Patent Application
20150083289
This invention relates to the field of wallets and document carriers. More particularly, this invention relates to wallets and document carriers having an O-ring hinge connection.
Wallets are typically small flat cases that are used to carry personal items such as cash, credit cards, identification information, cards, photos, etc. These are typically made from leather or other fabrics and are usually pocket-sized and foldable. Document carriers, sometimes referred to as organizers, are similar to wallets except that they are often used to carry larger documents, such as passports, notebooks, files, documents, etc. Traditional wallets and documents carriers were often large and bulky. However, recently, wallets and document carrier are designed with minimalist construction to minimize their size.
Plate wallets are typically designed to carry, for example, one or two bank or credit cards, cash and an ID. These types of wallets are usually small enough to fit conveniently into the front or back pants pocket without causing discomfort or annoyance to the user. However, previous plate wallets are often not durable, difficult and expensive to manufacture and repair, and difficult to operate. Additionally, these wallets are often made in only one size, about the size of a credit card, which may not be large enough for other items that a user may wish to carry, such as a passport. Finally, these wallets are often bland, not aesthetically pleasing, or are overly complicated.
What is needed, therefore, is a plate-type wallet that is economical to manufacture, convenient to use, durable, and attractive and aesthetically pure.
The above and other needs are met by a wallet for securely holding one or more documents. The wallet includes a first band plate, a second band plate, a stationary O-ring and a rolling O-ring. Each plate includes a top edge, side edges, a pivot edge, and notches in each of the side edges. Each notch is located adjacent the pivot edge and is configured to receive at least a portion of the stationary O-ring. At least one of the plates also includes a channel located in each of the side edges between the notch and the top edge. The stationary O-ring may be placed into the notches of the plates and the rolling O-ring may be placed into the channel of the plate. The stationary O-ring allows the plates to be separated at one end while being held together at the other end. In a closed position, the rolling O-ring maintains pressure on the plates, thereby holding any documents securely in the wallet. The rolling O-ring rolls down the channel to release tension and pressure on the plates is reduced as the plates are spread apart.
In certain embodiments, the wallet further includes a third plate having the same or similar construction as the first or second plate. The plates may each further include at least one tab section formed by the top edge, wherein each of the tab section are configured for arrangement such that at least a portion of each tab section is unobstructed by any other tab section. The plates may be rectangular-shaped plate or triangular-shaped.
Certain plates may include a locking mechanism that includes a second notch that is located in each of the side edges adjacent the top edge that is sized and configured to receive at least a portion of the rolling O-ring.
In certain embodiments, the outward-pointing corners of the top edge, side edges, pivot edge, notch and channel of each plate are blunted. The plates may be formed from an aluminum alloy. The exterior surface of one or more of the plates may be anodized.
In certain embodiments, a plate may include a cut out portion that is sized and configured for use as a bottle opener.
Further advantages of the invention are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
In the following detailed description of the preferred and other embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that structural changes may be made and processes may vary in other embodiments.
As the term is used throughout this disclosure, “documents” refers generally to the contents of the wallet, including any document(s) that may be carried in a wallet or document carrier, other similar apparatus, including for example cash, credit cards, identification information, cards, photos, passports, notebooks, files, documents, tablets (e.g., iPads), etc.
With reference now to the Figures and, in particular, to
The plate 4 may include a first set of notches 8 and a second set of notches 10 that are formed into each side 12 of the plate. These notches 8, 10 are substantially the same and, in the discussion that follows, the description of notches 8 also applies to notches 10, unless otherwise specified. Each notch 8 is sized and configured to receive one O-ring 6. In particular, as shown in
Additionally, the wallet 2 may also include one or more channels 14 that are also formed along the sides 12 of the plate 4. As with the notches 8, the channels 14 are also sized and configured to receive and securely hold O-rings 6. However, unlike the notches 8 that securely fix the O-ring 6 in substantially one position and location, the O-ring 6 can roll along the length of the channel 14.
