Key wallet butterfly type

Abstract

Disclosed is a wallet comprising two shell halves which are associated by a rigid spine to open and close the wallet, and containing a bunch of keys, anchored to the wallet. The wallet is biased to the open position by a pre tensioned skin which covers windows in the two shell halves. The skin allows temporary outward bulging by elasticity, and immediately springs back into the initial unloaded state at the time the bulging load is removed.

Claims

1. Wallet, having four wallet boundary edges, comprising two shell elements which are associated by connection means at a spine of the wallet in such a manner that they are configured to pivot relative to one another around a pivot axis at the spine such that a first longitudinal boundary edge of the one shell element, is configured to move away from a corresponding first longitudinal boundary edge of the other shell element to move between an open and a closed position of the wallet by mutually pivoting of the shell elements, wherein a pre tensioned membrane material extends from the one shell element via the spine to the other shell element and biases the shell elements to pivot in the direction from the closed to the open position of the wallet, both if the wallet is in the open and closed position, and each shell element provides a main face of the wallet and further pivoting, due to the bias of the pre tensioned membrane material, of the shell elements in the direction from the closed to the open position of the wallet, beyond the open position of the wallet is blocked by a stop means of the wallet.

2. The wallet according to claim 1, comprising an open position and a closed position, in the closed position providing an elongated sleeve like shape, in the completely open position of the wallet the shell elements make a mutual angle limited to less than 120 degrees, the shell elements are merely connected to each other along a second longitudinal boundary edge, also providing a hinged connection providing a rigid spine, in the closed position an inner space of the wallet is open to the environment via three of four wallet boundary edges, which four wallet boundary edges provide a rectangular shape when viewing towards one of the main faces of the wallet, the wallet moves between the open and closed position by pivoting of the shell elements at the spine, wherein the wallet boundary edge provided with the spine is the only wallet boundary edge that seals the wallet from the environment.

3. The wallet according to claim 1, containing a bunch of metal house door keys, which bunch is anchored to the wallet by retaining means, which retaining means is configured to move between a retracted position, in which the retaining means and the bunch of keys are completely within the wallet, and an extended position, in which part of the retaining means and the complete bunch of keys project outside the wallet, the wallet is configured to be in the closed position both when the retaining means are in the retracted position and the retaining means and the bunch of keys are completely inside the wallet, and in the extended position when part of the retaining means and the complete bunch of keys are outside the wallet.

4. The wallet according to claim 1, at least one of the shell elements has a first area allowing temporary outward bulging by elastic deformation of the membrane material, which area is delimited, completely circumferentially, by rigid boundaries, such that said area immediately springs back into the initial unloaded state at the time the bulging load is removed.

5. The wallet according to claim 3, wherein the wallet is designed such that the assembly of retaining means and bunch of keys is allowed to move between the retracted and extended position merely when the wallet is in an open position.

6. The wallet according to claim 1, wherein the membrane material provides an elastically resilient foil covering both shell elements and extending from the one shell element to the other shell element via the spine and being pre tensioned by at least 5% yield both in the closed and open position of the wallet such that both in the open and closed position of the wallet the pre tensioned membrane material biases the shell elements in the direction of moving from the closed to the open position of the wallet.

7. The wallet according to claim 4, at least one shell element comprises a space frame of rectangular shape which provides the boundary edges of the shell element and also provides the external boundaries of a window of said shell element which window provides said first area and is covered by said membrane material such that the wallet has rigid wallet boundary edges and has main faces that, in the area of the window, are configured to be outwardly bulged by bulky contents within the closed wallet.

8. The wallet according to claim 6, the foil is fixedly attached to the first longitudinal boundary edges of the shell elements that are located opposite the second longitudinal boundary edges that are hingedly connected at the spine and the foil lays loose at the other boundary edges of the shell elements.

