Wallet

Abstract

A wallet (10) comprises at least a wall (12) substantially rectangular and suitable to be bent at least along a main bending axis (P1), to define at least two main flaps (13a, 13b) positioned on opposite sides with respect thereto. At least a main containing element (26a, 26b) is attached on at least one surface (15a, 15b) of each of said main flaps (13a, 13b), so that each containing element (26a, 26b) defines at least a first pocket (27) having sizes such as to contain at least a standard-sized rectangular card (28). When the wallet is closed and the main flaps (13a, 13b) are bent one over the other along the main bending axis (P1), a main containing element (26a, 26b) attached on a determinate main flap (13a, 13b) is adjacent to, coplanar and therefore not overlapping, another main containing element (26b, 26a) attached on another main flap (13b, 13a).

Claims

1. A pocket type wallet comprising: a first rectangular wall and a second rectangular wall which have a same height between 110 mm and 130 mm, and a same thickness between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm; wherein said second rectangular wall has a width which is half that of said first rectangular wall; wherein said first rectangular wall and said second rectangular wall are jointed together and define four rectangular flaps rectangular in shape and all having substantially the same length between 87 mm and 110 mm; wherein said second rectangular wall comprises: a first rectangular main flap of said four rectangular flaps, comprising a first rectangular front surface; a second rectangular main flap of said four rectangular flaps, having substantially the same dimensions of said first rectangular main flap, comprising a second rectangular front surface, and being connected to said first rectangular main flap along a main bending axis; wherein said first rectangular wall comprises: a first rectangular secondary flap of said four rectangular flaps, having substantially the same dimensions of said first rectangular main flap, comprising a third rectangular front surface, and being connected to said first rectangular main flap along a first secondary bending axis parallel to said main bending axis; and a second rectangular secondary flap of said four rectangular flaps, having substantially the same dimensions of said second rectangular main flap, comprising a fourth rectangular front surface, and being connected to said second rectangular main flap along a second secondary bending axis parallel to said main bending axis; wherein said pocket type wallet is configured to assume a maximum opening condition, in which said four rectangular flaps are substantially coplanar therebetween, and a closed condition in which said four rectangular flaps are substantially parallel therebetween, with said third rectangular front surface facing said first rectangular front surface, and with said fourth rectangular front surface facing said second rectangular front surface; wherein a first rectangular containing element is attached on said first rectangular front surface, a second rectangular containing element is attached on said second rectangular front surface, a third rectangular containing element is attached on said third rectangular front surface, and a fourth rectangular containing element is attached on said fourth rectangular front surface; wherein each of said four rectangular containing elements has a surface that is equal to or half of each of said rectangular front surface and defines a corresponding first rectangular pocket shaped and sized to contain at least one associated card having a rectangular shape; and wherein said four rectangular containing elements are attached on said rectangular front surfaces in such a manner that said first rectangular containing element is offset with respect to said third rectangular containing element, and said second rectangular containing element is offset with respect to said fourth rectangular containing element, so that when said pocket type wallet is in said closed condition, with said first rectangular secondary flap bent back on said first rectangular main flap along said first secondary bending axis, with said second rectangular secondary flap bent back on said second rectangular main flap along said second secondary bending axis, and with said first rectangular main flap and said second rectangular main flap bent back one on the other along said main bending axis, said first rectangular containing element is coplanar to said third rectangular containing element and therefore not overlapping each other, and said second rectangular containing element is coplanar to said fourth rectangular containing element and therefore not overlapping each other.

2. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein each of said four rectangular containing elements defines two of said first rectangular pockets, adjacent to each other, to contain two associated cards adjacent each other along their long side.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some preferential forms of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a front three-dimensional view of a wallet according to the present invention, in an intermediate open condition;

(3) FIG. 2 is a back three-dimensional view of the wallet in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a front view of the wallet in FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wallet in FIG. 1, in a closed and full condition;

(6) FIG. 5 is a detail of FIG. 4, on an enlarged scale;

(7) FIG. 6 is a three-dimensional view of a first variant of the wallet in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional view of a second variant of the wallet in FIG. 1;

(9) FIGS. 8 to 12 show some other variants of wallets according to the present invention.

(10) In the following description, the same reference numbers indicate identical parts of the wallet according to the present invention, also in different forms of embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME FORMS OF EMBODIMENT

(11) With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 according to a first form of embodiment, a wallet 10 according to the present invention comprises a first wall 11 and a second wall 12, both made of thin material, in this case leather with a thickness of 0.8 mm. The first wall 11 and the second wall 12 have a substantially rectangular longitudinal development, the same height H comprised between 110 mm and 130 mm and advantageously about 125 mm, and are reciprocally attached to each other.

