Patent Application
20160324283
This is a U.S. Non-Provisional patent application.
This invention relates to billfold wallets, and more particularly to low-profile wallets for credit cards.
Who among us would not prefer a wallet minimally-sized to just the stack of credit cards carried in the typical bi- or tri-fold leather wallet? Such a minimalist wallet could be easily slipped into a shirt pocket, or present a slim profile in a pants pocket or purse. Even with money clipped to it, the bulk of such a wallet would be less than that of the fold-over-envelope-type-wallet traditionally used to carry cards, money and identification. Such a traditional wallet, with its internal sleeves, compartments, and windows, not to mention contents, can bulge uncomfortably or telltale-like from clothing, or inconveniently in a handbag, while giving little protection from moisture, bending or electronic snooping.
In the lifestyle of today, purchases are made more and more with credit or debit cards or through electronic wallets, such as Apple Pay™ or Google Wallet™. Carrying cash, except for an emergency bill or two, has increasingly become both unnecessary and inconvenient in consideration of the nuisance in making change and risk of loss through theft or carelessness. The traditional wallet, initially designed to carry cash in bills, and sometimes coins and checks also, is correspondingly evolving into obsolescence in view of the convenience and record-keeping benefit of credit/debit cards. The bare essentials today are a charge card of some type and an item of identification, both, serendipitously, of generally the same size.
Money clips are common in the art and some money clips also made accommodation for credit cards. The clip, typically of hairpin-like configuration, has protrusion which can snag in a pocket of clothing or purse. Other known devices sandwich cards and/or money between bookend plates bound with elastic strapping. The strapping allows for an expandable interior volume while providing compression to grip the contents. The profile of the plates is generally larger than that of the contents, the out-sizing necessary to provide structure for either guiding the strapping or for fixtures to terminate the strapping. In most cases, the running length of the strapping is limited by the distance between fixture locations on the plates, which limits the expansion capability and, therefore, the capacity for contents. In other cases, it becomes difficult to view the stored contents without moving them all. In other cases, selectively withdrawing of just one of the contents, particularly with a presentation of the shorter edge, is frustrated by the compaction applied. In other cases, replacement of the straps when worn or stretched out is discouraged by assembly design. In other cases, the plates are of insufficient rigidity to protect the contents from bending.
The unfulfilled need is for a compact wallet which would be minimally dimensioned to the prototypical credit card profile. Such a compact wallet would be void of any potentially snagging structural appendages while optimizing volume expansion and viewability of contents.
The present invention utilizes bookend plates resiliently bound with an encircling elastic band to contain one or more credit card-sized objects in a wallet configuration. A novel feature maximizes the expansion of interior volume by allowing the strap to expand along a maximum length afforded by a longitudinal dimension of the wallet while avoiding anchor points which would effectively shorten the length. Another novel feature achieves minimal sizing of the plates by channeling the strap with interior means rather than by means of profile extensions. Yet another novel feature achieves easy access to, and viewing of, the contents through a cut-away feature which allows the contents to be partially pushed up where a fulcrum is provided for pinching the plates together and fanning out the contents.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a compact wallet substantially no larger than a credit card. It is a further object to maximize expandability of the wallet to accommodate multiple objects of substantially the same size. It is a further object to protect the contents of the wallet from damage or loss by open-ended drop through. It is a further object to facilitate selection of any one object from the bound group. It is a further object to accommodate folded currency handily on the outside of the wallet. It is a further object to present essentially smooth contours for snag-free passage into and out of pockets of clothing or bags. It is a further object to provide means and method for changing out elastic bounding bands.
