Patent Application
20060282989
This invention relates to a device for securing writing or other instruments on a person's clothing and in particular, this invention relates to a magnetic pouch for containing such instruments that securely engages a pocket on the clothing of an individual. This engagement of the individual's clothing secures the magnetic pouch to the individual. The magnetic pouch has the capability of holding one or more writing instruments.
Written communications have been a primary means of communication dating back to the medieval period. As early as the 4th century, people used crude writing instruments to communicate information. These instruments consisted of hollow straws or reeds that supported a short column of liquid. During the fifth century, people began to make pens formed from wing feathers. Currently, the writing pen has evolved into a variety writing instruments, which include: the ballpoint pen, the fountain pen, the soft-tip pen lettering pin and the technical pin. Today, pens rank among the most widely used writing instrument.
Writing instruments have also contained clips used to secure the instrument to the clothing of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,626 describes a writing instrument that includes a clip, which can be retracted into an opening of a barrel, and an operating unit, which has a pushbutton and an operating cam. The writing instrument can be operated by a single operating means, while the clip can function only when the writing cartridge is retracted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,374 describes a spring biased clip design. This clip assembly is securably affixable to the body of a variety of hand-held implements, including writing devices, which is capable of clasping objects substantially thicker that a garment pocket, such as notepads, books, and backpacks. The clip assembly comprises a pin securably engaged to the body of the hand-held implement, a rigid member having a first end for clasping an article, and a second end for manually operating the clip assembly, and a spring biasing the first end of the rigid member towards the body of said hand-held writing implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,196 describes a clip for a writing instrument has an external biasing mechanism separate from the connection of the clip to the writing instrument to avoid permanent deformation or breaking of the clip arm and wear on the writing instrument body. The biasing mechanism is a coil spring mounted on the clip arm between two supports for compression and flexion when the clip arm is pulled away from the side of the writing instrument.
Another conventional method to support writing instruments is to contain these instruments in a pouch. Writing instruments such as pens and pencils are usually supported in open top or patch pockets in shirts, jackets and other clothing items. These pouches are usually secured to the pocket by a metal clip attached to the pocket or by an extension of the pouch that extends into the pocket while the pouch hangs in front of the pocket. With the flap design, the flap inside the pocket serves as a counter balance to the weight of the writing instruments in the pouch. A disadvantage of a conventional pouch having a metal clip is that it can be difficult to insert the clip over the edge of the pocket and to remove it from the edge when needed. A disadvantage of both the metal and clip and flap extension designs is that the weight of the pouch containing the writing instruments pulls the material of the pocket out of shape which results in damage to the pocket and an untidy appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,178,784 attempts to address these disadvantages with a magnetic pocket pencil holder device. This device provides a magnetic support of the writing instruments such that it is not necessary to use spring-loaded clips engageable over the edge of the pocket. With this invention, a bendable V-shaped metal plate is placed over a pocket such that one side of the plate is inside the pocket and the other side is outside the pocket. The outside portion of the plate covers the pocket. Since this plate is metal, it receives and holds a permanent magnet attached to a writing instrument thereby securing the writing instrument to the pocket. Although this invention is an attempt to address the problems of the conventional pouch for containing writing instruments, this approach also has disadvantages.
There remains a need for a pouch device that can adequately hold one or more writing instruments with adverse effects to the clothing items containing a pocket that supports the writing instruments.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a magnetic pocket pouch for holding writing instruments.
It is a second objective of the present invention to provide a magnetic pocket pouch that can hold writing instruments inside the pocket.
It is a third objective of the present invention to provide a magnetic pocket pouch that can hold writing instruments outside the pocket.
It is a fourth objective of the present invention to provide a magnetic pocket pouch that can sufficiently secure magnetic instruments within the pouch.
It is a fifth objective of the present invention to provide a magnetic pocket pouch that can be secured to a pocket of a clothing item inside or outside of the pocket.
The present invention provides a pouch for holding writing instruments. This pouch comprises a material such as leather shaped in the form of a pocket. This pouch pocket has a front side and a backside that connect to form the pocket. An extension is attached to the backside extends upward a length greater than the upward length of the front side. The length of this extension should be such that the top portion of the back side can either fold back for insertion into the pocket of the clothing article or fold forward over the front side of the pouch. A flexible material can be incorporated into the backside of the pouch to facilitate the folding operation of the pouch. Magnetic components are attached to the outer surfaces of the front side and the backside. In addition, magnets are also attached to both sides of the extension. The extension magnets are positioned such that when folded forward, the outer magnet of the extension will align with the magnet of the front side. The inner magnet of the extension is positioned to align with the magnet of the backside when the extension is folded backward.
In addition to these magnets, the present invention can have a magnet component attached to the front side and near the top. This magnet can have a bar shape such that it extends horizontally across a large portion of the front side. This horizontal magnet can serve as an attaching means for magnet based writing instruments stored in the pocket pouch. This magnet attaching means further secures these magnetic based writing instruments to the pouch pocket when the pouch is folded in either the front or backward positions.
a,
10
b,
10
c and 10d show side, three-quarter, back, front, and side views of a magnetic clip that attaches to the magnetic pocket pouch for clipping the pouch to other objects such as an automobile visor.
a,
11
b and 11c show back, side and three-quarter views of the magnetic clip attached to the magnetic pouch in the closed position.
a,
12
b and 12c show front, side and three-quarter views of the magnetic clip attached to the magnetic pouch in the open position.
In this embodiment, the pouch can have separate compartments 20 to hold individual instruments 22a and 22b that are placed in the pouch. The type of instrument in the pouch can vary and can include instruments such as writing pens, writing pencils and flashlights. One such instrument can be a writing instrument with a magnetic clip as described in U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 10/907734 and shown as 22a. Another instrument include could be magnetic flashlight such as the one described in U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 10/908108 indicated as 22b. Magnets 24 and 26 attach to the front side of the pouch. These magnets are positioned such that the magnet 16 will contact them when the extension is folded forward. Referring to
a,
10
b,
10
c and 10d show a magnetic clip 35 that attaches to one of the external magnets of the pouch.
a,
11
b and 11c show back, side and three-quarter views of the magnetic clip attached to the magnetic pouch in the closed position.
a,
12
b and 12c show front, side and three-quarter views of the magnetic clip attached to the magnetic pouch in the open position.
The pocket pouch of the present invention provides significant advantages over the current art. The invention has been described in connection with its preferred embodiments. However, it is not limited thereto. Changes, variations and modifications to the basic design may be made without departing from the inventive concepts in this invention. In addition, these changes, variations and modifications would be obvious to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the foregoing teachings. All such changes, variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of this invention.