(12) The second wall 12 has a width which is about half that of the first wall 11 and is sewn at the front on the latter by means of a main stitch 16 which develops along three sides of the perimeter of the second wall 12, leaving one of its bigger sides free. In this way, the back surface 18 of the second wall 12 and the front surface 19 of the first wall 11 define a main pocket 20, suitable to contain for example bank notes of any size.

(13) In this case, the first and second walls 11 and 12, joined together, are suitable to be bent longitudinally on themselves, to define four flaps 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d, rectangular in shape and all having substantially the same length L, comprised between 87 mm and 110 mm and advantageously about 95 mm.

(14) The second wall 12, which in this case functions as a main wall, covers the longitudinal development of two flaps, in this case flap 13a and flap 13b, also called main flaps, positioned in a central position with respect to the first wall 11, that functions as a secondary wall.

(15) The first wall 11 defines three bending axes P1, P2 and P3, parallel to each other and to the direction of normal insertion of the wallet into a user's pocket. Each bending axis P1, P2, P3 is interposed between pairs of adjacent flaps 13a-13d. The axis P1 is also called the main bending axis, while axes P2 and P3 are also called secondary bending axes.

(16) The reciprocal angular positions of adjacent flaps 13a-13d define the intermediate open conditions that the wallet 10 can normally assume during use, and are comprised between a condition of maximum opening, in which the first wall 11 is completely spread out (FIG. 3), together with the second wall 12, and a closed condition or position (FIGS. 4 and 5) in which both the first and second walls 11 and 12 are completely bent back and the bending axes P2, P3 are overlapping, so that the longitudinal bulk of the wallet 10 is equal to the width L of each flap 13a-13d.

(17) To keep the wallet 10 compact, and reduce its bulk even in the closed condition, it is advantageous to use materials with a thickness comprised between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.

(18) The material and thicknesses indicated in the present description are given simply as examples, and there is nothing to prevent other materials from being used, such as natural or synthetic fabrics, or flexible plastic materials, also with thicknesses other than those indicated here.

(19) Hereafter in the description, in order to understand the drawings better, the terms “front” and “back” will refer to the components of the wallet 10 based on their location with respect to the main pocket 20 during normal use of the wallet 10. In the same way, the external surfaces of the first and second walls 11 and 12 will be divided into front and back.

(20) The flaps 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d identify respective front surfaces 15a, 15b, 15c and 15d (FIG. 1), which when the wallet 10 is in its maximum open condition (FIG. 3) are coplanar with respect to each other, whereas, in the closed condition (FIGS. 4 and 5), pairs of adjacent front surfaces 15a-15d face each other.

(21) On each of the front surfaces 15a-15d (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the flaps 13a-13d a front block 26a, 26b, 26c and 26d, rectangular in shape, is applied by means of respective secondary stitches 25a, 25b, 25c and 25d, and for example made of the same material as the first wall 11 and the second wall 12. On each of the back surfaces 24c and 24d of the flaps 13c and 13d a back block 26e, 26f is applied by means of respective secondary stitches 25e, 25f, with the same shape and sizes as said front blocks 26a-26d. The back blocks 26e-26f can also be made of a different material from that of the two first and second walls 11, 12, but must be less thick than them, or have the same thickness.

(22) Once positioned, the front 26a-26d and back blocks 26e, 26f, substantially occupy the whole height H and a little less than half the length L of the corresponding flap 13a-13d on which they are stitched, and function as containing elements.

(23) In this case, five secondary stitches 25a-25e affect three sides of the perimeter of the corresponding front block 26a-26d or back block 26e, leaving one of its long sides free, and pass through the respective block 26a-26e transversely in correspondence with its center line, while the secondary stitch 25f affects only three sides of the perimeter of the back block 26f, leaving one of its long sides free but does not pass through it transversely. In this way, each of the five blocks 26a-26e defines, with the corresponding front surface 15a-15d or back surface 24c of the flaps 13a-13d, a pair of secondary pockets 27, each of which is suitable to contain a card 28 of a standard shape and sizes, while the back block 26f defines, with the back surface 24d of the flap 13d, a medium pocket 29, suitable to contain, for example, personal documents or one or more sheets 30, also bigger than the cards 28.

(24) The cards 28 are rectangular in shape, defined by short sides 33 having a length of 54 mm and long sides 34 with a length of 86 mm. The cards 28 can be the plastic and/or magnetic type, used for example for bank credit or debit cards, for current identity cards and driving licenses, or for collecting points in many commercial businesses, while the sheets 30 can be for example invoices, receipts, tickets of various types, or paper identity cards or driving licenses.

