may store a respective card, such as a credit card, debit card, identification card, and so forth. In some examples, the housing 102 may include or be made of an RFID-blocking material. For example, the housing 102 may be made of aluminum.

The housing 102 may be coupled to a clip 106 on a back surface of the housing 102. For example, the clip 106 may be used as a money clip to clip paper money to the back of the card-holding device 100. The clip 106 may deflect when objects such as paper money are inserted between the clip 106 and the housing 102. A restoring force exerted by the clip 106 may hold the objects in place.

The clip 106 may include a holder 108. The holder 108 may be configured to hold a tracking device, such as an AirTag™ available from Apple Inc. For example, the shape and size of the holder 108 may be configured to house a tracking device corresponding to that shape and size. The restoring force discussed above may hold the tracking device in place to prevent the tracking device from becoming dislodged.

The housing 102 may include a notch 110 cut out of a top edge of the back surface of the housing 102. The notch 110 may reveal at least a portion of a card stored in a back-most blade of the plurality of blades 104, that is, a blade of the plurality of blades 104 which is closest to the back surface of the housing 102. The notch 110 may provide easy access to a card stored in the back-most blade by enabling a user to slide the card out of the back-most blade from the notch 110. The notch 110 exposes a portion of the card such that a user may apply force to the exposed portion of the card and, for example, push the card up and out of the blade.

The housing 102 may include or be coupled to a fastener 112. In some examples, the housing 102 includes an opening through which the fastener 112 passes. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the housing 102 without the plurality of blades 104 and without the fastener 112. The housing 102 includes an opening 200 through which the fastener 112 may pass. As discussed below, the fastener 112 may also pass through respective openings on each blade of the plurality of blades 104. One or more blades of the plurality of blades 104 may rotate about the fastener 112. Accordingly, the axis of the fastener 112 may be referred to as an axis of rotation, and rotation about the fastener 112 may be understood as rotation about this axis.

The fastener 112 may be coupled to the housing 102 and to each blade of the plurality of blades 104. The housing 102 and/or the plurality of blades 104 may be rotatable about the fastener 112. For example, the plurality of blades 104 may rotate out of the housing 102 about the fastener 112. As labeled in FIG. 1F (labels omitted in other figures for clarity of illustration), the housing 102 may include a closed side 114 and an open side 116. On the closed side 114, the housing 102 is closed and the plurality of blades 104 are thus prevented from rotating out of the housing 102 through the closed side 114.

Conversely, the housing 102 is open on the open side 116 and the plurality of blades 104 are thus able to rotate out of the housing 102 from the open side 116. For example, a user holding the housing 102 may flick the card-holding device 100 towards the open side 116 such that the plurality of blades 104 fan out from the housing 102 through the open side 116. The card-holding device 100 may be in an open configuration when the user flicks the plurality of blades 104 out.

FIGS. 3A-3G illustrate various views of a card-holding device 100 in an open position according to an example. FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example. FIG. 3B illustrates a back view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example. FIG. 3C illustrates a left-side view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example. FIG. 3D illustrates a right-side view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example. FIG. 3E illustrates a front view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example. FIG. 3F illustrates a top view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example. FIG. 3G illustrates a bottom view of the card-holding device 100 in the open position according to an example.

In the open position, cards 300 stored in the plurality of blades 104 may be accessible to a user. Each blade of the plurality of blades 104 is configured to store a respective one of the cards 300. The cards 300 may include any of various types of cards, such as banking cards (for example, credit cards, debit cards, and so forth), identification cards (for example, driver's licenses, blood-donation-agency identification cards, library cards, and so forth), gift cards, and so forth. In various examples, the cards 300 that the card-holding device 100 is configured to receive may generally have a roughly uniform size (for example, 3.37″×2.125″×0.0625″ with a 0.125″ corner radius). In some examples, however, one or more blades of the plurality of blades 104 may be configured to accommodate cards of different sizes.

A user may pull a desired one of the cards 300 out of a respective blade to use the card 300, then may replace the card back in the corresponding blade. As discussed in greater detail below, the plurality of blades 104 may include a rotation-stop mechanism to rotate the blades out to a certain angle. In some examples, the blades may be separated by approximately 18° from one another such that the cards 300 are evenly spaced and easily accessible.

In some examples, a back card 302 in a back-most blade of the plurality of blades 104 may not rotate about the fastener 112. The back card 302 may remain accessible via the gap created by the notch 110. Because the remainder of the blades of the plurality of blades 104 have been rotated out of the housing 102, each side of the back card 302 may be free of obstructions and thus capable of being grasped by the user.

