Abstract:
The present invention is a compact wallet designed to present a minimal silhouette in a shirt, pants or purse pocket. Novel features hold the silhouette to the minimal dimensions of a credit card while affording maximal expandability for content storage and accessibility.

Description:
[0001]    This is a U.S. Non-Provisional patent application. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to billfold wallets, and more particularly to low-profile wallets for credit cards. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Who among us would not prefer a wallet minimally-sized to just the stack of credit cards carried in the typical bi- or tri-fold leather wallet? Such a minimalist wallet could be easily slipped into a shirt pocket, or present a slim profile in a pants pocket or purse. Even with money clipped to it, the bulk of such a wallet would be less than that of the fold-over-envelope-type-wallet traditionally used to carry cards, money and identification. Such a traditional wallet, with its internal sleeves, compartments, and windows, not to mention contents, can bulge uncomfortably or telltale-like from clothing, or inconveniently in a handbag, while giving little protection from moisture, bending or electronic snooping. 
         [0004]    In the lifestyle of today, purchases are made more and more with credit or debit cards or through electronic wallets, such as Apple Pay™ or Google Wallet™. Carrying cash, except for an emergency bill or two, has increasingly become both unnecessary and inconvenient in consideration of the nuisance in making change and risk of loss through theft or carelessness. The traditional wallet, initially designed to carry cash in bills, and sometimes coins and checks also, is correspondingly evolving into obsolescence in view of the convenience and record-keeping benefit of credit/debit cards. The bare essentials today are a charge card of some type and an item of identification, both, serendipitously, of generally the same size. 
         [0005]    Money clips are common in the art and some money clips also made accommodation for credit cards. The clip, typically of hairpin-like configuration, has protrusion which can snag in a pocket of clothing or purse. Other known devices sandwich cards and/or money between bookend plates bound with elastic strapping. The strapping allows for an expandable interior volume while providing compression to grip the contents. The profile of the plates is generally larger than that of the contents, the out-sizing necessary to provide structure for either guiding the strapping or for fixtures to terminate the strapping. In most cases, the running length of the strapping is limited by the distance between fixture locations on the plates, which limits the expansion capability and, therefore, the capacity for contents. In other cases, it becomes difficult to view the stored contents without moving them all. In other cases, selectively withdrawing of just one of the contents, particularly with a presentation of the shorter edge, is frustrated by the compaction applied. In other cases, replacement of the straps when worn or stretched out is discouraged by assembly design. In other cases, the plates are of insufficient rigidity to protect the contents from bending. 
         [0006]    The unfulfilled need is for a compact wallet which would be minimally dimensioned to the prototypical credit card profile. Such a compact wallet would be void of any potentially snagging structural appendages while optimizing volume expansion and viewability of contents. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention utilizes bookend plates resiliently bound with an encircling elastic band to contain one or more credit card-sized objects in a wallet configuration. A novel feature maximizes the expansion of interior volume by allowing the strap to expand along a maximum length afforded by a longitudinal dimension of the wallet while avoiding anchor points which would effectively shorten the length. Another novel feature achieves minimal sizing of the plates by channeling the strap with interior means rather than by means of profile extensions. Yet another novel feature achieves easy access to, and viewing of, the contents through a cut-away feature which allows the contents to be partially pushed up where a fulcrum is provided for pinching the plates together and fanning out the contents. 
         [0008]    It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a compact wallet substantially no larger than a credit card. It is a further object to maximize expandability of the wallet to accommodate multiple objects of substantially the same size. It is a further object to protect the contents of the wallet from damage or loss by open-ended drop through. It is a further object to facilitate selection of any one object from the bound group. It is a further object to accommodate folded currency handily on the outside of the wallet. It is a further object to present essentially smooth contours for snag-free passage into and out of pockets of clothing or bags. It is a further object to provide means and method for changing out elastic bounding bands. 
