Casing with integral container opener

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND

1. The Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to casings for concealing, carrying and holding personal effects, and more particularly, but not necessarily entirely, to a combination casing for concealing, carrying and holding personal effects and an instrument substantially enclosed by the casing for opening a container, such as the cap to a beverage containing bottle.

2. Description of Related Art

Casings for concealing, carrying and holding personal effects, such as a wallet, a backpack, a purse, a pocketbook, a card holder for holding business or credit cards or another type of casing for holding or concealing personal effects and belongings have been readily used in the past. More specifically, conventional wallets have been used for many years and are well known. Many years ago, the primary purpose of a wallet was to hold currency, namely a paper currency in the form of a plurality of bills. Over time, the wallet has been transformed into a holder or retainer of not only paper currency, but has holds coinage, credit cards, identification cards, business cards and other personal effects, such as photographs, personal identification and driver's licenses. Although the function of the wallet has changed, it has only been recently that the size, shape and configuration of the conventional wallet has changed. Conventional wallets typically fall into two categories, the bi-fold and the tri-fold wallet. With either type of wallet, the cards held in the pockets of the wallet are overlapped one on top of the other in horizontal pockets (turned laterally).

Further, container opening devices, including bottle opening devices, have also been used for many years and are well known. However, bottle opening devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of removing caps from bottles have been known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs provided in the field, which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. Additionally, bottle opening devices are typically bulky and as such are difficult to conveniently carry. Portable bottle opening devices include those found in pocket knives or other portable tool holders, such as a portable LEATHERMAN® tool and knife kit.

Another portable bottle opening device is known commercially as REEF™ Fanning sandals. The REEF™ Fanning sandal includes a sandal with a bottle opener found in the outer sole of the sandal. The Fanning line of sandals made by REEF™ is a tribute to a pro-surfer named Mick Fanning.

However, even small, portable tool and knife kits are often bulky and difficult to carry in an individual's pocket and sandals containing a bottle opener in its outer sole are not always worn, especially during periods of cool temperatures or wet weather. However, individuals often carry a casing with them, whether a wallet or some other casing for concealing, carrying and holding personal effects, such as a purse or pocketbook.

It is noteworthy that none of the casings for concealing, carrying and holding personal effects known to applicant provides therewith an instrument for opening a container, such as opening the cap on a bottle. There is a long felt, but currently unmet need, for a casing for concealing, carrying and holding personal effects in combination with an instrument for opening a container, such as opening the cap on a bottle, that is inexpensive to manufacture, simple in operation and that is easily carried by an individual.

The known casing devices are thus characterized by several disadvantages that are addressed by the present disclosure. The present disclosure minimizes, and in some aspects eliminates, the above-mentioned failures, and other problems, by utilizing the methods and structural features described herein.

The features and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the disclosure without undue experimentation. The features and advantages of the disclosure may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side, cross-sectional view of a generic container;

FIG. 2 is a side, cross-sectional view of a generic cap attached to a generic container;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a casing and instrument made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of the casing and instrument (not illustrated) of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a back view of the embodiment of the casing and instrument of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an exploded, perspective view of the embodiment of the casing and instrument of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the embodiment of a casing and instrument of FIG. 3, wherein the casing has been unfolded into an open position;

FIG. 8 is perspective view of another embodiment of a casing and instrument made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is perspective view of another embodiment of a casing and instrument made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is perspective view of another embodiment of a casing and instrument made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 11 is perspective view of another embodiment of a casing and instrument made in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the disclosure claimed.

Before the structures and methods of the present disclosure are discussed and described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular configurations, process steps, and materials disclosed herein as such configurations, process steps, and materials may vary somewhat. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting since the scope of the present disclosure will be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

In describing and claiming the present disclosure, the following terminology will be used in accordance with the definitions set out below.

It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-11, an apparatus or device, generally indicate at 10, that may be used for concealing personal effects, such as paper currency, bank cards, business cards, photographs, coinage, a driver's license, a check book, or other personal effects or belongings is disclosed. The various embodiments of an apparatus or device 10, illustrated in FIGS. 3-11, may each comprise a casing 100 and an instrument 150 for opening a container 20 (illustrated best in FIGS. 1-2). It will be appreciated that the embodiments of the present invention may be adapted for use with many different types and configurations of containers using the teachings set forth herein and that the containers described herein are merely exemplary.

