Patent Abstract:
One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a shielding apparatus including a double-lined container having an outer pocket and an inner pocket mounted within the outer pocket. The inner and outer pockets each form an enclosure having a continuous closed edge interrupted by an opening. The continuous closed edge of the outer pocket is adjacent the continuous closed edge of the inner pocket, and the opening of the outer pocket is adjacent the opening of the inner pocket. The adjacent openings are interconnected and include a device for simultaneously opening and closing the interconnected adjacent openings. A first plurality of stitches and folds are included in the continuous closed edge of the inner pocket and a second plurality of stitches and folds are included in the continuous closed edge of the outer pocket.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/181,673 filed on Jul. 13, 2011, which is a CIP of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/166,517 filed on Jun. 22, 2011, now abandoned which is a CIP of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/383,348 filed on Mar. 23, 2009 now abandoned and claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application No. 61/072,986 filed Apr. 4, 2008, all of the above-referenced applications being incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to shieldable containment devices and systems, and more particularly to reusable shieldable bags for containing items that may be carried by an individual, including a system and devices capable of blocking RF, infrared and scan technology. 
     There are more frequent uses of embedded storage media, such as chips, magnetic and other memory storing media in use today. For example, credit and debit cards, as well as identification cards for healthcare and insurance memberships, commonly utilize a magnetic strip that may be encoded with information. The coded stored information may be read when passed through a scanner so that a merchant or other service provider may read the information and/or import the information into a computer, such as a database or billing system. Other items, such as passports, used to identify individuals, contain digitally stored information which may read by placing the passport in the vicinity of a scanner. Also, the same scanning technology may be used to track a cell phone. 
     However, not only may intended decoders and readers, such as card scanners, or passport scanners read the information, but also scans may be carried out even without the individual intending or knowing that scanning is occurring. There is a great risk that information may be retrieved without authorization from a stored source, such as the aforementioned types or others, and used for unethical or unlawful purposes. In the era of increased security concerns, it is important to protect against identity thefts and espionage activities. 
     A need exists to avoid such scanning and tracking via an easy and economical device or system that may be used to store items which a person may generally carry on them, such as cell phones, credit and identification cards, and passports, and shield the stored contents from electromagnetic interference, such as, for example, electromagnetic radiation, including, for example, infrared, radio frequency and magnetic card decoders. 
     SUMMARY 
     One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a shielding apparatus including a double-lined container having an outer pocket and an inner pocket mounted within the outer pocket. The inner and outer pockets each form an enclosure having a continuous closed edge interrupted by an opening. The continuous closed edge of the outer pocket is adjacent the continuous closed edge of the inner pocket, and the opening of the outer pocket is adjacent the opening of the inner pocket. The adjacent openings are interconnected and include a device for simultaneously opening and dosing the interconnected adjacent openings. A first plurality of stitches and folds are included in the continuous and closed edge of the inner pocket and a second plurality of stitches and folds are included in the continuous closed edge of the outer pocket. The first plurality of stitches and folds are positioned on the inner pocket so as to avoid both alignment and overlap with the second plurality of stitches and folds on the outer pocket. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a planar view illustrating an embodiment of an unassembled portion of a shieldable bag. 
         FIG. 2  is perspective view illustrating an assembled portion of the shieldable bag of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a planar view illustrating an embodiment of another unassembled portion of a shieldable bag. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating an assembled portion of the shieldable bag of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are perspective views illustrating adjacent portions of a shieldable bag of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 4  in position for assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating the portion of the shieldable bag of  FIG. 5  inserted into the portion of the shieldable bag of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the assembled shieldable bag having an opening at one end. 
         FIG. 9  is a planar view illustrating an embodiment of the shieldable bag having the opening of  FIG. 8  in a closed position. 
         FIG. 10  is a planar view illustrating the dosed end of  FIG. 9  in a first folded position. 