         [0009]    These objects, and others to become hereinafter apparent, are embodied in a compact wallet comprising, in a first element, at least two rigid plates interposed to sandwich card-like contents there between, each rigid plate having a longitudinal extent. A second element is at least one encircling elastic band interposed with the at least two rigid plates, over the longitudinal extents thereof, to bias them inwardly and securely hold the card-like contents while providing elastic volume between the plates for adding additional contents. A third element is a channeling means configured to minimize the profile of the wallet and hold position of the at least one encircling elastic band with respect to each rigid plate. The channeling means additionally allows freedom for the dynamic extension and contraction of the band over the entire running length of the band. With such means and in such manner, card-like contents may be carried with minimal silhouette on or with a person while allowing expandable capacity and ready access to individual contents from between the at least two rigid plates. 
         [0010]    In a preferred embodiment, the channeling means is a longitudinal groove in a first lamina of a laminate construction of each rigid plate. The groove slidingly receives one part of the at least one encircling elastic band. In one instance of the preferred embodiment, a second lamina of the laminate construction of each rigid plate is removably attached to the first lamina to hold the at least one elastic band in capture and provide a smooth surface for glide purposes. In another instance, the second lamina is attached to the first lamina by screws. 
         [0011]    As this is not intended to be an exhaustive recitation, other embodiments may be learned from practicing the invention or may otherwise become apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood through the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the compact wallet of the present invention showing currency banded to the outside thereof and a credit card extended into view by means of a finger notch; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the compact wallet; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of the compact wallet; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a section view taken along the lines  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the compact wallet; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a right-side view of the compact wallet; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second lamina of a laminate construction of one of the rigid plates; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a first lamina of the laminate construction showing a groove for channeling an encircling elastic band; 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the elastic band showing first and second appendant straps; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a fanned open compact wallet. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a compact wallet  1  is comprised of at least two rigid plates  10 , serving as “bookends” as it were, with one or more card-like contents  2  sandwiched between them. The sandwiched composite is bound by at least one encircling elastic band  4 . The encircling elastic band  4  holds the card-like contents  2  securely by means of compression, while also expanding elastically to open space between the rigid plates  10 . The added volume of the space provides capacity for additional contents. The rigid plates  10  are sized to the dimensions of a standard credit card and the resulting perimeter defines a profile  14 . A channeling means  20  prevents the encircling elastic band  4  from adding more than negligible breadth to profile  14 . This profile minimization is accomplished by locating the channeling means  20  internally to the rigid plates  10 . In other words, no structures projecting from the profile  14  are needed to fixture the encircling band  4 , as in the case of prior art. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 9 , the channeling means  20  of the preferred embodiment is a longitudinal groove  21  spanning a longitudinal extent  3  of each rigid plate  10 . The longitudinal groove  21  is of such ample dimension as to receive a corresponding part of the encircling elastic band  4  and allow it to slidingly expand and contract freely while holding position there within. In this way, the full running length of the band can be exercised for expansion while contraction is rendered responsive. The result is a maximally achievable opening between the plates whereby filling volume is optimized. 
         [0025]    In one preferred embodiment, the longitudinal groove  21  traverses a first lamina  22  of a laminate construction of each rigid plate  10 . The first lamina  22  is capped with a second lamina  23  to capture on portion of the encircling elastic band  4  and complete the channeling means  20 . The second lamina  23  is preferably attached removably to the first lamina  22  to enable the encircling elastic band  4  to be changed out at the end of its service life. In a particular preferred embodiment, the attachment is made by flat-headed screws  24  threaded into threaded holes  26  in the first lamina  22  through countersunk holes  25  in the second lamina. The flat-heading and counter-sinking of the screws provide a smooth outer surface to the compact wallet  1 , thereby permitting snag-free glide into pockets or other containment vessels. In an alternate embodiment, the attachment mechanism may include appropriately placed pressure sensitive adhesive strips (not shown). Other attachment means, known in the art, are also contemplated as within scope. 
