Abstract:
A belt buckle for holding valuables includes a frame, a belt-fastening arrangement attached to the frame and a cavity defined within the frame. The cavity constitutes a compartment bounded by planar surfaces and dimensioned for accommodating at least one credit card. The compartment has a top opening for introducing and removing the valuables.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to a belt buckle which holds valuables, such as money and/or credit cards and which includes a frame for receiving the valuables and elements for fastening the belt to the buckle.  
         [0002]     For storing cash and/or credit cards on a person, apart from the traditional purses and wallets, numerous other devices have been known which have been developed partly for security reasons and partly for reasons of comfort. A protection against pickpockets is still a present-day problem; for this reason one part of the various devices for storing valuables are provided in every-day apparel at locations which are hidden or accessible only with difficulty. Examples are hidden pockets, hollowed shoe soles, money belts provided with Zip-fasteners and the like. Storing valuables in such hidden locations, however, involve obvious disadvantages: the owner too, has a difficult access to the valuables; this, for example, leads to inconveniences during shopping. Further, the stuffed hidden pockets or the like often result in bulging, thus revealing the location of the valuables.  
         [0003]     In many instances the primary purpose is not so much a protection against thieves, but to carry the valuables as comfortably and conveniently as possible. For many physical activities it is inconvenient to carry a wallet or purse in a separate bag or case. This problem is partially eliminated by various storage devices worn around the neck, pouch belts or pouches attachable to belts.  
         [0004]     Solutions have been developed which combine the advantages noted above. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,301 discloses a hidden valuables holder attachable to a belt. The holder comprises a flat storage part and strips attached to the storage part and terminating in a loop. The size of the loops is sufficient to thread therethrough a usual belt for slacks or skirts. The strips are sufficiently long to allow the valuables holder, suspended from the belt, to be worn outside or inside the slacks or skirts.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,598 discloses a valuables holder which is formed in the belt buckle proper and thus ensures total secrecy. Accordingly, a cavity is formed in the belt buckle, and money may be laterally introduced into or removed from the cavity. For this operation, however, the belt has to be opened which, on the one hand, is inconvenient, and, on the other hand, may occasionally be disconcerting. It is a further drawback of this solution that the stored valuables cannot be removed along a planar surface; even their storage occurs along an arcuate surface and thus the device is not adapted to store relatively rigid articles, such as credit cards, passes or identity cards. It is also a disadvantage that for grasping the valuables, particularly money, only an extremely small space is available laterally between the buckle and the belt and therefore its use is uncertain and circumstantial.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved belt buckle which avoids the earlier-described disadvantages and which ensures an easy and reliable handling.  
         [0007]     This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the belt buckle for holding valuables includes a frame, a belt-fastening arrangement attached to the frame and a cavity defined within the frame. The cavity constitutes a compartment bounded by planar surfaces and dimensioned for accommodating at least one credit card. The compartment has a top opening for introducing and removing the valuables. The top opening is expediently provided with a closure element and/or a card-immobilizing element.  
         [0008]     In an expedient embodiment the frame has a money or card holding insert which fits into the compartment. The insert may be, for example, a compartmented plastic holder or an openable and closable flat box which is securable in the compartment, for example, by providing the insert and the frame with mutually engageable snap-in closure members.  
         [0009]     In case the belt buckle is significantly thicker than usual, the frame may be bilaterally provided with belt-guiding extensions. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, viewed from the rear.  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the invention, viewed from the front.  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a component of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of the invention from the rear. A belt buckle  1  is adjoined by a belt  2  held in place by a belt fastening element  4  secured to a frame  3 . Further known belt fastening elements  5  and  6  are formed on the rear side of the frame  3 . The frame  3  defines an inner compartment  7  having an introducing/removing opening  8  formed in the rear wall  3   a  of the frame  3  by a rounded recess  9  provided in the rear wall  3   a  along its upper edge. The opening  8  may have a conventional closure, such as a lid. The compartment  7  proper is a cavity bounded by planar surfaces to ensure that a relatively rigid article, such as a credit card is not in a bent state either during introduction, or storage or removal. The opening  8  is disposed at the top of the compartment partly for this reason, and partly to ensure the most convenient access.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates another preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in perspective, as seen from the front (in a slightly distorted representation for the sake of better demonstration). The belt buckle  1 ′ is provided with an insert  10  and a compartment  7 ′ configured to accommodate the insert  10 . For this purpose, the insert  10  is introduced into the compartment  7 ′ as indicated by the arrow A. If needed, on either side of the belt buckle  1 ′ a guiding extension  11  may be provided for guiding and positioning the belt  2  immediately adjacent the belt buckle  1 ′. The permanently fixed end of the belt  2  is threaded through an opening  12  formed on one side of the belt buckle  1 ′, while on the other side of the belt buckle  1 ′ an opening  13  is situated for introducing the free end of the belt  2  into the belt buckle  1 ′ as indicated by the arrow B, to attach the belt  2  with the aid of holes  14  (only one shown) in a known manner.  
         [0016]     Also referring to  FIG. 3 , the insert  10  structured for storing valuables, such as credit cards or money, is an openable and closable box, formed by a lid  15 , a rear panel  16  and a closure panel  17 . The lid  15  joins the rear panel  16  at a right angle along one edge, while an extension  18  is formed along an opposite edge of the lid  15 . By means of the extension  18 , which projects from the frame  3 ′, the insert  10  may be easily lifted out of the belt buckle  1 ′, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The extension  18  is provided with a closing element  19  which may be snapped on the frame  3 ′. The closure panel  17  is secured by a live hinge  20  to the bottom edge of the rear panel  16 . As an alternative, the live hinge may be positioned laterally, in which case the closure panel  17  opens sideways. The solution illustrated, however, is particularly advantageous in that the valuables cannot slip out of the frame  3 ′upon removal of the insert  10 . The valuables may be easily removed from, or introduced into the insert  10  after opening the closure panel  17 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates the position of the insert  10  within the frame  3 ′. The rear panel  16  is in contact with the rear wall of the compartment  7 ′ of the frame  3 ′, that is, the closure panel  17  assumes its position in the front part of the compartment  7 ′. The lid  15  obturates the top opening  8  of the compartment  7 ′, and the extension  18  projects over the frontal side of the frame  3 ′.  
         [0018]     While in the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-4  the insert is designed as a box, it may have other configurations, such as a compartmented plastic holder.  
         [0019]     Both described embodiments ensure for the owner a convenient and easy access to the stored valuables which, at the same time, remain hidden to others.  
         [0020]     It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims.