Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates generally to personal storage devices and, more specifically, to a Wrist-mounted Storage Box Assembly  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    It is common for women to carry their personal effects, such as cosmetics, wallets, keys and other items in a purse or “clutch.” Although the origins of the purse of clutch were utilitarian, their role has evolved over time. The purse is no longer common; it has become a clothing accessory for most women. Today, virtually all women own several different purses, wallets and clutches; this allows them to carry a different purse for different occasions and to match different outfits. The purse industry has exhibited explosive growth in response to this demand.  
           [0005]    The problem with the conventional purse or clutch is they are generally available in only two basic forms: those with shoulder- or hand-held straps, or those that have no strap (and are handheld). While other attempts have been made at providing alternate forms pouches for carrying personal effects, none have had sufficient style and aesthetic beauty to be considered by women as an addition to their purse collection. An example of one attempt at an alternate carrying pouch is depicted in FIG. 1.  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art “wrist wallet and carrying pouch,” as disclosed in Mazzo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,571. The Mazzo wrist wallet and carrying pouch  10  consists of a soft pouch  12  that is wrapped around a wearer&#39;s wrist  14 , and secured thereto by a pair of straps  16 . While the Mazzo device arguably provides utility and convenience to the user by eliminating the need to carry a wallet in one&#39;s pocket or purse, it fails to be a suitable replacement for a woman&#39;s purse or clutch. First, the Mazzo device is not aesthetically pleasing; it&#39;s intent is to provide convenience and security, and it does not go beyond those objectives. Second, the Mazzo device is substantially flat when wrapped around the individual&#39;s wrist  14 ; while this form is fine for holding money, credit cards and identification cards and the like (items normally found in a wallet), it is not adequate to carry larger items, such as cellular telephones (which are now commonly carried in purses).  
           [0007]    What is needed, therefore, is an alternative device for carrying an individual&#39;s personal items that is convenient, large enough in size to hold conventional cellular telephones, and aesthetically pleasing in shape and style.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices and assemblies, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Wrist-mounted Storage Box Assembly. The device should have a substantially rigid, durable box that attaches to the user&#39;s wrist securely. Within the rigid box, there should be a pouch for retaining and organizing a variety of different personal objects of the user. Still further, the device/assembly should include one or more straps, etc. for holding a cellular telephone to the pouch, within the box. Finally, the device/assembly should have one or more apertures formed within the box to provide for the phone antennae and earphone cable, if desired.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art “wrist wallet and carrying pouch;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the wrist-mounted storage box assembly of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the assembly of FIG. 2;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the box of the assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3, having the lid in the opened position;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIGS. 2, 3 and  5 , depicting embodiments of internal components of the assembly.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0016]    The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out her invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Wrist-mounted Storage Box Assembly.  
         [0017]    The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the wrist-mounted storage box assembly  20  of the present invention. In this embodiment, the assembly  20  attaches in the vicinity of an individual&#39;s wrist  14 ; adjacent to the hand  18 . In it is believed that in other embodiments, the assembly  20  might actually attach to the individual&#39;s hand or fingers at one end, and at the wrist on its other end.  
         [0018]    The assembly  20  attaches to the wrist  14  by first and second straps  24  and  26 . These straps  24  and  26  are made from durable material that will provide long life, while also being aesthetically pleasing; silk or other decorative cloths are examples of suitable materials of construction; elasticized material might also be employed. In other embodiments, more than two straps may be available in order to improved aesthetic appearance as well as a more positive attachment to the user&#39;s arm.  
         [0019]    A unique aspect of the assembly  20  lies with the outer container  22 ; rather than providing a thin, soft-sided wallet for storing items in, this invention has a substantially hard-sided box  22 . The interior of the box  22  will preferably be accessible by opening the substantially hard lid  30 .  
