Patent Abstract:
A billfold, pocketbook, wallet or the like, has insertion compartments that are arranged in a staggered partially overlapping manner one above the other, and that are intended for receiving credit cards and the like through an insertion and removal opening of the respective compartment. The direction for pushing cards into and removing cards from the insertion compartments is transverse to the main axis of the staggering of the compartments and preferably is oriented inwardly perpendicular to a folding axis of the wallet. The credit cards are thereby prevented from inadvertently falling out of the compartments.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a pouch-like container, in particular in the form of a billfold, pocketbook and the like, having insertion compartments which are arranged in a staggered, shingled or graduated manner one above the other and each have at least one insertion opening adapted, in particular, to credit cards and the like. 
     BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
     Wallets, billfolds and pocketbooks of the type mentioned are known in various forms and basically also fulfill their purpose to a satisfactory extent. In particular for credit cards and/or plastic cards, these pouch-like containers have insertion compartments which are arranged in a flat state one upon the other and in a staggered manner. The object of the invention is to improve the functions of these insertion compartments. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to achieve the above mentioned object, the invention provides that the direction for pushing the cards into the insertion compartments and the direction of the main axis of the staggering are arranged transversely to one another. 
     In the case of the known containers or pouches of the type in question here, the insertion direction and the staggering direction coincide with one another. This means, in practice, that the insertion compartments are open in the direction of a free border of the pouch-like container, with the result that, in principle, there is a risk of cards being able to drop out of the insertion compartments. This applies, in particular, when the insertion compartments have a relatively large amount of clearance. In order that the cards do not drop out of the insertion compartments, the latter are usually very narrow and adapted directly to the format of the cards. This means that only a single card in each case fits into an insertion compartment. Nowadays, however, it is frequently the case that users of credit cards and other plastic cards require not just one or two cards, but often a dozen cards, with the result that it is correspondingly necessary for a number of cards to be accommodated in a pouch-like container of the type in question here. This is also possible in a space-saving manner if not just a single card, but two or three cards, can be arranged in an insertion compartment, it nevertheless being ensured that a card cannot be lost even when only a single card is located in the insertion compartment intended for more than one card. This safety aspect is achieved if, according to the invention, the staggering direction and the insertion direction are not the same, as has been the case hitherto, with the result that the insertion openings are open, for example, toward the pouch interior or toward a folding axis of a pouch comprising, for example, two halves. The position of the insertion opening provides an additional safeguard against loss of the article located in the insertion compartment, it being possible for said article to be a credit card and/or plastic card or also, in the broadest sense, some other document or paper. 
     The invention, however, is not restricted to this particularly expedient method of arranging the insertion openings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention is described in more detail hereinbelow with reference to exemplary embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a view of a conventional wallet with a bill compartment and with insertion compartments for credit cards or other plastic cards; 
     FIG. 2 shows a view as in FIG. 1, but of a wallet according to the invention with insertion compartments open transversely to the direction of graduation or staggering thereof; 
     FIG. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, a view as in FIG. 2 of a modified wallet with a bill compartment and with an insertion-compartment graduation or staggering arranged transversely to the insertion direction; 
     FIG. 4 shows a view of a pocketbook with the insertion direction for credit cards and/or plastic cards arranged transversely to the graduation or staggering of the compartments and with the insertion direction for an identity card, driver&#39;s license and the like arranged transversely to the graduation or staggering of the compartments, and with a bill compartment; 
     FIG. 5 shows a view of a coin holder as a handling unit, additionally for use with a pocketbook according to FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 shows, on a different scale, a view of the inside of another pocketbook comprising two halves; 
     FIG. 7 shows, on an enlarged scale, an illustration of essential parts during the production of an insertion compartment for the pocketbook of FIG. 6; and 
     FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram as in FIG. 7 once the insertion compartment has been produced. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the prior art, a pouch-like container  1  in the form of a basically known wallet according to FIG. 1 comprises two container halves  2  and  3  which are connected to one another along a common folding axis  4 . This container  1  has a coin compartment  5  with a cover  6  and a bill compartment  7  which extends over both container halves  2  and  3 . Moreover, a plurality of insertion compartments  9 , each having an insertion opening  8 , are provided for credit cards  10  and/or for plastic cards or the like. These insertion compartments  9  are arranged in a staggered manner one above the other, with the insertion direction (double arrow E) for pushing the credit cards  10  and/or plastic cards into the insertion openings  8  corresponding to the staggering direction of the main axis  11  for the staggering (arrow S). 
