GB2368008A

GB2368008A - Purse or wallet

Info

Publication number: GB2368008A
Application number: GB0116231A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Flassbeck
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-10-21
Filing date: 2001-07-03
Publication date: 2002-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2021-07-03
Also published as: GB2368008B; GB0116231D0; DE20018025U1

Abstract

A purse or wallet comprises a plurality of pockets including a receiver pocket 4, and a card 5 received in the receiver pocket 4 and having a plurality of pockets which are accessible from an edge of the card, the receiver pocket having an edge opening which is associated with at least one pocket of the card to enable an article to be removed from said pocket or one of said pockets. As shown the card has pockets at its top and bottom edges for receiving items such as a pen, a nail file, a toothpick, a knife, scissors and tweezers, and the receiver pocket has corresponding openings at its upper and lower edges. A pivoted section 23 may be swung to give greater access to the pocket.

Description

"Purse or Wallet"

This invention relates to a purse or wallet (hereinafter referred to as purse) having a multiplicity of receiver pockets for cards, documents, money and the like. Purses of this type normally have receiver pockets for coins and/or banknotes, as well as receiver pockets for documents, for example identity cards, and receiver pockets for chip cards.

The expression"chip cards"means credit cards and phone cards in particular.

Purses of the aforementioned type which are known in practice are generally restricted to the purposes of use described above. In this respect, the possibilities of use for these known purses can be varied only slightly.

A basic object of the present invention is to fashion a purse of the type described at the outset so that a multiplicity of articles for everyday use can also be accommodated in said purse.

According to the present invention, there is provided a purse comprising a multiplicity of receiver pockets for cards, documents, money and the like, wherein at least one receiver pocket is provided for a multi-purpose card, which multipurpose card comprises a multiplicity of insertion pockets which are accessible from an edge and in which articles for everyday use are inserted, wherein the receiver pocket comprises an insertion opening for the multi-purpose card, and wherein the receiver pocket additionally comprises at least one edge opening, which is associated with at least one insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card and which enables an article for everyday use to be removed from the insertion pocket. The purse according to the invention may consist of very different materials, but preferably consists of leather and/or artificial leather.

It falls within the scope of the invention for the multi-purpose card to be accommodated in the receiver pocket with a positive fit and/or with a friction fit. The multi-purpose card is advantageously accommodated in the receiver pocket so that when the purse is handled normally the multi-purpose card does not fall out or slip out of the receiver pocket. Nevertheless, the multi-purpose card can be removed from the receiver pocket of the purse in a simple, convenient manner which requires little expenditure of force, with the aid of a person's finger. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, two purse halves are provided which can be folded and unfolded, and the receiver pocket for the multi-purpose card is disposed on the inner face of one purse half. In this connection, the expression"disposed on the inner face"means that when the purse halves are folded the receiver pocket for the multi-purpose card is disposed in the interior of the purse. It falls within the scope of the invention for the purse to comprise additional receiver pockets which can be unfolded. It also falls within the scope of the invention for the receiver pocket which can be provided for receiving the multi-purpose card to be swung out when the purse halves are unfolded.

The multi-purpose card is a flat object which is normally rectangular in shape. Its edges can also be of rounded form. The multi-purpose card (without any articles for everyday use inserted therein) preferably consists of a plastics material, and is preferably produced as a plastics injection moulded part. In its preferred rectangular form, the multi-purpose card advantageously comprises two longer rectangle sides and two shorter rectangle sides. The longer rectangle sides preferably have a length of 4 to 10 cm, more preferably 5 to 9 cm, most preferably 6 to 8.5 cm. The length of the shorter rectangle sides advantageously ranges from 3 to 7 cm, preferably 4 to 6 cm, most preferably 4.5 to 5.5 cm. It falls within the scope of the invention for the rectangular shape of the multipurpose card substantially to correspond to the rectangular shape of a customary chip card or chip card holder. The height (thickness) of the multi-purpose card preferably ranges from 2 to 6 mm, more preferably from 2.5 to 5 mm, most preferably from 3 to 4.5 mm.

In the context of the present invention, the expression"articles for everyday use"means household articles in particular, such as cutting appliances and/or personal care

appliances and/or tools, for example. A knife and/or a pair of scissors and/or a nail file and/or a pair of tweezers are preferably contained in the multi-purpose card as articles for everyday use. It also falls within the scope of the invention for the multi-purpose card to accommodate a small ball-point pen.

