Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is based on, and claims the benefit of, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/133,515, filed on Apr. 26, 2002, and entitled “Identification Document and Ticket Carrier.” 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a carrier for identification and travel documentation in the form of a necklace.  
           [0003]    With the advent of terrorist activities, various travel restrictions have been implemented for travel by the multiple modes of mass or public transportation. Identification documents such a drivers license, passport, voter registration card as well as a ticket for travel are now a requisite for almost all modes of mass transportation including for airlines, buses, and trains. Attempting to maintain easy access to this documentation while simultaneously attempting to transport and move luggage, coats, jackets, and other materials has become a challenging activity. Thus there has developed a need for providing travelers with a means to access their travel documentation and to maintain such access.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    Briefly, the present invention comprises an identification document and ticket carrier in the form of a necklace. More particularly a rectangular panel includes a plurality of pockets, some of which are transparent. The pockets are arranged on the front side of the panel. The back side of the panel includes a support strand or loop in the form of a cord attached to the back side. The loop may be adjusted in length and placed around the neck of an individual. The attachment of the loop to the back side of the panel insures that the panel will remain properly oriented in use so that the travel documentation in the pockets of the front side is easily accessible. One embodiment of the document carrier includes a fold over cover that enables the traveler to cover or protect the documentation when not needed and thereby provide a measure of privacy.  
           [0005]    Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved travel document carrier.  
           [0006]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a document carrier which enables ease of access to the travel documents and which also provides visibility of those documents without removing them from the carrier.  
           [0007]    A further object of the invention is to provide a document carrier which is rugged, attractive, inexpensive and easy to use in combination with standard travel documentation.  
           [0008]    These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]    In the detailed description which follows reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the front side of the document carrier in a first embodiment;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the back side of the carrier of FIG. 1;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the front side of an alternative of second embodiment of the document carrier of the invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the carrier of FIG. 3 wherein the document carrier has been closed or folded in order to protect the security of the documents retained in the carrier;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a back side view of the folded carrier of FIG. 4.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a third alternative embodiment of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is an an isometric view of a embodiment of FIG. 6 where the document carrier is in the open position; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is an alternative construction for attachment of the loop to the back panel of the carrier for the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    Referring to the figures, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a first embodiment of the document carrier. FIGS. 3, 4, and  5  illustrate a second embodiment. FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a third embodiment.  
         [0019]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the document carrier comprises a rectangular back panel  10  having a front side  12  and a back side  14 . The carrier further includes a bottom edge  16 , a top edge  18 , a first side edge  20 , and a second, parallel side edge  22 . The back panel  10  may be made of a heavy fabric material, for example, canvas or some other fabric material. The back panel  10  may also be comprised of inner and outer layers of fabric surrounding a polyethylene or other semi-flexible sheet of material.  
         [0020]    The front side  12  of the back panel  10  includes a first transparent pocket  24  which is affixed along three sides or edges to the back panel  10 . Thus the first pocket  24 , which extends approximately one-third from the bottom edge  16 , includes a top edge or side  26  which is open to form a pocket. The first pocket  24  is preferably made from a transparent material so that a travel document may be visibly retained.  
         [0021]    A second pocket  28  is also attached to side edges  20  and  22  as well as bottom edge  16  and is open along a top side or edge  30 . The top side  30  is not fastened to the back panel  10  whereas the other side edges of the pocket  28  are fastened along the edges  20 ,  22 , and  16  of panel  10 . The pocket  28  extends approximately two-thirds of the length of the back panel  10  and is preferably made from a opaque material or fabric. It is sized to receive, for example, a typical passport.  
         [0022]    A third transparent material pocket  32  is likewise attached to the first and second edges  20  and  22  as well as the bottom edge  16  and has an open top edge  34  closely adjacent to top edge  18  of the back panel  10 . The third pocket  32  is designed to receive, for example, the airline boarding ticket of an individual. Note that the pockets  24 ,  28 , overlie one another and that the pockets  24 ,  28 , and  32  are open for the entire length of the panel upward from the bottom edge  16 .  
         [0023]    The back side  14  of the panel  10  includes a formed fabric tubular passage  40  which extends between the sides  20  and  22  and which slidably receives a strand or loop of flexible fabric material  42 . Thus the strand  42  may be adjustably moved through the passage or loop formed in the back side  14  of the panel  10 . The strand or loop  42  includes an adjustment length mechanism or clamp  44  which effectively adjusts the length of the loop formed by the strand  42 . By maintaining the strand through the passageway  40  on the back side  14  of the panel  10 , the orientation of the panel  10  is maintained when the loop or strand  42  is placed around the neck of an individual. Additionally, by placing the passage  40  approximately one-third of the distance from the top edge  18  to the bottom edge  16 , the balance of the panel  10  is maintained for ease of access to the pockets.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIGS. 3-5, there is illustrated a second embodiment of the invention. The second embodiment of the invention differs from the first embodiment in that the top one-third of the carrier folds over the middle third and is attached by means of a fastener  50  to retain the carrier in a closed position. This arrangement provides for additional privacy to the user of the carrier. In the embodiment shown the carrier of FIG. 3 includes a pocket  52  which covers the lower two-thirds of the back panel  54 . Overlying the top half of the pocket  52  is a transparent pocket  56 . Fastener  50  thus attaches below the pocket  56 . The pocket  56  is attached to the outside of pocket  52 . The pocket  52  extends downwardly to a bottom edge  58  of the back panel  54 . A third fully elongate pocket  60  also extends to the bottom edge  58  from adjacent top edge  59 . The third pocket  60  may be transparent or opaque. Preferably it is transparent for inclusion of an elongate airline ticket, for example. The remaining construction of the carrier of FIGS. 3-5 is substantially the same as the first embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. Nonetheless various differences and alternative features may be incorporated in the carriers. The shape and number of the pockets may be varied. The pockets may be transparent or opaque. The carrier may be folded into equal sized sections or parts rather than one third as depicted in FIGS. 3-5.  
         [0025]    A third embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. In the third embodiment, a document carrier comprised of equally sized generally rectangular panels including a front panel  70  which folds over a back panel  73  along a fold line  72  and which may be fastebed by means of a clip or fastener  74 . A cord  76  is retained in a pocket (not shown) in the outside of the back side panel  73 . The cord  76  includes an adjustable clamp  78 .  
         [0026]    The inside or front side of the panel  72  includes a transparent pocket  80  with an open top edge  82 . The panel  72  further includes a pocket  84  which underlies the pocket  80  and which covers the entire inside surface of the panel  72 . Pocket  84  has an open top edge  86 . Preferably the storage pocket  84  is made from an opaque fabric material.  
         [0027]    The opposite side or back panel  73  in FIG. 7 includes a transparent pocket  75  with an open top edge  77 . In this manner a ticket for example, ticket  79  may be placed in the pocket  73 . The embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is retained in the closed position by means of a strap or fastener  74 .  
         [0028]    Various alternatives to the arrangement of the pockets may be provided with respect to the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7. Also, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the strand or loop  42  may be attached along the top edge on the back side of the embodiment of FIG. 1 through a cylindrical tube  51  sewn into the top edge. Thus the invention is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.

Technology Category: 1