Card holder for credit cards and other cards

Abstract

Card holder for bank cards, credit cards, debit cards, driving licences, electronic identity cards or similar cards, having a cuboidal housing with an interior for receiving at least one card, a card opening of the housing for inserting at least one card into the housing and pushing out at least one card from the housing, at least one dispensing element which is displaceable from a first position into a second position in order to be brought into engagement with the lower edge of a card in the interior and to push out the one card through the card opening from the housing, an actuating element which is coupled to the dispensing element in order to displace the dispensing element from the first position into the second position by actuating the actuating element, wherein a first spring apparatus is supported, on the one hand, on the dispensing element and, on the other hand, on the housing, wherein the first spring apparatus is able to be tensioned by displacing the dispensing element from the second position into the first position, a locking apparatus has a first locking element connected to the dispensing element and a second locking element retained in the housing so that the first and second locking elements are able to be locked together by displacing the dispensing element into the first position, and the actuating element is coupled to the locking apparatus in order to unlock the first and second locking elements by actuating the actuating element, so that the first spring apparatus displaces the dispensing element from the first position into the second position in order to push out the card thereby from the card opening.

Claims

1. A card holder for bank cards, credit cards, debit cards, driving licenses, electronic identity cards or similar cards, comprising a cuboidal housing (1) with an interior (9) for receiving at least one card (11), a card opening (6) of the housing (1) for inserting at least one card (11) into the housing and pushing out at least one card (11) from the housing (1), a dispensing lever (15) which at one end is pivotably mounted in the housing (1) about an axis (16) and on one side comprises dispensing elements (18) which are configured in a step-like manner at different spacings from the axis, the dispensing elements (18) being displaceable from a first position into a second position in order to be brought into engagement with the lower edges of cards (11) of a stack of cards inserted in the interior (9) and to push out the cards (11) through the card opening (6) to different degrees from the housing (1), an actuating element (44) which is coupled to the dispensing element (18) in order to displace the dispensing element (18) from the first position into the second position by actuating the actuating element (44), a first spring apparatus (27) being supported, on the one hand, on the dispensing element (18) and, on the other hand, on the housing (1), wherein the first spring apparatus (27) is able to be tensioned by displacing the dispensing element (18) from the second position into the first position, a locking apparatus which locks the first spring apparatus (27) in the first position, and the actuating element (44) is coupled to the locking apparatus in order to unlock the locking apparatus by actuating the actuating element (44), so that the first spring apparatus (27) displaces the dispensing element (18) from the first position into the second position in order to push out the card (11) thereby from the card opening (6).

2. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of dispensing elements (18) are able to be displaced from a first position into a second position in order to be brought into engagement with lower edges of different cards (11) in a stack in the interior (9) and to push out the cards (11) through the card opening (6) from the housing (1) so that they protrude from the housing (1) in a staggered arrangement one behind the other.

3. The card holder as claimed in claim 2, comprising one or more of the following features: (a) a plate-shaped bearing carrier (23) with a bearing eye (25) protrudes from a plate-shaped carrier (24), a bearing pin (21) which pivotably mounts the dispensing lever (15) on a flat side of the bearing carrier (23) being retained in said bearing eye, (b) at a distance from the bearing eye (25) a support pin (26) which is parallel thereto protrudes from the bearing carrier (23), a leg spring (27) being retained on its internal periphery (28) on said support pin, wherein the first spring end (29) of the leg spring (27) is supported on a first abutment (30) on the lower face of the dispensing lever (15), wherein the second spring end (31) of the leg spring (27) is supported on a second abutment (32) on the carrier (24) at a distance from the bearing eye (25), (c) the slide (34) is arranged on the carrier (24), (d) the bearing carrier (23) has a first guide element (33) and the slide (34) has a second guide element (35) which is guided on the first guide element (33), (e) the carrier (24) with the slide (34), the dispensing lever (15) and the leg spring (27) is inserted into the housing (1) through a bottom opening (43) of the housing (1) relative to the card opening (6), so that the dispensing lever (15), the slide (34) and the leg spring (37) are arranged inside the housing (1) and the carrier (24) is a base (7) of the housing (1) covering the bottom opening (43), (f) the carrier (24) in the inserted position is connected to the housing (1) by being clamped and/or engaged and/or bonded therein.

4. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one dispensing element (18) is configured so that the first spring apparatus (27) is able to be tensioned by displacing the at least one dispensing element (1) from the second position into the first position by at least one card (11) being inserted through the card opening (6) into the housing (1) and pressing with the lower edge against a dispensing element (18).

5. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first spring apparatus (27) is a leg spring or a leaf spring which is supported by a first spring end (29) on the dispensing element (18) and by a second spring end (31) on the housing (1).

6. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating element (44) is coupled to a slide (34) which is displaceably arranged in the housing (1) and which is guided by a guide apparatus (33, 35) in the housing in a direction intersecting with the direction of insertion of the cards (11) and on which the second locking element (37) is configured.

7. The card holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein a second spring apparatus (41) is supported, on the one hand, on the slide (34) and, on the other hand, on the housing (1) in order to pretension the slide (34) with the second locking element (37) in a position locking the first locking element (22).

8. The card holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein the actuating element (44) is coupled to the slide (34) via a wedge gear (49).

9. The card holder as claimed in claim 8, wherein the actuating element (44) is connected via a rod (46), which extends parallel to the insertion direction of the cards (11), to a first wedge (47) which forms the wedge gear (49) with a second wedge (48) on an end of the slide.

10. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating element (44) is arranged closer to the card opening (6) than on the side of the housing (1) opposing the card opening.

11. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the housing (1) on one or more sides parallel to the insertion direction of the card (11) a first brake element (50) is arranged at the lower end of the interior (9) and/or a second brake element or guide element (51) is arranged in the middle between the lower and upper end of the interior (9) and/or a third brake element (52) is arranged at the upper end of the interior (9).

12. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (1) has on the inner face at least one channel (10) extending in the longitudinal direction and connected via a slot (8) to the interior (9) of the housing (1), the rod (46) being guided therein and/or the first brake element (50) and/or the second brake element or guide element (51) and/or the third brake element (53) being retained therein.

13. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating element (44) is arranged in a recess (45) outside on the housing (1) so that it is able to be actuated from the outside by one finger.

14. The card holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (1) in horizontal section is thicker on the two lateral edges of two parallel sides (2, 3) than therebetween and/or the two further parallel sides (4, 5) are rounded.

Description

(1) The invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings of exemplary embodiments of the card holder. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment with partially pushed out cards in a perspective view obliquely from the front and from the side;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the same card holder without cards in a plan view;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the housing of the same card holder in a plan view;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the same card holder without the housing with a partially pushed-out card in a perspective view obliquely from the front and from the side;

(6) FIG. 5 shows the same card holder without the housing with a partially pushed-out card in a perspective view obliquely from the rear and from the side;

(7) FIG. 6 shows the same card holder without the housing with fully inserted cards in a rear view;

(8) FIG. 7 shows the same card holder without the housing in a view from the right-hand side;

(9) FIG. 8 shows the enlarged detail VII of FIG. 6;

(10) FIG. 9 shows the enlarged detail VIII of FIG. 6;

(11) FIG. 10 shows the same card holder without the housing with the partially exploded detail X in a rear view;

(12) FIG. 11 shows the enlarged detail XI of FIG. 9;

(13) FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment with the dispensing lever unlocked and the cut-away main side of the housing in a perspective view from the front face;

(14) FIG. 13 shows the same card holder with the dispensing lever locked and the cut-away main side of the housing in a perspective view from the front face;

(15) FIG. 14 shows a third exemplary embodiment with the dispensing lever unlocked and the cut-away main side of the housing in a perspective partial view from the front;

(16) FIG. 15 shows the same card holder with the dispensing lever locked and the cut-away main side of the housing in a perspective partial view from the front.

(17) In the present application, the terms top and bottom, horizontal and vertical refer to an alignment of the card holder with the card opening on the upwardly facing end of the housing, so that cards are able to be inserted through the card opening vertically downwards into the interior of the housing and by the walls of the housing are horizontally prevented from escaping from the interior.

(18) According to FIG. 1, the card holder has a cuboidal housing 1. This housing has two large main sides 2, 3, two long narrow sides 4, 5, a card opening 6 on a short narrow side and a base 7 on an opposing short narrow side. The sides 2, 3, 4, 5 are walls of the housing 1.