Articles for everyday use can be inserted in the multi-purpose card and can be pushed out or removed again from the multi-purpose card. The articles for everyday use which are inserted in the multi-purpose card are advantageously accommodated in the insertion pockets of the multi-purpose card with a positive fit and/or with a friction fit. When inserted in the multi-purpose card, articles for everyday use are preferably accommodated so that they cannot easily fall out or slip out of the multi-purpose card, but so that they can nevertheless be pulled out of the multi-purpose card in a simple manner and with little expenditure of force, with the aid of a person's finger.

According to the invention, the insertion openings of the insertion pockets are provided in the edge faces of the multi-purpose card. The insertion pockets are generally elongated insertion pockets which preferably extend parallel to a rectangle side of the multi-purpose card, most preferably parallel to a longer rectangle side of the multi-purpose card. It falls within the scope of the invention for the direction of insertion of the articles for everyday use to be oriented parallel to the upper faces of the rectangular multi-purpose card. The directions of insertion for the insertion of articles for everyday use in the insertion pockets are preferably parallel to a rectangle side of the rectangular multi-purpose card, and are most preferably parallel to a longer rectangle side of the multi-purpose card.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiver pocket for the multi-purpose card is rectangular in shape and comprises two longer rectangle sides and two shorter rectangle sides. In this respect, the receiver pocket is preferably provided for receiving a rectangular multi-purpose card with a positive and/or friction fit.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one edge opening which is associated with an insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card is disposed on one of the

two shorter rectangle sides of the receiver pocket. According to one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, at least most of the edge openings, and preferably all of the edge openings, of the insertion pockets are provided on the two shorter rectangle sides of the receiver pocket or on the two shorter rectangle sides of the multi-purpose card. The insertion opening for the multi-purpose card is advantageously provided on one of the two shorter rectangle sides of the receiver pocket. At least one edge opening, which is associated with an insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card, is preferably disposed both on one shorter rectangle side and on the other shorter rectangle side of the receiver pocket in each case. It also falls within the scope of the invention for at least one edge opening, which is associated with an insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card, to be provided in the insertion slit or in the region of the insertion slit of the receiver pocket.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiver pocket of the purse comprises at least one receiver pocket aperture. It falls within the scope of the invention for the receiver pocket aperture to be disposed in the rectangular upper face of the receiver pocket. The receiver pocket aperture is advantageously associated with a manipulation face of an article for everyday use, which manipulation face is disposed on the rectangular upper face of the multi-purpose card. According to one embodiment of the invention, the receiver pocket comprises at least one cut-out in the form of a circular segment for the manipulation of an article for everyday use. This cut-out in the form of a circular segment, which is advantageously disposed in the rectangular upper face of the receiver pocket, makes it easier to remove an article for everyday use.

In accordance with claim 1, the invention is based on the recognition that a multiplicity of articles for everyday use for very different purposes of everyday need can be accommodated without problems in the purse according to the invention. Nevertheless, according to the invention these articles for everyday use can be removed from the purse without problems, in a simple manner, and with little expenditure of force, and can also be inserted in the multi-purpose card again.

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawings, which

merely comprise schematic illustrations of examples of embodiments, where : Figure 1 shows a purse according to the invention in its unfolded state ; Figure 2 shows a multi-purpose card for the receiver pocket of a purse according to the invention; and Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the subject of Figure 1.

Figures 1 and 3 show a folding purse 1 according to the invention which comprises two purse halves 2,3. The purse 1 is illustrated in its unfolded state. It can be seen that according to the invention a receiver pocket 4 is provided for a multi-purpose card 5. The receiver pocket 4 has an insertion opening 6 for the multi-purpose card 5. Preferably, and in the embodiment illustrated in the Figures, the receiver pocket 4 is rectangular in shape and comprises two longer rectangle sides 7 and two shorter rectangle sides 8. In the embodiment of the purse 1 which is illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, however, a cut-out 9 in the form of a circular segment is provided in the region of one shorter rectangle side 8 and in the region of one longer rectangle side 7. This cut-out will be described in detail below. The extension of the relevant shorter rectangle side 8 and of the respective longer rectangle side 7 is indicated in Figures 1 and 3 by the broken lines in the region of the cut-out 9 in the form of a circular segment. Preferably, and in the embodiment exemplified, the multi-purpose card 5 is also rectangular in shape and has two longer rectangle sides 10 as well as two shorter rectangle sides 11.

The multi-purpose card 5 has a multiplicity of insertion pockets 12 which are accessible from an edge and into which articles for everyday use are inserted. An insertion opening 13, which is provided in the edge face of the multi-purpose card 5, is associated with each insertion pocket 12. In the embodiment exemplified, the articles for everyday use comprise a knife 14, a pair of scissors 15, a nail file 16, a toothpick 17, a pair of tweezers 18, and a ball-point pen 19 (see Figure 2 in particular).