9. The wallet according to claim 1, wherein the membrane material has a rectangular shape, is pre tensioned such that the membrane material is elastically yielded for at least 10%, is wrinkle free, is easy pliable and foldable, and has a dimension in the direction parallel to the orientation of the pivot axis, which orientation is parallel to the first and second longitudinal boundary edges of the shell elements, equal to or not more than the dimension of the shell element in the same orientation.

10. The wallet according to claim 1, the membrane material provides a foil that allows an elastic yield of at least 100% and provides an elastic bias of at least 0.5 Newton and not more than 5 Newton for 1 millimeter yield for a sheet of 100 millimeter length and 100 millimeter width, the foil thickness is at least 0.25 and not more than 1.7 millimeter, the foil allows an elastic yield in the one direction parallel to the face of the foil that is at least 50% different from the elastic yield in the perpendicular direction parallel to the face of the foil, such that the foil has an anisotropic yield behavior, wherein the direction in which the foil allows lowest yield is parallel to the wallet pivot axis and the foil is woven, knitted, or braided from elastic yielding yarns.

11. The wallet according to claim 1, wherein the membrane material is woven, knitted, or braided from elastic yielding yarns.

12. The wallet according to claim 1, wherein the stop means is associated with the spine and is configured to limit the opening angle of the shell elements to less than 90 degrees.

13. The wallet according to claim 1, the spine provides a hinge which is shaft less and the shell elements have second longitudinal boundary edges at the hinge shaped such that they have mutual form fit to allow the pivoting movement of the shell elements at the spine and the second longitudinal boundary edges have a loose mutual engagement at the spine and are kept in mutual engagement and are kept pressed against each other, while fitting into each other, by the bias of the pre tensioned membrane material.

14. The wallet according to claim 6, containing a bunch of metal house door keys providing a stack thicker than the thickness of the empty, closed wallet, wherein when hand held, the closed wallet feels solid while at the same time a main face is configured to be squeezed like a sponge by the finger tips and the enclosed keys are configured to be sensed through the main face while the solid sense is due to the fixed length and width and thickness provided by the rigid wallet boundary edges while the wallet in the empty, closed position provides the image of a container having flat and smooth main faces, while when packed with said bunch of keys one or both main faces are bulged outward and the foil is such that, when the wallet is packed with said stack of keys, the foil obtains a relief making the bunch of keys visible through the foil by a coining or embossing effect of the foil by the keys.

15. The wallet according to claim 3, wherein the bunch of keys is absent.

16. The wallet according to claim 1, having a length, parallel to the first and second longitudinal boundary edge, between 80 and 120 millimeter, a width, perpendicular to the first and second longitudinal boundary edge, between 30 and 60 millimeter and a thickness between 5 and 30 millimeter, when unloaded and closed.

17. The wallet according to claim 3 wherein the wallet is designed such that, starting from the closed position, the wallet is held in a single hand and an operating button of the wallet is operated by a finger of said hand such that a lock is released such that shell elements of the wallet, by the bias of the foil, automatically pivot to the open wallet position and are kept in said position by continued bias of the foil and then the retaining means are moved from the retracted to the extended position such that the retaining means and also the keys associated with the retaining means are brought outside the wallet and then, while the retaining means and associated keys remain outside the wallet.

18. The wallet according to claim 17, wherein the wallet is designed such that the retaining means are moved to the extended position by a wrist movement of said single hand while the wallet is in the open position.

19. The wallet according to claim 1 wherein the wallet boundary edge provided with the spine is the only wallet boundary edge that seals the wallet from the environment.