Each blade of the plurality of blades 104 may include a sleeve and a retaining component. FIGS. 4A-4G illustrate various views of a sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4A illustrates a perspective view of the sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4B illustrates a back view of the sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4C illustrates a left-side view of the sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4D illustrates a right-side view of the sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4E illustrates a front view of the sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4F illustrates a top view of the sleeve 400 according to an example. FIG. 4G illustrates a bottom view of the sleeve 400 according to an example.

The sleeve 400 includes backplate 402, a short rail 404, a tall rail 406, a left slot 408, a right slot 410, and an opening 412. As discussed in greater detail below, the sleeve 400 may house a retaining component and a card 300 (not shown in FIGS. 4A-4G) may be stored in the sleeve 400. The rails 404, 406 may protrude from the backplate 402 and curve back around towards one another to create a pocket or slot for the card 300. The card 300 may be stored in the gap between the rails 404, 406 and the backplate 402. As pictured, the backplate 402 is cut away diagonally from the top of the tall rail 406 to the top of the short rail 404. When the card 300 is inserted in the blade, the absence of the backplate 402 may enable a user to grasp the card 300 on either side without a physical obstruction (for example, the backplate 402).

The opening 412 is configured to receive the fastener 112. The sleeve 400 may rotate about the fastener 112. As discussed below with respect to FIGS. 5A-5G, each retaining component may include a protrusion configured to be inserted into, and slide and rotate about, one of the slots 408, 410. As the sleeve 400 rotates about the fastener 112, the protrusion may slide through one of the slots 408, 410. The slots 408, 410 are curved such that, as the sleeve 400 rotates, the protrusion slides in an arc through the slots 408, 410.

In some examples, only one of the slots 408, 410 may be occupied by a protrusion. Which of the slots 408, 410 is occupied by a protrusion may alternate between sleeves in a stack of blades. For example, the sleeve 400 of a first blade may have a protrusion through the left slot 408, the sleeve 400 of a second blade adjacent the first blade may have a protrusion through the right slot 410, the sleeve 400 of a third blade adjacent the second blade may have a protrusion through the left slot 408, and so forth. The other one of the slots 408, 410 may be vacant and implemented simply for manufacturing uniformity and simplicity.

As discussed above, each blade includes a retaining component. FIGS. 5A-5G illustrate various views of a retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5A illustrates a perspective view of the retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5B illustrates a back view of the retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5C illustrates a left-side view of the retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5D illustrates a right-side view of the retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5E illustrates a front view of the retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5F illustrates a top view of the retaining component 500 according to an example. FIG. 5G illustrates a bottom view of the retaining component 500 according to an example.

The retaining component 500 includes a retaining member 502, an opening 504, and a protrusion 506. The retaining component 500 may be inserted into the sleeve 400 between the rails 404, 406. For example, the retaining component 500 may be aligned with the sleeve 400 such that the retaining member 502 rests within the tall rail 406. The opening 504 is configured to receive the fastener 112 and may be aligned with the opening 412 such that the retaining component 500 rotates with a corresponding sleeve 400 about the fastener 112.

When a card 300 is inserted into a blade having the sleeve 400 and the retaining component 500, the card 300 may be inserted into a card space between the retaining member 502 and the short rail 404. When a card 300 is not inserted, the card space may be narrower than the width of the card 300. For example, the card 300 may have a width of approximately 2.125″ and the card space when the card 300 is not inserted may be several tenths or hundreds of an inch smaller than 2.125″. In other examples, cards of different dimensions may be used.

However, the retaining member 502 may be a curved retaining member, and may deflect when a card 300 is pushed down against the retaining member 502. As the retaining member 502 deflects, the card space widens to accommodate the card 300. As the card 300 is fully inserted, the retaining member 502 may be applying a force (for example, a restoring force as the curved retaining member 502 attempts to restore a resting position) on the side of the card 300 to press the card 300 against the short rail 404. Accordingly, the curvature of the retaining member 502 enables a restoring force to maintain a card 300 in a secure position within the card-holding device 100. In other examples, the retaining member 502 may be implemented differently to apply a force on the card 300 to retain the card 300 in a card space, such as by being non-curved but positioned to be deflected by a card 300 and exert a restoring force on the card 300, or by implementing a spring mechanism to exert a restoring force on the card 300, and so forth. In various examples, because the retaining member 502 may deflect to widen the card space, cards of various different dimensions may be accepted, for example, within a range of widths based on the range of deflection that the retaining member 502 may accommodate.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5G, the protrusion 506 may protrude from the retaining component 500 at a left side of the opening 504. In other examples, the protrusion 506 may instead protrude from the retaining component 500 at a right side of the opening 504 at a different location 508. In various examples, in a stack of several blades, the protrusions 506 of the respective retaining components 500 in the stack of blades may alternate between right-aligned protrusions and left-aligned protrusions. In still other examples, each retaining component 500 may include both a left-and right-aligned protrusion for manufacturing simplicity, although only one protrusion may be inserted into a respective slot.

