GB2205187A

GB2205187A - A card holder

Info

Publication number: GB2205187A
Application number: GB08711418A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andy Yip Keung Cheung
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-05-14
Filing date: 1987-05-14
Publication date: 1988-11-30
Also published as: GB8711418D0

Abstract

A card holder comprises a plurality of pockets 10 for receiving cards 16, a sensor 13 provided in each pocket to detect the presence or absence of the card, and a signal device, e.g. sound generator (24, Fig 2 and 10, not shown) to provide an audible signal indicating the absence of the card. A timing circuit (18-23) is provided to periodically energise the sound generator when one of the sensors detects absence of a card. Each sensor comprises two electrical contacts 14 and 15 mounted respectively on confronting panels 11 and 12 of the pocket for electrical contact one with the other in the absence of the card. The contacts are provided by flexible conductive patterns etched or printed on a pocket blank which is subsequently folded. <IMAGE>

Description

A CARD HOLDER The present invention relates to a card bolder.

Plastics cards such as identity cards, credit cards, charge cards, cheque cards and driving licences, and otber important electrically insulating items such as cheque books are frequently carried by a user at all times. The loss of such important items may cause inconvenience and may even result in fraudulent use.

The present invention seeks to provide a card holder with means to protect a user against the loss of items carried by the holder.

According to the invention there is provided a card holder comprising at least one pocket for receiving a card, sensing means in the pocket adapted to detect the presence or absence of the card, and signal means operative in response to the sensing means to provide a signal indicating the absence of the card.

Preferably, timing means are provided in the card holder to periodically energise the signal means when the sensing means detects the absence of the card, Preferably, the sensing means is a coupling device or switch (hereinafter referred to as a switch) comprising two electrical contacts mounted respectively on confronting panels of the pocket for electrical contact one with the other in the absence of the card.

Advantageously, a plurality of pockets are provided in the card holder by folding a pocket blank.

Other preferred features of the invention are set forth in the following description and the accompanying claims.

It is therefore possible to provide a card holder which will give a periodic warning signal, which may be, for example, audible, visible or of a vibratory nature, to indicate the absence of a card or other important item from a pocket of the card holder.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of one of a plurality of pockets of a card holder according to the invention; Figure 2 is a block diagram of a security circuit of the card holder of Figure li Figures 3 to 8 show the signal waveforms at various parts of the security circuit of Figure 2t Figure 9 shows a pocket blank used to form a card holder according to the invention, and Figure 10 is a circuit diagram of a practical implementation of the security circuit of Figure 2; Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows one of a plurality of pockets 10 of a card holder embodying the invention, the pocket 10 comprising confronting first and second pocket panels 11 and 12 and sensor means in the form of a switch 13.The switch 13 has two contacts 14 and 15 mounted on the inner surdces of the panels 11 and 12, respectively.

The pocket 10 is adapted to receive a plastic card, such as for example a credit card 16, between the panels 11 and 12q In the absence of the card 16, the contacts 14 and 15 will come into contact with one another, but when the card 16 is introduced into the pocket the contacts 14 and lS will be kept apart.

Hence the presence or absence of the card 16 is detectable by the switch 13, The switch 13 forms part of a security circuit 17 of the card holder 9 as represented by the block diagram of Figure 2. The output of the switch 13 is connected via a parallel circuit comprising oscillators 19, 20 and a control link 21 to an AND gate 18, The output of the AND gate 18 is connected to the input of an oscillator 22, The output of the oscillator 22 is connected to the input of a driver circuit 23 and the output of the driver circuit 23 is connected to a signal emitting device in the form of a souna generator 24.

The switch 13 when closed will provide a step signal 13' as shown in Figure 3. This signal 13' triggers the oscillators 19 and 20 to provide respective signals 19' and 20' as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

The signal 19' is a 50% duty cycle square waveform with a 0.5 second period while the signal 20' is an 1 to 10 mark-to-space ratio square waveform with a 22 second period.

The control link 21 is used to connect the step signal 13' dirxcEly to the AND gate 15, The Amid gate 18 provides an output signal 18' at a high or logic '1' state when all three input signals 13', 19' and 20' are at high or logic "l" states. With one or more of the input signals at a low or logic "0" state, the AND gate 18 will output a logic "0" state signal. The output signal 18' of the AND gate 18 will therefore comprise groups of square wave cycles having a 0,5 second period separated by 20 second time intervals as shown in Figure 6, when the switch 13 is closed.

The signal 15' it used to trigger the oscillator 22 to provide a 3kHz square wave signal, as shown in Figure 7, during every logic "1" state of the AND gate output signal 18'. This signal is amplified by the driver circuit 23 and the amplified signal 23', as shown in Figure 8, is fed to the sound generator 24 which will emit a periodic audible signal when the switch 12 i; closed.

The audible signal is In the form of a string of "beeps" for 2 seconds in every 22 second period, which is in accordance with the signal 23'.