(19) According to FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 1 on the long narrow side 5 has a channel 10 which extends in the longitudinal direction and which is connected via a slot to an interior 9 of the housing 1. The housing is provided on both narrow sides 4, 5 to be thicker than on the main sides 2, 3 and with radii 12, 13.

(20) The interior 9 of the housing 1 is dimensioned such that a stack of, for example, five cards 11 according to ISO/IEC 7810 and 7813 or, respectively, 7816 fits exactly. The dimensions of the housing 1 are selected in this case such that the cards 11 fit therein within the context of the permitted manufacturing tolerances with little or no clearance.

(21) According to FIGS. 2 to 5, the card holder has a dispensing apparatus 14 which comprises a dispensing lever 15 which is pivotable about an axis 16. On one side the dispensing lever 15 has a flat sliding surface 17 which bears internally against the main side 3. On the opposing side, the dispensing lever has dispensing elements 18 which are arranged in a step-like manner and which have variable spacings from the axis 16. These dispensing elements have in each case a rounded front edge 19.

(22) The step height of the dispensing elements 18 corresponds to the wall thickness of a card 11 or a fraction thereof. The step height is dimensioned, for example, as described in WO 2010/137975 A2 on page 8, lines 10 to 26, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The spacings between the dispensing elements 18 may, in particular, correspond to those indicated on page 7, lines 27 to 32 of the cited document.

(23) For the pivotable bearing, the dispensing lever 15 has in addition to the step-like dispensing elements 18 a flattened portion 20 from which a bearing pin 21 protrudes.

(24) Moreover, on a lower edge the dispensing lever 15 has a hook-shaped first locking element 22.

(25) The dispensing lever 15 is mounted on a plate-shaped bearing carrier 23 which protrudes upwardly from a plate-shaped carrier 24. The plate-shaped bearing carrier 23 has a bearing eye 25, the bearing pin 21 being pivotably mounted therein.

(26) According to FIGS. 5 and 6, a support pin 26 protrudes horizontally from the bearing carrier 23 at a distance from the bearing eye 25. On the support pin 26 a first spring apparatus 27 in the form of a leg spring is guided on its internal periphery 28, the first spring end thereof 29 according to FIG. 4 being retained on either side on first abutments 30 in the form of projections on the lower face of the dispensing lever 15, on a first abutment 30 in the form of a groove 30, and the second spring end 31 thereof being retained on a second abutment 32 in the form of small hooks on the base 24 at a distance from the support pin 26.

(27) In addition, according to FIG. 4, the bearing carrier 23 has on a portion offset to the main side 2 a first guide element 33 in the form of a horizontal guide slot. According to FIG. 5, in addition to the guide slot a slide 34 is displaceably mounted on a flat upper face of the base 24. According to FIG. 4, the slide 34 engages in the guide slot with a second guide element 35 in the form of a rib-shaped projection on a vertical side.

(28) On an opposing vertical side the slide 34 according to FIG. 5 has a horizontal support rib 36 for support on the inside on the main side 3 of the housing 1. On its upper face, the slide has a second locking element 37 with a receiver 38 and a locking edge 39 which is able to be engaged from behind by the hook-shaped first locking element 22, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8.

(29) Between the slide 34 and the second abutment 32 a support plate 40 protrudes vertically upwards from the carrier 24. According to FIGS. 10 and 11, the slide 34 on the adjacent side has a blind bore 41, a second spring apparatus 42 in the form of a helical spring being inserted therein, said helical spring being supported, on the one hand, on the internal end of the blind bore 41 and, on the other hand, on the support plate 40.

(30) According to FIG. 1, the carrier 24 terminates the housing 1 on a bottom opening 43 and forms the base 7 of the housing 1.

(31) According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 1 has at the top on a long narrow side 5 an actuating element 44 in the form of a slide button. The slide button is located in a recess 45 on the outer face of the long narrow side 5, so that it is able to be displaced vertically from outside by means of a thumb in the recess 45.

(32) According to FIGS. 4 to 6, the actuating element 44 is connected to a rod 46 which is guided in the channel 12. Preferably, to this end the rod has in horizontal section a double T-profile, as shown in FIG. 4 at the upper end of the rod 46. One T-shaped bar engages in the channel 10, a further T-shaped bar is arranged in the interior 9 and the web connecting the two T-shaped bars penetrates the slot 8. The rod 46 has at the lower end a first wedge 47 which is chamfered downwardly toward the interior 9 in a wedge-shaped manner.