As illustrated best in FIGS. 6 and 7, the casing 100 of the present disclosure may include at least one pocket 120 and may, alternatively, include a plurality of pockets, each having its own function. It will be appreciated that each of the various pockets 120 may be formed as part of the casing 100 or may be attachable to the casing 100.

More specifically and referring to FIG. 7, the casing 100 may comprise at least one pocket 122 that may be located interiorly on an inside or interior portion 102 of the casing 100 and may be sized and dimensioned to hold at least one of the following: paper currency, bank cards, business cards, photographs, coinage and other personal effects or belongings. The casing 100 may also contain at least one pocket 104 that may be opened and closed with a zipper and that may be located on the interior portion 102 of the casing 100. The casing 100 may further include at least one hidden pocket 106, which may be located in the interior portion 102 of the casing 100. The interior portion 102 of the casing 100 may further include a plurality of compartments 105 for housing information. It will be appreciated that the plurality of compartments 105 for housing information in the casing 100 may have a hierarchical arrangement, in which one compartment 105 may be aligned with and located above another compartment 105 in successive levels or layers.

Still further, the casing 100 may include a compartment or pocket 107 having a clear covering for housing a photograph, driver's license, or other form of identification. The compartment or pocket 107 may be a single clear pouch or may be a plurality of clear pouches attached together without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The compartment or pocket 107 may be formed integrally as part of the casing 100, or it may include an insert that may be tucked into a side pocket (illustrated in FIG. 7 by reference numeral 120) of the casing 100. As demonstrated above, the casing 100 may include a multitude of various pocket types without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, it will be appreciated that one of skill in the art may determine the type and the number of pockets to be present in the casing 100 and may further modify the size and shape of those pockets to function in a desired mode, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

It will be appreciated that the casing 100 may be, for example, a man's or woman's wallet, a backpack, a purse, a pocketbook, a card holder for holding business or credit cards or another type of casing for holding or concealing personal effects and belongings. Further, the casing 100 may be made from any suitable material for carrying, holding or concealing personal effects and belongings, such as leather, nylon, corduroy, twill or other materials known in the art. It will be appreciated that if a wallet is chosen as the desired embodiment for the casing 100, the wallet may be a bi-fold or a tri-fold wallet, or a wallet worn on a users wrist, ankle or other part of a person's body, or any other type of wallet known, or that may become known, in the art.

Referring specifically now to FIG. 6, the casing 100 may include a pocket 108 that may be used to house the instrument 150. It will be appreciated that the instrument 150 may be utilized for opening the container 20. For example, the instrument may be used to open a cap 30 of any container, such as container 20. It will be further appreciated that the instrument 150 may be located within the pocket 108 or the instrument 150 may be attachable to the casing 100 by a means for attaching the instrument to the casing 100. It will be appreciated that the instrument 150 may be removably attached inside the pocket 108 or removably attached to the casing 100. It will also be appreciated that pocket 108 may be sewn shut during manufacture or the pocket 108 may be manufactured to open and shut using a VELCRO® releasable attachment or any other type of releasable attachment known, or which may become known, in the art.

When the instrument 150 is located or housed within the pocket 108, the instrument 150 may be substantially enclosed by the casing 100 during use, whether or not the instrument 150 itself is also attached to the casing 100 or whether the instrument 150 is simply blocked from substantial movement within the pocket 108 due to the size of said pocket 108 hindering movement of the instrument 150 therein. More specifically, it, will be appreciated that about fifty-one percent to about ninety-nine percent of the instrument 150 may be enclosed by the casing 100 during use, such that the instrument itself may be substantially enclosed.

Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the instrument 150 may be removably attached to the casing 100 and located inside the pocket 108, which itself may have a releasable attachment, such as VELCRO®, to open and shut the pocket 108 with respect to the casing 100. In such an embodiment, the instrument 150 may be used alone or by itself outside of the pocket 108 of the casing 100, or the instrument 150 may be used as a single unit, when located within the pocket 108, as part of the casing 100, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure.