         [0026]    In one preferred embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 10 , a finger notch  13  is provided in the periphery at a proximal end  11  of each rigid plate  10  such that the notches of facing plates are aligned. To accomplish the alignment, each plate must be configured in a mirror image of the other. The finger notches  13  expose an edge of the card like contents  2 . Using a finger in the finger notch, the card-like contents  2  can be urged upwardly in a lifting maneuver  16  by pressing against the exposed edge to elevate the card-like contents above distal ends  12  of the rigid plates  10 . The lifting maneuver  16  makes the card-line contents  2  available for inspection and selection, which would otherwise be difficult tasks when masked by the plates. The display of contents can be further enhanced by a pinching maneuver  17 , which is accomplished by pinching the proximal ends  11  together about the fulcrum of the exposed edge of the contents rendered offset from the proximal ends  11  by the preceding maneuver. The pinching maneuver  17  fans open the distal ends  12  and facilitates separation of the card-like contents for further inspection and ease of selection. 
         [0027]    In one preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 3-6 and 9 , a first elastic strap  5  is positioned over the proximal ends  11  of the rigid plates  10 . The first elastic strap  5  registers the card like contents to the proximal ends  11  and prevents them from slipping beyond the ends when expansion takes place. Preferably, the first elastic strap  5  is attached to the encircling elastic band  4  by sewing, or bonding, by access through the transverse groove  27  ( FIGS. 2 and 8 ). Alternatively, the first elastic strap  5  is attached to each rigid plate  10  by any known means. In one preferred embodiment, a second elastic strap  6  is positioned over the outside surface of one of the rigid plates  10  to strap thereon currency  8  ( FIG. 1 ), or additional card-like contents  2 . Preferably, the second elastic strap  6  is attached to the encircling elastic band  4  by sewing, or bonding, by access through the longitudinal groove  21 . Alternatively, the second elastic strap  6  is attached to the rigid plate  10  of its intimacy by any known means. In an alternate embodiment, a prior art money clip (not shown) attached to one of the rigid plates  10  may be used to serve this functionality. 
         [0028]    In the preferred embodiment, the card-like contents include, but are not limited to, credit cards, a driver&#39;s license, ID cards, business cards, affiliation/membership cards, currency bills, loyalty cards, coupons, a calendar, receipts or any paper or card-stock item of a personal or business nature. The rigid plates  10  are either comprised of metal, or otherwise integrate a metalized surface, for radio-frequency identification (RFID) theft protection purposes, as credit cards are increasingly using RFID chips. A substrate can be metalized by electric deposition, by casting, or otherwise by bonding on or taping on a foil. In the preferred embodiment, the first lamina  22  is fabricated from aluminum plate of 2 mm gauge by machining. Alternatively, the first lamina  22  may be 316 stainless steel (SS), or may otherwise be injection molded with high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or any resin with stiffness property. The second lamina  23  may be fabricated from similar materials and methods as the first lamina  22 , although not necessarily matched thereto. For example, the second lamina  23  may be die-cut from polystyrene sheet stock of 0.7 mm gauge and mated with machined SS from plate stock used for the first lamina  22 . The rigid plates  10 , and the profile  14  by definition, preferably measure approximately 8.5 cm by 5.4 cm. In the preferred embodiment, the flat-headed screws  24  are comprised of 316 SS; but may also, in the alternative, be made of aluminum or any other metal alloy. The encircling elastic band  4 , the first elastic strap  5  and second elastic strap  6  may be any rubber, or rubberized, material configured in a web. In the preferred embodiment, the band and straps are of 3 cm woven elastic fabric, such as that found at the John Howard Company. Alternatively, the bands and straps may differ from each other in materials and sizes. 
         [0029]    The compact wallet  1  may be provided at retail in a system configuration with a tool, such as a driver (not shown), to assist with assembly or disassembly. The system may also include an instruction card (not shown), or pamphlet, a spare encircling elastic band  4  or one or more spare flat-headed screws  24 . The compact wallet  1  may supplied either assembled or disassembled in the system configuration. 
         [0030]    It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the preceding description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, the channeling means  20  might be a longitudinal bore through each rigid plate  10 . Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.