US3651848A - Billfold construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A billfold having a bill compartment open at both ends. When the billfold is closed one open end of the bill compartment is closed by a flap without binding the edges tightly. The remaining end is left open. Extra clearance is provided in the bill compartment at the fold of the billfold. A single desired bill may be withdrawn without disturbing its fellows and while the billfold is closed so that the contents need not be exposed to anyone other than the user.

Description

States Patent [54] BILLFOLD (IONSTRUCTHON [72] Inventor: Jacob S. Tucker, 442i Granada Boulevard Apt. 322, Warrensville Heights, Ohio 44122 [22] Filed: June 1, 1970 [2!] Appl. No.: 41,813

[52] U.S. Cl ..l50/38 [5 I Int. Cl ...A45c 1/00 [58] Fleld otSearch ..l50/38, 35, 32,39

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,088,059 2/1914 Cardwell ..l50/38 [451 Mar. 2, W72

2,346,433 4/1944 Herbener l 50/35 Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Gurbe Attorney-Bosworth, Sessions, Herrstrom & Cain [57] ABSTRACT A billfold having a bill compartment open at both ends. When the billfold is closed one open end of the bill compartment is closed by a flap without binding the edges tightly. The remaining end is left open. Extra clearance is provided in the bill compartment at the fold of the billfold. A single desired bill may be withdrawn without disturbing its fellows and while the billfold is closed so that the contents need not be exposed to anyone other than the user.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAR28 m2 INVENTOR. JACOB .S. TUCKER A TTORNEYS BILlLlFOLD CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to billfolds and more particularly to a billfold of such construction that a single desired bill may be withdrawn by the user without exposing the contents of the billfold.

Various billfold or wallet constructions have been proposed, some of which are arranged to allow bills to be withdrawn more or less easily without completely exposing the contents of the billfold. All such constructions of which l am aware are relatively complex and allow a single desired bill to be withdrawn only with some difficulty. As a result, such billfolds are seldom used to their full advantage.

A billfold constructed to have this advantage is particularly desirable in these times of high crime rates for such a billfold will not cooperate in marking a potential victim by the exposure of a large amount of cash within the billfold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principal object of my invention is to provide a billfold constructed so that bills may be withdrawn therefrom without exposing the contents.

Another object is to provide such a billfold constructed so that a single bill may be inspected and withdrawn without removing or disturbing any other bill within the billfold.

Other objects of the invention are to produce a billfold of the kind described that will be simple and economical in cost and construction, easy to make and use, and otherwise satisfactory and efficient for use.

In a preferred form my billfold comprises a wall member and first and second panel members extending from one edge of the wall member. The panel members are spaced apart from each other and are folded onto the inner face of the wall member to define a bill compartment having first and second open ends. The wall member is folded over so that one of the panel members lies upon the other. A flap extending from the end of thefirst panel member is folded around the open end of the bill compartment defined by the second panel member. Means are provided for fastening the flap to the outer face of the wall member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of my billfold unfolded to show its construction.

FIG. 2 is a view looking downwardly into the bill compartment of my billfold when it is open.

FIG. 3 is a view looking downwardly into the bill compartment of my billfold when it is closed.

FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the open end of the billfold when the billfold is closed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective of the closed billfold illustrating the manner in which a single bill may be withdrawn selectively therefrom without opening the billfold to expose its contents.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the closed billfold.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows my billfold when it is unfolded to show the interior. The billfold, generally designated B, is preferably constructed from one piece of synthetic resinous material and comprises, broadly, a wall member 10 and two panel members 12 and 14. Panel member 12 is provided with a closure flap 15 having a fastener part 17 thereon. Wall member 10 is provided with a fastener part 18 that cooperates with fastener part 17. Panels 12 and 14 are separated from each other by a space 20. The width of space 20 is quite important in allowing a bill to be withdrawn from the billfold while it is in a closed position as will be discussed more fully below. Each panel member 12, 14 is provided on its outer side with a cooperating panel of clear plastic or the like to define card carrying cases indicated in dashed lines at 22 for panel member 12 and at 23 for panel member 14.

To place the billfold in condition for use it is merely necessary to fold panel members 12 and 14 over onto wall member 10 along the line 24. When the billfold is made of synthetic resinous material the edge corresponding to line 24 formed by folding panel members 12 and 14 is preferably heat sealed to define the fold and retain panel members 12 and 14 in their folded position. Likewise, the outer edges 10a, 10b and 10c of wall member 10 and the outer edges 12a, 12b, 12c and 14a, 14b, 14c of panel members 12 and 14 are preferably heat sealed to provide a smooth decorative border to the billfold.