20. The wallet according to claim 1, configured to be closed against the bias of the pre-tensioned membrane material by squeezing the shell elements together about the pivot axis, wherein the pre tension of the membrane material increases at least 2.5% while moving from the open position to the closed position of the wallet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The attached drawing illustrates presently preferred embodiments without limiting the scope of protection, showing in:

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 the closed wallet from the opposite sides, in perspective view;

(3) FIGS. 3 and 4 the open wallet from the opposite sides, in perspective view, and associated chained key presented;

(4) FIG. 5 the closed wallet in the view similar to FIG. 4, and associated chained key presented;

(5) FIG. 6 an exploded perspective view, skin removed, of the main components of the wallet, in closed position;

(6) FIG. 7 an end view of the wallet shown in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 8 a sectional view of the wallet shown in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 9 an exploded perspective view of the space frames of the pivoting panels, in open position;

(9) FIG. 10 a sectional view of the assembled space frames, in closed position;

(10) FIG. 11 detail F of FIG. 10 (scale 5 to 1);

(11) FIG. 12 a sectional view of the assembled space frame, in open position;

(12) FIG. 13 detail F of FIG. 12 (scale 5 to 1);

(13) FIG. 14-16 successive steps during assembly of the wallet in sectional view;

(14) FIG. 17 a perspective view of the completed wallet; and

(15) FIG. 18 an embodiment of the skin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(16) Meaning of the reference signs: wallet 1, key 2, aperture 3 in key grip, operating button 4 of lock, main face or side 5, chain 6, space frame 7, latch 8 of lock, quick connector 9 of chain 6, hooks 10 of lock, spine or pivot 11, foil 12 (also called membrane or skin), clinch edge 13, stop 14 limiting the opening angle, window 15 inside the space frame 7.

(17) FIG. 1-8 show the two space frames, the outer envelope of rubber like foil material, also called skin, the operating button associated with the lock, the key chain, a key, the quick connector associated with the one chain end.

(18) In the closed wallet position, see e.g. FIG. 1, the longitudinal edges of the superposed panels distal from the pivot axis are near each other while in the open wallet position, see e.g. FIG. 3, these edges are moved away from each other. Also if the closed wallet is packed with keys such that the main faces bulge outwardly, these distal edges are kept in the position shown in FIG. 1 by the rigid hooking parts of the internal lock.

(19) The wallet is provided by two opposite main faces, two opposite long sides and two opposite short sides. A long side meets a short side at an angle of 90 degrees. If closed, the long sides are tight such that they do not allow a key to pass, however the short sides delimit an opening for a key to pass.

(20) FIG. 9 provides details of the pivoting edges of the panels and of the opposite edges to which the skin is clinched. Compared to FIG. 6 the features of the lock are absent and the pivoting edges are designed differently.

(21) FIG. 10-13 provide details of the form fit of the pivot edges and associated stop elements to limit the opening angle. The skin is absent.

(22) FIG. 14 shows the skin clinched to both panel edges and by turning the panels according to the arrows, the position of FIG. 15 is obtained. Starting from FIG. 15, by turning the panels according to the arrows, the position of FIG. 16 is obtained, in which the pivot edges are engaged by form fit and biased in engagement by the permanently stretched envelope.

(23) FIG. 17 schematically illustrates the skin providing an envelope for the wallet, shown in closed position, and discontinued along the line where the distal panel edges meet.

(24) FIG. 18 shows a skin made from two material types. The central strip is elastic, thus highly resiliently stretchable, and the fields at both sides are from natural leather, thus substantially stretch free. The elastic central strip will be registered with the pivot axis of the wallet. If applied to the wallet of FIG. 17, the seam between the central strip and a natural leather field could be located at the dotted line.

(25) The drawing illustrates both panels providing part of the means for hinged connection. Alternatively a living hinge is feasible, or one of the panels provides substantially the hinge, e.g. as a spine. The lock could comprise magnetic means.

(26) The drawing, the specification and claims contain many features in combination. The skilled person will consider these also individually and combine them to further embodiments. Also different embodiments belong to the invention. Features of different in here disclosed embodiments can in different manners be combined and different aspects of some features are regarded mutually exchangeable. All described or in the drawing disclosed features provide as such or in arbitrary combination the subject matter of the invention, also independent from their arrangement in the claims or their referral.