As used herein, the phrase “substantially enclosed” means a state in which a majority portion of a first object, such as the instrument 150, is surrounded by another object, such as pocket 108 of the casing 100, while still allowing access to the first object, such as through a window 100. In other words, a state of being substantially enclosed does not require that the first object be completely surrounded on all sides by another object, but instead merely requires that a majority of the first object be surrounded by another object, such that at least a portion of the first object, such as the instrument 150, is accessible from outside the other object, such as the casing 100.

Referring to FIG. 6, the instrument 150 is shown in an exploded view with respect to the casing 100. The instrument 150 may be made from various materials, including plastic or other polymeric material, steel, metal, or other material known in the art for manufacturing an instrument for opening a cap 30 to a container 20.

The instrument 150 may, for illustrative purposes, have an overall length “L1” that may be about 0.50 to about 0.95 times an overall height “H1” of the casing 100. The instrument 150 may act as a lever and may be a rigid structural element that may pivot or move at one location, such as at the location of an opener or opening 152 described more fully below, by moving an end portion 158 of the instrument 150 located opposite the pivoting location, i.e., 152, to thereby aid in the removal of the cap 30 of the container 20 through a lever action or prying motion. It will be appreciated that the overall length of the instrument 150 may be smaller than the length to height ratio stated above, however, a smaller length to height ratio may result in decreased performance because the lever action may be diminished.

Further, the instrument 150 may be configured and arranged to be inseparable from the casing 100 during use. In other words, in one illustrative embodiment the instrument 150 may be integrally formed with the casing 100, meaning that the instrument 150 may be used without removing the instrument 150 from the casing 100 and causing substantial damage to the casing 100. Alternatively, as mentioned above, the instrument 150 may be removed from the casing 100 and used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

As illustrated best in FIGS. 3 and 5, the instrument 150 may comprise the opener or opening 152, which may be configured and dimensioned to aid in removing the cap 30 that may be attached to the container 20. The opener or opening 152 may be formed or defined by four sides, namely a first side 153, a second side 154, a third side 155 and a fourth side 156. It will be appreciated that the first side 153 of the opening 152 may be parallel to and may oppose the second side 154. Two of the four sides of the opener or opening 152 may be substantially parallel to each other. For example, the first side 153 and the second side 154 may be parallel to each other, as illustrated best in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7.

Referring specifically to FIG. 5, the third side 155 and the fourth side 156 may also oppose each other and may each be formed at an angle e with respect to one of the first side 153 and the second side 154. It will be appreciated that the angle e of the third side 155 and the fourth side 156 may be within a range of angles from about sixty degrees to about eighty-five degrees. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the third side 155 and the fourth side 156 may be parallel to each other without regard to whether or not the first and second side 153 and 154 are also parallel to each other.

Further, it will be appreciated that one of the two parallel sides may be beveled to better grasp or grip the cap 30 of the container 20. For example, the second side 154 may comprise the bevel 154a as illustrated in FIG. 5. It will be appreciated that the bevel 154a may be a tapered section of the second side 154 or the bevel 154a may be a thinning of an overall thickness of the instrument 150 or the bevel 154a may be formed in any manner known or that may become known in the art. Referring briefly to FIG. 3, with the bevel 154a located on the second side 154, an edge 154b of the bevel 154a may enter between a lower end portion 34 of the cap 30 and a top portion 22 of the container 20 (illustrated best in FIG. 2). With the edge 154b in such a position, the instrument 150 may be used to pry the cap 30 from the container 20 as the instrument 150 is moved in an upward manner creating a lever action.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the four sides 153, 154, 155 and 156 of the opener or opening 152 may be formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape or manner. However, it will be appreciated that the four sides may be utilized to form other shapes that are not trapezoidal in shape or manner without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

The instrument 150 may comprise a first lip 162, which may be at least partially formed by the first side 153, for engaging a top 32 of the cap 30 of the container 20. The instrument may also contain a second lip 164, which may be at least partially formed by the second side 154, for engaging the lower end portion 34 of the cap 30 of the container 20 to thereby aid in removal of the cap 30 from the container 20.