(33) On the side remote from the blind bore 41 the slide 34 has an upwardly protruding second wedge 48 which is chamfered toward the adjacent long narrow side 5 of the housing 1.

(34) The first wedge 47 and the second wedge 48 bear against one another with their chamfered portions and form a wedge gear 49.

(35) The rod 46 on the long side facing the interior 9 has in the vicinity of its lower end adjacent to the wedge 47 a first brake element 50 in the form of a bulged portion oriented toward the interior 9. Approximately in the middle between the base 7 and the card opening 6 the rod 46 has on the long side oriented toward the interior 9 a second brake element or guide element 51 in the form of a bulged portion oriented toward the interior 9. According to FIG. 10, the first brake element 50 and the second brake element or guide element 51 bear against the lateral long edges of the cards 11, when said cards are fully inserted into the housing. As a result, the cards 9 are pressed, guided and decelerated on the inside against the long narrow side 4 of the housing 1 and prevented from falling out.

(36) The first brake element 50 and the second brake element or guide element 51 consist of a resilient material, preferably a soft resilient material.

(37) According to FIGS. 4 and 5, above the rod 46 a third brake element 52 is arranged on the inside on the long narrow side 5 of the housing. The third brake element 52 is according to FIGS. 2 and 4 a body which has in horizontal section a double T-profile. One T-shaped bar is pressed into the channel 10 in the vicinity of the card opening 6, the other T-shaped bar is arranged in the interior 9. The web connecting the two T-shaped bars is passed through the slot 8. The other T-shaped bar is only attached at the top to the web. At the bottom, a gap is present between the web and T-shaped bar so that this gap forms a spring tongue 53.

(38) According to FIGS. 6 and 10, the spring tongue 52 bears against the lateral long edges of the cards 11 and presses these cards inwardly against the long narrow side 4 of the housing 1. The third brake element 52 prevents the cards 11 from falling out from the housing 1 when these cards are fully inserted (FIGS. 6 and 10) or are partially pushed out from the housing 1 (FIGS. 1 and 4). In the partially pushed-out position, the cards 11 are additionally hindered from falling out of the housing 1 or guided by the second brake element or guide element 51.

(39) According to FIGS. 5 and 6, the bearing carrier 23 on the two narrow sides has clamping elements 54, 55 in the form of a guide pin (on the left-hand side) and in the form of a deformable rib (on the right-hand side). After inserting the bearing carrier 23 through the bottom opening 43 into the housing 1, the clamping elements 54, 55 securely clamp the bearing carrier 23 in the housing 1.

(40) If no cards 11 are inserted into the housing 1, the dispensing lever 15 is in a position which is inclined obliquely toward the card opening 6, as shown in FIG. 3.

(41) When inserting a card stack, the lower short edges of the cards 11 press against the dispensing elements 18, whereby the dispensing lever 15 is pivoted downwardly. At the same time the leg spring 27 is tensioned. Finally, the first locking element 22 strikes the slide 34 so that this slide is displaced against the action of the helical spring 42. If the first locking element 22 engages in the receiver 38 of the slide 34, the helical spring 42 pushes the slide 34 back, so that the hook-shaped first locking element 22 locks behind the locking edge 39 of the second locking element 37.

(42) For dispensing cards 11, the user pushes the actuating element 44 slightly downwardly. In this case, the first wedge 47 displaces the second wedge 48 counter to the action of the helical spring 42 so that first and second locking elements 22, 37 are unlocked, the leg spring 27 is at least partially released and the dispensing lever 15 pivots in the direction of the card opening 6. In this case, the cards 11 are forced out of the card opening 6 by the dispensing elements 18. Due to the step-like arrangement of the dispensing elements 18, the cards 11 are forced out of the card opening 6 in the fanned-out position as shown in FIG. 1. In this position, the user may select and remove an individual card 11 and push back the remaining cards 11.

(43) When inserting the cards 11 the leg spring 27 is tensioned again.

(44) According to a preferred embodiment, the housing 1 consists of aluminum.

(45) According to a preferred embodiment, one or more of the following elements in each case consist of one or more plastics: dispensing apparatus 14, dispensing lever 15, carrier 24, bearing carrier 23, slide 34, rod 46, actuating element 44, wedge gear 49.

