Abstract:
A bar and releasable strap apparatus where the bar may be quickly and easily secured into the crease of a wallet with the exposed two ends having openings that will permit a releasable strap to be attached to the bar so that the wallet can be used as a purse.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       REFERENCE TO A SEQUENCE LISTING 
       [0004]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Wallets typically come in standard sizes and construction. Women&#39;s wallets, in particular, are widely used as both an item of convenience and a fashion accessory. They are generally compact and may offer varied organizational options like slots for credit cards, a zippered pocket for coins, and/or an area for a checkbook. Many women use wallets to organize smaller, important items like credit cards, a checkbook, paper money, coins, feminine products, etc. Often these wallets are then stored inside a larger purse or similar bag. 
         [0006]    While purses do have a capacity for carrying items, they are not always convenient. The more space a purse can carry, the bigger in size and weight it can become for the wearer. In addition, items can build up inside a larger purse that is not periodically cleaned out, causing the owner to have to search each time an item is needed and/or for items to be lost or forgotten. Smaller in size and able to hold important items like credit cards and money, carrying only a wallet can be convenient for quick tasks or every day use, as well as easier to keep organized and cleaned out. 
         [0007]    For people who appreciate the purpose of a purse and wallet as fashion accessories, it is desirable to choose from a broad selection of handbag goods in various textiles, colors, patterns, as well as articles created by name-brand designers. 
         [0008]    The object of this invention is to provide the ability to convert a zip-around closure wallet (or wallet with a similar opening at its crease) to a purse, thus allowing a compact alternative to a larger purse. It increases the options available for purse wearers by converting an article many women already have into a purse/organizer. The apparatus can be manufactured in various sizes and materials so as to fit and complement the wide selection of wallets commonly available in the current market. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    This invention is a two-part apparatus, comprising of 1) a bar and 2) a releasable strap, to be used together and manufactured for use with wallets already available for sale on the market and, more particularly, to a wallet with a zip-around closure (although any wallet with a similar opening at its crease could be compatible), such that the apparatus may be quickly and easily secured into the wallet with the exposed bar on two ends having a specific external appearance to permit the releasable strap to be attached to the apparatus so that the wallet can be used as a purse with a strap and the materials used in manufacture to coordinate with various fashions. 
         [0010]    In the past, wallets have not been designed to include straps. The main purpose for a wallet has traditionally been to contain and organize smaller items. Another purpose was to have a compact size, and then the wallet itself placed into a larger handbag. Since wallets are usually placed inside a larger handbag, it was more common in the past for them to be constructed with a standard textile and color (often solid, sometimes in a pattern that matched a larger handbag and/or collection). 
         [0011]    More recently, smaller purses, which can be approximately the size of a wallet, are designed with a strap, but largely do not offer the organizational features of a wallet. There are some purses available with organizing features similar to that of a wallet, but they do not commonly provide either the compact size of a wallet or the wide range of fashion choices, or both. In addition, some wallets are designed to include hooks and detachable straps or with permanently attached straps, although the selection is limited. Now, for fashion purposes, wallets are also manufactured with various textiles and a multitude of designs and colors so that they can be paired with many handbag choices or carried separately. 
         [0012]    Thus, this invention offers the capability of easily attaching a bar and releasable strap apparatus to a zip-around closure wallet (or wallet with a similar opening at its crease), thereby allowing the wallet to become a multi-purpose accessory without physically modifying the wallet&#39;s original construction. The wallet can be worn as a purse while retaining the wallet&#39;s purpose as a compact organizer with an extensive diversity of fashion choices. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0013]    Not applicable. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention provides a bar and releasable strap apparatus that may be quickly and easily secured into the open fold of a zip-around closure wallet (or wallet with a similar opening at its crease) having the exposed bar on two ends and a specific external appearance to permit the releasable strap to be attached to the bar so that the wallet can be used as a purse and the materials used in manufacture to coordinate with various wallets. 
         [0015]    The idea for the present invention evolved from the inventor&#39;s preference for small, fashionable handbags, which (due to limited size) are not able to accumulate a large capacity of items and therefore tend to be simpler to keep cleaned out. Small purses are available in many fashion textiles, colors, and patterns and from a wide selection of designers—but are not usually constructed with the common organizational features of a wallet. 
         [0016]    Therefore, the inventor of the present invention purchased a zip-around closure wallet and threaded a strap (from another handbag) into the wallet opening so as to allow the wallet to be carried around as a purse. This aforementioned solution provided the advantages of a compact and organized wallet, a purse that can be worn near the body, as well as the textile and design option of the wearer&#39;s choosing. However, as initially created (with a strap from another handbag), the strap did not provide enough support for the wallet fold and caused the wallet to undesirably crease at two stress points. 
