The present invention relates to wallets and more particularly relates to wallets of the bifold type including compartments for holding objects such as money and the like. More particularly the present invention relates to an improved more durable wallet manufactured from a plastics material and including compartments which are sufficiently rigid to retain their volume but flexible enough to confirm as required to pockets and body shapes.
Although the invention will be described with reference to preferred configurations constructed from plastics layers, it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the plastics wallet arrangements are adaptable in a wide variety of applications.
Numerous wallets are known in the prior art. Examples are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,905,881 issued to Graber; 4,570,688 issued to Williams; 5,497,818 issued to Marcarelli; and 1,298,278 issued to Bashinski.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,022 discloses a wallet including a pocket portion defining a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, side edges, an open top, and a flap portion that extends from the rear panel for folding over the open top to engage the front panel. The wallet comprises male and female fasteners for engaging the flap portion with the front panel.
Although the prior art patents show variety of wallets, each wallet may have particular functional characteristics which allow access to various compartments. Generally the typical wallets have compartments defined by walls which define an envelope which may either have an open edge or which may be closed by a member such as a flap.
Wallets are generally made from leather layers or material backed plastics layers which are connected along edges to form compartments. Thus a three layer wallet might form two compartments which can retain objects such as money therein.
A wallet typically comprises a pocket portion defining a pocket having a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, side edges and an open top, wherein the front and rear panels are being sandwiched and secured together along the edges thereof. Known wallets may further include a flap portion that extends from a rear panel for folding over the open top to engage the front panel. The wallet may further include a plurality of fasteners disposed on the front panel and flap portion for engaging the flap portion with the front panel.
Accordingly, wallets have a variety of configurations but they have been restricted to construction by materials which impart flexibility to the wallet. This results in any content being placed under stress by squeezing particularly in bifold wallets. U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,563 discloses a multiple bill compartment wallet A wallet including a single strip of material including a plurality of oppositely folded and integrally attached panels which extend in directions opposite the adjacent panels to provide a series of outwardly opening paper currency receiving compartments. A closure, integral with at least one of the panels, is detachably coupled to one of the endmost panels in the stack.
Wallets have been provided heretofore, such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,455,515, issued to Samuel Miller on Dec. 7, 1948, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,266,544, issued to B. L. Snyder on Aug. 16, 1966, each of which discloses the concept of a plurality of compartments for holding currency of differing denominations.
The prior art wallets are generally fabricated from a plurality of individual panels which are assembled in stacked relation. The stacking and assembly of individual panels adds to the expense of manufacture. Leather wallets are common and are usually formed from layers of relatively soft material such as cloth layers which are enveloped by a leather outer skin. There have also been cheap wallets which are formed from soft skin plastics with a cloth backing and which are crushable so that the definition and boundaries of the inner compartments are not retained.
There has been a long felt want in the industry to provide a satisfactory alternative to the known wallets which ameliorates the disadvantages of the prior art wallets
The present invention seeks to provide an alternative to the known wallets and in particular to those of the type having a plurality of compartments.
In is one object of the present invention to provide a wallet which has a plurality of compartments, has improved durability but sufficient flexibility to conform to body contours.
In is a further object of the present invention to provide a wallet which has compartments which are more easily accessed than the known envelope type wallets and which allow improved opening and closing of the compartments.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an alternative bi fold wallet constructed from a blend of plastics materials which allow the wallet on one hand to be sufficiently rigid so that the integrity of the compartments is retained but sufficiently flexible so that its panels can deflect with elastic memory so that the wallet is capable of confirming to body contours.
Accordingly, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a multiple compartment wallet which includes a pair of end panels, a plurality of intermediate panels sandwiched between the end panels, and a closure coupled to one of the intermediate panels detachably coupled to one of the end panels.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-compartment wallet of the type described including novel closures. These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent as the description thereof.
In its broadest form the present invention comprises: a wallet comprising;
a body including a first outer compartment and an opposing second outer compartment connected to the first outer compartment such that the first and second outer compartments are capable of relative movement allowing one said compartments to be moved relative to the other compartment between a folded state in which the compartments oppose each other and an unfolded state wherein the compartments are generally in alignment;
the wallet further comprising a fold out cover which when folded opposes each said first and second outer compartments; wherein the cover is pivotally connected to said body and defines at least one other compartment;
means connecting said first and second compartments which allow said movement between said folded and unfolded state.
