Abstract:
A portable storage device may include a sheet of material having a first, second, third, and fourth sections, wherein the first section is contiguous with the second section along a first line, the second section is contiguous with the third section along a second line, and the third section is contiguous with the fourth section along a third line. The first section may be folded over the second section along the first line and secured to the second section to form a first pouch. The fourth section may be folded over and secured to the third section to form a second pouch. An eyelet along the second line may receive a spring clip for securing items in the portable storage device.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/323,851, filed Apr. 13, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a portable storage device, such as a wallet, for example. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of exemplary source material of an exemplary storage device in one embodiment; 
           [0004]      FIG. 2A  is a diagram of the exemplary storage device of  FIG. 1  in one configuration; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2B  is a diagram of the exemplary storage device of  FIG. 1  in another configuration with a clip; 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of the exemplary storage device of  FIG. 1  in another configuration; 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of the exemplary storage device of  FIG. 1  in another configuration; 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of an exemplary clip in one embodiment; and 
           [0009]      FIGS. 6A through 6E  are diagrams of an exemplary storage device in another embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Embodiments disclosed below provide for a means (e.g., a storage device) to allow a user to securely carry items, such as a mobile phone, cash, receipts, identification, credit cards, etc. One embodiment may allow for the carrying of an electronic device, such as a cell phone, a personal data assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, etc. In one embodiment, the storage device may be slipped into a pant or coat pocket. In another embodiment, the storage device may be attached to an article of clothing, such as the inside or outside of the waistband of a pair of pants, a pair of shorts, a dress, a skirt, etc., via a clip when, for example, no pocket is available or when extra security is desired. 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of source material  100  (e.g., a sheet) for an exemplary storage device in an unassembled configuration in one embodiment. Source material  100  may be cut or molded from plastic (e.g., flexible plastic), leather, metal, fabric, sail cloth, nylon, neoprene, etc. As shown, source material  100  may include radial cuts  105  that define four sections: sections  101 ,  102 ,  103 , and  104 . Other types of cuts are possible, such as “V” shaped cuts. In another embodiment, source material  100  may include a straight edge without radial cuts  105  or “V” shaped cuts. 
         [0012]    Sections  101 ,  102 ,  103 , and  104  may be substantially rectangular. Section  101  includes three edges, two adjacent line  106  and one opposite line  106 . Section  102  includes two edges, both adjacent lines  106  and  107 . Section  103  also includes two edges, both adjacent line  107  and  108 . Section  104 , like section  101  includes three edges, one opposite line  108  and two adjacent line  108 . In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , section  104  may be shorter along its major axis than section  103 . 
         [0013]    Source material  100  may include an eyelet cut  110  between sections  102  and  103 . Eyelet cut  110  may include eyelet stitching to strengthen the material along the cut point. Eyelet stitching may also help prevent tearing of source material  100  between sections  102  and  103 . Source material  100  may be folded in the directions shown by arrows  114  and  116 . Section  101  may be folded in the direction of arrow  114  onto section  102 . Section  104  may be folded in the direction of arrow  116  onto section  103 . Such folding results in the storage device being configured as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . In one embodiment, to facilitate folding, source material  100  may be pressed or indented between sections (e.g. along lines  106 ,  107  and/or  108 ). 
         [0014]      FIG. 2A  is a diagram of the exemplary storage device of  FIG. 1  in one configuration  200 . Section  104  may be secured (e.g., sewn) to section  103 , as indicated by dotted lines in  FIG. 2A . In one embodiment, section  104  and section  103  are secured along one, two, or three sides (e.g., edges  214 ,  216 , and  218 ), forming a pouch  202  with an opening  212  between sections  103  and  104 . In the embodiment shown, opening  112  is along an edge of source material  100  and the surface of section  103 . Pouch  202  may receive and hold items (e.g., currency, credit cards, identification, a driver&#39;s license, change, receipts, mobile phone, etc.) for storage. In one embodiment, sections  103  and  104  may be secured along edge  214  by virtue of source material  100  being made of one integral piece (e.g., sections  103  and  104  being folded). Sections  103  and  104  may be secured along edges  214  by other means (e.g., sewing, etc.). 