         [0020]    Although the box  22  is depicted as being very simple in form in this drawing figure, it should be understood that this is only an example to demonstrate one shape that is possible. In other embodiments, the box  22  includes a variety of decorative coverings, indicia and accessories. Furthermore, the box  22  may be circular, elliptical, or other shapes, and may also have sharp or rounded edges; this creates virtually unlimited style options. In every case, the box  22  will be elegant and unique in style in order to truly provide an alternative to the conventional purse or clutch, no matter what the occasion. If we now turn to FIG. 3, we can further examine the device of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the assembly  20  of FIG. 2. This figure depicts a number of additional features, such as the latch  34 . The latch  34  in this embodiment is of the type that is fairly common to purse design, namely, a small rectangular latch that is twisted to align with an aperture in order to release it. Of course other conventional designs are intended for other embodiments. It is also shown there that the lid  30  is attached to the box  22  by a hinge  32  at one side; this permits the substantially hard lid to be easily opened to gain access to the inside of the box  22 . Still further shown here is a buckle  36  for adjusting length of the first strap  24  in order to make it fit a person&#39;s wrist properly. This buckle  36  is similar to, just smaller than a conventional belt buckle; depending upon the material that the straps  24  and  26  are made from, there may or may not be a buckle  36  of the type depicted included in the design. In fact, in some versions, elastic material may be used for the straps, or even chain or other decorative, durable material. Now turning to FIG. 4, we can begin to examine the internal components of the assembly  20 .  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the box of the assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3, having the lid  30  in the opened position. As can be seen, in order to open the lid  30 , the user needed to simply twist the latch  34  ninety degrees, such that it aligns with the latch aperture  38 , after which the lid  30  can be lifted open. In this embodiment, a mirror  44  is displayed on the inner surface  42  of the lid; this location makes it extremely convenient for the wearer to access quickly. Since the assembly  20  is mounted to the hand or wrist, the user only has to raise their hand, release the latch  34 , and flip up the lid  30  in order to use the mirror  44 . The mirror  44  may be permanently integrated into the lid  30 , or it might be removable (or replaceable if broken). Not only can the device  20  be worn on either hand that the user chooses, but it also can be donned, removed and operated (i.e. accessed) with a single hand—this is not possible with any of the prior devices.  
         [0023]    Also depicted here is the box bottom  43 ; it should be noticed that the bottom  43  has a curved shape in order to comfortably rest against the user&#39;s wrist or hand. In this embodiment, the lid  30  is also curved in order to provide a sleek package; again, in other designs, other shapes or configurations might be used. If we now consider the next drawing figure, we can examine additional novel features of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of the assembly  20  of FIGS. 2 and 3. The interior chamber  40 , is configured to accept a pouch  46  within it, such that when the lid  30  is opened, the pouch  46  is easily accessible. The pouch  46  may be attached to the box bottom  43 , such as by hook-and-loop fasteners (not shown), or it can simply be resting inside the chamber  40  (to make it easier to remove when desired).  
         [0025]    In this version, the pouch  46  is formed with a zippered opening  48  along one side (away from the hinge side of the lid  30 ). The zipper on the opening  48  provides security for loose items, such as change or cosmetics or other small items. Also shown on the top surface of the pouch  46  are a pair of retention devices  50 . The strap-type retention devices  50  are provided to permit the wearer to hold items therein to make them available very easily; whatever is held by the retention devices  50  will be immediately on top when the lid  30  is opened. The retention devices  50  should be strong yet aesthetically pleasing, and may be adjustable in length or elasticized. Finally, turning to FIG. 6, we can see how these retention devices  50  might be employed.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembly of FIGS. 2, 3 and  5 , wherein a conventional cellular telephone  52  is being held in place against the pouch  46  by the straps  50 A and  50 B. If the wearer receives a call, it is a simple matter to flip open the lid  30  and press the answer button on the cellular phone to answer a call; this is much simpler than if the cellular phone was held in a conventional purse, in the person&#39;s pocket, or even clipped on the belt.  
         [0027]    While the devices  50 A and  50 B are shown here as being simple straps, it should be understood that other designs might be preferred. Specifically, custom holsters might be attachable to the pouch  46 ; the holster might be specially designed to hold a particular type of cellular telephone.  
         [0028]    In some versions, an aperture  51  may be provided in one or more ends of the device  20  (or both, if desired). The apertures  51  are positioned for alignment with the antennae of the cellular telephone (typically at the top), or with the bottom of the cellular telephone for passing an earphone wire therethrough.  
         [0029]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

Technology Category: a