According to a preferred embodiment, said cover which is adapted to move between a folded state in which the cover closes one or both said compartments and an unfolded state in which the cover exposes an internal space in said compartments. The cover preferably includes a compartment having a slidable lid capable of opening and closing said cover compartment.
According to a preferred embodiment, the cover is attached to the body of said wallet via at least one hinge. Preferably a first hinge connects said cover to said first compartment and a second hinge connects said cover to said second compartment. According to another embodiment, the cover comprises separate cover elements a first of which comprises said cover compartment and lid and a second of which detachably receives and retains thereon a card holder.
In another broad form the present invention comprises: a wallet formed by moulding from at least two plastics materials; the wallet including a first of said plastics materials forming a soft outer wall and a second of said plastics materials being semi rigid and surrounding said outer wall; the wallet further comprising a cover formed from a semi rigid plastics material and a periphery formed from a soft flexible plastics with elastic memory; wherein the cover is folded into opposing relationship with said outer wall and so that the wallet is capable of bi folding so that compartments defined by the outer wall confronts.
Preferably the wallet includes a releasable card holder and a tab which allows locking closure of said confronting compartments.
A multiple fold storage wallet comprising: a plurality of inter-coupled, compartments including a pair of outer panels and a plurality of intermediate panels sandwiched between said outer panels each of said plurality of panels having one end coupled to an adjacent end of an adjacent confronting panel on one side thereof one of said end-most panels having first fastener means thereon; one said panels having a tab integrally coupled thereto along a portion thereof and extending outwardly and around an opposite side of another panel; the wallet formed by moulding from at least two plastics materials; the wallet including a first of said plastics materials forming a soft outer wall and a second of said plastics materials being semi rigid and surrounding said outer wall; the wallet further comprising a cover formed from a semi rigid plastics material and a periphery formed from a soft flexible plastics with elastic memory.
According to a preferred embodiment, a tab used to close the wallet is integral with the soft flexible outer wall plastics material and has sufficient extension to wrap around an opposite face of said wall.
In another broad form the present invention comprises:
a foldable wallet comprising;
a body including a first pair of compartments and an opposing second pair of compartments connected to the first compartments such that the first and second compartments are capable of relative movement allowing one said compartments to be moved relative to the other compartment between a folded state in which the compartments oppose each other and an unfolded state wherein the compartments are generally in alignment;
hinge means connecting said first and second compartments which allow said movement between said folded and unfolded state;
said second compartments also forming a cover which is adapted to move between a folded state in which the cover closes the first pair of compartments and an unfolded state in which the cover exposes an internal space in said first pair of compartments;
said cover including a slidable lid capable of opening and closing said cover compartment.
According to a preferred embodiment, the cover is attached to the body of said wallet via at least one hinge. Preferably a first hinge connects said cover to said first pair of compartments. According to another embodiment, the cover detachably receives and retains thereon a card holder.
The wallet further comprises a roving module which engages the compartment formed in said cover.
Preferably, one of said first pair of compartments of said wallet body includes a tab which enables said first body and said second body to be secured in said folded state.
According to one embodiment, the first and second pair of compartments of said wallet body are manufactured from co moulded polypropylene, the lid from polypropylene, the roving module from polypropylene and the card holder from PVC.
According to an alternative embodiment, the wallet body and cover are made from a blend of soft flexible plastics and a semi rigid plastics. Preferably the semi rigid plastics forms an outer surface of the cover and an inner portion of the cover. Preferably the soft flexible rubberised plastics forms an inner surface of the first and second compartments and a peripheral rim of said cover.
In its broadest form the present invention comprises a bi fold plastics wallet comprising;
a first wall having an inner face, an outer face and a flexible spine and which defines on one side of the spine a first compartment and on another side a second compartment;
wherein, the first compartment is connected to the second compartment via the spine such that the first and second compartments are capable of relative movement allowing one said compartments to be moved between a folded state in which the compartments oppose each other and an unfolded state wherein the compartments are unopposed.
