CREDIT CARD HOLDER HAVING IMPROVED FRICTION ELEMENT

Abstract

A holder for cards, comprising a housing which tightly fits around a stack of at least three cards and has a card opening for locating and removing cards. Within the housing, opposite the card opening, a card eject feature is provided such that the cards through the card opening can be partly slid from the housing. At the inner side of the housing a friction element is located to provide the cards a stable position inside the housing. The friction element has a layered structure comprising a felt layer and a latex layer backing the felt layer. The felt layer provides a fiber surface structure for engagement with the cards within the holder. The latex layer has a thickness of at least 0.25 millimeter.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A holder for cards, comprising a rectangular, sleeve like housing having two opposite mutually parallel main sides connected and spaced by two long and two short opposite minor sides, which minor sides define the maximum height of the stack of cards, which housing tightly fits around a stack of at least three cards and a short minor side has a card opening for locating and removing cards, such that the movement of the cards through the opening is limited to a movement of their top face parallel to the main sides of the housing and in longitudinal direction of the housing, while at or within the housing, preferably opposite the card opening, a card eject feature is provided such that the cards through the card opening can be partly slid from the housing, which card eject feature comprises an ejector arm which is designed to move within the housing between a first and a second position and during said movement ejects the cards by engaging and forcing the cards simultaneously to partly exit the housing, wherein at the inner side of the housing, possibly near the card opening at at least one minor side a friction element, which is separate from the walls of the housing, is located which is designed to be in direct contact with and to exert a friction force to the contacting narrow side, defining the thickness, of each individual card which is at least partly present in the housing, resulting in providing each relative card such a stable position relative to the housing, that the card can not slide due to gravity, but indeed due to a force exerted by the finger tips wherein the design is such that of an in the card holder located card stack, the by the thin sides of the cards provided side of the stack is urged against the surface of the friction element by a parallel to the main side of the housing active urging force which is preferably generated by pressing means of the card holder, which pressing means are separate from the walls of the housing, which urging force is directed in the widthwise direction of the cards and parallel to the main sides; and the surface of the friction element for friction engagement with the thin sides of the cards faces a minor side, wherein the friction element has a layered structure of at least two layers of different material or nature, viewed in thickness direction of the friction element, which is the direction in which the friction element is urged against the stack and the widthwise direction.

15. Card holder according to claim 14, wherein the friction element has a layered structure, viewed in its thickness direction, comprising a first layer providing a fibre or fibre like surface structure for engagement with the cards within the holder, and a second layer, directly or indirectly backing the first layer, which second layer is of rubber like or elastomer like or silicon like material having a thickness of at least 0.25 millimetre.

16. Holder according to claim 14, wherein the friction element is mounted to urging means and is located between and is elastically compressed between the urging means and the one long side of the stack and thus has become thinner due to the compression and will retain its original thickness if the stack is removed.

17. Holder according to claim 14, wherein the layers have a flat shape and are mutually parallel and provide a laminate and the second layer is located between the first layer and the urging means.

18. Holder according to claim 14, wherein the layers have a non-flat shape and the one layer encircles the other layer, the second layer is yarn like and the first layer provides a coating or sheath completely around the second layer.

19. Holder according to claim 18, the second layer provides a core of e.g. latex, helically wrapped by a wire of e.g. wool providing the coating or sheath.

20. Holder according to claim 19, wherein, viewed in its thickness direction, the friction element comprises a plurality of mutually stacked or superposed yarns or cores, each with the sheath.

21. Holder according to claim 14, wherein the thickness of the first layer is at least 25% smaller than the thickness of the second layer.

22. Holder according to claim 14, wherein the friction element is mounted to the urging means by an adhesive layer of e.g. glue.

23. Holder according to claim 14, wherein the housing contains two friction elements opposite each other, each adjacent a long minor side, located such that if the cards stack is inserted in the housing they squeeze the cards stack between them in widthwise direction and engage the thin side of each individual card.