The configuration of the billfold when folded as described above is shown in FIG. 2. Wall member 10 and panel members 12 and 14 define a bill compartment 30. In this position the billfold is open and bills are easily inserted into bill compartment 30. The outer edges 10a and 10c of wall member 10 are not fastened in any way to the adjacent edges or parts of panel members 12 and 14. Bill compartment 30, therefore, may accommodate a large thickness of bills which are quite easily inserted merely by separating wall member 10 from panel members l2 and 14 to the extent required for insertion of the desired number of bills. The bills may, of course, be inserted at selected times when privacy is available so that it is not necessary to expose the contents of the billfold.

After the bills have been inserted into the billfold it is folded in the conventional manner to the position shown in FIG. 3 and flap 15 is folded over the adjacent outer edges 14c of panel member 14 and of wall member 10 so that the cooperating fastening members 17 and 18 can be engaged to close the billfold. In the closed position, the open end of the billfold defined by outer edge of panel 14 and outer edge 10c of wall member 10 is closed by flap 15 but the adjacent edges still have freedom to move farther apart when required for removal of bills. Flap 15 effectively closes the end of the billfold but does not bind or confine the cooperating edges as they would be bound if they were sealed together as in prior billfolds of which I am aware.

The opposite end of the billfold is defined by panel member 12 and the adjacent edge 10a of wall member 10 and remains open. This allows a corner of wall member 10 to be pulled away from panel member 12 as shown in FIG. 4 to expose a corner of the bills within the billfold for examination as to their denomination. At the same time, the bills are held snugly enough within the billfold that there is no danger of a bill falling out.

It should be noted that with the billfold folded, the space 20 (FIGS. 1 and 2) effectively defines the clearance 33 in the bill compartment between the inner edges 120, 14a of panel members 12 and 14, respectively, and wall member 10. It is particularly important that the space 20 be large enough to provide a clearance 33 that allows a sufficient number of bills to be accommodated within the bill compartment without binding. If the space 20 is not sufficiently large, wall member 10, when the billfold is folded, will cause bills within the bill compartment to bind against the inner edges 12c, 14a of panel members 12 and 14 as can be seen from FIG. 3. As the billfold is used the space 20 (FIG. 2) between the inner edges 120, 14a of panel members 12 and 14 will appear to become narrower because the panel member 10 will, in effect, be shortened by continual folding adjacent the space 20. The clearance 33 between the inner edges 120, 14a of panel members 12 and 14 and wall member 10 will, however, not be shortened.

The manner of using the closed billfold to selectively withdraw a single desired bill therefrom without disturbing the remaining bills or exposing the contents of the billfold is illustrated in FIG. 5. The billfold is held in the left hand with the open end defined by wall member 10 and panel member 12 toward the user. Wall member 10 may be pulled down and away from panel member 12 and held in that position by the base of the thumb while the tip of the thumb is used to expose the denominations of the bills within the billfold until a bill of the proper denomination is found. The bills are exposed only to the user of the billfold.

When a proper bill is found it is grasped with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand and slid upwardly away from its fellows. As discussed above, the points where binding usually occurs in a billfold, such as at clearance 33 and at the two ends of the billfold, are constructed so as to be free and open to prevent binding. As a result, a single bill may be removed without disturbing its fellows and while the billfold is in the closed position so that the contents thereof need not be exposed to anyone other than the user.

When there is a large thickness of bills within the bill compartment binding of a single bill may, of course, become less unlikely. To facilitate the withdrawal of a single bill in that situation it may be desirable after the proper bill is located to apply slight pressure with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand longitudinally inwardly from each end of the billfold to increase slightly the width of the bill compartment.

While I have described a preferred form and embodiment of my invention changes and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art who come to understand its essential principles and accomplishments. I do not, therefore, wish to be confined to the specific form of my invention herein specifically tisclosed nor in any other way inconsistent with the progress by which my invention has promoted the art.

What is claimed is:

l. A billfold comprising a wall member, first and second panel members extending from an edge of said wall member spaced apart from each other, a flap extending from the end of said first panel member, a fastening member on said flap, a cooperating fastening member on said wall member at the end thereof remote from said flap, said panel members being folded onto the inner face of said wall member to define a bill compartment having first and second open ends, said wall member being folded to fold one of said panel members onto the other, said flap being folded around said open end defined by said second panel member, whereby said flap may be fastened to said wall member to close said second open end.

2. The billfold as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wall member, said panel members and said flap are formed in a single piece.

3. The billfold as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means secured to each of said panel members for defining a card carrying pocket therewith.

Claims (3)

1. A billfold comprising a wall member, first and second panel members extending from an edge of said wall member spaced apart from each other, a flap extending from the end of said first panel member, a fastening member on said flap, a cooperating fastening member on said wall member at the end thereof remote from said flap, said panel members being folded onto the inner face of said wall member to define a bill compartment having first and second open ends, said wall member being folded to fold one of said panel members onto the other, said flap being folded around said open end defined by said second panel member, whereby said flap may be fastened to said wall member to close said second open end.

2. The billfold as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wall member, said panel members and said flap are formed in a single piece.

3. The billfold as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means secured to each of said panel members for defining a card carrying pocket therewith.

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