GB2263058A

GB2263058A - Card holder with means for ejecting a card

Info

Publication number: GB2263058A
Application number: GB9200596A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hing-Wah Huen
Original assignee: Fairform Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Fairform Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1992-01-13
Filing date: 1992-01-13
Publication date: 1993-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2012-01-13
Also published as: GB9200596D0; GB2263058B

Abstract

A card holder 10 comprises a casing 11 in which a location 16 is provided for a card, actuating means 29, 30 provided adjacent the location 16 for imparting a force to a card in the location 16 so as to eject the card out of the card holder 10 counter-acting means 17 provided within the casing 11 for counter-acting the force of the actuating means 29, 30 and manually operable releasing means for effecting the ejection of the card. The releasing moans may be a part 19 of a rigid counteracting member 18, as shown which pivots out of engagement with the card when the two push buttons 24 of the card holding and releasing mechanism 17 are pressed simultaneously inwards, or may act so as to push the card out of abutment with a stationary stop member. The actuating means may be a spring 30. <IMAGE>

Description

CARD HOLDER The present invention relates to a card holder from which a card, such as name card, identity card, driving licence, credit card or the like, can be retrieved quickly.

According to the invention, there is provided a card holder which comprises a casing in which a location is provided for a card, actuating means provided adjacent the location for imparting a force to a said card in the location so as to eject said card out of the card holder, counter-acting means provided within the casing for counter-acting the force of the actuating means, and releasing means provided within the casing for effecting the ejection of a said card, said releasing means being manually operable by a user from outside the casing.

In a preferred embodiment, the counter-acting means is provided adjacent the location and arranged to act upon a said card in the location in order to counter-act the force of the actuating means.

Preferably, the actuating means is provided on one side of the location, and the counter-acting means comprises a stop member which is provided on the opposite side of the location, against which stop member the actuating means is arranged to urge a said card in the location.

It is preferred that the releasing means is provided by the stop member being movable to disengage from a said card in the location.

It is alternatively preferred that the releasing means is provided by a release member adjacent the location, said release member being movable to move a said card in the location in order to cause said card to disengage from the stop member.

With this arrangement, the releasing means may also provided by the stop member being simultaneously movable to disengage from a said card in the location.

Advantageously, the stop member and the release member are formed in one rigid piece. Also, the stop and release members may be pivotably supported.

In a preferred embodiment, the releasing means includes two operating members and is arranged to operate upon simultaneous action of the operating members.

Preferably, the two operating members are in the form of push-buttons which are arranged to act upon the stop and release members by means of a cam-and-follower mechanism.

More preferably, each operating member has a laterally extending stud and the stop and release members are provided with two corresponding cam tracks within which the respective studs engage such that the stop and release members will be pivoted upon relative movement of the studs along the corresponding cam tracks.

For convenient operation, the two operating members may be provided on opposite sides of the casing.

It is preferred that the actuating means comprises a spring which is arranged to be loaded by a said card upon entering into the location.

In a specific design, the casing is a flat casing having at least one side openable for the entrance of a said card into the location.

The invention will now be more particularly, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a card holder in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the card holder of Figure 1, taken along a plane containing the body of the card holder; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of a card holding and releasing mechanism of the card holder of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown an embodiment of a card holder 10 according to the invention, which card holder 10 comprises a flat palm-size casing 11 formed by a flat central body 12 and front and rear lids 13 and 14 which are closable onto the corresponding principal sides of the central body 12. The lids 13 and 14 are hinged to the same lateral side of the central body 12, and each is arranged to be held closed by means of a snap incorporating a push-button 15 provided on the opposite lateral side of the central body 12.

The central body 12 is provided with a card-size recess 16 defining a location for a selected card, such as a credit card or the like. The bottom of the recess 16 is closed by the rear side of the central body 12, except at one end where it is closed by a card holding and releasing mechanism 17.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the card holding and releasing mechanism 17 includes a elongate operating member 18 which is located transversely across the said one end of the recess 16. The operating member 18 is formed by a elongate plate 19 having an upturned elongate lateral edge 20. At slightly short of the opposite lateral edge, the plate 19 is connected at both ends to corresponding cylinders 21 each having an axial blind hole 22 in its free end and a pair of diametrically disposed slant elongate recesses 23 in its cylindrical surface.

The operating member 18 is located in position by means of the cylinders 21 engaging with corresponding push-buttons 24 provided in opposite lateral sides of the central body 12. Each push-button 24 has, projecting rearwards, a pair of opposed plates 25 and a central shaft 26. The shaft 26 of each push-button 24 is inserted into the blind hole 22 of the corresponding cylinder 21, with the two plates 25 embracing the cylinder 21 therebetween. On the exposed length of each shaft 26, there is disposed a coil spring 27 which is co-acting between the corresponding push-button 24 and cylinder 21. The two plates 25 of each push-button 24 have a pair of opposed co-pointing studs 28 which engage within corresponding recesses 23 of the respective cylinder 21.