24. Card holder according to claim 14, wherein the following applies: the card eject feature comprises a stepped element, which can by the user be moved relative to the housing against the side of the within the housing present card stack, resulting that this stack in a stepped format partly moves outside the housing; the thickness of a part of the steps of the stepped element measures at least 0.2 millimetre, e.g. approx. 0.4 mm; the stepped element is provided with a reset means, e.g. spring. of all cards within the stack the main dimensions suffice ISO 7810; of all cards within the stack the thickness and roundings suffice ISO 7813;

25. Card holder according to claim 14, wherein the friction element has a surface with the following features: of sufficient width to simultaneously engage all cards in the stack; is not rigid; is locally easily, elastically, compressible; in which easy a relief can be made; in which easy one or more grooves or pits can be made; is deformable comparable to the surface of a wadded pillow or felt layer; locally yields easily; is easy deformable; easy adapt its shape to the relief of the surface of the side of a card stack.

26. Card holder according to claim 14, with the following: the friction element engages elastically yielding the side of a card stack; the surface of the friction element, engaging the card stack, is facing the direction parallel to the top face of the card holder and housing; the friction element extends substantially the complete height of the receiving space of the housing to contain the card stack; the receiving space is sleeve or shaft like; the receiving space is designed such that the cards through the card opening parallel to their top face must be slid from this space; the receiving space is delimited by a top face and a back face and two opposite sides connecting the top and back face and which boundary provides a rigid housing, and wherein the top face has a dimension substantially equal to the dimension of the top face of the within the receiving space to be located card, possibly having a width equal to the card width plus the width required to accommodate the friction element and possibly the pressing means at one or both sides; the friction element engages the side of a card as soon as the card is inserted into the card holder for only one half or one third or a quarter or one fifth or one tenth of its length and from that point maintains its engagement while the card is further inserted; the holder comprises an external actuating feature, e.g. finger button, to provide the force to eject the cards by the card eject feature; in the receiving space a stack of at least three right angled cards, mutually registered, with substantially identical dimensions and each with a first side and an opposite second side, and the friction element in retaining engagement, in the direction of sliding out the card opening, with the to the friction element facing side of each card and the card sideways preloading such that the second side of each card is pressed against and retained by the side of the receiving space, while the distance between the first and second side of the one card is unequal to the same distance of a different card in the stack; the friction element is a pad like object and is spaced from the minor sides of the housing; the urging means have a length at least twice or three or four times the length of the friction element, measured in the longitudinal direction.

Description

[0049] The invention will now be further explained by way of the drawing, showing presently preferred embodiments. The drawing shows in:

[0050] FIGS. 1-2 a card holder, in perspective view;

[0051] FIG. 3 a cross section of the FIG. 1 card holder;

[0052] FIG. 4 a cross section of an alternative card holder;

[0053] FIGS. 5-6 an alternative card holder, in perspective view;

[0054] FIG. 7 in perspective view a pivoted ejector arm engaging a staggered cards stack;

[0055] FIG. 8 an alternative view to FIG. 7;

[0056] FIG. 9 a side view of FIG. 8;

[0057] FIGS. 10-11 a cross section of a card holder;

[0058] FIG. 12 a sectional perspective view of a card holder;

[0059] FIG. 13 a cross section of a wrapped wire;

[0060] FIG. 14 a perspective of a wrapped wire.

[0061] FIGS. 1-2 show a perspective view of the housing of the card holder which tightly fits around the shown stack of at least three cards (four are shown), wherein one of the two longitudinal ends of the housing is referred to as a card opening because it is opened to receive and remove cards. The tightly fit around the card stack implicates a main shape based on a right angled brick, but it can of course, for reasons of design or ergonomics, differ, e.g. by providing chamfers, roundings, ribs, etc.