Individual "beeps" will last for and be separated from one another by 0.25 second. Since the oscillators 19 and 20 are not sychronisedt the number of "beeps" in every 22 ceoona may differ by one as shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

Figure 9 shows a pocket blank 28 used to form a card holder having a plurality of pockets 10. The blank 28 comprises alternate pocket panels 11 and 12.

Conductive contact patterns 29 and 30 are etched or printed on one side of the blank 28. Two contacts 14 are provided on each panel 11 by the pattern 30 and two contacts 15 are provided on each panel 12 by the pattern 29. Connector strips 32 and 33 on an end panel 34 provide connections to respective patterns 29 and 30.

The blank 28 is folded in pleated manner about fold lines 31 as shown so that the contacts 14 are aligned with respective contacts 15. The pockets 10 are then formed in two adjacent columns by stitching along the two edges of the blank and along a centre line, as shown at 35.

The card holder may be provided in a wallet (not shown) having two flaps foldable onto one other. In this case the card holder is stitched onto the inner side of one flap of the wallet whilst the other flap is provided with a single pocket for paper money, The security circuit 17 and the sound generator 24 together with the voltage supply V1 provided by batteries are mounted on one side of the end panel 34 of the blank 28 and concealed by a sheet of wallet material, Electrical connection between the switches 13 and the security circuit 11 is made via the connector strips 32 and 33.

Figure 10 shows a practical implementation of the security circuit 17 including resistors, inductor, capacitors, diodes and logic gates. The sensing means of Figure 9 is in the form of a parallel circuit of switches l3 each associated with a respective pocket of the card holder, with one side of each switch 13 connected to a positive voltage supply V1 and the other side of each switch 13 connected to earth E via a resistor R1 at a circuit node A. With this arrangement the voltage level of the circuit node A will be at the same level as the voltage supply Vl, or at a logic 'I" stage when one or more of the switches 13 is closed: otherwise it will be zt substantially zero potential or a logic "0" state.

The oscillator 19 comprises a NAND gate Gl, a resistor R2 and a capacitor C1 connected in known manner as shown. The output signal 19' of the oscillator 19 will be a 50% duty cycle square waveform as the charging and discharging paths of the capacitor C1 are identical.

The oscillator 20 comprises NAND gates G2 and G3, two resistors R3 and R4, and a capacitor C2 connected in known manner as shown. The output signal 20' of the oscillator 20 will nut be a 50% duty cycle sguare waveform as the charging and discharging paths of the capacitor C2 are different in the presence of the diode D1. The NAND gate G3 is connected as an inverter to give the output signal 20' an appropriate polarity.

The control link 21 is a simple wire connection as shown.

The AND gate 18 comprises a resistor R3 and diodes D2, D3 and D4 connected as shown. The output signal 18' of the AND gate 18 will be substantially at the voltage level ot tne supply vlcty V1 OL a logic "1" state when all the input signals taken from the oscillators 19 and 20 and the control link 21 to the input diodes D2-4 are at loaic #ln states. With one or more of these signals at a logic "0" stage, the output signal 18' will be at a logic "0" state.

The oscillator 22 comprises a NAND gate G4, a resistor RS and a capacitor C3 and provides an output signal 22' of high frequency.

The driver circuit 23 is a common-emitter transistor amplifier comprising a n-p-n transistor TR1, a resistor R6 and an inductor t1 connected as shown.

The circuit 23 will amplify the input signal 22' to provide a driving signal 23' to activate the sound generator 24. The sound generator comprises R B1 with a shunt connected input capacitor C4 as shown.

The card holder described above is given by way of example only, and it will be apparent to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. For example, instead of or in addition to the sound generator, the card holder may have a light emitting warning device.

Claims

l. A card holder comprising at least one pocket for receiving a card, sensing means in the pocket adapted to detect the presence or absence of the card, and signal means operative in response to the sensing means to provide a signal indicating the absence of the card.

2, A card holder as claimed in claim l, wherein the sensing means is a switch comprising two electrical contacts mounted respectively on confronting panels of the pocket for electrical contact one with the other in the absence of the card.

A A card holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the contacts are provided by a conductive pattern applied to the panel surfaces inside the pocket, 4. A card holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the conductive pattern is flexible.

5. A card holder as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein timing means is provided to periodically eneryie te signal means when the sensor means detects the absence of a card, 6. A card holder as claimed in claim S, wherein the timing means is adapted to energize the signal means to provide a signal for short time intervals occurring at predetermined longer idling intervals.

7. A card holder as claim in anyone o the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of pockets are provided, each pocket having associated sensing means, and the sensing means are connected electrically parallel with one another.

B. A card holder as claimed in claim 7 wherein the pockets have been formed by folding a pocket blank.

9. A card holder as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the signal means is a sound generator.

10. A card holder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.