Abstract:
A secure travel wallet having a flat rectangular base panel with a pocket. Attached to the top edge are two belt loops. The pocket has mating pieces of hook and loop fabric located on corresponding surfaces of the pocket and base panel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/367,217, filed Mar. 26, 2002. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to articles designed to hold and conceal valuables. More specifically, the invention is a secure travel wallet held by a belt and tucked inside the pants.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    Travelers and especially international travelers must often keep passports, credit cards and cash on their person. That is one reason why many pickpockets target travelers, and especially travelers in tour groups. There is therefore a need for a wallet which is concealable and can be fastened securely enough to a traveler&#39;s person so as to deter theft, but still retain its functionality and ease of use.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,315, issued on Nov. 22, 1983, to Newman C. Foley describes a device for carrying valuables comprising a closeable container having a hanger member such as a clip movably secured thereto. The present invention differs from the present device in that the present invention has belt loops which prevent it from being removed by a pickpocket. The clip used in the Foley invention does not offer such protection.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,086, issued on Nov. 10, 1987, to James J. O&#39;Neill describes a wallet for joggers which can be secured inside the waistband of a pair of trousers using an attached clip. The wallet can be fully functional as a runner&#39;s wallet, but the clip used to secure it to a waistband will not deter theft like the belt loops of the present invention. The present invention also can be stored inside the clothing of the wearer, thereby concealing it from view.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,655, issued on Oct. 25, 1988, to Gaylen R. Olson describes an accessory wallet made of pliable fabric with a plurality of pockets. The accessory wallet is adapted to fold over the waistband of an article of clothing. Unlike the present invention, the accessory wallet does not have a means for securing itself so as to deter theft.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,496, issued on Sep. 3, 1996, to Hugh H. Gray, Jr. describes a concealable wallet having a pocket for storing items and an attachment strap for securely attaching the wallet member to the garment while in use. The wallet is designed to attach to the inside of a waist band, and differs from the present invention in that it does not have belt loops for attachment to a belt. The wallet also requires the use of a zipper which can be uncomfortable when positioned next to the body.  
           [0010]    None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    The present invention is a secure travel wallet which has a pair of belt loops attached to the top of a flat, rectangular storage pocket. The wallet is to be worn on a belt threaded through its belt loops, and to be concealable under a person&#39;s trousers or skirt. The storage pocket is designed to hold credit cards, currency, and passports, and is easily accessed by opening the flap which is secured with hook and loop fasteners. The storage pocket can be moved from a concealed position inside the trousers or skirt to an accessible position outside the trousers or skirt without removing the belt loops from the belt.  
           [0012]    Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a travel wallet with theft deterrent features.  
           [0013]    It is another object of the invention to provide a travel wallet which is concealable on one&#39;s person whether a man or a woman.  
           [0014]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a theft deterrent travel wallet which retains its functionality.  
           [0015]    It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.  
           [0016]    These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a secure travel wallet worn by a man according to the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the present invention before final assembly.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention with the front portion of the wallet bent forward to expose the hook and loop fastening strips.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4A is an environmental front elevational view of the present invention illustrating the initial installation of the travel wallet.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4B is an environmental front elevational view of the present invention illustrating the second installation step of bending forward and downward with a partial opening of the pocket to insert valuables.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4C is an environmental front elevational view of the present invention illustrating the third and final installation step of flipping the loaded travel wallet over and inserting behind the belt and pants top. 
     
    
       [0023]    Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 illustrates the present invention  10  attached to a belt B and concealed behind the top portion of a pair of trousers T. The invention can also be used with almost any garment with a waistband and a belt such as a woman&#39;s skirt, and is not intended to be limited to usage only with trousers. The belt B passes through two belt loops  12 ,  12  attached to the security wallet  10 . Attached to the belt loops  12 ,  12  is a storage area  14  which ordinarily hangs down behind the front surface of the trousers T.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 depicts the security wallet  10  in a pre-sewn condition. The wallet has a base panel  16  which is preferably made from a single piece of a high strength fabric, but can also be made from natural leather, synthetic leather, denim, silk, plastic, or any other suitable non-bulky, tightly woven, flexible material, including combinations of materials described herein. The base panel  16  has a bottom edge  18 , a top edge  20 , a left edge  22 , and a right edge  24 . Preferably the top edge  20 , the bottom edge  18 , and the sides  22  and  24  of the base panel  16  are peripherally hemmed as indicated by dashed lines  28 . The aforementioned edges can also be glued into hemmed position with a durable fabric glue. A pair of plastic loops  12  backed with an open mesh fabric  30  are spaced by top and bottom strip portions  26  and sewn to the top edge  20  of the base panel  16  to form the hem  28  with doubled stitching as shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0026]    Two mating and spaced strips of hook  32  and loop  34  fastening material are positioned proximate the bottom edge  18  and the top edge  20 , respectively, of the base panel  16  as illustrated in FIG. 2. The hook strips  32  and the loop strips  34  can be either sewn or glued into position, and optionally placed in opposite positions than illustrated. Optionally, the hook and loop strips  32  and  34 , respectively, can be single strips. Preferably, the loop strips  34  are located as indicated because of less irritation when the pocket is opened. In order to convert the base panel  14  into a functioning secure travel wallet  10 , one fold at  36  is made as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0027]    As shown partially open in FIG. 3, the aforementioned folding at  36  of the back panel  14  allows space in the top edge  18  for the attachment of two belt loops  12  and a pocket  38 . The belt loops  12  are secured in position along the top edge  20  with stitching  40  and/or glue, and the pocket  38  is reinforced along the bottom side portions  42  half-way up only with either stitching  40  and/or glue.  
         [0028]    FIGS.  4 A-C describe the application steps of the secure travel wallet  10  on the belt B. In FIG. 4A, the folded wallet  10  is inverted and the loops  12  positioned on the belt B with the pocket portion hidden. In FIG. 4B, the wallet  10  is folded downward over the belt B, the wallet opened, and valuable items such as credit cards, driver&#39;s license, copy of the passport, and medical cards, and the like are inserted. The pocket is sealed by the hook and loop strips,  32 ,  34 , respectively. Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, the wallet  10  is folded back over the belt B and tucked inside the garment. Even if a prospective thief were to identify this wallet  10 , the thief would have difficulty removing the wallet  10  from the belt B.  
         [0029]    The overall dimensions of the pocket  38  are such that it can secure credit cards, passports, paper currency and the like. Exemplary dimensions are as follows: overall dimensions are 6⅜ in. in height and 5 in. wide; the pocket is 4 in. in height and 5 in. wide; the loops  12  are 2 in. square or 2 in. wide and 4 in. in total length; and the hook and loop fastening strips are 1.5 in. in height and ¼ in. wide. The wallet colors can be varied to match the color of the belt B to be less noticeable.  
         [0030]    Thus, a convenient and unobtrusive belt-hung travel wallet with an opening that extends half the distance of the pocket height has been shown to protect the traveler&#39;s valuables with assurance that a pickpocket could not steal while hidden on the traveler&#39;s belt.  
         [0031]    It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.