As noted above, the protrusion 506 may be inserted into, and slide within, a respective slot. For example, consider a first blade having the sleeve 400 and the retaining component 500 as shown in FIGS. 4A-5G, that is, with the protrusion 506 being left-aligned. If a second blade is stacked on top of the first blade, the protrusion 506 will be inserted into the left slot 408 of the second blade while the right slot 410 of the second blade remains vacant. Furthermore, if a third blade is stacked below the first blade, the third blade may have a protrusion in the location 508, because the alignment of the protrusions may alternate between left and right in stacked blades. The protrusion of the third blade would be inserted into the right slot 410 of the first blade, while the left slot 408 of the first blade remains vacant.

To illustrate the foregoing, FIGS. 6A-6C illustrate various exploded views of the card-holding device 100 according to an example. FIG. 6A illustrates a perspective exploded view of the card-holding device 100 according to an example. FIG. 6B illustrates a front exploded view of the card-holding device 100 according to an example. FIG. 6C illustrates a right-side exploded view of the card-holding device 100 according to an example.

The plurality of blades 104 includes a first blade 104a to hold a first card 300a, a second blade 104b to hold a second card 300b, a third blade 104c to hold a third card 300c, a fourth blade 104d to hold a fourth card 300d, a fifth blade 104e to hold a fifth card 300e, and a sixth blade 104f to hold a sixth card 300f. Components of the blades 104a-104f are referred to below using the same naming convention; for example, the sleeve of the first blade 104a is referred to as the first sleeve 400a, the first slot of the first sleeve 400a is referred to as the first left slot 408a, and so forth.

In various examples, the first blade 104a may be fixedly coupled to the housing 102 and may not rotate about the fastener 112 nor the housing 102. For example, a fastener 600 may fixedly couple the first blade 104a to the housing 102. However, the first card 300a may remain accessible when the card-holding device 100 is opened at least because the first card 300a is exposed for picking by the user via the notch 110. The remaining blades 104b-104f may rotate about the fastener 112 when the card-holding device 100 is opened.

To explain how the card-holding device 100 is opened, movement of the blades 104b-104b will be described from a point in time at which a user moves to flick open the card-holding device 100 from a closed configuration. At that point in time, the first blade 104a remains fixed in place. As discussed above, the first blade 104a may be fixedly coupled to the housing 102 via the fastener 600, and may therefore remain fixed. The remaining blades 104b-104f begin rotating about the fastener 112, however, as the remaining blades 104b-104f are rotatable coupled to the housing 102 about the fastener 112 through the openings 412, 504 and are not fixedly coupled to the housing 102.

As the blades 104b-104f rotate about the fastener 112, the first protrusion 506a of the first blade 104a remains fixed because the first blade 104a is fixed. The first protrusion 506a is inserted into the second left slot 408b (not explicitly illustrated). Accordingly, as the second blade 104b rotates about the fastener 112, the fixed first protrusion 506a slides through the second left slot 408b (or, more particularly, the first protrusion 506a remains fixed as the second left slot 408b moves relative to the first protrusion 506a). As the second blade 104b continues to rotate and the first protrusion 506a continues to slide through the second left slot 408b, the first protrusion 506a will reach the end of the second left slot 408b.

The physical contact between the first protrusion 506a and the edge of the second left slot 408b will stop the second blade 104b from rotating any further about the fastener 112. At this point, the second blade 104b may be in the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C. Thus, the second blade 104b may be considered to be in an open position. The angle of the second blade 104b relative to the first blade 104a in the open configuration may depend on the length of the second left slot 408b, because the second blade 104b will continue to rotate until the edge of the second left slot 408b is reached. In some examples, the length of the slots 480, 410 may be selected to achieve a desired orientation between the blades 104a-104f.