According to the invention, the receiver pocket 4 comprises edge openings 20 which are associated with insertion pockets 12 or with the insertion openings 13 of the insertion pockets 12 of the multi-purpose card 5, in order to facilitate the removal of an article for everyday use from the respective insertion pocket 12 when the multi-purpose card 5 is inserted in the receiver pocket 4 of the purse 1. The article for everyday use concerned can, of course, also be inserted again in the associated insertion pocket 12 of the multipurpose card 5 via the edge opening 20 in the receiver pocket 4.

Preferably, and in the embodiment exemplified, the multi-purpose card 5 comprises the insertion openings 13 of the insertion pockets 12 for the articles for everyday use on its shorter rectangle sides 11. According to a preferred embodiment, and in the embodiment exemplified, the edge openings 20 which are associated with the insertion pockets 12 or with the insertion openings 13 of the multi-purpose card 5 are disposed on the shorter rectangle sides 8 of the receiver pocket 4. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, two edge openings 20 are provided on the shorter rectangle side 8 opposite the insertion opening 6. It can be seen that two insertion pockets 12 or two insertion openings 13 of these insertion pockets 12 are associated here with an edge opening 20. In principle, it also falls within the scope of the invention for a multiplicity of insertion openings 13 of the insertion pockets 12 to be provided at an edge opening 20 of the receiver pocket 4. On the shorter rectangle side 8, which is opposite the two aforementioned edge openings 20 of the receiver pocket, the insertion opening 6 forms the edge opening, as it were, with which the two insertion openings 13 or the two insertion pockets 12 for the knife 14 and for the scissors 15 are associated. It also falls within the scope of the invention for articles for everyday use to be removed from the multi-purpose card 5 through the insertion opening 6 of the receiver pocket 4.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the receiver pocket 4 comprises a receiver pocket aperture 21. In the embodiment exemplified, the handle 22 of the knife 14 is disposed underneath this receiver pocket aperture 21. The knife 14 can thus be pushed out in a simple manner from the associated insertion pocket 12 or from the insertion opening 6 of the insertion pocket 12 by passing a finger through the insertion

pocket aperture 21. In Figure 1, this is indicated by an arrow. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, the receiver pocket 4 also comprises a cut-out 9 in the form of a circular segment for the manipulation of an article for everyday use. The cut-out 9 of the receiver pocket 4, which cut-out is in the form of a circular segment, is associated with a swinging part 23, in the form of a circular segment, of the multi-purpose card 5.

This swinging part 23 can be swung out from the upper face of the multi-purpose card 5, as indicated by the broken lines in Figure 2. Swinging out the swinging part 23, which is in the form of a circular segment, gives rise to a manipulation opening on the upper face of the multi-purpose card 5. In the embodiment exemplified, this manipulation opening makes it easier to remove the scissors 15.

Claims

1. A purse comprising a multiplicity of receiver pockets for cards, documents, money and the like, wherein at least one receiver pocket is provided for a multi-purpose card, which multipurpose card comprises a multiplicity of insertion pockets which are accessible from an edge and in which articles for everyday use are inserted, wherein the receiver pocket comprises an insertion opening for the multi-purpose card, and wherein the receiver pocket additionally comprises at least one edge opening, which is associated with at least one insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card and which enables an article for everyday use to be removed from the insertion pocket.

2. A purse according to claim 1, wherein two purse halves are provided which can be folded and unfolded, and wherein the receiver pocket for the multi-purpose card is disposed on the inner face of one purse half.

3. A purse according to either one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the receiver pocket for the multi-purpose card is of rectangular shape, and has two longer rectangle sides as well as two shorter rectangle sides.

4. A purse according to claim 3, wherein at least one edge opening which is associated with an insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card is disposed on one of the two shorter rectangle sides of the receiver pocket.

5. A purse according to either one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the insertion opening for the multi-purpose card is provided on one of the two shorter rectangle sides of the receiver pocket.

6. A purse according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein at least one edge opening, which is associated with an insertion pocket of the multi-purpose card, is disposed both on one shorter rectangle side and on the other shorter rectangle side of the receiver pocket in each case.

7. A purse according to any one of claims I to 6, wherein the receiver pocket comprises at least one receiver pocket aperture.

8. A purse according to any one of claims I to 7, wherein the receiver pocket comprises at least one cut-out in the form of a circular segment for the manipulation of an article for everyday use.

9. A purse substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A purse substantially as herein before described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.