(25) Each card 28 is inserted into a smaller pocket 27 on the side of its short side 33 and in a direction orthogonal to the bending axes P1, P2, P3, so that the cards 28 housed in one flap 13a-13d of the wallet 10 have adjacent long sides 34.

(26) The four front blocks 26a-26d are positioned on the same side of the respective front surfaces 15a-15d of the four flaps 13a-13d, as the back blocks 26e, 26f are positioned on the same side of the respective back surfaces 24c and 24d. The front blocks 26c, 26d and back blocks 26e, 26f of the same flap 13c, 13d are offset with respect to each other, so that the thicknesses of each pair of blocks 26c, 26e and 26d, 26f do not overlap.

(27) The disposition of the blocks 26a-26f on the flaps 13a-13d and of the cards 28 in the smaller pockets 27 is such that, in the closed position (FIGS. 4 and 5), each front block 26a, 26b of the flaps 13a, 13b of the second wall 12 is positioned overlapping the zone of the front surface 15c, 15d of the respective adjacent flap 13c, 13d not affected by the presence of the corresponding block 26c, 26d and vice versa. If there are cards 28 in the smaller pockets 27, the front blocks 26a-26d are disposed substantially resting on the part of the card 28 that protrudes from the respective pocket 27 of the flap 13a-13d adjacent to that of the front block 26a-26d considered.

(28) When the wallet 10 is closed, the back block 26e overlaps the zone of the back surface 24d of the flap 13d not affected by the presence of the back block 26f and the latter overlaps the zone of the back surface 24c of the flap 13c not affected by the presence of the back block 26e. In fact, similarly to the front blocks 26a-26d, the back blocks 26e, 26f also rest on the part of the card 28 or on the part of the sheet 30 that protrudes from the corresponding smaller 27 or medium pocket 29.

(29) In this way, when the wallet 10 is closed, it is extremely compact, since the cards 28 or the sheets 30 of the same flap 13a-13d do not overlap, and the bulk of the wallet 10 is given substantially by the sum of the thicknesses of the material that makes up the first wall 11, the second wall 12 and the blocks 26a-26f. In this case, the thickness of the wallet 10 when closed is about 7.5 mm.

(30) This orderly overlapping confers on the wallet 10 an overall bulk with a substantially parallelepiped shape, even when closed and even when all its pockets 20, 27, 29 are full, thus preventing bulging.

(31) According to a second form of embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 6, a wallet 110 comprises a first wall 111 which defines three flaps 13a, 13b, 13d and two bending axes, corresponding to axes P1 and P3 in the variant described above.

(32) In this second form of embodiment, when the wallet 110 is closed, the front block 26d is suitable to rest on the zone of the front surface 15b not affected by the front block 26b, while the latter is suitable to rest on the zone of the front surface 15d not affected by the front block 26d.

(33) In the same way, the front block 26a is suitable to rest on the zone of the back surface 24d not affected by the back block 26f, while the latter is suitable to rest on the zone of the front surface 15a not affected by the front block 26a.

(34) In this second form of embodiment, the wallet 110 can contain up to 8 cards 28, instead of the 12 cards 28 which the wallet 10 of the variant shown in FIGS. 1-5 can contain at most.

(35) According to another form of embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 7, a wallet 210 comprises a first wall 211, having the same size as the second wall 12, which defines only two flaps 13a, 13b and a single bending axis, corresponding to the axis P1 of the forms of embodiment described above. When the wallet 210 is closed, the front block 26a is suitable to rest on the zone of the front surface 15b not affected by the front block 26b, while the latter is suitable to rest on the zone of the front surface 15a not affected by the front block 26a.

(36) In this other form of embodiment, the wallet 210 can contain up to 4 cards 28.

(37) FIGS. 8 to 12 show other forms of embodiment of wallets 310, 410, 510 and 610 according to the present invention, in which the containing element 326, 426, 526 and 626 that define the pockets 27 are disposed in different positions, but all coming within the inventive idea of the present invention that they do not overlap, or overlap as little as possible, at least in pairs, as will easily be understood by the person of skill.

(38) It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the wallets 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510, 610 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

(39) For example, an internal pocket can be made inside the biggest pocket 20, to divide the biggest pocket 20 into two compartments.

(40) Furthermore, closing means may be provided, such as for example automatic buttons, or one or more strips such as Velcro® or a zipper, which keep the wallets 10, 110, 210 firmly in a closed condition, to prevent them from accidentally losing their content.

(41) It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of wallet, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.