As the second blade 104b stops rotating, the second protrusion 506b also stops rotating and becomes fixed. The second protrusion 506b is inserted into the third right slot 410c. Although the second blade 104b stops rotating, the third blade 104c (as well as the remaining blades 104d-104f) continue rotating about the fastener 112. Accordingly, the second protrusion 506b begins to slide through the third right slot 410c because the second blade 104b is fixed but the third blade 104c is still rotating.

Eventually, as the third blade 104c continues to rotate and the second protrusion 506b continues to slide through the third right slot 410c, the second protrusion 506b will reach the end of the third right slot 410c. The physical contact will stop the third blade 104c from rotating any further about the fastener 112. At this point, the third blade 104c may be in the orientation illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C. Thus, the third blade 104c may be considered to be in an open position.

This process continues for the remaining blades 104d-104f. The sixth blade 104f may differ from the remaining blades 104a-104e inasmuch as the sixth blade 104f is rotated 180° relative to the remaining blades 104a-104e. Furthermore, the sixth retaining component 500f differs inasmuch as the sixth retaining component 500f may not include a protrusion. Because protrusions are provided to enable rotation of a subsequent blade, and the sixth blade 104f is the final blade in the stack, there is no subsequent blade and thus no need for a protrusion.

As noted above, the length of the slots 408, 410 may be selected to control the angle between adjacent blades. For example, where the plurality of blades 104 includes six blades as illustrated in FIGS. 6A-6C, the length of the slots 408, 410 may be selected such that the angle between the adjacent blades is approximately 18°. The angle between the first blade 104a and the sixth blade 104f may thus be approximately 90°. In other examples, the card-holding device 100 may include a different number of blades, and the angle between the blades may differ. Furthermore, although in some examples the slot lengths of the various blades may be uniform such that the angle between adjacent blades is the same, in other examples, the slot lengths of the various blades may differ such that the angle between adjacent blades differs.

In some examples, the housing 102 may include or be coupled to an external pouch situated on the outside of the housing 102. For example, the front surface of the housing 102 may include a pouch or sleeve to house one or more cards. As discussed above, the housing 102 may include an RFID-blocking material in some examples. The user may desire that one or more cards are not RFID-blocked. For example, while the user may prefer that banking cards be RFID-blocked, the user may desire that a transit card or restricted-area-access card are not RFID-blocked. The user may therefore not need to remove non-RFID-blocked cards from the housing 102 to use them, because they remain RFID-accessible.

Various modifications to the examples discussed above are within the scope of the disclosure. For example, as discussed above at least with respect to FIGS. 1A-1G, the clip 106 may include the holder 108 to hold a tracking device. In some examples, the clip 106 includes or is constructed of a single piece of material (for example, a deformable metal), and the holder 108 may be formed of this material. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A-1G, the holder 108 may be a part of the clip 106.

In other examples, a holder (such as the holder 108) may not be an integral part of a clip (such as the clip 106). An example clip may be removably coupled to a tracking-device holder which is separate from the clip. Such a clip, which is removably coupled to a separate tracking-device holder, may still act as a clip by being operable to apply a force to paper money, or other similar articles, to clip the paper money to the back of a card-holding device.

For example, FIG. 7 illustrates a back perspective view of the card-holding device 100 coupled to a clip 700 according to an example. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the clip 700 does not include a built-in tracking-device holder. The clip 700 may still be used as a money clip to clip paper money to the back of the card-holding device 100 by deflecting when objects such as paper money are inserted between the clip 700 and the housing 102, causing a restoring force exerted by the clip 700 to hold the objects in place. Rather than including a built-in tracking-device holder (such as the holder 108), however, the clip 700 may be capable of being removably coupled to an external tracking-device-holder attachment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a back perspective view of a tracking-device-holder attachment 800 (“attachment 800”) according to an example. The attachment 800 may be removably coupled to the clip 700. The attachment 800 includes a tracking-device holder 802 (“holder 802”) to receive a tracking device, such as an AirTag™ available from Apple Inc. The holder 802 includes an opening defined by a groove 804 extending around the circumference of the holder 802. A tracking device (which may have a circular cross-section corresponding to the size and shape of the opening defined by the groove 804) may be inserted into the opening, and the edges of the tracking device may extend into, and sit within, the groove 804.

The attachment 800 may include or be constructed or a deformable and/or elastic material, such as silicone, such that the holder 802 expands when a tracking device is inserted. Deforming the holder 802 may cause the deformable and/or elastic material of the holder 802 to exert a compressive restoring force on the tracking device, thereby holding the tracking device in place within the holder 802.

The attachment 800 may also include a front lip 806. The front lip 806 may present a physical interference to a tracking device inserted into the holder 802. Although a tracking device may be inserted into the holder 802 from the back, the front lip 806 may prevent the tracking device from inadvertently being dislodged out of the front of the holder 802. The tracking device may thus be retained within the holder 802.

The attachment 800 may be coupled to the clip 700 (for example, once a tracking device has been inserted into and retained within the holder 802). The attachment 800 includes openings 808 configured to receive the clip 700. A user may slide the clip 700 through the openings 808 until the attachment 800 is at a desired position along the clip 700. The attachment 800 may include or be constructed or a deformable and/or elastic material, such as silicone, such that the openings 808 expand slightly when slid over the clip 700. The deformable and/or elastic material of the openings 808 may exert a restoring, compressive force on the clip 700 to maintain the attachment 800 at a desired position along the clip 700.

FIG. 9A illustrates a front perspective view of the attachment 800 coupled to the clip 700 according to an example. FIG. 9B illustrates a right-side view of the attachment 800 coupled to the clip 700 according to an example. As illustrated in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the attachment 800 has been slid over the clip 700 through the openings 808. Furthermore, a tracking device 900 has been inserted into, and is retained within, the holder 802. Accordingly, the attachment 800 (and thus the removable tracking device 900, when inserted into the holder 802) may be removably coupled or decoupled to or from the clip 700 (and thus the card-holding device 100, which may be coupled to the clip 700).

As discussed above, in some examples, a user holding the housing 102 may flick the card-holding device 100 towards the open side 116. This flicking motion may cause the plurality of blades 104 to rotate about the fastener 112 and fan out from the housing 102 through the open side 116. In some examples, the fastener 112 may act as a friction hinge such that the plurality of blades 104 does not rotate about the fastener 112 unless a threshold amount of force is applied to the plurality of blades 104. For example, such a threshold amount of force may correspond to a user flicking the card-holding device 100.

In various examples, the card-holding device 100, or variations thereof, may implement a locking mechanism on the plurality of blades 104. For example, the locking mechanism may prevent the plurality of blades 104 from rotating about the fastener 112 unless the locking mechanism is released. Such a locking mechanism may prevent the plurality of blades 104 from rotating about the fastener 112 inadvertently. For example, such a locking mechanism may prevent the plurality of blades 104 from rotating about the fastener 112 unless a user wishes to access the plurality of blades 104.

FIG. 10 illustrates a front perspective view of a card-holding device 1000 implementing a locking mechanism in a closed position according to an example. FIG. 11 illustrates a front view of the card-holding device 1000 implementing the locking mechanism in an open position according to an example. The card-holding device 1000 is similar to the card-holding device 100. However, the card-holding device 1000 includes a release mechanism 1002 coupled to the sixth blade 104f. Furthermore, the card-holding device 1000 includes a housing 1004 having a cut-out 1006 which, in combination with the release mechanism 1002, acts as a locking mechanism.

In the closed position illustrated in FIG. 10, the release mechanism 1002 contacts the housing 1004 at least at contact points 1008 around the cut-out 1006. The contact point 1008 may extend along the bottom edge of the release mechanism 1002 and a corresponding section of the housing 1004. For example, FIG. 12 illustrates a close-up, side-perspective view of the card-holding device 1000 around the contact point 1008 according to an example. The release mechanism 1002 has a beveled edge 1010 and the housing 1004 has a beveled edge 1012. In the closed position illustrated in FIG. 10, the beveled edges 1010, 1012 contact one another and thereby prevent the sixth blade 104f from moving freely. If a user were to rotate the sixth blade 104f about the fastener 112, the contact between the release mechanism 1002 and the housing 1004 would prevent the sixth blade 104f from rotating freely by contacting the housing 1004. FIG. 13 illustrates a front perspective view of the card-holding device 1000 in such a situation according to an example, in which the sixth blade 104f cannot rotate further due to physical interference between the release mechanism 1002 and the housing 1004 along the contact point 1008 of the beveled edges 1010, 1012.