Each pair of the stud 28 and recess 23 is co-operable in a cam-and-follower action such that when the two push-buttons 24 are simultaneously pressed inwardly into the central body 12, the corresponding cylinders 21 will be rotated in the same angular direction and therehence the operating member 18 will be pivoted with the upturned lateral edge 20 turning downwards, as illustrated in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 2, the end of the recess 16 opposite the card holding and releasing mechanism 17 is provided with a transversely disposed bar 29 which is resiliently biassed from behind in a direction towards the recess 16 by a spring 30. The bar 29 is located at the same level as the upturned lateral edge 20 of the operating member 18 relative to the recess 16, with the plate 19 facing the bar 29.

In use, a credit card or the like (not shown) is firstly placed at one end against the bar 29, thereby pushing the bar 29 against the action of the spring 30, and subsequently the opposite end of the card is engaged with the upturned lateral edge 20 of the operating member 18 of the card holding and releasing mechanism 17. The card is thus held in position within the recess 16 by co-acting between the bar 29 and the operating member 18, under the action of the spring 30. In order to retrieve the card from the card holder 10, the two push-buttons 24 of the card holding and releasing mechanism 17 are pressed simultaneously inwards, whereby the upturned lateral edge 20 of the operating member 18 is pivoted back from the card whilst the plate 19 is pivoted upwards so as to push the card out of engagement with the upturned lateral edge 20.

As soon as the card and the upturned lateral edge 20 disengage from each other, the card will be ejected out of the card holder 10, generally in a direction along the plane of the card, by the bar 29 and spring 30.

It will be appreciated that the necessity of simultaneous operation of the two push-buttons 24 of the card holding and releasing mechanism 17 avoids accidental ejection of the stored card.

On the inside of the lids 13 and 14, pockets (not shown) are provided for holding additional cards.

It will be appreciated that the release of the card held in the recess 16 may be effected either by displacing a stop member (equivalent to the upturned lateral edge 20 of the operating member 18) from abutment with the card or by moving in a release member (equivalent to the plate 19 of the operating member 18) so as to push the card out of abutment with a stationary stop member. Also, the card ejecting force provided by the spring 30 may be counteracted at the point of source, for example by the holding back of the bar 29 proper, such that the card will not always be subject to the ejecting force except at the time of ejection when the ejecting force is released.

The invention has been given by way of example only, and various other modifications of and/or alterations to the described embodiment may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as specified in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A card holder comprising a casing in which a location is provided for a card, actuating means provided adjacent the location for imparting a force to a said card in the location so as to eject said card out of the card holder, counter-acting means provided within the casing for counter-acting the force of the actuating means, and releasing means provided within the casing for effecting the ejection of a said card, said releasing means being manually operable by a user from outside the casing.

2. A card holder as claimed in claim 1, whereinXthe counter-acting means is provided adjacent the location and arranged to act upon a said card in the location in order to counter-act the force of the actuating means.

3. A card holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the actuating means is provided on one side of the location, and the counter-acting means comprises a stop member which is provided on the opposite side of the location, against which stop member the actuating means is arranged to urge a said card in the location.

4. A card holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the releasing means is provided by the stop member being movable to disengage from a said card in the location.

5. A card holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein the releasing means is provided by a release member adjacent the location, said release member being movable to move a said card in the location in order to cause said card to disengage from the stop member.

6. A card holder as claimed in claim 5, wherein the releasing means is also provided by the stop member being simultaneously movable to disengage from a said card in the location.

7. A card holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein the stop member and the release member are formed in one rigid piece.

8. A card holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stop and release members are pivotably supported.

9. A card holder as claimed in any one of the preceding claim, wherein the releasing means includes two operating members and is arranged to operate upon simultaneous action of the operating members.

10. A card holder as claimed in claim 9 when dependent upon any one of claim 6 to claim 8, wherein the two operating members are in the form of push-buttons which are arranged to act upon the stop and release members by means of a cam-and-follower mechanism.

11. A card holder as claimed in claim 10, wherein each operating member has a laterally extending stud and the stop and release members are provided with two corresponding cam tracks within which the respective studs engage such that the stop and release members will be pivoted upon relative movement of the studs along the corresponding cam tracks.

12. A card holder as claimed in any one of claim 9 to claim 11, wherein the two operating members are provided on opposite sides of the casing.

12. A card holder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the actuating means comprises a spring which is arranged to be loaded by a said card upon entering into the location.

13. A card holder as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing is a flat casing having at least one side openable for the entrance of a said card into the location.

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