Portable Pocket
20190313718 ยท 2019-10-17
Inventors
Cpc classification
A45C2011/002
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A47C31/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A47G29/08
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A41D27/205
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A45C11/00
HUMAN NECESSITIES
A47G9/1045
HUMAN NECESSITIES
International classification
Abstract
A pocket attachable to a pillow case or in the vicinity of a place of rest is convenient for keeping small electronic devices close to a user's head and hands so that the device can be used or kept close by while resting with a pillow. The bottom of the pocket includes an aperture so that a charging or data cable may be attached to the device in the pocket. By inserting a finger in that aperture the device may be easily displaced from below and removed from the pocket.
The invention is useful for users who wish to durably affix a pocket to a pillow case or anywhere in the vicinity of a place of rest without resorting to sewing or home improvement skills and tools or machines which they may not possess nor desire to own.
Claims
1. A pocket comprising a front membrane having a perimeter and a rear membrane having a perimeter, with two portions of said front membrane perimeter joined to portions of said rear perimeter, with said front membrane further comprising at least one aperture.
2. The pocket of claim 1, wherein the said rear membrane is a rectangle having a width dimension, and said front membrane has a width dimension equal to that of the rear membrane.
3. The pocket of claim 1, wherein a length of one of said joined portions of said front membrane is equal to a length of the other of said two portions of said front membrane.
4. The pocket of claim 1, wherein said at least a portion of said rear membrane further comprises an adhesive.
5. The pocket of claim 1, wherein a portion of said front membrane perimeter is concave.
6. The pocket of claim 5, wherein at least one joined portion of said front membrane perimeter originates at an end of said concave portion of said perimeter.
7. The pocket of claim 1, wherein said front membrane is joined to said rear membrane by a slide fastener with interlocking members.
8. The pocket of claim 1, wherein said front membrane is joined to said rear membrane by a zip-lock.
9. The pocket of claim 1, wherein at least one membrane comprises a material selected from the set of materials consisting of: natural fiber, denim, silk, twill, drill cloth, polyester, vinyl, rayon, silk, taffeta, muslin, linen, wool, felt, leather, synthetic fiber, mylar, acetate, polyvinylchloride, acrylo-nitrile butadiene styrene, polyacetate, polypropylene, polyimide, polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane, rubber, such as buna-n rubber, nitrile rubber, ethyl propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer, flouroelastomer, thermoplastic rubber, conductive mesh, conductive micro mesh, conductive nanowires, conductive nanoparticles, gold, silver, copper, indium, palladium, aluminum, iron, cobalt, nickel, EMI shielding film, and radiation attenuating material.
10. The pocket of claim 4, wherein said adhesive comprises a material selected from the set of materials consisting of: rubber cement glue, animal glue, milk-based glue, collagen, a thermosetting adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, an isocyanate, a diisocyanate, toluene, hexane, a volatile solvent, a polyol, a low molecular weight polyol, vinyl, acetate, an ether, a ketone, methyl ethyl ketone, hexane, cyclohexane, a difluoroethane, 1,1 diflouroethane, acrylic adhesive, adhesive transfer tape, liquid set adhesive, and a reusable adhesive.
11. The pocket of claim 4, wherein said adhesive is covered by a peel-off sheet.
12. A pocket membrane comprising a loft section having a ceiling and two sidewalls and flanges extending from each of said two sidewalls, and adhesive deposited on at least a portion of at least two flanges.