It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus disclosed herein is merely one example of a means for removing a cap from a container, and it should be appreciated that any structure, apparatus or system for removing a cap from a container that performs functions the same as, or equivalent to, those disclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of a means for removing a cap from a container, including those structures, apparatus or systems for removing a cap from a container that are presently known, or which may become available in the future. Anything that functions the same as, or equivalently to, a means for removing a cap from a container falls within the scope of this element.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6-11, a window 110 may be formed in the casing 100 to provide access to the instrument 150. It will be appreciated that the window 110 may be sized and dimensioned to be substantially the same size as the opener or opening 152 of the instrument 150. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that the window 110 may be slightly larger than the opener or opening 152 of the instrument 150 to thereby allow access to said opener or opening 152 through said window 110. It will be appreciated that the opener or opening 152 may be substantially aligned with the window 110 of the casing 100, such that there may be little or no interference from the material forming the casing 100 during use.

The window 110 of the casing 100 may have a height “H2” that may be about ten percent to about thirty percent of a total length “L1” of the instrument 150. Further, the opener or opening 152 of the instrument or lever 150 itself may also comprise a length “L2” that may be between a range of about ten percent to about thirty percent of the total length “L1” of the instrument or lever 150. It will be appreciated that the height “H2” of the window 110 of the casing 100 may be larger than or substantially equal to the length “L2” of the instrument or lever 150. It will be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment the height “H2” of the window 110 may even be smaller than the length “L2” of the instrument 150. However, such an embodiment may not be as convenient to use in practice because a portion of the material forming the casing 100 that surrounds the window 110 may cause interference between the material and the opener 152.

It will be appreciated that the structure and apparatus disclosed herein is merely one example of a means for substantially enclosing another object, and it should be appreciated that any structure, apparatus or system for substantially enclosing another object that performs functions the same as, or equivalent to, those disclosed herein are intended to fall within the scope of a means for substantially enclosing another object, including those structures, apparatus or systems for substantially enclosing another object that are presently known, or which may become available in the future. Anything that functions the same as, or equivalently to, a means for substantially enclosing another object falls within the scope of this element.

In accordance with the features and combinations described above, a useful method of manufacturing an apparatus for concealing personal effects, includes the steps of:

(a) providing a casing that has at least one pocket formed therein;

(b) locating an instrument within the at least one pocket of the casing, wherein the instrument is configured and dimensioned for removing a cap attached to a container; and

(c) forming a window in the casing to thereby provide access to at least a portion of the instrument such that the cap of the container is accessible to said instrument through said window.

Another useful method of manufacturing an apparatus for concealing personal effects, may include the following steps:

(a) providing a casing for concealing personal effects and an instrument for opening a cap to a container;

(b) forming a pocket in the casing for housing the instrument;

(d) attaching the instrument to the casing.

Alternative steps may include forming the pocket in the casing by sewing a piece of material to the casing and furnishing an opening in the pocket for locating the instrument therein. Further, the step of attaching the instrument to the casing may further include sewing the opening in the pocket to thereby substantially enclose the instrument in said pocket.

Those having ordinary skill in the relevant art will appreciate the advantages provided by the features of the present disclosure. For example, it is a feature of the present disclosure to provide a casing having an instrument attached thereto or formed integrally therewith for opening a cap to a container. It is another potential feature of the present disclosure to provide a casing and instrument combination for opening a cap to a container that is simple in design and manufacture. It is a further feature of the present disclosure, in accordance with one aspect thereof, to provide an instrument for opening a cap to a container as part of a man's or woman's wallet, a backpack, a purse, a pocketbook, a card holder for holding business or credit cards or another type of casing for holding or concealing personal effects and belongings.

In the foregoing Detailed Description of the Disclosure, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description of the Disclosure by this reference, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Thus, while the present disclosure has been shown in the drawings and described above with particularity and detail, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.

