Patent Publication Number: US-2004045781-A1

Title: Bag with easy access identification holder

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
     [0001] This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/241,011, filed Sep. 11, 2002. 
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0003] The present invention relates to bags, such as luggage, business cases, carry-on bags, totes and the like, and more particularly to a bag having incorporated therein a personal identification holder which is easily accessible for presentation without being disconnected from the bag. The invention also relates to a combined convenience pouch and identification holder which is easily accessible as aforementioned, but which may also be readily disconnected from the bag when desired.  
       [0004] 2. The Related Art  
       [0005] As security measures are heighten all around the world, it has become common place for individuals to be required to present personal identification to gain entry into numerous places. For example, most people in United States major cities are required to display some type of identification in order to gain entry into their office building. Even parking garages underneath highly occupied office buildings often require at least a United States driver&#39;s license for entry. Airports and airlines are even more stringent in requiring personal identification to acquire electronic tickets, and board aircraft.  
       [0006] In addition to having to present personal identification, as described above, many places also perform random searches or search everyone&#39;s bags prior to entry. This requires individuals to both open their bags, so that security personnel may ensure that there are no dangerous items being brought into the building, while simultaneously requiring the presentation of personal identification to gain entry. In reality this process can be rather frustrating, as an individual tries to open his/her bags, while reaching into his/her wallet or purse to find his/her personal identification. When the line of people trying to gain entry is large, this rather quick juggling around can result in the misplacement or even loss of one&#39;s personal identification. It is also frequently necessary for persons to remove valuable items from their clothing or bodies, e.g., coins, watches, jewelry, etc., to pass through metal detection equipment, as, for example, at airport security stations or certain building entrances. Adequate provision is not always made at the inspection sites, however, for the safe transfer of such items through the security station.  
       [0007] What is needed are better, more orderly ways of dealing with these problems.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008] It is an object of the present invention to fulfill the foregoing and other needs of the prior art by the provision of a bag, e.g., of the tote or hand-carried size, having an integral identification holder which is easily accessible for presentation without being disconnected from the bag. The identification holder is preferably stowed in an exterior pocket of the luggage item, such that by opening the exterior pocket an individual will have immediate access to the identification holder, where the identification holder is affixed at one end to the interior of the pocket by an expandable-contractible member, e.g., an elastic cord.  
       [0009] In one embodiment, the identification holder is preferably made of a resistant material forming a frame capable of holding at least one, and preferably two, personal identification cards. To that end, at least one side, and preferably both sides, of the identification holder have a transparent window for displaying at least one form, and preferably two forms, of identification without removing them from the identification holder. The expandable-contractible member affixes one end of the identification holder to the interior of the pocket of the bag. In this way, the identification holder is biased to recoil back to its place in the exterior pocket after use. This also prevents the identification holder from being lost or otherwise misplaced.  
       [0010] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the identification holder comprises a small convenience pouch that is connected to the free end of the expandable-contractible member, with the structure for holding the identification card attached to a side of the pouch. The identification card may then be readily presented for inspection by removing the pouch from the bag. The pouch also preferably includes a zippered opening for the storage therein of convenience items or items that the user might want to remove from his/her person during a security inspection. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0011] For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference may be made to the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
     [0012]FIG. 1 is a generally schematic perspective view of a bag having an integral identification holder which is easily accessible in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0013]FIG. 2 is a partial frontal view of the bag item of FIG. 1, showing an exterior pocket opened and revealing an identification holder which is easily accessible in accordance with the present invention;  
     [0014]FIG. 3 is a detailed illustration of the identification holder of FIG. 2, with an expandable-contractible coil in accordance with the present invention; and  
     [0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a convenience pouch bearing an identification holder on one surface and detachably connected to an expandable-contractible coil in accordance with the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT  
     [0016]FIG. 1 depicts a bag or luggage item  100 , of tote or briefcase size, which is adapted to be carried by an individual by means of the handles  102  or shoulder strap  106 . Such a bag would typically include one or more zippered main pockets  104  for papers, overnight articles, and the like, and one or more sides or exterior pockets  108 ,  110  for storage of readily accessible items. In the usual case, the bag  100  would be carried with a person when traveling on business or vacation, or simply traveling to the office. Preferably, the exterior pockets  108 ,  110  are fastened or opened by a closure mechanism, such as, for example, a zipper  112  extending along the top  114  and down the side  116  of the pocket  110 . The exterior of the bag may be made of any suitable material, such as the fabric customarily used to cover “soft” briefcases or the like, e.g., ballistic nylon fabric.  
