Personal article storage apparatus

An article storage apparatus includes a flexible panel that can be held against the upper torso of a person by an upper strap looped around the person's neck and a lower strap running around the sides and back of the person. The panel provides a support surface for a plurality of pocket structures that are sized to carry various articles normally carried by a person in a purse or in the person's pants pockets. The apparatus provides additional storage capacity for a person wearing conventional pants, or a primary storage device for a person wearing some other garment, such as shorts or a track suit.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to an article storage apparatus and particularly to 
an article storage apparatus adapted to be worn by a person while moving 
from place to place. 
One well known personal article storage apparatus comprises a pouch having 
a zippered opening for closing the the pouch, whereby small articles can 
be retained in the pouch. A strap or band is attached to the pouch for 
encircling the person's waist, such that the pouch is positioned against 
the person's stomach at waist level. 
One disadvantage of the conventional stomach pouch is that the pouch 
provides only a single compartment for all of the articles that are to be 
contained within the pouch. The various articles become intermingled so 
that it is sometimes difficult for the person to pick out a specific 
article needed at a particular moment. Typically the pouch is used to 
contain such articles as a comb, pencils, pens, wallet, handkerchief, 
lipstick, candy bar, loose coins, dollar bills, and personal protection 
devices. In some instances it may be a problem to select one particular 
article for withdrawal from a stomach pouch containing a variety of 
different articles. 
Another problem with conventional stomach pouches is that the pouch storage 
capacity (volume) is somewhat limited. The pouch location on the person's 
stomach somewhat limits the size and thickness of the pouch, since a large 
pouch dimension could interfere with a normal walking motion or sitting 
motion. 
The present invention is directed to an article storage apparatus adapted 
to be worn on the upper torso area of the person, either on the person's 
chest or on the person's side below one arm (similar to the procedure used 
when wearing a gun holster in a concealed weapon environment). 
The article storage apparatus preferably comprises a flexible panel adapted 
for positionment against a person's upper torso for supporting a plurality 
of article-containment pocket structures. Typically, the apparatus will 
comprise four separate pocket structures. 
Each pocket structure can be used to contain a specific article or 
relatively few articles that it is desired to be kept separate from other 
articles. The location of the article storage apparatus on the person's 
upper torso enables the support panel (for the pocket structures) to have 
a relatively great face area. This enables the panel to support a 
relatively large number of article containment pocket structure. The total 
storage volume is reasonably large and sufficient for most purposes. 
The article storage apparatus of the present invention can be worn by the 
person in either a concealed condition or an exposed condition, e.g. 
underneath the person's suit coat or jacket, or over the person's shirt or 
sweater. 
The attached drawings illustrate one preferred form of the invention, and 
provide a basis for a more complete understanding of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an article storage apparatus 10 adapted 
to store various small articles that might be carried by a person while 
moving from place-to-place. The apparatus serves the function of person's 
purse or pants pockets. Typically, the apparatus will be used to carry 
(store) such articles as combs, pens, pencils, wallet, loose coins, candy 
bar, bills, writing paper, and pill container. The apparatus is designed 
to be worn on the upper torso area of a person, either on the chest or 
underneath one arm of the person. 
Apparatus 10 comprises a flexible panel 12 formed e.g. of leather or heavy 
plastic. The panel has an upper edge 14, lower edge 16, and two side edges 
18. An upper strap means 20 is connected to the panel at the panel corners 
formed at the junctures between upper edge 14 and side edges 18. Strap 
means 20 forms a flexible loop adapted to extend around a person's neck or 
around the person's shoulder. The object is to position the panel 12 
against the person's upper torso, while preventing the panel from 
Gravitating downwardly; strap means 20 serves as a suspension device for 
panel 12. 
A lower strap means 22 is connected to panel 12 so as to be extendable in a 
generally horizontal plane around the upper torso of the person. One end 
of strap means 22 is adjustably attached to an anchorage element 24 
located at one side edge of panel 12; element 24 can be formed of rigid 
plastic or as a metal stamping. The strap means is adapted to extend from 
anchorage element 24 around and behind the person's back, then forwardly 
along the person's opposite side, and finally across the person's chest 
area to an attachment point proximate to anchorage element 24. 