Claims

1. An apparatus for concealing personal effects, comprising: a casing having at least one pocket formed therein, wherein the casing is sized and dimensioned to hold at least one item selected from the group consisting of: paper currency, bank cards, business cards, photographs and coinage; andan instrument located within the pocket of the casing for opening a container;wherein a window is formed in the casing providing access to the instrument through said window.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a wallet.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a backpack.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a purse.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a pocketbook.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instrument comprises an opener having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is parallel to and opposes the second side.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the opener of the instrument further comprises a third side and a fourth side that oppose each other and that are each formed at an angle with respect to one of the first side and the second side.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the angle of the third side and the fourth side is within a range of angles from about sixty degrees and to about eighty-five degrees.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a card holder for holding business and credit cards.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a bi-fold wallet.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing is a tri-fold wallet.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises at least one pocket that is opened and closed with a zipper.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises at least one hidden pocket.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instrument is a bottle cap opener comprising four sides.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein two of the four sides of the bottle cap opener are substantially parallel.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein one of the two parallel sides is beveled.
17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the four sides of the bottle cap opener are formed substantially in a trapezoidal manner.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a plurality of compartments for housing information.
19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of compartments for information in the casing have a hierarchical arrangement.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instrument comprises an opening that is configured and dimensioned to aid in removing a cap attached to a container, wherein the window of the casing is substantially the same size as the opening of the instrument.
21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instrument has an overall length that is about 0.50 to about 0.95 times an overall height of the casing.
22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the window of the casing has a height that is about ten percent to about thirty percent of a total length of said instrument.
23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instrument is substantially enclosed by the casing during use.
24. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein about fifty-one percent to about ninety-nine percent of the instrument is enclosed by the casing during use.
25. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instrument acts as a lever and said instrument is configured and arranged to be inseparable from the casing during use without causing substantial damage to said casing.
26. An apparatus for opening a container, comprising: a casing configured and dimensioned to hold and conceal personal effects; andan instrument attachable to the casing and being substantially enclosed by said casing during use of said instrument;wherein the instrument comprises a first lip for engaging a top of a cap of a container and a second lip for engaging a lower end portion of the cap to thereby aid in removal of said cap from the container.
27. An apparatus for concealing personal effects, comprising: means for removing a cap from a container; andmeans for substantially enclosing the means for removing the cap from the container;wherein the means for removing the cap from the container is at least partially accessible to said cap from an exterior position of the means for substantially enclosing the means for removing the cap from the container.
28. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for concealing personal effects, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a casing that has at least one pocket formed therein;(b) locating an instrument within the at least one pocket of the casing, wherein the instrument is configured and dimensioned for opening a container; and(c) forming a window in the casing to thereby provide access to at least a portion of the instrument such that the container is accessible to said instrument through said window.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a wallet.
30. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a backpack.
31. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a purse.
32. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a pocketbook.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein the steps further comprise forming an opening defined by a first side and a second side within a portion of the instrument, wherein the first side is parallel to and opposes the second side.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the opening of the instrument is further defined by a third side and a fourth side that oppose each other and that are each formed at an angle with respect to one of the first side and the second side.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein the angle of the third side and the fourth side is within a range of angles from about sixty degrees and to about eighty-five degrees.
36. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a card holder for holding business and credit cards.
37. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a bi-fold wallet.
38. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is a tri-fold wallet.
39. The method of claim 28, wherein the steps further include forming at least one pocket in the casing that is opened and closed with a zipper.
40. The method of claim 28, wherein the steps further include forming at least one hidden pocket in the casing.
41. The method of claim 28, wherein the steps further include forming a bottle cap opener comprising four sides as part of the instrument.
42. The method of claim 41, wherein the steps further include forming two of the four sides of the bottle cap opener substantially parallel to each other.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein the steps further include forming bevel in one of the two parallel sides.