         FIG. 11  is a planar view illustrating the closed and folded end of  FIG. 10  in a double folded position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A shieldable containment device is formed of a fabric which comprises a fabric Faraday cage. Because stitching is preferably used to assemble the fabric to a desired configuration, and because the stitching penetrates and compromises the shielding capabilities of such a fabric, a novel sack configuration is required. 
     In  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  an embodiment of a shielding device includes an outer pocket  10  formed of a suitable material  12 . Pocket  10  includes a fold line  14 . Outer pocket  10  includes, as viewed in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a top edge  16 , an opposite bottom edge  18 , a first side edge  20  and an opposite side edge  22 . Folding the material  12  at fold line  14 , in the direction indicated by an arrow designated F 1 , forms a first panel  12   a  and a second panel  12   b  of material  12 , and aligns top edge  16 , adjacent bottom edge  18 . Also, portions  20   a  and  20   b  of side edge  20  are adjacently aligned as are portions  22   a  and  22   b  of side edge  22 . The side portions  20   a  and  20   b  are stitched together by stitches  24  and the side portions  22   a  and  22   b  are stitched together by stitches  26 ,  FIG. 2 . The resultant outer pocket  10  thus includes a continuous closed edge comprising in sequence, a stitched edge  20   a ,  20   b , a folded edge along fold line  14 , and a stitched edge  22   a ,  22   b . Top edge  16  is adjacent bottom edge  18  forming an open end  28 . 
     In  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , another portion of the shielding device comprises an inner pocket  30 , also formed of the material  12 . Pocket  30  includes two fold lines  32  and  34 . Inner pocket  30  includes, as viewed in  FIG. 3 , a top edge  36 , an opposite bottom edge  38 , a first side edge  40  and an opposite side edge  42 . Folding the material  12  at fold lines  32  and  34 ,  FIG. 4 , in the direction indicated by a pair of respective arrows designated F 2  and F 3  forms a first panel  12   c  and a second panel  12   d  of material  12 , aligns side edges  40 ,  42 , aligns portions  36   a ,  36   b  of top edge  36  adjacent a portion  36   c  of top edge  36 , and aligns portions  38   a ,  38   b  of bottom edge  38  adjacent a portion  38   c  of bottom edge  38 . The adjacent edges  40 ,  42  are stitched together by stitches  44  and portions  38   a ,  38   b  are stitched to portion  38   c  by stitches  46 . The resultant inner pocket  30  thus includes a continuous closed edge comprising in sequence, a folded edge along fold line  32 , a stitched edge  38  formed by portions  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c , and another folded edge along fold line  34 . Top edge portion  36   c  is adjacent top edge portions  36   a ,  36   b  forming an open end  48 . 
     The outer pocket  10  and the similar sized inner pocket  30  being constructed as described above, may be joined to form an effective shielding device. The inner pocket  30  may be mounted within the outer pocket  10  by inserting the inner pocket  30  in the outer pocket  10  in the manner described below. 
     As mentioned above, stitching of the fabric compromises the shielding capabilities of the fabric. This stitching used in the inner and outer pockets may permit leakage of signals into or out of the shielding device when stitches used in the outer pocket  10  are aligned with or immediately adjacent to stitches used in the inner pocket  30 . However, as will be seen, the stitches used in the inner pocket  30  are neither aligned with nor immediately adjacent the stitches used in the outer pocket  10 . 
     More specifically,  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , inner pocket  30  including a continuous closed edge of a first sequence comprising a folded edge along fold line  32 , a stitched edge  38  including portions  38   a ,  38   b  and  38   c , (see also  FIG. 3 ) and another folded edge along fold line  34 , may be inserted in outer pocket  10  and oriented so that the outer pocket folded and stitched edges are of a second sequence, different from the first sequence. That is, the continuous closed edge of the outer pocket  10 , having a stitched edge  20  including portions  20   a ,  20   b , (see also  FIG. 1 ) a folded edge along fold line  14  and a stitched edge  22  including portions  22   a ,  22   b , (also in  FIG. 1 ) is in the second sequence, such that the folded edge along fold line  32  of inner pocket  30  is immediately adjacent the stitched edge  20  of the outer pocket  10 , the stitched edge  38  of inner pocket  30  is immediately adjacent the folded edge along fold line  14  of outer pocket  10 , and the folded edge along fold line  34  of inner pocket  30  is immediately adjacent the stitched edge  22  of outer pocket  10 . 