The plates 4 may include several convenience features that make carrying a wallet of this design more convenient, safe and enjoyable. For example, the plates 4 may optionally include a window 16 that is integrated into the plate and is sized and configured for use as a bottle opener. Another convenient feature is rounded, blunted beveled or chamfered corners 18. The purpose of these types of corners 18 is to prevent sharp, harsh edges that may cause injury to the user or the user's clothing, or other material or fabric it may come into contact with (e.g., pockets, bag, etc.). Additionally, forming the corners 18 in this way allows the wallet 2 to be inserted and removed from pockets more easily than would a similar wallet having sharp, harsh corners.
Plates 4 are made using a rigid material of sufficient thickness to make them durable and strong for everyday use as a wallet. For example, preferably, the plates 4 should be sufficiently strong so as not to be damaged when placed in a user's pocket and sat upon. However, for the sake of convenience and in recognizing that the wallet 2 will most likely be carried on the user's person, the plates 4 are preferably made from a lightweight material. Finally, to simply the construction of the wallets 2, the plates 4 should be made from a material that is easy to machine and customize.
For example, a suitable material may be 1/16″ aluminum plate. However, any material having the properties described above would suffice. One benefit of selecting aluminum is that it has RFID blocking properties that would help to prevent the content of the wallet from being scanned with RFID scanners. This may be particularly useful, for example, if the contents of the wallet contained confidential or personal information that was susceptible to RFID scanners, such as a passport.
Another benefit of using aluminum is that it may be surface treated, including anodized, which may increase corrosion and wear resistance and provide better adhesion for paint primers and adhesives, etc. than does bare metal. Additionally, anodizing the material can be used for cosmetic effects such as surface coloring, dyeing, printing, and a wide variety of other finishes, textures and designs. Finally, aluminum is easily machined and customized, including for example, custom engravings or etchings into the outer surfaces of the plates.
The plates 4 may be formed in a variety of shapes, sizes, and configurations. For example, the plates may be generally rectangular or triangular in shape. Of course, this invention is not limited by the precise number, shape or configuration of plates 4. Rather, users may customize their wallet 2 using different numbers, shapes and sizes of plates, such that one user's wallet may be entirely different from another user's wallet. In particular, the wallet may be customized according to the user's need and the wallet's bulk and storage capacity may be reduced or expanded by removing or adding additional plates. Further, different types of plates may provide different functionality depending on the needs of the user.
The two-plate wallet 20 shown in
Another advantage is that the wallet may be repaired when necessary by the user. With repeated or extended use, it is expected that the O-rings will eventually fatigue and break. Other plate wallets cannot be simply and easily repaired. In those designs, it is common for two loose ends of a tensioning mechanism (e.g., elastic band) be inserted through two different portions of the wallet itself and then clamped or otherwise permanently joined together. Since most users won't have the tools necessary to properly clamp or join a replacement elastic band, the wallet could not be easily repaired once the origin band broke. By contrast, the wallet of the present disclosure places the tensioning mechanism around an outside edge of the wallet such that an O-ring may be used and no joining operation is required. If the original O-ring breaks, it can be replaced by a new 0-ring very easily without the use of any tools or any additional joining steps.
Therefore, it is preferable to select an O-ring that is fairly common. In addition to making the wallets easy to open, the use of common O-rings allows for a non-proprietary, user serviceable and economical way to join the plates. A suitable O-ring for the credit card sized wallet is the A50 Buna-Nitrile O-ring.
Opposing side edges 12 of the plates 22, 24 may include a notch 8 that is positioned near a lower pivot edge 38 of the rectangular plate and lower pivot edge 40 of the triangular plate 22. The notch 8 is designed to receive the stationary O-ring 32, which remains stationary within the notch whether the wallet 20 is in an open position or a closed position and during the transition from one position to the other. Once the stationary O-ring 34 has been properly seated within the notch 8 it serves a several purposes, including securing together the plates 22, 24, aligning the plates, and also acting as a hinge-type connection between the plates, such that the plates are able to rotate away from one another, on one side, while remaining connected together, on the other side.
Another benefit of the O-rings 32, 34 is that they provide padding to prevent the plates 22, 24 from scratching or damaging surfaces. For example, if the wallet 20 were placed onto a table, the O-rings 32, 34 would hold the plates 22, 24 away from the surface of the table. Furthermore, the O-rings 32, 34 will assist in protecting the outer surface of the plates 22, 24 from being damaged. For example, if the wallet 20 is placed or dropped onto a rough surface, such as the ground, the O-rings 32, 34 would offer some protection against scratches and dents to the plates 22, 24.
