GB2238344A - Safety case for a credit card - Google Patents

Abstract

The case comprises a body 1 with a card-receiving chamber 2 and at least one cylindrical keyhole 4, each keyhole 4 being fitted wrth a locking mechanism comprising a dial-type key 5, operable to prevent the card 12 from being withdrawn. Each key 5 has a cylindrical knob 5a received in an enlarged portion 4a of the corresponding keyhole, a shank 5b and a snap member 8 disposed in a recess 7 of shank 5b and biased by a spring 10. A fixing member 11 fixedly receives the free end of the key 5. At least one circular locking hole 13 is formed in the card 12 to receive shank 56. Each hole 13 has an opening 15 so that the opening can allow the key to access to the locking hole but the card 12 can be held by rotation of the key(s). In Figure 4 the locking holes are provided by a separate member (16) mounted to the card (12). <IMAGE>

Description

A SAFETY CASE FOR A CREDIT CARD WITH A LOCKING MECHANISM The present invention relates to a safety case for a credit card, more particularly to a safety case for a credit card with a locking mechanim to prevent the card from being taken out of the case.

Credit cards are widely and conveniently used in place of cash, in purchasing articles. However, such cards are generally used by simply being taken out of a wallet and have not any safety means, so that if a card has been carelessly lost, the owner thereof may suffer a loss, because others may easily use it for a bad purpose.

Accordingly, there has been a requirement of avoiding the abovementioned problem.

Therefore, an object of the present into notion is to overcome tile above-mentioned disadvantage anti to peroxide a safety case for a credit card wit.h a locking mechanism to prevent the card From being taken out of the case.

In accordance with the present invention, this objet can be accomplished by providing a safety case for a credit card comprising: a case body having upper arxi lower rectangular walls defining a card-receiving chamber tiierebetween and an inlet allowing said card to enter said chamber, at least one of cylindrical keyholes each formed at the side of said case body opposite to said inlet of case body to pass through said upper and lower walls of the case body and the chamber vertically and provided at both ends thereof with a pair of enlarged portions, respectively, and a dial indication provided at the -upper surface of the upper wall of case body around said enlarged portion of keyhole formed at the upper wall; and a locking mechanism including at least one of dial-type keys each fitted in said keyholes and having a cylindrical knob received in the enlarged portion of keyhole formed at the upper wall of the case body and provided, at t.he upper surface thereof, with an index, and a narrow shank of a rectangular cross-section extending downwardly from said knob and having at the intermediate portion thereof a traversally-extending recess provided with an annular groove adjacent the inlet thereof, a free end connected to the lower end of said shank and protruded intc said enlarged portion of keyhole at the lower wall of the case b(dy, a snap member disposed in said recess to be exposed in the a!lal ber of case body ant biased toward said inlet of recess by a spring disposed between said snap member and the bottom of recess, said snap member having an annular protrusion inserted into said annular groove of recess to avoid the separation of said snap member from the recess, a fixing member received in the enlarged portion of the keyhole at the Ier wall of case body and provided with a groove fixedly receiving said free end of the key; and a locking means provided at the card to csroperate with the key and selectively prevent the card from being taken out of the case body and comprising at least one of circular locking holes receiving said shank of th.e key. each locking hole having at the peripheral edge thereof a plurality of teeth, which are able to contact with the snap member, and an opening allowing said shank of the key to access to said locking hole, said opening having the width slightly longer than the narrow-side width of the shank so that the opening can allow the key to access to the locking hole only when the narrov-side of the shank is disposed at the front of t-he opening.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be more described in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective vieu of a safety case for a credit card with a locking mechanism In accordance with the present invention; FIG.2 is a perspective view of t1e safety case nf FIG. 1 showing the condition that a credit card is taken in the case; FIG.3 is a partial sectional xie; of the safety case showen in FIG.2; and FIG.4 is a perspective view of a member having loc.king holes in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIG.1. there is showen a safety case for a credit card in accordance with the present invention. The safety case comprises a case bo < I having upper and lower rectangular walls la and Ib defining a card-receiving chamber 2 therebetween and an inlet 3 allowing the credit card 12 to enter said chamber 2. The case body 1 also has at least one of cylindrical keyholes 4 each formed at the side of said case body 1 opposite to the inlet 3 of case body 1 to pass through upper and lower walls la and ib of the case body 1 and the chamber 2 vertically. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, four keyholes 4 are provided.Each keyhole 4 has a pair of enlarged portions 4a and 4b at both ends disposed at upper and lower walls la and ib , respectively. A dial indication 9 is provided at the upper surface of the upper wall la of case body 1 around the enlarged portion 4a of keyhole 4 formed at said upper wall 1a.