     As FIG. 1 also shows, all the insertion compartments  9  are open toward a border  12  of the container  1 . This means that, in principle, a credit card  10  and/or plastic card can drop out of an insertion compartment  9  if the insertion opening  8  is of generous dimensions. 
     FIG. 2 shows basically the same type of container  1 , likewise in the form of a wallet with a coin compartment  5 , bill compartment  7  and insertion compartments or pockets  9  for credit cards  10  and/or for plastic cards, but arranged according to the invention. Here too, the insertion compartments  9  are arranged in a graduated or staggered manner one above the other, the main axis  11  of the staggering (arrow S) being in the same direction as in the case of the conventional wallet illustrated in FIG.  1 . However, the insertion openings  8  of the insertion compartments  9 , rather than being opened toward the border  12  of the container  1  as in conventional FIG. 1, are opened in the insertion direction E toward the interior  13  or the folding axis  4  of the container  1 , and thus perpendicularly to the staggering direction S in the inventive arrangement shown in FIG.  2 . 
     All the insertion compartments  9  in the container  1  are closed toward the respectively adjacent borders  12 ,  14  and  15 . It is thus not possible for credit cards  10  and/or plastic cards to drop out of a container  1  or out of a wallet when the two container halves  2  and  3  are located one upon the other, as is usually the case in the closed state. 
     Finally, it is particularly advantageous for it also to be possible for more than one credit card  10  to be arranged in an insertion compartment  9  in each case. This is illustrated by way of example in FIG.  2 . 
     The essential difference between the two containers  1  according to FIGS. 1 and 2 resides in the fact that the push-in and removal direction E for the credit cards and the direction of the staggering S are the same in the case of the known container  1 , whereas they are arranged transversely to one another in the case of the container  1  according to the invention. The push-in and removal direction E is thus located perpendicularly to the main axis  11  of the staggering S. 
     A further container  1   a —to be precise likewise in the form of a wallet—is illustrated, on a somewhat larger scale, in FIG.  3 . Basically the same parts have the same designations and, in addition, the letter index a. 
     The container  1   a  comprises, in turn, two container halves  2   a  and  3   a  with a coin compartment  5   a,  a bill compartment  7   a  and a plurality of insertion compartments  9   a  for cards equal in size to a credit card  10   a.  It is possible for one or more credit cards  10   a  to be arranged in each insertion compartment  9   a.    
     The insertion openings  8   a  of the insertion compartments  9   a  are each located, just as with the first-described container  1  according to FIG. 2, on a narrow border  16  or  16   a  of each insertion compartment  9  or  9   a,  respectively. In accordance with the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the insertion compartments  9   a  are opened toward the border  12   a  of the container  1   a,  as can also be gathered from FIG. 3 with reference to the double arrow for the insertion and removal direction E. The insertion and removal direction E is located, in turn, perpendicularly or transversely to the staggering S of the insertion compartments  9   a.    
     In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the main axis  11   a  of the staggering S of the insertion compartments  9   a  is arranged perpendicularly to the folding axis  4   a,  about which the two container halves  2   a  and  3   a  can be folded one upon the other. 
     The insertion openings  8   a  of the insertion compartments  9   a  are arranged such that they are directed neither toward the folding axis  4   a  nor toward the pouch interior  13   a,  whereas the staggering S in accordance with the main axis  11   a  for the insertion compartments  9   a  arranged in a staggered manner is directed toward the folding axis  4   a  and pocket interior  13   a.    
     It may also be gathered from the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 that the border  16   a  of at least one insertion opening  8   a  is angled at at least one end  17   a.    
