GB2290942A - Coin holder - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin holder adapted to be worn on the person of a user comprises a bracelet 2 or the like which includes at least one receptacle 1 for releasably housing one or more coins. There may be one or more series of receptacles mounted on the radially outer surface of the bracelet, which may be joined to each other by a material 3 having a higher degree of elasticity than that of the receptacles. The receptacles may include spacing means for stacking successive coins separately, which spacing means may allow coins of different sizes to be stacked. Releasable fastening means (6, Fig. 4) may be provided for releasably retaining coins in a given receptacle and the arrangement may be such that actuation of a single release mechanism (7) associated with a particular receptacle is effective to release all coins held within it. A receptacle may have biasing means (8, Fig. 6) for urging retained coins in a radially outward direction towards an aperture (9) through which removal of the outermost coin is facilitated. The bracelet may ornamental. <IMAGE>

Description

COIN HOLDER The present invention relates to coin holders and, in particular, to coin holders adapted to be worn about the person of a user. Typically, the coin holder will be worn on the wrist, though it will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the invention is equally suited to be worn about any limb. In the text which follows, the term "bracelet" is to be interpreted as including bangles, wristlets, anklets and similar bands worn about the limbs.

The bracelet presents, peripherally aligned in the direction of the generatrices, a series of receptacles, of the same or different outer size, in order to stack one or several coins of the same or different diameter.

The coin holder is made of a material or set of materials which are resilient enough to allow the adaptation of the coin containing receptacles to the uneven circumferential shape of a user's limb. It also includes the means necessary to fix, insert and remove the coins to be contained. These materials can either be transparent, so as to locate easily from outside the coins to be used, or be coated with any kind of material, ornament or protecting devices.

Currently, there are many solutions to the problems posed by the use of coins of different sizes and values.

Some of these solutions consist of receptacles for such coins, which are normally transported in the pocket of the user, while others consist of ad hoc receptacles, such as those of a cylindrical type which are normally conveyed as a collar, a belt or a kidney bag.

There are also other well known devices which collect coins stacked and classified in columns by their face value. These devices are mainly used in banks, taxi cabs, etc.

However, presently we do not know any coin holder designed to be fitted to the wrist or the arm of the user, conceived for personal use and that, regardless this latter fact, and able to include a series of identification and classification means that can be adapted by the user depending on the availability of coins at a given time.

The solution which is hereby proposed consists of a coin holder formed by several receptacles prepared to collect coins one by one or stacked inside them.

The coin holder, made of a resilient material or materials presents a series of receptacles aligned by positioning them on the outer face of a single-layer or multiple-layer band. Such band surrounds the wrist or the arm of the user and forms a single assembly with it. The receptacles are laid in the direction of the generatrices of the bracelet or bangle coin holder and are connected each other by their sides, either directly or by means of a material which is even more resilient than the receptacles themselves, so that on the outer side, and in their outmost point, they are wider than in the closest point.

This way, the coin holder can be easily adapted to different wrist or arm sizes.

The design of each receptacle enables not only to insert one, two or three receptacles for the same face value, or for a larger number of coins, in case they have different sizes, but also protects them when there are only a few coins inside the receptacles, preventing them to interfere and to move upwards. Furthermore, it is resilient enough to enable the insertion of slightly smaller coins.

For this purpose, it incorporates a series of spacing devices, the height of which can be regulated.

This is achieved by means of a series of small rings or projections which protrude from the sides of the inner wall of the receptacle, acting as coin spacers.

In turn, these rings can be replaced by a series of independent fasteners made of spring plate, which are introduced inside the receptacle, either on the coins or inserted in the side slots. They operate by the pressure exercised on an outer push-button or projection, which is firmly connected to the plate. The fasteners can also be incorporated inside the coin holder, between the ring shaped projections. However, the buttons or projections can be solid, ejecting all the coins stacked inside the receptacle.

Another fastening device, orthogonal to the fastener, enables to stack coins downwards, against a band-shaped spring emerging from a recess made on the circular section, so that it forces the coins deposited on its top. In this case, the coins are ejected by the top, and not by the sides, through the appropriate recess of the top edge of the receptacle.

Furthermore, these rings emerging from the sides of the receptacle may incorporate a series of thin and narrow protrusions on the opposed faces -trunco-pyramidal, for instance- depicting a circumference, the inner diameter of which is slightly smaller than that of the coin to be inserted. This way, when a lower coin is inserted, the protrusions fasten it, even if the spacer is not able to do so, due to the lesser height.

Finally, the assembly is secured to the wrist or to the arm by means of conventional devices, such as a buckle, a velcrolband, an elastic band, etc. or any other means which can be used in the future. The means used to separate the invention from the wrist can be either the resilient element of the base of the receptacles, or one or several layers made of fabric or of any other natural or artificial laminate, which can be extended to surround and cover the whole series of receptacles. This is made for safety or ornamentation purposes, and in this case, they implement conventional opening and closing means, such as zip fasteners or other similar devices.

Furthermore, the band width can be increased to locate, either unevenly or parallel, two ranks of receptacles, with the side slots pointing towards the side edges of the band, and the ejecting devices, if appropriate, closer or facing each other.

To complement this description and in an effort to better understand the main characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to this descriptive report forming an integral part of it and where, as an illustration and without limitation, the following has been represented: Figure 1 shows schematically the bracelet coin holder, showing the different elasticity of the means used to fix the coin receptacles and the coaxial layout of these latter, compared with the wrist or arm of the user.

Figure 2 shows a plan view of a receptacle, implementing different solutions for the outer fixing means of the foremost coin. The last solution, which is the lower one, shows the ejection means of the coin.

Figure 3 is a side view of a conventional execution of the receptacle, showing the multi-layer lay out of the base of the receptacles.

Figure 3 is a side view of the solution implementing an ejecting fastener and includes a detailed view of this latter, as well as the multiple-ejector solution, in detail.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the intersection of two consecutively-aligned receptacles, showing in detail the joining device, with a higher degree of elasticity, the coin spacers and the protrusions for the fixing of coins of a lesser diameter and thickness.

Figure 6 shows a variant of the pressure-retention device, implemented by means of a lower band spring.

Figure 7 is a variant with two coin stacks and a singlelocation layout; it also incorporates a series of details showing the fastening of coins of the same or different size. It can be appreciated the way they actuate on the protrusions of the intermediate plate.

Figure 8 shows schematically the band aligning two ranks of receptacles, either perfectly parallel or unevenly laid out.

In the light of the previously mentioned figures, it can be seen how the invention which is the object of this report consists of a coin holder implementing a series of receptacles (1) aligned on the outer face of a single- or multiple-layer band (2) surrounding the wrist of the user and laid following the direction of the generatrices, fixed by their sides either directly or through a material (3) with a degree of elasticity higher than that of the receptacles (1). Such receptacles are prepared to house consecutively one or several coins, in this latter case spaced by means of height spacing devices (4), incorporating a series of trunco-conical projections (5) of small height, the bases of which depict a circumference with a diameter smaller than that of the receptacle (1).

The spacer can be replaced -or complemented- by a series of fasteners (6) made of plate spring, actuated by pushing a button or outer projection (7) fixed to the plate. The projections (7') can be unique, ejecting all the pieces stacked.

The whole assembly is secured to the wrist or to the arm by means of conventional devices. Such devices or spacers (2) can cover all the receptacles (1). In these latter case, the invention also incorporates conventional accessing means.

Another fixing variant which exercises pressure on the coin uses a band spring (8), which ejects the coin by the top and not by the sides, by means of a recess (9) made on the edge of the receptacle.

The band can incorporate two ranks of receptacles (10) and (10'), opposed each other, and laid either unevenly or parallel each other.

It is not the intention to describe further this invention since any expert on the subject will be able to understand it easily on the basis of the information provided to appreciate the scope of this invention and its advantages and to reproduce it.

It is understood that, provided that the essentials of this invention are not altered, any variations in the materials or in the shape, size and layout of the elements can be introduced.

The terms used in this description as well as their meaning should always be considered as non-limitative.

Claims (12)

1. A coin holder comprising a, bracelet (as herein defined) adapted to be worn on a limb of a user, said bracelet including at least one receptacle for releasably housing one or more coins.

2. A coin holder as claimed in claim 1 having at least one series of receptacles mounted on a radially outer surface of said bracelet.

3. A coin holder as claimed in claim 2 wherein adjacent receptacles are joined to each other by a material having a higher degree of elasticity than that of the receptacles.

4. A coin holder as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each receptacle includes spacing means effective to stack successively-held coins separately within a respective receptacle.

5. A coin holder as claimed in claim 4 wherein the spacing means facilitate stacking of coins of different sizes within a respective receptacle.

6. A coin holder as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each receptacle has releasable fastening means for releasably retaining a coin or coins in a respective receptacle.

7. A coin holder as claimed in claim 6 wherein actuation of a single release mechanism associated with a particular receptacle is effective to release all coins held in said receptacle.

8. A coin holder as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each receptacle includes biasing means effective to urge a retained coin or retained coins in a radially outward direction towards one end of the receptacle.

9. A coin holder as claimed in claim 8 wherein the or each receptacle includes an aperture formed on its edge through which removal of the radially outermost coin is facilitated.

10. A coin holder as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 9 wherein said bracelet has more than one series of receptacles mounted on its radially outer surface and wherein adjacent series have their receptacles arranged next to each other, or offset from one another.

11. A coin holder as claimed in any preceding claim having decorative or protective cover means over the or each receptacle, said cover means including means providing access to the or each receptacle.

12. A coin holder substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.