         [0017]    The wallet-to-purse bar and releasable strap apparatus as described in this present invention allows a wallet to be converted into a purse while providing needed support to the wallet from the bar portion of the apparatus. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    These drawings will be more completely understood and appreciated by referring to the following more detailed description of the presently preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of the bar according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the bar according to an embodiment of the present invention the purpose of which is to show the cross-section showing the curvature of the bar. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the releasable strap attached to the bar and comprises the complete apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bar according to an embodiment of the present invention inserted into the opening at the crease of a wallet. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the bar installed in the opening at the crease of a wallet with the releasable strap hooked to the bar at the exposed ends to demonstrate the complete intended purpose of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0024]    All drawings are not to scale. 
         [0025]    While the invention is amenable to various modifications, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail in the following more detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    The present invention is shown best in  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0027]    In the preferred embodiment, the bar apparatus ( 1 ), shown in  FIG. 1 , would be constructed of a metal, although the specific type of metal used is not critical to the present invention so long as it is strong enough to maintain its structure and allow a wallet ( 20 ) weight load of likely not more than ten (10) pounds. The material may also be a suitably strong non-metal material with a metal-like coating that may be manufactured to coordinate with the hardware available on a variety of wallets. 
         [0028]    It is to be understood that modifications may be made to the bar apparatus ( 1 ) of the present invention, particularly in relation to the length of the apparatus, which will be manufactured in multiple lengths to work with widely available wallet sizes and which fall within the scope of the above description. 
         [0029]    The width of the bar apparatus ( 1 ) will likely be ⅝″ (the left to right measurement in  FIG. 2 ) and will likely be ⅛″ thick (the top to bottom measurement in  FIG. 2 ). However, it is also to be understood that modifications may be made to the bar apparatus ( 1 ) of the present invention, particularly in relation to the width and thickness of the apparatus, which may be manufactured in multiple widths and thickness to work with widely available wallet sizes and which fall within the scope of the above description of the present invention&#39;s intended objectives. 
         [0030]    In the preferred embodiment, the bar apparatus ( 1 ) would be slightly curved as shown in  FIG. 2 . The curve will allow the successful open/close operation of the wallet and will aim not to hamper the original intended purpose of the wallet of containing and organizing items. 
         [0031]    In addition, it is to be understood that modifications may be made to the bar apparatus ( 1 ) of the present invention, particularly in relation to the degree of curvature, which may depend on the length, width, and thickness of the bar apparatus ( 1 ) of the present invention and which will fall within the scope of the above description. 
         [0032]    In the preferred embodiment, the strap ( 2   a ) will feature hooks ( 2   b ) at the extremities that can be easily opened and closed and connected to the exposed part of the bar apparatus ( 1 ) designed so as to allow attachment, shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0033]    It is to be understood that numerous additions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the releasable strap apparatus ( 2   a ,  2   b ) of the present invention particularly in relation to the width and length of the strap ( 2   a ) and may also be manufactured (both adjustable and non-adjustable) to allow the wearer to choose the length from which the wallet ( 20 ) will be worn away from the shoulder. It is to be understood that numerous additions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the type of hook ( 2   b ) used for the end of the releasable strap apparatus ( 2   a ,  2   b ) of the present invention. In  FIG. 3 , the type of hook ( 2   b ) shown is a snap-eyehook. However, different types of hooks may be used to allow for different aesthetic choices—although the purpose of the hook ( 2   b ) to attach to the bar apparatus ( 1 ) of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 3  remains the same. 
         [0034]    In addition, numerous additions, substitutions, and modifications may be made to the materials used for the hooks ( 2   b ) and strap ( 2   a ) so as to allow for multiple fashion options depending on the needs and desires of the user for coordinating with the wallet ( 20 ) used in the application of the bar ( 1 ) and releasable strap apparatus ( 2   a ,  2   b ) of this present invention as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0035]    The intended purpose of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 5 . The bar apparatus ( 1 ) of the present invention is inserted in the fold of a wallet ( 20 ) and the hooks ( 2   b ) at the extremities of the strap ( 2   a ) of the present invention is attached to the ends of the said bar apparatus ( 1 ) so that the wallet can be worn as a purse. 
         [0036]    There has therefore been shown and described a bar ( 1 ) and releasable strap ( 2   a ,  2   b ) apparatus, shown in  FIG. 3 , which accomplishes all of its intended objectives.