13. The pocket of claim 12, wherein said loft section further comprises an end wall.
14. The pocket membrane of claim 13, wherein said end wall further comprises an aperture.
15. The pocket membrane of claim 13, wherein said end wall further comprises a flange extending from said end wall.
16. The pocket membrane of claim 15, wherein a portion of a perimeter of said aperture is concave.
17. The pocket membrane of claim 15, wherein a portion of said aperture extends into said ceiling of said loft section.
18. The pocket membrane of claim 15, wherein a portion of a perimeter of said aperture further is concave.
19. The pocket of claim 12, wherein at least one of said flanges extends outwardly from its sidewall.
20. The pocket of claim 12, wherein at least one of said flanges extends inwardly from its sidewall.
21. The pocket of claim 12, wherein adhesive deposited on least one of said flanges is covered by a peel-off strip.
22. The pocket of claim 12, comprising a material selected from the set of materials consisting of: natural fiber, denim, silk, twill, drill cloth, polyester, vinyl, rayon, silk, taffeta, muslin, linen, wool, felt, leather, synthetic fiber, mylar, acetate, polyvinylchloride, acrylo-nitrile butadiene styrene, polyacetate, polypropylene, polyimide, polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyurethane, rubber, such as buna-n rubber, nitrile rubber, ethyl propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer, flouroelastomer, thermoplastic rubber, conductive mesh, conductive micro mesh, conductive nanowires, conductive nanoparticles, gold, silver, copper, indium, palladium, aluminum, iron, cobalt, nickel, EMI shielding film, and radiation attenuating material.
23. The pocket of claim 12, wherein said adhesive comprises a material selected from the set of materials consisting of: rubber cement glue, animal glue, milk-based glue, collagen, a thermosetting adhesive, a thermoplastic adhesive, an isocyanate, a diisocyanate, toluene, hexane, a volatile solvent, a polyol, a low molecular weight polyol, vinyl, acetate, an ether, a ketone, methyl ethyl ketone, hexane, cyclohexane, a difluoroethane, 1,1 diflouroethane, acrylic adhesive, adhesive transfer tape, liquid set adhesive, and a reusable adhesive.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION of CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0038] While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[0039] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Several embodiments are described herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token, however, no single feature or features of any described embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features.
[0040] In this specification the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise, and use of the terms and and or is equivalent to and/or, also referred to as non-exclusive or unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term including, as well as other forms, such as includes and included, should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as element or component encompass both elements and components comprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise.
[0041] Also, in this specification, a membrane may be of any of the various fabrics and sheet materials described herein, and as defined herein, joining of one membrane to another may be accomplished by a number of means depending on the materials being joined, including joining similar or dissimilar materials together. Joining may be done by sewing or stitching, by interposing an adhesive or a solvent between the membranes being joined, or melting and comingling materials, especially if one or both is a thermoplastic material, and allowing them to cool into at least a locally conjoined mass. Joining may also be accomplished by ultrasonic welding of appropriate membrane materials, including ultrasonic welding of dissimilar materials such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and PVC (polyvinylchloride) including that the membranes have energy director features for ultrasonic welding. Joining in this specification also includes soldering, welding, or brazing of metallic materials or membranes made of composite materials which incorporate metal or metallic materials, coatings, sheets or meshes. Joining as defined in this specification also includes establishing an electrically conductive interconnection between conductive membranes or conductive components or materials incorporated into such membranes. Furthermore, joining may attach one membrane to another along a substantially linear, arcuate, or one-dimensional zone such as one membrane edge joined along another membrane edge, or joined at a seam, or joining may affix an area of a membrane to another area of itself or an area on another membrane.
[0042] Furthermore joining between one edge of a membrane to an edge or a surface of another membrane may be effected by a closure such as a zip-lock or slide fastener with interlocking members such as a zipper. A zip-lock in this specification includes any intermatable, re-closable interface in which one side offers at least one ridge for interdigitating with two or more complementary ridges on the other side of the interface. Zip-locks are commonly used in re-closable polyethylene bags for food storage and freezing and are also fashioned with conductive plastic materials used for storage, packaging, and protection of electronic parts from electrostatic discharge (ESD) and similar damage induced by electric fields or stray currents. Zip-locks are also commonly resistant to the passage of liquids through the interface.
[0043] An adhesive in this specification is any material which can be deposited on a surface or an object and allows it to cleave to or adhere to another object or surface. Adhesion may be temporary, semi-permanent, or permanent. Some adhesives allow an adhered object to be pulled off and re-adhered a number of times before effective adhesion wears off. Others cleave strongly only the first or second time they are used, and lose their adhesion strength and utility thereafter. Adhesion strength is defined in units of force divided by units of area, just like mechanical stress in materials.
[0044] Some adhesives provide little adhesion strength until acted upon by heat or mixed with a bonding agent. Thermosetting and thermoplastic adhesives are activated by heat. Some processes, such as thermoplastic adhesion, are reversible and repeatable so that a second application of heat releases the affixed object and a third heating can adhere the object somewhere else.
