Patent EA-000185-B1 (EA)
Title: Holder for credit card
IPC: A45C11/18
Filed: 1996-08-08
Abstract: 1 Holder for credit cards or similar products, comprising a box-shaped construction consisting of -an essentially rectangular front wall -two side walls perpendicular to the front wall -a bottom wall which is perpendicular to the said side walls but makes an angle of less than 90 degree  with the front wall -an essentially rectangular rear wall which can hinge about a hinge which runs parallel to the bottom wall in such a way that, starting from a position in which the rear wall is parallel to the front wall, the top edge of the rear wall moves away from the top edge of the front wall, and vice versa, wherein part of the rear wall is able to hinge about a hinge located in the rear wall, which hinge runs parallel to the bottom wall in such a way that, starting from a position in which the said part is located in the plane of the rear wall, the edge of the said part which is facing the bottom wall moves towards the front wall, and vice versa, a spring with which the said hingeable part of the rear wall is pre-tensioned in the direction of the hinge movement described above. 2. Holder according to Claim 1, characterised in that the holder is provided with a top wall which runs parallel to the bottom wall and extends between the top edges of front wall and rear wall and over only part of the gap between the two side walls. 3. Holder according to Claim 2, characterised in that the top wall consists of one piece which adjoins one of the side walls so that part of the space between the top edges of top wall and bottom wall adjoining the other side wall remains free. 4. Holder according to Claim 3, characterised in that the front wall is provided with a cut-out which runs from that part of the top edge which does not adjoin the top wall. 5. Holder according to Claim 4, characterised in that a cut-out is also made in the side edge which does not adjoin the top edge, said cut-out adjoining the cut-out in the top wall. 6. Holder according to Claim 3, 4 or 5, characterised in that the choice of which side wall the top wall must adjoin is dependent on whether the user of the holder is left-handed or right-handed. 7. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims 2-6, characterised in that the inside of the top wall is provided with an uneven surface. 8. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims 2-7, characterised in that the inside of the top wall is provided with a ribbed surface, preferably with ribs parallel to the edges of front and rear walls. 9. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the hinge about which the rear wall is able to hinge is located on the transition between the front wall and the bottom wall. 10. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the said hingeable section of the rear wall, in the position in which the said section is located in the plane of the rear wall, is surrounded on all sides by the remainder of the rear wall. 11. Holder according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the said hingeable section of the rear wall, in the position in which the said section is located in the plane of the rear wall, adjoins one of the side walls. 12. Holder according to Claim 11, with reference to one of the preceding Claims 3, 4 or 5, characterised in that the said section of the rear wall adjoins the other side wall 13 Holder according to one of the preceding Claims characterised in that the inner surface of the bottom wall is provided with a smooth finish or is provided with a smooth coating. 14. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that at least part of the inner surface of the rear wall is provided with a smooth finish or is provided with a smooth coating 15. Holder according to Claim 14 characterised in that the smooth surface extends between the top edge and the bottom edge of the rear wall. 16. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims characterised in that the top edge of the rear wall is chamfered such that the top edge makes an acute angle with the outer surface of the rear wall. 17. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims characterised in that the said angle between bottom wall and front wall has a value of between 10 degree  and 80 degree . 18. Holder according to Claim 13 characterised in that the said angle is at least approximately equal to 30 degree . 19. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the spring is formed by a flat strip of resilient material which has been bent in an essentially U-shape and is slid from the underside over the holder in such a way that one arm of the U-shape rests against the front wall, the other arm of the U-shape rests against the said section of the rear wall and the connecting arm of the U-shape essentially bears against the bottom wall. 20. Holder according to Claim 19 characterised in that the connecting arm of the U-shape makes an angle with the two other arms of the U-shape such that, in the assembled state of the holder, the connecting arm runs parallel to the bottom wall. 21. Holder according to Claim 19 or 20, characterised in that those edges of the two arms of the U-shape which face away from the connecting arm are provided with fixing means which interact with corresponding fixing means on/in the front wall and, respectively, on/in the said hingeable section of the rear wall. 22. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the holder, with the exception of the spring, is manufactured from a single injection-moulded part, the front wall and the top wall being firmly joined to one another, the rear wall and the bottom wall being firmly joined to one another, the rear wall being joined via a so-called film hinge to the bottom wall and the said hingeable section of the rear wall being joined via a film hinge to the remainder of the rear wall. 23. Holder according to one of the preceding Claims 1 to 21, characterised in that the holder, with the exception of the spring, is manufactured from two injection-moulded parts, the first injection-moulded part comprising at least the front wall and the top wall, which are firmly joined to one another, the second injection-moulded part comprising at least the rear wall and the bottom wall, which are firmly joined to one another, the relevant edges of bottom wall and front wall being formed in such a way that these are able to engage with one another with the formation of a hinge, whilst the said hingeable section of the rear wall is also joined via a film hinge to the remainder of the rear wall. 24. Holder according to Claim 22 or 23, characterised in that each of the side walls is subdivided into two parts, one part of which in each case is firmly joined to at least the front wall and the other part of which is joined to at least the rear wall and the adjoining edges of the two parts of each wall being shaped such that the deflection of the hinge movement of the rear wall is limited.