Both opposing side edges 12 of certain plates, including those of the rectangular plate 24 include an elongate channel 14. The channel 14 may be located at any position along the side 12. The channel 14 shown is located approximately at the center of the side 12 of the plate 24 and is adjacent the aforementioned notch 8. The channel 14 receives and securely holds the rolling O-ring 34, which, when corrected positioned, rolls along the channel 14.
When the wallet 20 is in a closed position, as shown in
In doing so, the stationary O-ring 32 remains seated in the notch 8. However, the rolling O-ring 34 rolls down the channel 14 towards a lower edge 38 of the rectangular plate 24 until reaching the lower end of the channel, which arrests further movement of the rolling O-ring. As the rolling O-ring 34 rolls downwards, tension in the O-ring 34 and pressure on the plates 22, 24 is reduced, thereby making it easier to hold the plates apart and to access the contents of the wallet 20.
Both the length of the channel 14 and the position of the notch 8 were selected to allow for easy and comfortable operation of the wallet 20 while maintaining sufficient tension to securely hold the contents within the wallet. For example, in certain embodiments, the length of the channel is approximately ⅓ to ½ the width of the wallet. The size of the wallet may be inversely proportional to the length of the channel such that a larger wallet has a small channel and a smaller wallet has a larger channel. Accordingly, an advantage of this design is that it allows for proper tension to securely hold documents in the wallet when close, but the tension is easily released when opened to simplify access to those documents.
This rolling action is shown in
This spreading action causes the rolling O-ring 34 to roll along the channel 50 towards the pivot edge 44 of the plates 42. The rolling O-ring 34 will continue to roll until it comes to rest at the end of the channel 50. For example, the wallet 40 in
In
By contrast, when a wallet consists of only a single plate, such as the one shown in
Next, the wallet 50 shown in
The plates may further include one or more tabs that are formed along their top edge that assist in the manipulation of the various plates and, when multiple plates are present, for each section of the wallet to be separately opened, accessed and closed. For example, the first rectangular plate 52 may include one or more tabs 56. Similarly, the second rectangular plate 54 may including one or more tabs 58. Finally, the pointed top 30 of the triangular plate 22 may function as a tab. Ideally, as shown in
The second rectangular plate 54, which may also be referred to as the “divider plate” is sandwiched between (i.e., divides) the first rectangular plate 52 and the triangular plate 22. The first rectangular plate 32 and the triangular plate 24 may be referred to as “band plates.”
The primary distinction between a “band plate” and a “divider plate” is the location within the wallet. A band plate is any plate that is the outermost plate of the wallet. By contrast, a divider plate is any plate that is positioned between two band plates. Therefore, each wallet will have a minimum of one and a maximum of two band plates, but may include any number of divider plates between two band plates.
An advantage of having multiple plates and the hinge opening, as described above, is that individual sections or partitions are formed between each pair of plates. This forms a filing cabinet-type of arrangement, which allows documents to be organized and placed into separate sections easily and quickly. For example, cash, cards and other documents may be divided into three different sections of the wallet. Further, individual documents may be inserted, accessed and removed from the wallet without requiring those documents to be inserted or removed as a stack of documents.
In certain embodiments, as shown in
One benefit of the triangular plate 22 is that it allows for easy access to contents of the wallet 20 without having to open the wallet, because the angled sides 26 of the plate 22 do not completely cover the rectangular plates 52, 54 once all of the two plates are stacked together. As illustrated in
In certain embodiments, the wallet 60 may include a second locking notch 62 that is used to lock the wallet 60 into a closed position. The locking notch 62 is located adjacent the top edge 64 of at least one plate. The wallet 60 shown in
The size of the wallet may be scaled up or scaled down to accommodate different sized documents. For example, the wallet may be sized to hold credit card or business card sized documents, passport or foreign (e.g., European) currency, notebooks or legal pads or tablet PCs. For example, the wallet 70 shown in
Also, as mentioned before, the number of plates may be increased or decreased. The mode of operation may change depending on the number and particular shape or configuration of the plates and O-rings. For example, for single plate wallets, such as the one shown in
The foregoing description of embodiments for this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide illustrations of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