In the illustrated apparatus the strap means 22 is retained in position by 
conventional hook-and-loop fibrous fastener patches, e.g. the fastener 
devices commonly available under the trademark VELCRO. Such patches have 
adhesive attachment properties when they are positioned flatwise against 
one another. As shown in FIG. 1, strap means 22 has a first adhesive patch 
26 located in the vicinity of anchorage element 24, and a second adhesive 
patch 28 located near the free end of the strap means. 
Strap means 22 can be trained around the person's torso, a few inches above 
waist level, such that the right end area of strap means 22 passes 
transversely across the panel 12, to enable adhesive patch 28 to mate with 
patch 26. The strap means thereby retains panel 12 against separation from 
the person's torso. Each patch 26 or 28 is elongated along the strap 
longitudinal axis, to enable the strap means to adapt to variations in the 
person's circumferential (girth) dimension. Additionally, the strap means 
is preferably formed of an elastic material so as to be stretchable 
(expandable) around the person's torso, if necessary. 
Referring to upper strap means 20, there is provided a mechanism for 
adjusting the effective length of the strap means, whereby the strap 
mechanism can be accommodated to persons' having different heights, e.g. 
tall or short. The length adjustment mechanism can comprise a clamp 
element 30 in the form of a hollow rectangular frame having two cross bars 
31 and 32. 
Strap means 20 comprises a first strap element 23 extending from panel 12 
and having a loop end encircling cross bar 31, such that strap element 23 
is rigidly attached to clamp element 30. Strap means 20 further comprises 
a second strap element 25 (appreciably longer than strap element 23). 
Strap element 25 extends through clamp element 30 so as to overlie cross 
bars 31 and 32, whereby the strap element is adjustably clamped to the 
clamp element frame. Strap element 25 can be pulled through the clamp 
element frame in either direction, so as to vary the effective length of 
the loop formed by the strap means 20. 
Strap means 22 has an adjustment mechanism to accommodate human girth 
dimension differences. One end of the strap means is looped around the 
side edge of a buckle 34 that is slidably adjustable on aforementioned 
strap element 25; strap element 25 threads through the buckle so as to 
overlie a cross bar 35 on the buckle, thereby holding the buckle in 
adjusted positions on the strap element 25. 
Strap means 22 extends downwardly from buckle 34 and through anchorage 
element 24 before going around the back of the person. To effectively 
lengthen strap means 22 (for a fat person), buckle struture 34 is moved 
along strap element 25 toward clamp element 30. To effectively shorten 
strap means 22 (for a thin person), buckle structure 34 is moved along 
strap element 25 away from clamp element 30. 
The buckle structure 34 is representative of various devices that can be 
used to vary the effective length of the lower strap means 22. 
Flexible panel 12 supports four separate pocket structures, designated by 
numerals 38, 40, 42 and 44. Pocket structure 38 comprises a flap 45 
integral with panel 12; the flap forms an integral extension of panel 12. 
Flap 45 extends upwardly from the lower edge of panel 12 in spaced 
relation to the panel front face, whereby the flap forms the front wall of 
pocket structure 38. Pocket structure 38 is completed by two connector 
walls 47 that join side edges of flap 45 to the side edges 18 of panel 12, 
e.g. by stitching along the flanged joints at edge areas of walls 47. 
The upwardly open mouth of pocket structure 38 is normally closed by a 
hinged closure 48, preferably formed of leather or flexible plastic 
material; closure 48 has an upper edge hingedly attached to panel 12, e.g. 
by stitching, and a lower edge extending downwardly across the front wall 
of pocket structure 38. The facing surfaces of the pocket structure and 
closure 48 carry mating adhesive patches 50, whereby the closure is 
releasably held in the closed position. Patches 50 can be formed of 
fibrous interlocking hook-and-loop materials, e.g. materials marketed 
under the trademark VELCRO. 