     [0017] In accordance with the invention, an identification holder  200  is located in one of the exterior pockets, e.g., the pocket  110 . See FIG. 2. The identification holder  200  is secured to the interior  202  of the pocket  110  by an expandable-contractible member  204 , e.g., an elastic cord, biasing the identification holder  200  towards the interior  202  of the pocket  110 . In this way, the identification holder  200  is attached to the interior  202  of the pocket  110 , but may readily be withdrawn therefrom and presented for inspection without being disconnected from the bag. When not in use, the identification holder is stored in the pocket  110 . The elastic cord  204  is of a length, when expanded, to permit the identification folder to be readily presented for inspection. For example, the expanded length may be on the order of one to two feet.  
     [0018] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the identification holder  200  comprises a rectangular frame  302 , preferably made of a leather or other suitably attractive material, which provides the support structure for the identification holder  200 . As shown, the frame  302  includes a central solid panel  304  having an apertured side member  306  on either side thereof (only one side member is shown in FIG. 3). Each side member  306  surrounds a transparent window  308  and is coextensive in size with the central panel  304  except at the upper edge  310  (as viewed in FIG. 3). By use of a transparent window  308  on both sides of the central panel  304 , two forms of identification may be displayed without being removed from the identification holder  200 . The transparent windows  308  are preferably clear polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  
     [0019] To permit the insertion of personal identification cards into the frame  302 , the side members  306  are not attached to the central panel  304  along their upper edges  310 . The side members  306  are preferably stitched to the central panel  304  along all other edges, as indicated at  312  in FIG. 3. A personal identification card may therefore be inserted, in the direction of the arrow  314 , into the pocket formed between the central panel  304  and each transparent window  308 .  
     [0020] The portion of the central panel  304  extending above the side members  306  is formed with an opening  316  for the attachment thereto of one end of the elastic cord  204 . The cord  204  may be looped directly through the opening  316  as shown in FIG. 3, or a key-ring type attachment may be used. If desired, a reinforcing grommet may be provided in the opening  316 .  
     [0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the identification holder  200  has a length of four (4) inches and a width of three (3) inches. The width of the side frame members  306  surrounding the windows  308  may be approximately ten (1O) mm.  
     [0022] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the identification holder  400  takes the form of a small convenience pouch  402  with the structure for holding the identification card comprising a rectangular leather frame  403  and transparent window  404  that are sewn to the side of the pouch  402 . An opening is left at one end or the top of the frame  403  for the insertion therein of an identification card.  
     [0023] The pouch  402  may be made of any suitable material, e.g., the same material as that of the bag  100 , and preferably is provided in its top  405  with a zippered opening  406  having a zipper pull  407 . A D-buckle  408  or other suitable bracket is secured to one end of the pouch  402 , to which a snap-hook  409  fixed to the free end of an elastic cord  410  is removably attached. The other end of the cord  410  is secured to the interior of a pocket of the bag, as described above in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 2.  
     [0024] When the user desires to show his/her identification, the pouch  402  is removed from the bag  100  and extended, while still connected to the cord  410 , for inspection of the identification card within the holder frame  403 . At the same time, the pouch  402  provides a convenient, readily accessible place to store accessory items or other forms of identification or passage, such as tickets, that need to be readily at hand. For example, personal items such as jewelry, watches, coins, etc., that a person does not want to wear or carry on his/her person when passing through a security inspection station could conveniently be stored in the pouch  402 . If desired, the pouch  402  could be disconnected from the bag  100  by means of the snap-hook  408  and carried or passed separately through the security station.  
     [0025] Although the invention has been described herein by reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof, it will be understood that such embodiment is susceptible of modification and variation without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed. All such modifications and variations, therefore, are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.