     It should also be mentioned that edges  40 ,  42 , stitched together by stitches  44  are not a part of the continuous closed edge of inner pocket  30  and thus, stitches  44  are positioned adjacent panel  12   a  of outer pocket  10 , and are not adjacent any of the stitched edges of outer pocket  10 . Furthermore, as can be seen, when inner pocket  30  is fully inserted into outer pocket  10 , in the direction of an arrow designated I,  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 , the respective edges  16  and  18  of outer pocket  10  and inner edge  36  of pocket  30 , are immediately adjacent one another as are their respective openings  28  and  48 . 
     The adjacent open edges  16 ,  18  and  36 ,  FIG. 8 , are stitched together at  50 , forming a double lined containment device  52  having a single opening  54 . Means  56   a  and  56   b  are provided for simultaneously opening and closing the now single opening  54 . Again, in  FIG. 8 , the means  56  for opening and closing may comprise a commercially available Velcro® brand hook  56   a  and loop  56   b  fastening device suitably secured around the inner periphery of the single opening  54 . 
     Because stitching  50  of the fabric  12 , described above, at the single opening  54  may compromise the shielding capabilities of fabric  12 , what is required is an appropriate closure of containment device  52  in addition to the hook  56   a  and loop  56   b  fastening means. 
     To accomplish this closure, a double fold system is provided so that the closure of containment device  52  may further seal against penetrating and/or leaking signals. In  FIG. 9 , opening  54  is closed. Additional closure means may include an additional hook member  58   a  and loop member  58   b . For example, hook fastener member  58   a  may be provided on a first side  52   a  of a containment device  52  positioned below a fold line  60 , see  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 . Loop fastener member  58   b  may be provided on a second side  52   b , opposite side  52   a  adjacent another fold line  62 . 
     The double fold system may be accomplished by folding a top end  52   c  of containment device  52  at fold line  62  180° toward a bottom end  52   d  in a first rotating motion as indicated by the arrow designated R 1 . The rotating motion positions loop member  58   b  adjacent first side  52   a  of containment device  52  and immediately adjacent hook member  58   a , see  FIG. 10 . Next,  FIG. 11 , the top end is folded again at fold line  60  another 180° toward the bottom and  52   d  in a second rotating motion as indicated by the arrow designated R 2 . The second rotating motion engages loop fastener member  58   b  with hook fastener member  58   a  in a superimposed manner and hidden by the last mentioned fold. 
     According to the above, a personal device  100 ,  FIG. 11 , contained in the containment bag  52 , is shielded by the fabric faraday cage described above so that all signals are blocked from entering or leaking from the bag  52 . The multiple thickness fabric bag  52  is usable with mobile devices including, but not limited to Smartphones, tablets and I Pads. When such a device is placed in the bag  52 , and the bag is folded closed, the device and its file contents become invisible. Phones will not ring. Items with ID chips cannot be scanned. Vital information is secure and tracking is impossible. This is important because the I Phone has a tracking device that cannot currently be turned off. Once placed inside the bag  52 , personal information is guarded and personal identity is protected from being read, scanned, or intercepted by skimming devices. A preferred material which may be used to make the bag  52  is the product “Silver Plated Nylon Rip Stop Fabric” supplied by the Carolina Silver Co. of Maiden, N.C. The material used for stitching may be any suitable thread which is commercially available. 
     Although illustrative embodiments have been shown and described, a wide range of modification, change and substitution is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances, some features of the embodiments may be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the embodiments disclosed herein.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7