[0045] Mixtures of 4,4-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and a volatile solvent such as toluene, hexane, cyclohexane, or ketones or ethers are often supplied in repair kits for rubbery or flexible water resistant gear, such as foul weather garments, diving suits, and rubbery or flexible inflatable gear such as pneumatic tires, rafts, and balloons. Other adhesives for rubbery fabrics are created with diisocyanate compounds and low molecular weight polyols which function as crosslinking agents to establish and enhance bond strength. Still other adhesives suspend polymers such as vinyl or acetate or their prepolymers in volatile vehicles such as hexanes or ethers which evaporate and leave behind bonded interfaces. Some of these products can bond natural fiber fabrics together by diffusing polymer-bearing liquids into the fibers by surface tension capillary action, whereupon evaporation leaves these polymers bonded to them so that they mechanically connect adjacent fibers together. Rubber cement glue, milk-based glue, animal glue, and other collagens can also be used as an adhesive in accordance with the invention. Adhesives containing methyl ether, methyl ethyl ketone, dimethyl ether, or a diflouroethane such as 1,1 diflouroethane can also be used as an adhesive in accordance with the invention.
[0046] This specification is written using both metric (SI) units and US customary units. The abbreviation in refers to a US customary inch or fraction thereof, the abbreviation dB refers to a decibel as a relative order of magnitude, and GHz is an abbreviation for gigahertz as unit of frequency.
[0047] The invention is a portable and moveable pocket which in most embodiments can be made from woven or felted fabric, wool, cotton, linen, muslin, denim, twill cloth, drill cloth, silk, or leather; it can also be made from natural or synthetic fibers or any blend thereof, and can also be fashioned using any other flexible membrane material or blends of these and other materials including but not limited to polyvinylchloride (PVC,) acrylo-nitrile butadiene styrene (ABS,) polyacetate (nylon,) polypropylene, polyimide (Kapton,) polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polyurethane, and natural and synthetic rubbers such as buna-n, nitrile, ethyl propylene rubber (EPM,) ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM,) flouroelastomer (Viton, sometimes also called FKM) and thermoplastic rubber (TPR.)
[0048] Referring to
[0049] Referring to
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[0052] In both types of embodiments shown in
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[0055] The front membrane may further comprise at least one aperture located anywhere as convenient for direct physical or tactile access to buttons, switches, controls, terminals, sockets, or jacks on a device contained inside the pocket.
[0056] Best mode adhesives include acrylic adhesive, adhesive transfer tape, liquid set adhesive, and reusable adhesive. Adhesive transfer tape typically comprises a thin film of pressure-sensitive acrylic glue on a peel-off strip, and is usually employed as an alternative to hot melt glues, liquid adhesives, or physical fasteners. Other transfer adhesives are furnished with one or both sides covered by a peel-off sheet. An embodiment in accordance with the invention includes a peel-off sheet which is applied to cover the adhesive until it is desired to install the pocket membrane at a dedicated location. Other adhesives are iron-on adhesives which exhibit mild yet sufficient adhesion strength to be affixed at a number of preliminary or temporary locations, and once a more permanent location is decided, a heat source such as a clothes iron can be pressed onto the frontside of the pocket membrane. The heat from the source activates the iron-on adhesive, which then bonds much more permanently to the surface of the object in contact with this adhesive. Some iron-on adhesives are machine washable, so that a pocket of the invention permanently affixed to a fabric item such as a garment, pillow case, or bed sheet can pass through a laundry cycle and remain attached while both articles are cleaned together.
[0057] Reusable adhesives are those which can be affixed to surfaces and removed a number of times. One common product isa sticky polyurethane which adheres very well to all hard, non-porous surfaces. When furnished as a tape it can be easily peeled off without leaving any residue and reapplied. If the adhesive picks up any dust or dirt it can be washed with water to refresh its adhesive strength. One limitation occurs when during a removal the adhesive sticks to the wall or applied surface of the pocket invention rather than remaining affixed to a pocket of the invention. In that event the adhesive can be pulled off and re-applied to the pocket.
[0058] Various other embodiments in accordance with the invention also include iron-on adhesive or other adhesives by which to affix a pocket to a garment may also be furnished in colored or patterned materials or fabrics so that a user can select a style, design, or other factors of ornamentality that best accord with the underlying garment.
