Patent Application
20120152989
Not applicable.
1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to pouches, especially to pouches that are worn next to a user's waist and concealed behind the user's clothing.
2. The Relevant Technology
Various devices are known for concealing valuables on a person. These devices are typically used to carry valuables, such as money or credit cards, in a place where others cannot readily see them. These concealment devices are particularly useful when traveling abroad or being exposed to high crime situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,157 discloses a concealed pocket including a container and a belt loop. A belt passes through the belt loop to attach the concealed pocket to the user. The container has a pocket opening for inserting items. The container can be concealed within the clothing while wearing the pocket. When the user desires to remove valuables from the container, he or she moves the belt outwardly to gain access to the container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,936, it discloses a holder for valuables including a container and a pair of elongate narrow strips. The container has one or more compartments with an open top edge and a closure flap extending from a back panel and fastening onto a front panel. The pair of elongate narrow strips each has a first end secured to the upper portion of the back panel and a second end terminated in a belt loop. The container may be moved between a concealed position behind the user's pants and an accessible position in front of the pants while the holder is fastened to the belt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,704 discloses a waist bag having a pouch for carrying small personal items. Large belt loops are fastened to the pouch. When worn around the user's waist, the bag provides security for the contents in the pouch. Even if the belt is cut from the user, the pouch is not pulled out with it.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential characteristics of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In one embodiment, a pouch includes a front and back panel and a strap. The back panel includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a trapezoidal shape and the lower portion has a substantially rectangular shape. The front panel has a substantially rectangular shape and being sized to match the lower portion of the back panel. The front panel includes a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges. The front panel is attached to the lower portion of the back panel at the bottom and two side edges to form a compartment. The top edge defines an opening for access to the compartment. The elongate strap has a first end and a second end. The first end is attached to the upper portion of the back panel. The second end is configured to be attached to the first end to form a loop.
In another embodiment, a pouch includes a front panel, a back panel and a strap. The back panel includes a top edge, two slanted edges, two side edges and a bottom edge. The front panel includes a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges. The bottom edge of the front panel is secured to the bottom edge of the back panel and the two side edges of the front panel are secured to the two side edges of the back panel, respectively. The front and back panel define a compartment with an opening at the top edge of the front panel. The strap includes a first end and a second end. The first end is attached to the back panel and extends out from the center of the top edge of the back panel. The second end includes a fastener that can be attached to the first end to create a loop. A triangular portion is defined by the top edge of the front panel, the strap and one of the slanted edges.
In another embodiment, a pouch includes a front and back panel. The back panel includes a upper portion and a lower portion. The front panel has a substantially rectangular shape and includes a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges. The front panel is secured at its bottom edge and two side edges to the back panel to form a container body having a compartment that opens at the top edge of the front panel. An elongate strap having a first end and a second end, the first end being attached to the upper portion of the back panel. The second end forms a loop when attached to the back panel. The loop is sized to fit around a connection point on the user's clothing and attach to the back panel. The pouch also includes means for reducing the rotational movement of the pouch.
Various embodiments of the present invention will now be discussed with reference to the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
The upper portion 24 may reduce the pouch's tendency to rotate and move around, especially, when tucked in the user's clothing, such as pants, shorts, skirts and the like. The trapezoidal shape produces triangular portions 25a-b above the front panel 12 and on the sides of the elongate strap 16. The trapezoidal shape provides a structural support to the pouch and tethers the side edges 22, 23 to the strap 16. The trapezoidal shape of the upper portion 24 or the triangular portions 25a-b can define support structures or means for reducing the rotational movement of the pouch 10.
The back panel 14 has a top edge 28, two slanted edges 30, 31, a bottom edge 32, and two side edges 34, 35. The first slanted edge 30 is juxtaposed by, positioned adjacent to, or otherwise placed next to the top edge 28 and the first side edge 34. The second slanted edge 31 is juxtaposed by, positioned adjacent to, or otherwise placed next to the top edge 28 and the second side edge 35. The first and second slanted edges 30, 31, for example, can be angled at about 30 to about 60 degrees between the top edge 18 to one of the slanted edges 30, 31, and more specifically, angled at about 45 degrees. A triangular portion can be defined by the top edge 18 of the front panel 12, the strap 16 and one of the slanted edges 30, 31.
The front panel 12 can have a substantially rectangular shape and can be sized to match the lower portion 26 of the back panel 14. The front panel 12 can be attached or secured to the lower portion 26 of the back panel 14 at the bottom and two side edges to form a compartment 36. The front panel 12 can also be secured to the bottom edge of the back panel 14 and the two side edges of the front panel can be secured to the two side edges of the back panel 14, respectively.