In accordance with the present invention, the safety case includes a locking mechanism to prevent the card from being taken out of the coarse. The locking mechanism includes at least one of dial-type keys 5 each fitted in said keyholes 4. In the preferred clmDrinent of the present invention, four keys 5 are provided, which correspond to kt'yholes 4 of the case baRy 1, respectively. Each key 5 has a cylindrical knob 5a received in the enlarged portion 4a of the corresponding keyhole 4 and provided, at the upper surface thereof, with an index 6, and a shank 5b of a rectangular cross-section extending downwardly from said knob Sa, and a circular free end 5" connected to the lower end of said shank Sb and protruded into the enlarged portion 4b of the corresponding keyhole 4. The shank Sb also has the intermediate portion thereof a traversally-extending recess 7 provided with an annular groove 7a adjacent the inlet thereof .A snap member 8 is disposed in the recess 7 of shank Sb and biased toward said inlet of recess 7 by a spring 10 disposed between said snap ember 8 and the botton of recess 7. The snap meaber 8 is exposed in the card-receiving chamber 2 of the case body 1. The snap nember 8 has an annular protrusion 8a inserted into the annular groove 7a of recess 7 to avoid the separation of said snap member 8 from the recess 7. A fixing member 11 is received in the enlarged portion 4b of keyhole 4 and provided'with a circular groove lia fixedly receiving the free end Sc of key 5,. thereby avoiding the key 5 to separate from the keyhole 4.

In accordance with the present invention, the card 12 has at least one of circular locking holes 13 each formed to receive the shank 5b of the corresponding key 5. Each locking hole 13 has at the peripheral edge thereof a plurality of teeth 14, which are able to contact with the snap member 8, and an opening 15 allowing there shank 5b of the key 5 to access to said locking hole 13.The opening 15 has the width slightly longer than the narro-side width of the shank Sb of the key 5 so that the opening 15 can allow the key 5 to access to the locking hole 13 only when the narrokide of the shank Sb is disposed at the front of t.he opening 15.

In accordance with the present invention, locking holes 13 lay be provided by a separate member 16 which may be mounted to the card 12 and provided with locking holes, as showen in FIG.4. In this case, the member 16 has protrusions 17 at the upper surface thereof around locking holes 13. In place of locking holes 13, the card 12 has mounting holes receiving protrusions 17 of the member 16. It is also appreciated that each mounting hole has an opening for allowing each shank of the key to access to the corresponding locking hole. In this case, the card 12 has an advantage of being reinforced with the member 16.

Hereinafter, the function of the safety case with the locking mechanism in accordance with take present invention uill be described.

When the card 12 has to be taken in the case, the knob Sa of each ke 5 is rotated in order to direct the index 6 to the required number of the dial indication 9 at which the narrow-side of the shank Sb of key 5 is disposed at the front of the opening 15. In this condition, shanks 5b of all keys 5 can be inserted into the corresponding locking holes ill through open nags 1.,, respectively.When at least one of knobs Sa are optionally rotated from the above-mentioned condition so that the narrow-side of each rotate shank 5b is not disposed at the front of the corresponding opening l." the card 12 is in its locking condition of being unable to be taken out of the case.