[0059] A pocket embodiment or a pocket membrane embodiment in accordance with the invention may be fashioned so that a device fits entirely within a cavity of the invention or mostly fits within said cavity with a top portion of the device peeping out of the pocket. This type of embodiment is convenient and preferred for a device having controls along its top or top front, and also allow the device to be grasped directly when it is wanted to remove the device from the pocket cavity. However, unless the device is retained in the pocket cavity by some degree of interference fit plus some stretchy compliance of the membrane material, this embodiment is less preferred if attached to upper body garments, or portable objects where a substantial risk of inverting the pocket cavity exists and where a device could slip out of such an inverted pocket cavity, fall free, and be damaged or lost.
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[0066] Since some adhesives can repeatedly adhere a only few times before losing their effectiveness, and other may pick up dust or foreign matter over time which is another mode by which they lose adhesion strength, when these adhesives are incorporated into the invention, their adhesiveness may be preserved until use by protecting the adhesive-coated flanges of such an embodiment with a peel-off sheet or peel-off strip.
[0067] One of the most useful applications of the invention is for various embodiments sized to receive a cell-phone, a smartphone, or an iPod. Materials for these embodiments can be selected from thin and flexible transparent sheet materials such as polyethylene, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and polyvinyl chloride. These and other thin, flexible clear sheets allow the user to view items displayed on the screen of the device, and also transmit tactile inputs to operate touch screens and physical buttons or switches, so that a user may operate the device while it is retained in a pocket or a pocket membrane in accordance with the invention. Thin flexible sheet materials also allow swiping inputs and fingerprint detection and recognition while a device is retained in a pocket or a pocket membrane of the invention. The inventor has discovered that materials which are as opaque as 72% translucent can still be used to view displayed items on a smartphone screen while the smartphone is retained within a pocket or pocket membrane of the invention.
[0068] Many materials are available which conduct electricity well enough to dissipate local concentrations of static electricity or, when formed into a pocket which substantially envelops a hand-held electronic device or at least its electromagnetic radiating components so as to form a Faraday cage around the device for electromagnetic isolation and trapping unwanted or non-consensual emissions from the device. Materials for the invention are available which incorporate conductive mesh or conductive micro mesh, or thin transparent EMI shielding film comprising a polymer basecoat and crosslinked polymer transparent dielectric layer.
[0069] Some shielding materials incorporate a plurality of metal nanowires and conductive nanoparticles. Nanoparticles have a size of less than 1000 nanometers and nanowires have a diameter of less than 1000 nanometers. Nanowires and nanoparticles can comprise gold, silver, copper, indium, palladium, aluminum, iron, cobalt, nickel, an alloy thereof, an oxide thereof, or a mixture thereof. Some transparent EMI shielding materials are available in thicknesses of 0.003 in to 0.008 in and are furnished with their own adhesive on one side. These may be affixed to other materials to form a front membrane or a rear membrane in accordance with to invention, or both. In these embodiments one or both membranes of the invention are in fact layered composite materials. A portable pocket in accordance with the invention, when made from radiation attenuating material having such conductive particles or wires will create a Faraday cage around the electronic device contained within it and exhibit the same attenuation properties of the sheet materials which comprise the front and rear membranes of the invention. Radiation attenuating sheets and films are available which are about 72% transparent and can attenuate electromagnetic radiation over 50 dB (99.99%) over a spectrum of 1 GHz to 10 GHz.
[0070] Two benefits of trapping electromagnetic emissions from a device are first, reclaiming personal privacy by interdicting unwanted auto-generated transmissions of information about a user's whereabouts or device usage, input history or browsing history, or other personal use or private information stored on the device, and second, that other equipment in range of the device may be sensitive to its spurious emissions, and by placing an electrically noisy device in a Faraday cage, its electromagnetic interference (EMI) can be suppressed.
[0071] While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible. Further, while various methods and processes described herein may be described with respect to particular structural and/or functional components for ease of description, methods provided by various embodiments are not limited to any particular structural and/or functional architecture.
[0072] Hence, while various embodiments are described with or without certain features for ease of description and to illustrate exemplary aspects of those embodiments, the various components and/or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment can be substituted, added, and/or subtracted from among other described embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise. Consequently, although several exemplary embodiments are described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.