Patent ID: 7571752

Claim:
A credit card carrying case comprising; a. a rectangularly-shaped base plate, b. a credit card compartment attached to said base plate, said credit card compartment having at least one pocket adapted to hold therein a thin, flat, rectangularly-shaped credit card, said pocket having a laterally disposed bottom edge, laterally opposed, vertically disposed side edges, and a laterally disposed upper opening through which a credit card is insertable into and removable from said pocket, c. a movable cover panel movable from a first, closed position overlying at least a portion of said pocket opening to thereby prevent transit of a credit card through said pocket opening, to a second, opened position permitting said transit, said cover panel extending in said open position a greater distance from said base plate than in said closed position, thereby requiring a larger storage space for said case with said cover panel in said open position, said cover panel being slidably mounted by a slide joint to at least one of said base plate and said credit card compartment, said slide joint enabling lateral translational uncovering motion of said cover panel relative to said pocket opening, said lateral translational uncovering motion of said cover panel relative to said pocket opening moving an obstructing portion of said cover panel from a closed position at least partially overlying said pocket opening to an open position displaced from said pocket opening, said obstructing portion of said cover panel including a hanger bracket which projects from an edge of said cover panel, said hanger bracket slidably engaging said base plate, and d. a locking mechanism for locking said cover panel in an outwardly extended open position upon removal of a credit card from said pocket, said locking mechanism comprising in combination; i. a locking tab depressable rearwardly to a position substantially flush with a rear wall surface of said pocket when a credit card is present in said pocket, said tab protruding forwardly of said rear wall surface when a credit card is not present in said pocket, and ii. an abutting surface fixed with respect to said cover panel, said abutting surface being effective in abutting said tab which protrudes outwardly of said rear wall surface when said pocket is not occupied by a credit card, when an effort is made to move said cover panel to a closed position overlying said pocket.