EP0379921A2

EP0379921A2 - Holder particularly for credit cards

Info

Publication number: EP0379921A2
Application number: EP90100735A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kuno Prey
Original assignee: Nava Milano SpA
Current assignee: Nava Milano SpA
Priority date: 1989-01-25
Filing date: 1990-01-15
Publication date: 1990-08-01
Also published as: JPH02234706A; IT8920474V0; EP0379921A3; IT215550Z2

Abstract

This holder particularly for credit cards comprises a substantially parallelepipedal outer container (2) defining at least two larger faces (3) and two open contiguous lateral faces (7a,7b), a pivot (5) extending between said larger faces at a corner thereof near to one of the open faces. The pivot acts as a rotation axis for a plurality of envelopes (10,20) which can be accommodated in the outer container (2) and are adapted to removably contain a plate-like element such as credit card.

Description

The present invention relates to a holder particularly for credit cards.
As is known, in order to hold credit cards in an orderly fashion, document-holders are currently used which, in the most common embodiments, have a plurality of pockets which are arranged mutually offset and are dimensioned so as to accommodate each a credit card, leaving outside only a small surface portion of the card so as to allow its identification by the user.
This solution is not practical, since it is not always possible to easily identify the credit card from the small portion which remains visible and furthermore does not allow to vary, according to the demands and requirements of the user, the number of credit cards which can be contained, since the document-holders have a preset and non-modifiable number of pockets.
The aim of the present invention is indeed to solve the above described problem by providing a holder particularly for credit cards which allows to view, when required, the entire credit card, making its identification simple and rapid.
Within the scope of the above described aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide a holder which can be easily and rapidly adapted to the number of credit cards owned by the user, without having problems of any kind.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder which is also adapted for holding and keeping receipts.
Not least object of the present invention is to provide a holder particularly for credit cards which is easily obtainable starting from commonly commercially available elements and materials.
The above described aim, as well as the objects mentioned and others which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a holder particularly for credit cards, as defined in claim 1.
The characteristics and advantages will become apparent from the description of a holder particularly for credit cards, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the holder according to the invention, with envelopes in extracted position, so as to point out its functionality;
figure 2 is an elevation view of the holder with some envelopes in extracted position;
figure 3 is a perspective view of the outer container;
figure 4 is a view of an envelope for containing a credit card;
figure 5 is a schematic view of an envelope for containing receipts.

With reference to the above figures, the holder particularly for credit cards, according to the invention, generally indicated by the reference numeral 1, comprises an outer container 2 which advantageously has a substantially parallelepipedal configuration and is made of relatively flexible materials, so as to provide said container with a certain degree of softness.
Said substantially parallelepipedal outer container 2 is defined by two opposed larger faces 3 and four lateral faces, whereof two contiguous faces 6a, 6b comprise wall portions and two contiguous lateral faces 7a, 7b are open. At a corner portion comprised between faces 6a and 7b, the larger faces 3 of the outer container 2 are provided with mutually aligned through holes 4 in which a pivot 5, provided by a conventional male threaded pin with female bush, can be inserted.
Said pivot 5 acts as hinge axis for a plurality of card envelopes 10 which are removably accommodatable in said outer container 2 and can contain a plate-like element such as a credit card 40.
As illustrated in figure 4, the card envelopes 10 are formed by a rectangular base element 10a provided, at a rounded corner 11, with a hole 12 wherein the pivot 5 inserts, and by a transparent layer 13 superimposed to base element 10a and rigidly connected thereto at preferably three edges 13a thereof. In particular, at least edge 13b, far from hole 12, is not connected to base element 10a and defines a missing corner 14 so as to facilitate the extraction of the credit card.
An envelope for receipts, indicated at 20, is furthermore advantageously provided. The receipt envelope 20 has the same size as the card envelopes 10 and is formed by a receipt base element 20a and a triangular sheet 21 connected to receipt base element 20a along two perpendicular sides 21a thereof so as to define a triangular pocket which facilitates the insertion of the receipts.
Said outer container 2 is furthermore provided, on the edge of one of the larger faces 3 which is adjacent to face 6a, with a recess 30 which extends into a lateral recess 31 provided on the lateral face 6a which is contiguous to the region where the pivot 5 is provided, so as to facilitate the extraction of the envelopes in order to select the required credit card.
As illustrated in figure 1, the credit cards can be extracted by fan-like opening the envelopes which rotate about the pivot 5, so as to allow the easy and comfortable selection of the credit card to be used.
From what has been described above, it can be seen that the invention achieves the proposed aims, and in particular the fact is stressed that a holder is provided which can contain a variable number of envelopes according to the user's requirements and allows the user to possibly insert further envelopes, so as to contain all the credit cards he deems appropriate.
The fan-like extraction of the envelopes furthermore allows to clearly view the credit cards themselves.
Another important aspect is furthermore constituted by the fact that an adapted envelope for accommodating the various receipts is furthermore provided in the same holder.
In practice, the materials employed, as well as the contingent dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A holder particularly for credit cards, characterized in that it comprises a substantially parallelepipedal outer container (2) defining two larger faces (3) and at least two open contiguous lateral faces (7a,7b), a pivot (5) extending between said larger faces (3) at a corner thereof near to one (7b) of said open faces, said pivot acting as a rotation axis for a plurality of envelopes (10,20) which can be accommodated in said outer container (2) and are adapted to removably contain a plate-like element (40) such as a credit card.

2. A holder, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises, on one of the larger faces (3), a recess (30) which extends into a lateral recess (31) provided on the closed lateral face (6a) which is contiguous to said pivot (5).

3. A holder, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said outer container (2) is made of relatively flexible material.

4. A holder, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said envelopes (10) have a rounded corner (11) with a hole (12) for engagement with said pivot (5), said envelopes defining a pocket with a removed corner (14) to facilitate the extraction of the plate-like element (40).

5. A holder, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an envelope (20) for receipts which defines a substantially triangular pocket.