44. The method of claim 41, wherein the steps further include forming the four sides of the bottle cap opener in a substantially trapezoidal manner.
45. The method of claim 28, wherein the steps further include forming a plurality of compartments for housing information in the casing.
46. The method of claim 28, wherein the plurality of compartments for information formed in the casing have a hierarchical arrangement.
47. The method of claim 28, wherein the casing is sized and dimensioned to hold at least one of the following: paper currency, bank cards, business cards, photographs and coinage.
48. The method of claim 28, wherein the instrument comprises an opening that is configured and dimensioned to aid in removing a cap attached to the container, wherein the window of the casing is substantially the same size as the opening of the instrument.
49. The method of claim 28, wherein the instrument has an overall length that is about 0.50 to about 0.95 times an overall height of the casing.
50. The method of claim 28, wherein the window of the casing has a height that is about ten percent to about thirty percent of a total length of said instrument.
51. The method of claim 28, wherein the steps further include substantially enclosing the instrument within the casing such that the instrument and the casing are inseparably attached during use.
52. The method of claim 51, wherein about fifty-one percent to about ninety-nine percent of the instrument is enclosed by the casing during use.
53. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for concealing personal effects, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a casing for concealing personal effects;(b) forming a pocket in the casing for housing an instrument for opening a container;(c) locating the instrument within the pocket of the casing; and(d) attaching the instrument to the casing.
54. The method of claim 53, wherein the step of forming the pocket in the casing includes sewing a piece of material to the casing and furnishing an opening in the pocket for locating the instrument therein.
55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of attaching the instrument to the casing includes sewing the opening in the pocket to thereby substantially enclose the instrument in said pocket.
56. The method of claim 55, wherein the casing comprises a window to thereby provide access to at least a portion of the instrument such that the container is accessible to said instrument through said window.
57. An apparatus for concealing personal effects, comprising: a casing comprising a pocket and a window providing access to an interior of said pocket; anda lever located within the pocket of the casing and having an opening configured and dimensioned to remove a cap attached to a container, wherein the opening is substantially aligned with the window of the casing;wherein the opening of the lever comprises a length that is between a range of about ten percent to about thirty percent of a total length of said lever.
58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the window of the casing is substantially the same size as the opening of the lever.
59. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the lever has an overall length that is about 0.50 to about 0.95 times an overall height of the casing.
60. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the window of the casing has a height that is about ten percent to about thirty percent of a total length of said lever.
61. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the lever is substantially enclosed by the casing during use.
62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein about fifty-one percent to about ninety-nine percent of the lever is enclosed by the casing during use.
63. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the opening of the lever is defined by a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is parallel to and opposes the second side.
64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein the opening of the lever further comprises a third side and a fourth side that oppose each other and that are each formed at an angle with respect to one of the first side and the second side.
65. The apparatus of claim 64, wherein the angle of the third side and the fourth side is within a range of angles from about sixty degrees and to about eighty-five degrees.
66. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein the lever is configured and arranged to be inseparable from the casing during use without causing substantial damage to said casing.
67. An apparatus for concealing personal effects, comprising: a casing having at least one pocket formed therein, wherein the casing is sized and dimensioned to hold at least one item selected from the group consisting of: paper currency, bank cards, business cards, photographs and coinage; andan instrument substantially enclosed by the casing during use for opening a cap to a container;wherein a window is formed in the casing providing access to the instrument through said window;wherein the casing is one of a wallet, a backpack, a purse, a pocketbook, and a card holder;wherein the casing comprises at least one pocket that is opened and closed with a zipper;wherein the casing comprises at least one hidden pocket;wherein the instrument comprises an opener having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side is parallel to and opposes the second side;wherein one of the first side and the second side is beveled;wherein the opener of the instrument further comprises a third side and a fourth side that oppose each other and that are each formed at an angle with respect to one of the first side and the second side;wherein the angle of the third side and the fourth side is within a range of angles from about sixty degrees and to about eighty-five degrees;wherein the four sides of the opener are formed substantially in a trapezoidal manner;wherein the casing comprises a plurality of compartments for housing information;wherein the plurality of compartments for information in the casing have a hierarchical arrangement.
68. The apparatus of claim 67, wherein the opener of the instrument comprises an opening, and wherein the window of the casing is substantially the same size as the opening of the lever.
69. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the instrument has an overall length that is about 0.50 to about 0.95 times an overall height of the casing.
70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the window of the casing has a height that is about ten percent to about thirty percent of a total length of said instrument.
71. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein a majority of the instrument is enclosed by the casing during use.
72. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein about fifty-one percent to about ninety-nine percent of the instrument is enclosed by the casing during use.

Casing with integral container opener

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Abstract

Description

Claims