(46) According to a preferred embodiment, the rod 46, the actuating element 44, the wedge 47 and the first and second brake elements 50, 51 are configured integrally. According to a further embodiment, the rod 46 and wedge 47 consist of a hard resilient plastics or metal. According to a further embodiment, the actuating element 44 consists of a hard resilient plastics or a metal or a soft resilient plastics. According to a further embodiment, the first brake element 50 and/or the second brake element or guide element 51 consist of a soft resilient plastics. Preferably, this component is produced from a plurality of different plastics in a multi-component inj ection-molding method.

(47) According to a further embodiment, the third brake element 52 consists of a hard resilient plastics or a soft resilient plastics. According to a further embodiment, the third brake element 52 consists of a hard resilient plastics or a metal and a soft resilient plastics, wherein the spring tongue 53 consists of a soft resilient plastics and moreover, the third brake element 52 consists of a hard resilient plastics or a metal.

(48) According to a preferred embodiment, the first spring apparatus 27 and/or the second spring apparatus 42 consist of a spring steel and/or rubber and/or a soft resilient plastics.

(49) In FIGS. 12 to 15, components of the second and third embodiments which correspond to the components of the first exemplary embodiment are provided with the same reference numerals.

(50) According to FIGS. 12 and 13, in the second exemplary embodiment, an actuating element 44 in the form of a push button is connected to the slide 34 via a horizontal rod 46. The push button is located in a recess 45 on a long narrow side 5 in the vicinity of the lower end of the housing 1. The pretensioning of the first spring apparatus 27 takes place as in the first exemplary embodiment. For dispensing the cards 11 the push button 44 simply has to be pressed.

(51) According to FIGS. 14 and 15, in the third exemplary embodiment, an actuating element 44 in the form of a slide button on the base 7 of the housing 1 relative to the card opening 6 is connected via a vertical connecting web 56 to the slide 34. The connecting web 56 extends through a slotted through-passage 57 in the base 7 of the housing. The pretensioning of the first spring apparatus 27 takes place as in the first exemplary embodiment. For dispensing the cards 11 the slide button 44 simply has to be displaced.

(52) The cut-away parts of the third exemplary embodiment are preferably configured as in the second exemplary embodiment.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(53) 1, 1, 1 Housing

(54) 2, 3, 2, 3, 2, 3 Main side

(55) 4, 5, 4, 5, 4, 5 Long narrow side

(56) 6, 6, 6 Card opening

(57) 7, 7, 7 Base

(58) 8 Slot

(59) 9 Interior

(60) 10 Channel

(61) 11, 11, 11 Card

(62) 12, 13 Radius

(63) 14 Dispensing apparatus

(64) 15, 15, 15 Dispensing lever

(65) 16, 16, 16 Axis

(66) 17 Sliding surface

(67) 18, 18, 18 Dispensing elements

(68) 19 Front edge

(69) 20 Flattened portion

(70) 21 Bearing pin

(71) 22, 22, 22 First locking element

(72) 23 Bearing carrier

(73) 24 Carrier

(74) 25 Bearing eye

(75) 26 Support pin

(76) 27, 27, 27 First spring apparatus

(77) 28 Internal periphery

(78) 29, 29, 29 First spring end

(79) 30 First abutment

(80) 31, 31, 31 Second spring end

(81) 32 Second abutment

(82) 33 First guide element

(83) 34, 34, 34 Slide

(84) 35 Second guide element

(85) 36 Support rib

(86) 37, 37, 37 Second locking element

(87) 38 Receiver

(88) 39 Locking edge

(89) 40 Support plate

(90) 41 Blind bore

(91) 42, 42, 42 Second spring apparatus

(92) 43 Bottom opening

(93) 44, 44, 44 Actuating element

(94) 45, 45, 45 Recess

(95) 46, 46, 46 Rod

(96) 47 First wedge

(97) 48 Second wedge

(98) 49 Wedge gear

(99) 50 First brake element

(100) 51 Second brake element or guide element

(101) 52 Third brake element

(102) 53 Spring tongue

(103) 54 Clamping elements

(104) 55 Clamping elements

(105) 56, 56, 56 Connecting web

(106) 57, 57, 57 Slotted through-passage