[0062] FIG. 1 shows the holder 1 and a neat stack 2 of four cards in register, ready to be loaded into the holder through the cards opening 3. If completely located in the holder, the lower side of each card is in register with a relevant engagement face of the ejector arm in its first (retracted) position. Starting from this position of the ejector arm and moving (pivoting) it to its second position, the cards will be forced by the associated engagement face such that the cards stack is partly ejected. Since each engagement face has a different distance to the pivot point of the ejector arm, each card will travel a different distance such that a staggered ejected stack 2 is obtained (shown in FIG. 2 in which the ejector arm (not shown) is in its second position), each card presenting an exposed narrow strip of a main side as shown.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows in sectional view a holder (without cards) with a card eject feature (in the first (retracted) position) provided by the stepped element 16 which can pivot around an axis 17 if the user exerts in the pivot direction (according to the arrow B) a force through the actuator 18 outside the housing. The stepped element is made from steps providing card contact faces 19 designed to exert force against the minor side (i.e. the thin side) of the cards to be ejected. The card contact faces 19 can be regarded as the thickness of the steps in the stepped shape and the height of these faces is equal to or smaller then the nominal card thickness (approx. 0.8 millimetre), whereby each step contacts a different card. A reset spring 20 ensures that the stepped element 16 after releasing the button 18 returns immediately and automatically to the initial (first) position shown. Friction elements 6, i.e. pads having a to the cards facing surface of rough fibre like material, e.g. felt, are located mutually opposite within the housing at the housing minor sides 32 to engage each individual minor card side to retain the cards against gravity force.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows a possible variant of FIG. 3, the stepped element 16 can translate in the direction in which the cards are slid through the card opening 3 and out the housing and which by means of a reset spring 20 after releasing the operation part 18 returns immediately and automatically to the initial position.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows the connection between the button 18 and the ejector arm 16 extending through a passage in the bottom edge, meaning the edge opposite the opening 3. Alternatively such passage could be present in a side edge (long minor side 32) or even in a main side 31. The button 18 is shown adjacent the bottom edge, however could be located adjacent a side edge or even a main side 31. The bottom edge or side edge is a short minor side 32, bridging the main sides 31. These locations of the passage and button 18 are known from the prior art.

[0066] FIGS. 5-6 show a presently preferred embodiment having an ergonomically shaped holder 1 and button 18. FIG. 6 shows the view from the bottom side (i.e. according to arrow A in FIG. 5). Arrow L is the long or longitudinal, arrow W the short or widthwise and arrow T the thickness direction. Arrows L, W and T are mutually perpendicular.

[0067] In FIG. 7 the housing is removed such that the elements within the housing are visible. The eject arm 16 is pivoted to its second (extended) position, engaging the staggered cards stack 2 (only partly shown). Arm 16 is, by pivot 17, pivotably mounted to a fixture 10 which is fixedly located in the housing opening opposite the card opening 3, thus providing a closure of the housing. FIG. 8 shows an alternative for the FIG. 7 embodiment completely and also the housing is present. FIG. 9 shows the eject arm 16 and the staggered cards 2 of FIG. 8 in side view.

[0068] As is clear from FIGS. 3, 4 and 7-9, the thickness of the ejector arm stepwise decreases from the proximal (close to the pivot point 17) to the distal (free or remote) end 5. The maximum ejector arm 16 thickness equals the height of the housing determined by the clearance between the two main sides of the housing which equals the maximum thickness of a cards stack tightly fitting in the housing. The maximum ejector arm 16 thickness could be slightly thinner to allow movement of the arm 16 within the housing without undue friction with the inner faces of the opposite housing main sides along which the top and bottom side, respectively, of the arm 16 slide.

[0069] The opposite main side walls 31 have smooth, level and flat inner faces, extending mutually parallel.

[0070] FIG. 10 shows a section of a possible embodiment of the housing without details of the card remove feature, wherein one can see how at at least one side near card opening 3 a friction element 6 is located, which bears against a long side of the card stack in the housing. The opposite side in the housing has a resilient element 7, e.g. metal spring blade, providing that both the completely inward slid cards 2 and the partly outward slid cards 2 bear against the friction element 6 with substantially constant force. FIG. 11 shows a comparable embodiment according to the view of FIG. 10, this time with the friction element and the resilient element at one side integrated within a single resilient friction element 6. Opposite this resilient friction element 6 within the housing a typical friction element 6 can be present. At this location of the friction element 6 a resilient friction element could also be located, but this embodiment is not illustrated. Arrow T (not shown) is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.

[0071] The location of the internal friction element can vary and also its length. FIG. 10-11 only show non-limiting examples.

[0072] FIG. 12 shows the friction element 6 provided with a layered structure comprising a laminate of two pads 11, 12 of different materials. The pad 12 provides a surface of fibres for the engaged cards 2. The pad 11 is made from solid latex. The dimension of element 6 is exaggerated for illustrative purposes. Part of the housing 1 is also shown.

[0073] FIG. 13-14 show an alternative layered structure wherein a core 11 provided by a wire of latex is wrapped by a yarn of wool 12. The yarn 12 is spirally wound around the core 11. A layer can be made from a plurality of such wires 11 with wrapping 12, e.g. providing a nonwoven, e.g. felt like.

[0074] 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.