The top edge can define an opening for access to the compartment 36. The edges 20, 22, 23 of the front panel 12 are connected to the edges 32, 34, 35 of the back panel's lower portion, respectively, to form container body having the compartment 36 shown in
The top edge 18 may be closed by a fastener 38, such as a button, snap, hook and loop fasteners and the like to secure contents in the compartment 36. The fastener 38 may be attached to the top edge 18 of the front panel 12 and an opposing position on the back panel 14. The front panel 12 capable of being fixed to the back panel 14 using the fastener 38. The fastener 38 can be attached along the top edge 18 of the front panel 12 and in an opposing position on the back panel 14 to secure the compartment 36. The strap 16 can be disposed above the top edge 18.
As shown in
The second end 42 can be attached to the first end 40 using a fastener 44. The closed position may vary according to the position of the fastener 44 or the position that the second end 42 is attached to the first end 40. The fastener 44, for example, may be hook and loop tape, a hook and eye fastener, snap, magnets, buttons, or other fastening components known in the art to secure one end of an elongate material to the other end or some other means for removing the pouch 10 from a connection point without removing the user's clothing.
The loop 46 is formed to be large enough to receive a belt, belt loop, a loop sewn into the clothing or other attachment structure on the user's clothing, for example, a connection point. The loop is sized to fit around the connection point on the user's clothing and attach to the back panel 14 to define a closed position. The loop 46 may also be adjustable by including a fastener 44 that can be attached in various locations, for instance, using hook and loop fasteners. By attaching the second end 42 further away from the top edge 18, the loop becomes smaller and closer to the top edge 18, it becomes larger.
A grip 48 can be attached to the center of the top edge 18 of the front panel 12 to provide easier access to the compartment 36. The grip 48 can be in-line with the strap 16. The grip 48, for example, can be made from webbing formed in a loop 50. The grip 48 is large enough to allow a user to hold it between a finger and thumb and pull the top edge 18 of the front panel 12 away from the back panel 14 to disengage the fastener 38 and open the compartment 36. The grip 48 can also be an integral extension of the front panel 12.
The pouch 10 may be made of leather, fabrics, plastic, other materials, or a combination of various materials. The front panel 12 and the back panel 14, for example, can be made of a slick nylon material such as a 70 Denier Nylon Ripstop. The nylon material may have the following properties: base fabric weight of about 1.8 ounces per square yard (61 grams/square meter), a total weight of about 4.3 ounces per square yard (146 grams/square meter), a tongue tear of about 2.1 pounds (f) warp, 2.0 weft (9 newtons (f) warp, 9 weft), a tensile strength of about 115 pounds (f) per inch warp, 75 weft (503 newtons (f)/25 millimeters warp, 328 weft), an elongation at break of about 29% warp/42% weft, a breakaway adhesion (RF weld) film to film of about 40 pounds (f)/inch warp (175 newtons (f)/25 millimeters warp), a strip adhesion (heat sealed) film to film of about 33 pounds (f)/inch warp (144 newtons (f)/25 millimeters warp), a hydrostatic high pressure of about 150 pounds (f)/square inch (1034 kilopascals), a hydrostatic low pressure of about pass 1.5 PSA/no leaks/5 minutes (pass 10 KPA/no leaks/5 minutes), an air retention (film side only) of about pass 10 PSI/no leaks/5 minutes (pass 69 KPA/no leaks/5 minutes), a low temperature with no cracking, flaking, or separation at about −60° Fahrenheit for 4 Hours, blocking (film to film) characteristic of no blocking at 180° F. for 30 minutes, and mildew resistance characteristic of fabric passes Mil-STD.810 F. Slick materials, such as nylon or the particular nylon having the characteristics listed above, provide an additional benefit. A slick material reduces friction and provides a smooth surface to allow the user to slide the pouch 10 easily in and out of the user's clothing. The nylon material may also have a urethane backing, such as a waterproof urethane back coating.
To gain access to the contents of the compartment 36, the user grabs the strap 16 and pulls the pouch out from the user's clothing by following the steps above in the opposite order. The compartment 36 of the pouch 10 can then be opened by pulling on the grip 48 to release the fastener 38 and pull the front panel 12 away from the back panel 14. If the pouch 10 is dropped, it will hang from the user's clothing and not drop to the ground. The pouch can be released from the user's clothing by detaching the second end 42 at the fastener 44. The pouch 10 can hang from the belt in the closed position or released from the belt in the open position without removing the belt.
Implementations of the pouch are configured to allow the user to have access to valuables while also being able to store the items in a secure location. Accordingly, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