         [0015]    Section  101  may be secured (e.g., sewn) to section  102 , as indicated by dotted lines in  FIG. 2A . In one embodiment, sections  101  and  102  are secured along three sides, forming a pouch  201  with an opening  211  between sections  101  and  102 . In the embodiment shown, opening  211  is along the divide between sections  103  and  102 . Pouch  201  may receive and hold items (e.g., currency, credit cards, identification, a driver&#39;s license, change, receipts, mobile phone, etc.) for storage. 
         [0016]    In addition to sewing sections to form pouches (e.g., pouches  201  and  202 ), sections may also be secured by heating and pressing the sections together (e.g., if source material  100  includes plastic). Other means of securing sections together are possible, such as by glue or staples. 
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of an exemplary clip  500  in one embodiment. Clip  500  may be formed of metal (e.g., spring steel, titanium, etc.), plastic (e.g., molded plastic), etc. Clip  500  may include an extension portion  502  and a backing plate  504 . Clip  500  may receive currency, receipts, etc. between extension portion  502  and backing plate  504 , for example. Extension portion  502  may include a bend  506  that allows extension portion  502  to act as a spring to provide tension to hold items (e.g., currency, receipts, etc.) placed between extension portion  502  and backing plate  504 . Backing plate  504  may also provide shape and rigidity to the storage device, as discussed below. 
         [0018]    Extension portion  502  may be placed through eyelet  110  of the storage device in configuration  200  of  FIG. 2A , resulting in the configuration  290  shown in  FIG. 2B . In this configuration, pouch  202  is situated between extension portion  502  and backing plate  504 . 
         [0019]    In configuration  290  shown in  FIG. 2B , pouch  201  and pouch  202  may be moved in the direction of arrow  220 , resulting in the storage device being in an assembled configuration  400  shown in  FIG. 4 . In configuration  400 , pouch  201  and pouch  202  may be secured together. In one embodiment, the edges of the storage device may be stitched so as to secure pouch  201  and pouch  202 . In this embodiment, three edges (e.g., edges  402 ,  404 , and  405 ) may be fastened so that a user may access opening  211  (along edge  408 ). In another embodiment, two edges (e.g., edge  402  and  404 ) of the storage device may be fastened so that a user may access an opening formed (e.g., opening  406 ) between sections  102  and  103  after folding pouches  201  and  202  together in the direction of arrow  220 . In one embodiment, edge  408  may be secured by virtue of source material  100  being made of one integral piece. 
         [0020]    In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , clip  500  may provide tension to hold material (e.g., credit cards) in pouch  202 . Clip  500  also provides tension to hold material (e.g., currency) between extension portion  502  and the top surface of pouch  202  (e.g., section  104 ). In another embodiment, pouch  201  and  202  are not secured together along the two or three sides discussed above. Rather, pouches  201  and  202  may be free to swing in the direction of arrow  220  ( FIG. 2B ) and back again between configuration  290  ( FIG. 2B ) and configuration  400  ( FIG. 4 ). 