The release mechanism 1002 may be pushed down (that is, away from the contact points 1008) to decouple the release mechanism 1002 from the housing 1004, and thereby enable the sixth blade 104f (and thus the plurality of blades 104) to rotate freely about the fastener 112. FIG. 10 includes a legend 1014 having an x-axis 1016 (which extends to the right), a y-axis 1018 (which extends upwards), and a z-axis 1020 (which extends out of the page). Pushing the release mechanism 1002 down (that is, in the negative direction along the z-axis 1020, or into the page) causes the sixth blade 104f to deflect in the negative direction along the z-axis 1020, thereby decoupling the release mechanism 1004 from the housing 1006 along the contact point 1008. This decoupling releases the locking effect caused by the physical interference between the release mechanism 1004 and the housing 1006, thereby enabling the plurality of blades 104 to rotate about the z-axis 1020. Deflecting the sixth blade 104f causes the sixth blade 104f to act as a cantilever fixed at the fastener 112, deflecting in the direction of the negative z-axis 1020. A user may thus depress the release mechanism 1004 and flick the card-holding device 1000 to release the plurality of blades 104.

In other examples, other locking and/or release mechanisms may be implemented. For example, the plurality of blades 104 may be fixed by magnets, a latch, a torsion spring, or other such locking mechanisms. Such locking mechanisms may be paired with user-actuatable release mechanisms to toggle the locked or unlocked status of the plurality of blades 104. Accordingly, in various examples, card-holding devices may include various mechanisms to prevent the plurality of blades 104 from inadvertently rotating out of a corresponding housing.

As discussed above, each blade may include a retaining component having a retaining member, such as the retaining member 502. For example, the retaining member 502 may be a curved retaining member, and may deflect when a card 300 is pushed down against the retaining member 502. As the retaining member 502 deflects, the card space widens to accommodate the card 300. As the card 300 is fully inserted, the retaining member 502 may be applying a force (for example, a restoring force as the curved retaining member 502 attempts to restore a resting position) on the side of the card 300 to press the card 300 against the short rail 404. Accordingly, the curvature of the retaining member 502 enables a restoring force to maintain the card 300 in a secure position within the card-holding device 100.

In some examples, it may be advantageous to shorten the retaining member 502. For example, shortening the retaining member 502 may reduce material costs, reduce weight, and create more space for other components. However, shortening the retaining member 502 may also increase the restoring force exerted by the retaining member 502 on the card 300, which may make the card 300 difficult to remove.

FIG. 14 illustrates a front view of a retaining component 1400 according to an example. The retaining component 1400 includes a retaining member 1402. The retaining member 1402 is similar to, but shorter than, the retaining member 502. As noted above, shortening the retaining member 1402 may increase the restoring force applied by the retaining member 1402. Accordingly, the retaining member 1402 includes a plurality of cut-outs 1404. The cut-outs 1404 may be sawtooth-shaped cut-outs in the retaining member 1402. Removing material from the retaining member 1402 reduces the restoring force applied by the retaining member 1402. Accordingly, the size, number, and shape of the cut-outs 1404 may be selected to reduce the restoring force applied by the retaining member 1402 to a desired level. Such a desired level of force may be a force that is high enough for a card to not inadvertently fall out of a corresponding sleeve (for example, due to gravity), but that is low enough for a card to be easily removed when pulled by a user.

FIG. 15 illustrates a back, partially transparent view of a card-holding device 1500 implementing the retaining component 1400 according to an example. The card-holding device 1500 includes a plurality of sleeves 1502, each of which is similar to the sleeves 400. Each of the sleeves 1502 includes a curved cut-out 1504, a tall rail 1506, and a short rail 1508. The curved cut-out 1504 exposes the card 300 and extends from the top of the sleeve 1502 to the short rail 1508. The retaining component 1400 lays along the tail rail 1506.

The curved cut-out 1504 may expose enough of the card 300 to enable a user to know, when viewing the card 300 from either side, details about the card 300 to distinguish the card 300 from other cards in the card-holding device 1500. The curved cut-out 1504 may therefore enhance user experience by simplifying the selection of a desired card. The sleeve 1502 may implement the retaining component 1400, which occupies a small portion of the sleeve 1502 and therefore enables a reduction in size of the sleeve 1502 without revealing the retaining component 1400.

Moreover, shortening the retaining component 1400 causes the retaining component 1400 to apply a force at a lower position along the card 300 which, in turn, lowers the position along the short rail 1508 that the card 300 is pressed against. Lowering the position along the short rail 1508 that the card 300 is pressed against may be advantageous. For example, if a force applied to the card 300 pressed the card to a position above the short rail 1508, the card 300 might rotate out of the sleeve 1502. Accordingly, the smaller profile of the retaining component 1400 advantageously provides greater flexibility in designing the sleeve 1502 to accommodate other features, such as the curved cut-out 1504.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of, and within the spirit and scope of, this disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.

CARD-HOLDING DEVICE

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CPC

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Provisional Applications (1)