Wlien the card 12 is desired to be taken out of the case for the purpose of its use, the knob Sa of each key S is again rotated in order to direct the index 6 to the required number of the dial indication 9 at which the narrow-side of the shank 5b of key 5 is disposed at the front of the opening 15. In this condition, the card 12 can be easily taken nut of the case.

Accordingly, others who do not know each required dial number of keys 5 can hardly take the card out of its case. If they forcibly take the card out of its case, the card is damaged not to be used.

herefore, even though the card has been carelessly lost, the owner thereof can be safely protected frei suffering a loss

Claims (5)

1. A safety case for a credit card comprising: a case body having upper and lower rectangular walls defining a card-receiving chamber therebetween and an inlet allowing said card to enter said chamber, at least one of cylindrical keyholes each formed at the side of said case body opposite to said inlet of case body to pass through said upper and lower walls of the case body and the chamber vertically and provided at both ends thereof with a pair of enlarged portions, respectively, and a dial indication provided at the upper surface of the upper wall of case body around said enlarged portion of keyhole formed at t.he upper wall; and a locking mechanism including at least one of dial-type keys each fitted in said keyholes and having a cylindrical knob received in the enlarged port.ion of keyhole formed at the upper t.all of the case body and provided, at. the upper surface thereof, with an index and a narrow slunk c;;f a rectangular cross-section *,xtending dnwardly from said knob and having at the intermediate portion thereof a traversal ly-extending recess provided with an annular groove adjacent the inlet thereof, a free end connected to the lower end of said shank and protruded into said enlarged portion of keyhole at the lower wall of case body, a snap member disposed in said recess to be exposed in the chamber of case body and biased toward said inlet of recess by a spring disposed between said snap member and the bottom of recess, said snap member having an annular protrusion inserted into said annular grave of recess to avoid the separation of said snap member from the recess, a fixing member received in the enlarged portion of the keyhole at the lower wall of case and provided with a groove fixedly receiving said free erid of the key; and a locking means provided at the card to cooperate with the key and selectively prevent the card from being taken out of the case body and comprising at least one of circular locking holes receiving said shank of the key, each locking hole having at the peripheral edge thereof a plurality of teeth,which are able to contact with the snap member, and an opening allowing said shank of the key to access to said locking hole, said opening having the width slightly longer than the narrow-side width of the shank so that the opening can allow the key to access to the locking hole only when the narrv-side of the shank is disposed at the front of the opening.

2. A safety case for a credit card according to Claim 1, wherein said locking means is a separate member having prot.rusions at the upper surface thereof around locking holes, respectively, and the card has holes receiving said protrusions, respectively, and each having an opening for allowing each shank of the key to access to the .corresponding locking hole.

3. A safety case for a credit card, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. A safety case for a credit card and comprising a case body having upper and lower substantially rectangular walls defining a card-receiving chamber therebetween and at one edge an inlet allowing the card to enter the chamber, at least one keyhole formed adjacent to the edge of the case body opposite to the inlet edge and passing through the upper and lower walls of the case body and the chamber with an index provided on the upper surface of the upper wall of the case body around the or each keyhole; and a locking mechanism including a respective rotatable key fitted captively in the or each keyhole and provided at its upper end with an index for setting relatively to the index on the case body, and with a shank of elongate cross-section within the chamber; whereby a card with a respective hole for alignment with the or each keyhole and having at the leading edge of the card when it is inserted into the chamber an inlet with a width greater than the narrower cross sectional dimension, but smaller than the longercross sectional dimension, of the shank, can only be inserted into, or removed from, the case when the or each key has been rotated to a position in which the length of the cross section of the shank extends substantially perpendicularly to the inlet edge of the case body.

5. A credit card having adjacent to one edge at least one hole with an inlet for cooperation with a case according to claim 4.