         [0021]    The exact dimensions of source material  100  may depend on whether it is intended to carry large items (large bills, larger mobile phones, etc.) or smaller items (small bills, smaller mobile phones, etc). In one embodiment, the size of the assembled storage device (e.g., configuration  200 ,  290 , or  400 ) may be approximately the size of a conventional wallet. Source material  100  may be formed from a single piece of material (as shown in  FIG. 1 ), or from multiple pieces of material secured together. For example, each of sections  101 ,  102 ,  103 , and  104  may each be a separate piece of material fastened together. Forming source material  100  from a single piece of material, however, may allow for easier and faster manufacture of the storage device. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the size of clip  500  is scaled to match the size of source material  100 . In another embodiment, the size of clip  500  may be such that it is suitable for any size of source material  100  in any configuration (e.g., configuration  200 ,  290 , or  400 ). As shown in  FIG. 5 , backing plate  504  may be approximately 3.5 inches by 2.25 inches. Likewise, the size of each section of source material  100  (e.g., sections  101 ,  102 ,  103 ,  104 ) may be slightly larger than 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches to accommodate clip  500 . In one embodiment, backing plate  504  may be approximately the size of a credit card. In one embodiment, the size of the assembled storage device may be approximately 2.5 by 4.5 inches to accommodate a mobile phone. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, clip  500  may be integrally formed of one piece of material. In another embodiment, clip  500  may be formed of multiple pieces of material. In one embodiment, the width of backing plate  504  is wider than eyelet  110 . As a result, when in configuration  400  ( FIG. 4 ), clip  500  may be secured within the storage device. In another embodiment, eyelet  110  is approximately as wide or wider than the backing plate  504 . In this embodiment, clip  500  may be removed and/or reinserted into the storage device. In this embodiment, eyelet  110  may also form an opening to a pouch (not shown), allowing the storage device to receive items similarly to pouch  201 . In this embodiment, three sides or edges (e.g., edges  402 ,  404 , and  405 ) of the storage device may be fastened as shown in configuration  400  ( FIG. 4 ) so as to form the additional pouch. In one embodiment, eyelet  110  is only slightly larger than extension portion  502 . The shape and the size of clip  500  illustrated in the drawings herein is just one embodiment. 
         [0024]    In one embodiment, extension portion  502  may include engraving to identify the owner of the device or the manufacturer, the product name, or company logo (e.g., “The Stash”). In an alternative embodiment, clip  500  may be omitted, as shown in the configuration  300  of  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, eyelet  110  may be wide so as to form an opening and an additional pouch with an opening (hidden in  FIG. 3 ). 
         [0025]    In one embodiment, the user can slip the storage device into a pocket for safe keeping. Alternatively, the user can clip the storage device onto the waistband using, for example, clip  500 . In this embodiment, the storage device can be worn outside of the waistband or inside the waistband for more security. In configuration  290 , where pouch  201  and pouch  202  can move with respect to each other in the direction of arrow  220 , pouch  201  may be place inside the waistband while pouch  202  may be moved to rest outside the waistband. 
         [0026]      FIG. 6A  is a diagram of exemplary source material  600  (e.g., a sheet) for another embodiment of a storage device. Source material may include sections  602 ,  604 ,  608 ,  610 , and  612 . Sections  602 ,  604 ,  608 ,  610 , and  612  may each be substantially rectangular. As shown, section  602  includes three edges, two adjacent the line between sections  602  and  604  and one opposite the line between sections  602  and  604 . Section  604  includes two edges, both adjacent the line between sections  604  and  608  and adjacent the line between section  602  and  604 . Likewise, section  608  includes two edges adjacent the line between section  604  and  608  and adjacent the line between section  608  and  610 . Further, section  610  includes two edges adjacent the line between sections  608  and  610  and adjacent the line between sections  610  and  612 . Section  612  includes three edges, two adjacent the line between sections  610  and  612  and one opposite the line between sections  610  and  612 . In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 6A , section  612  may be shorter along its major axis than section  103 . 
         [0027]    In one embodiment, section  612  may be folded under section  610  in the direction of arrow  624 . Section  612  may be secured to section  610  along three edges to form pouch  616 , as shown in  FIG. 6B , with an opening  632 . Pouch  616  may be secured along three edges (e.g., with stitching) as indicated by a dotted line in  FIG. 6B  or by virtue, for example, of section  610  and section  612  being integrally formed. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 6B , section  602  may be folded over onto section  604  in the direction of arrow  620 . Section  604  may be secured to section  602  along three edges to form pouch  618  (shown in  FIG. 6C ) with an opening  634 . Pouch  618  may be secured along three edges (e.g., with stitching) as indicated by a dotted line in  FIG. 6C  and by virtue, for example, of section  602  and section  604  being integrally formed. 