The second pocket structure 40 comprises a generally rectangular sheet of 
material 52 having its lower edge attached to the front face of flap 45. 
Side edges of flexible sheet 52 are attached to flap 45 by means of 
connector walls 53; each connector wall 53 can be an elongated strip 
tapering in the downward direction, so that the pocket structure 40 has a 
relatively wide mouth opening and closed lower end. 
The mouth opening for pocket structure 40 is normally closed by a hinged 
closure 55 that is similar to aforementioned closure 48. Closure 55 is 
hingedly attached at its upper edge to the front face of pocket structure 
38, e.g. by stitching. The lower edge area of closure 55 carries an 
adhesive patch 56 that mates with a complementary adhesive patch on sheet 
52, whereby closure 55 is releasably held in place over the mouth opening 
of pocket structure 40. The adhesive patches can be formed of fibrous 
hook-and-loop fastener materials, similar to the materials used for 
patches 50, 26 and 28. 
Pocket structure 42 is formed by a single strip of flexible material 58 
having two relatively long side edges and a relatively short upper edge, 
and a relatively short lower edge. Strip 56 is stitched to the front face 
of pocket structure 38 (i.e. flap 45) by stitches running along its side 
edges and bottom edge. An additional row of stitches runs vertically along 
the vertical centerline of strip 58, so that pocket structure 42 is 
subdivided into two vertical compartments adapted to hold pens or pencils. 
The right edge area of strip 58 may be continued forwardly to form one of 
the aforementioned connector walls 53, thereby simplifying the structure 
and enabling the pocket structure 40 to have a reasonably large width 
dimension. 
The fourth pocket structure 44 occupies the space above pocket structure 
38. It can be constructed similarly to the previously described pocket 
structure 40. Preferably pocket structure 44 is equipped with a hinged 
closure 60 constructed similarly to aforementioned closures 48 and 53. 
Closure 60 has an adhesive patch means 62 for holding the closure in place 
over the mouth opening of pocket structure 44. 
The illustrated arrangement is advantageous in that it provides four 
separate pocket structures for various small articles. The articles can be 
separated from one another in different pocket structures, thus making it 
easier to find any particular article. 
Another advantage of the illustrated arrangement is that the support panel 
12 can have a reasonably large face area, such that a multiplicity of 
pocket structures of reasonable size can be provided on the panel. Each 
pocket structure is readily accessible. 
The number of pocket structures can be varied while still practicing the 
invention. FIG. 4 shows an alternate arrangement that comprises two pocket 
structures, namely a lower pocket structure 70 and an upper pocket 
structure 72. 
Pocket structure 70 is shown as being comprised of a single fabric sheet 73 
stitched along its bottom edge and two side edges to the support panel 12. 
Sheet 73 may be cut, stitched, and formed into a hollow three dimensional 
configuration, to give the pocket structure a desired depth. The upper 
edge area of sheet 73 provides a flap-type closure 75 that may be 
adhesively secured to panel 12, using adhesive patches of the previously 
described hook-and-loop materials. 
Pocket structure 72 can be formed of a three dimensional fabric sheet 77 
stitched around its peripheral edge to panel 12. A slot opening in sheet 
77 can be closed by a conventional zipper 79 having a small key-operated 
lock 80 associated with the zipper pull tab. The hasp of the lock can be 
run through an opening in a fixed plate at the left end of the zipper 
system, to provide a secure theft-proof pocket structure. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the lower strap means 22 has a length adjustment clamp 
means 30 that is similar to the adjustment device used for the upper strap 
means 20. Strap means 22 comprises an adhesive patch 82 carried on the 
right edge of panel 12, and a mating patch 84 on the free end of the 
elongated strap. The strap is adapted to encircle the upper torso of the 
person, in the previously described fashion. 
The drawings illustrate at least one preferred form of the invention. 
However, it will be appreciated that the invention can be practiced in 
various forms and configurations.