     With both containers  1  and  1   a,  the insertion compartments  9 ,  9   a  are staggered via the long sides  18  and  18   a,  respectively. Correspondingly, the insertion openings  8 ,  8   a  are located on the narrow sides  16 ,  16   a.  Even if not illustrated in the figures, it nevertheless goes without saying that it is also possible for the insertion compartments to be graduated via the narrow sides and to have the insertion openings on their long sides. 
     A further exemplary embodiment of a container  1   b,  which may be a pocketbook, is illustrated in FIG.  4 . Basically the same parts, again, have the same designations and, in addition, the letter index b. 
     The container  1   b  is provided with a billfold  7   b  and has a container half  2   b  with insertion compartments  19   b  for identity papers and the like on its inside. These insertion compartments  19   b  may be intended, in particular, for small-format identity papers. Insertion compartments  9   b  for cards  10   b  of credit card format are provided on the inside of the other container half  3   b.  These insertion compartments  9   b  are arranged in a staggered manner in the direction S, whereas the openings  8   b  for the insertion compartments  9   b,  corresponding to the push-in and removal direction E in FIG. 4, are arranged transversely thereto. The short or narrow borders  16   b  of the insertion compartments  9   b  are located parallel to the folding axis  4   b  of the container  1   b,  it being possible for the two container halves  2   b  and  3   b  to be folded one upon the other about this folding axis  4   b.  The insertion and removal openings  8   b ′ of the insertion compartments  19   b  are likewise located parallel to the folding axis  4   b.  The removal openings  8   b ′ are each located in long sides  20   b  of the insertion compartments  19   b.  The insertion compartments  19   b  are staggered via the respectively short or narrow sides  21   b  in accordance with the arrow S in FIG.  4 . 
     In the state in which the two container halves  2   b  and  3   b  have been folded one upon the other, that is to say in the closed state of the same, the contents of all the insertion compartments  9   b  and  19   b  are secured against dropping out in each case. 
     Finally it is expedient if a pocketbook in accordance with the container  1   b  contains an additional holder  22   b  as a separate handling unit exclusively for coins according to FIG.  5 . 
     A further container  1   c  can be gathered from FIG. 6, and details relating to the production of the container  1   c  are illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     The container  1   c,  in turn, has two container halves  2   c  and  3   c  which can be folded one upon the other about a folding axis  4   c  and which each bear insertion compartments  9   c  and  19   c  on the inside. The insertion compartments  9   c  and  19   c  are staggered in a direction S parallel to the folding axis  4   c.  The insertion openings  8   c  for credit cards  10   c,  on the one hand, and the insertion openings  8   c ′ of the large insertion compartments  19   c  on the other hand, are respectively opened in different directions in accordance with the double arrows E. The insertion openings  8   c  for the credit cards  10   c  are thus located parallel to the folding axis  4   c  and therefore transversely to the staggering S, whereas the insertion openings  8   c ′ are opened in the direction of the staggering S. The insertion compartments  9   c  for the credit cards  10   c,  in turn, are closed on both long sides and on one short or narrow side, and are open in each case only on one short or narrow side, which is directed toward the folding axis  4   c  of the container  1   c.  The steps illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 may be used in order to produce such a staggered arrangement of the compartments. 
     As shown in FIG. 7 in a first step, a respectively top compartment wall  23   c  is sewn along its top border  24   c  to a base  25   c  and has a flap  26   c  which is to be inserted into a slit  27   c  and adhesively bonded there. In the sewn-on and adhesively bonded state in the following step as shown in FIG. 8, the compartment wall  23   c,  also connected to the border  28   c  of the base  25   c,  forms an insertion compartment  9   c  with an insertion opening  8   c.    
     It goes without saying, however, that the production of the containers  1  according to FIG. 2 to  1   c  according to FIG. 6 is not restricted to the measures described above. 
     Finally, it is expedient if a container  1   b  in the form of a pocketbook has a small pocketbook format or is adapted to the size of a back pocket of men&#39;s trousers.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0