         [0029]    An eyelet  614  may pass clip  500  such that extension portion  502  passes under section  608  and backing plate  504  is above section  608 , as shown in  FIGS. 6A ,  6 B, and  6 C. Further, as shown in  FIG. 6C , section  610  may be folded over section  608  in the direction of arrow  622  to capture backing plate  504  of clip  500  between sections  608  and  610 , as shown in configuration  690  of  FIG. 6D . In one embodiment, sections  608  and  610  may be secured together along all four sides or edges. In another embodiment, sections  608  and  610  may be secured along fewer (three, two, or one) side to form an additional pouch. 
         [0030]    As shown in configuration  690  of  FIG. 6D , pouch  618  may be folded under pouch  616  in the direction of arrow  630 , resulting in the configuration  692  of  FIG. 6E . Pouch  618  may also be unfolded in the opposite direction of arrow  630 , such that the storage device may move from configuration  690  to configuration  692  and back again. In one embodiment, the storage device may allow the user to wear pouch  618  either inside or outside the waistband while pouch  616  is inside the waistband. 
         [0031]    Pouch  618  may be used, for example, to store a mobile phone or a PDA. Pouch  618  may be reached through opening  634 . Pouch  616  may be used, for example, to store cash, credit cards, etc. Pouch  616  may be reached through opening  634 . 
         [0032]    In one embodiment, pouches  201 ,  202 ,  616  and/or  618  may be made with material that may stretch so that, for example, a mobile phone may be inserted into these pouches. In another embodiment, pouches  201 ,  202 ,  616 , and/or  618  may be made with excess material such that, for example, a mobile phone may be placed into these pouches. For example, any one of these pouches may be sized and configured to securely fit an iPhone, a Blackberry, a Motorola Razr, etc. In another embodiment, an additional layer of material may be added to the outside of pouches  201 ,  202 ,  616 , and/or  618  to form an additional pouch. 
         [0033]    In one embodiment, the pouches (e.g., pouches  202 ,  201 ,  616 , and/or  618 ) may include two openings (e.g., another opening opposite opening  212 , where pouch  202  is secured on two sides). In another embodiment, the pouches (e.g., pouch  201 ) may be secured along different edges (e.g., creating an opening  213  rather than opening  211 ). In yet another embodiment, the pouches (e.g., pouch  201 ) may be secured along three different edges (e.g., creating an opening for pouch  201  along the edge opposite opening  213 ). In another embodiment, pouch  201  may be branded with a logo or product name. In another embodiment, the stitched edges of the storage device (e.g., a cloth holder) may use surge stitching to attached the layers (e.g., layers of cloth) together to form the pouches that hold physical objects. 
         [0034]    While the sections of source materials  100  and  600  are shown of equal size, the sections may be of differing sizes. For example, section  101  may have a shorter length (in the direction of the major axis of source material  100 ) than section  102 . As such, opening  211  to pouch  201  may be set back from line  106  between sections  101  and  102 . In another embodiment, the pouches (e.g., pouches  201  and  202  may be of various different sizes (e.g., pouches  201  and  202  may be different sizes than shown). Further, the pouches (e.g., pouches  201  and  202 ) may be of differing sizes than each other. For example, pouch  201  may be larger than pouch  202 , or vice versa. Some embodiments may include clip  500 , while other embodiments may not include clip  500 . 
         [0035]    As the term is used herein, a “pouch” may also be considered a “pocket.” While source materials  100  and  600  may include sheets in which the sections (e.g., sections  602 ,  604 ,  608 ,  610 , and  612 ) are integrally formed, in other embodiments, one or more sections may not be integrally formed. In this embodiment, the separate sections may be secured to each other using stitches, etc. (e.g., along the dotted lines as shown in the figures). 
         [0036]    In the preceding specification, various preferred embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.