The present invention will now be described in more detail according to a preferred but non limiting embodiment and with reference to the accompanying illustrations; wherein:
a, b, and c show a wallet in three utility configurations according to an alternative embodiment.
The invention will be described with reference to the following embodiments which disclose a wallet having a stiff outer plastics shell which is flexible enough to be elastic and thereby conform to body contours such as when the wallet is placed in the pocket of a wearer. It will be appreciated however, that the invention in adopting that concept can equally be applicable to a variety of alternative embodiments other than those described herein.
Referring to
Cover 2 also includes a flexible bridge 14 which allow eventual bi folding of cover 2 so a wallet like appearance is formed. Compartment 9 of closure 7 receives and retains a card holder 15 which fits neatly into compartment 9. Closure 2 further comprises a peripheral rim 16 which is formed from a semi rigid plastics material. Thus rim 16 peripherally stiffens closure 2 to provide an outer frame which supports soft flexible rubber of outer cover 2. Closure 7 on the other hand incorporates a peripheral rim 17 made of soft rubber and an inner region 18 of semi rigid plastics. The distribution of soft and semi rigid plastics materials imparts a stiffness to wallet 1 which allows the compartments when folded to substantially retain their structural integrity under load but without discomfort to the wearer. Cover 2 further comprises closure tab 19 which engages boss 23 when cover 2 is folded about bridge 14. Bridges 13 and 14 are in apposition when closure 7 is folded over cover 2 and wallet 1 is folded about 14.
The wallet has compartments which are more easily accessed than the known envelope type wallets and which allow improved opening and closing of the compartments.
Referring to
Wallet 29 also comprises an optional detachable roving module 45 insertable in compartment 37. Module 45 includes opening 51 which aligns with opening 50 in compartment 37. Closure 35 further comprises a peripheral rim 44 which is formed from a semi rigid plastics material. Thus rim 44 peripherally stiffens closure 35 to provide an outer frame which supports soft flexible rubber of outer cover 30. Closure 35 alternatively may incorporate a peripheral rim 44 made of soft rubber and an inner region 46 of semi rigid plastics. The distribution of soft and semi rigid plastics materials imparts a stiffness to wallet 29 which allows the compartments when folded to substantially retain their integrity under load but without discomfort to the wearer. Cover 30 further comprises closure tab 47 which engages boss 48 when cover 30 is folded about bridge 42. Bridges 41 and 42 are in apposition when closure 35 is folded over cover 30 and wallet 29 is folded about bridge 42.
a shows a wallet 53 in a first open utility configuration according to an alternative embodiment.
b shows wallet 53 in a partially folded utility configuration according to an alternative embodiment.
c shows wallet 53 in a partially folded utility configuration according to an alternative embodiment. Wallet 53 shown comprises cover 55 manufactured from a soft plastics material to which is pivotally attached via hinge 56 a closure wall 54 made partially from a soft plastics and partially from a rigid plastics material. As shown in
Referring to
Wall 70 also includes a flexible bridge 79 which allows bi folding of compartments 71 and 72 so a wallet like appearance is formed. Compartment region 71 of wall 70 receives and retains a card holder 80. Card holder 80 includes male formations 81 which engage a female recess 82 on region 71. Wall 70 of wallet 59 further comprises a peripheral rim 83 which is formed from a semi rigid plastics material. Thus rim 83 peripherally stiffens region 72 and provides an outer frame which supports soft flexible region 71. Compartment 72 is defined by cover 84 which includes formation 85 which engages corresponding formations 86 and 87 associated with rim 83. This arrangement allows cover to open and close compartment 72 by rotation of formation 85. The distribution of soft and semi rigid plastics materials imparts a stiffness to wallet 59 which allows the compartments when folded to substantially retain their integrity under load but without discomfort to the Bridges 78 and 79 are in apposition when wall engages is folded over cover 2 and wallet 1 is folded about 14.
It will be recognized by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention as broadly described herein such as altering the durometers of the plastics used without departing from the overall spirit and scope of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004904896 | Aug 2004 | AU | national |
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 11/661,286 (now abandoned), which is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/AU2005/001278, filed Aug. 27, 2005 (which is hereby incorporated by reference).
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11661286 | Aug 2008 | US |
Child | 13295806 | US |