These objects, and others to become hereinafter apparent, are embodied in a compact wallet comprising, in a first element, at least two rigid plates interposed to sandwich card-like contents there between, each rigid plate having a longitudinal extent. A second element is at least one encircling elastic band interposed with the at least two rigid plates, over the longitudinal extents thereof, to bias them inwardly and securely hold the card-like contents while providing elastic volume between the plates for adding additional contents. A third element is a channeling means configured to minimize the profile of the wallet and hold position of the at least one encircling elastic band with respect to each rigid plate. The channeling means additionally allows freedom for the dynamic extension and contraction of the band over the entire running length of the band. With such means and in such manner, card-like contents may be carried with minimal silhouette on or with a person while allowing expandable capacity and ready access to individual contents from between the at least two rigid plates.
In a preferred embodiment, the channeling means is a longitudinal groove in a first lamina of a laminate construction of each rigid plate. The groove slidingly receives one part of the at least one encircling elastic band. In one instance of the preferred embodiment, a second lamina of the laminate construction of each rigid plate is removably attached to the first lamina to hold the at least one elastic band in capture and provide a smooth surface for glide purposes. In another instance, the second lamina is attached to the first lamina by screws.
As this is not intended to be an exhaustive recitation, other embodiments may be learned from practicing the invention or may otherwise become apparent to those skilled in the art.
Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood through the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Referring to
Referring to
In one preferred embodiment, the longitudinal groove 21 traverses a first lamina 22 of a laminate construction of each rigid plate 10. The first lamina 22 is capped with a second lamina 23 to capture on portion of the encircling elastic band 4 and complete the channeling means 20. The second lamina 23 is preferably attached removably to the first lamina 22 to enable the encircling elastic band 4 to be changed out at the end of its service life. In a particular preferred embodiment, the attachment is made by flat-headed screws 24 threaded into threaded holes 26 in the first lamina 22 through countersunk holes 25 in the second lamina. The flat-heading and counter-sinking of the screws provide a smooth outer surface to the compact wallet 1, thereby permitting snag-free glide into pockets or other containment vessels. In an alternate embodiment, the attachment mechanism may include appropriately placed pressure sensitive adhesive strips (not shown). Other attachment means, known in the art, are also contemplated as within scope.
In one preferred embodiment shown in
In one preferred embodiment, as shown in
In the preferred embodiment, the card-like contents include, but are not limited to, credit cards, a driver's license, ID cards, business cards, affiliation/membership cards, currency bills, loyalty cards, coupons, a calendar, receipts or any paper or card-stock item of a personal or business nature. The rigid plates 10 are either comprised of metal, or otherwise integrate a metalized surface, for radio-frequency identification (RFID) theft protection purposes, as credit cards are increasingly using RFID chips. A substrate can be metalized by electric deposition, by casting, or otherwise by bonding on or taping on a foil. In the preferred embodiment, the first lamina 22 is fabricated from aluminum plate of 2 mm gauge by machining. Alternatively, the first lamina 22 may be 316 stainless steel (SS), or may otherwise be injection molded with high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or any resin with stiffness property. The second lamina 23 may be fabricated from similar materials and methods as the first lamina 22, although not necessarily matched thereto. For example, the second lamina 23 may be die-cut from polystyrene sheet stock of 0.7 mm gauge and mated with machined SS from plate stock used for the first lamina 22. The rigid plates 10, and the profile 14 by definition, preferably measure approximately 8.5 cm by 5.4 cm. In the preferred embodiment, the flat-headed screws 24 are comprised of 316 SS; but may also, in the alternative, be made of aluminum or any other metal alloy. The encircling elastic band 4, the first elastic strap 5 and second elastic strap 6 may be any rubber, or rubberized, material configured in a web. In the preferred embodiment, the band and straps are of 3 cm woven elastic fabric, such as that found at the John Howard Company. Alternatively, the bands and straps may differ from each other in materials and sizes.
The compact wallet 1 may be provided at retail in a system configuration with a tool, such as a driver (not shown), to assist with assembly or disassembly. The system may also include an instruction card (not shown), or pamphlet, a spare encircling elastic band 4 or one or more spare flat-headed screws 24. The compact wallet 1 may supplied either assembled or disassembled in the system configuration.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the preceding description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, the channeling means 20 might be a longitudinal bore through each rigid plate 10. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
