Credit card holder

• US 20030037851A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bertil Hogganvik
• Original Assignee: Bertil Hogganvik
• Inventors: Hogganvik, Bertil
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 150/147
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/182 Credit card holders

Abstract

Card holder, especially for plastic cards with readable data unit, such as credit cards and/or smart cards, with externally hinged covers (1, 2) made of a rather rigid material constituting the walls of the card holder as each of the covers (1, 2) at or near the ends which are not hinged together, has at least one mutually conjunctive locking mechanism (4) to hold the card holder locked when it is not being used. The card holder has, two paired, mainly identical, holding devices (5, 6) at opposite sides, said holding devices (5, 6), preferably, being hinged together with the covers (1, 2), and having a number of paired, opposing holding surfaces (11, 12) to enclose an area along the side edges of cards of the above mentioned type. The holding surfaces (11, 12) are mainly parallel to each other both when the card holder is open and closed. The card holder preferably comprises a spring mechanism (8, 10), which exerts pressure outwards on the hinged covers (1, 2) when closed, and which assists in the opening of the card holder when the locking mechanism (4), which keeps the card holder closed, is released.

Claims

1. Card holder, especially for plastic cards with magnetically stored information, such as credit cards and/or smart cards, comprising external covers (1, 2) made from a rather rigid material constituting the walls of the card holder,

characterized in that the card holder internally comprises two paired, holding devices (5, 6), on opposite sides of the card holder, said holding devices (5, 6) preferably being hinged together with the covers (1, 2), and having a number of paired, opposing holding surfaces (11, 12) to enclose an area along the side edges of cards of the above mentioned type, said holding surfaces (11, 12) being mainly parallel with each other both when the card holder is open and closed.

2. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that each of the covers (1, 2) at or near the ends that are not hinged together, has at least one mutually conjunctive locking mechanism (4) to keep the card holder locked tightly when it is not being used.

3. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the holding devices (5, 6) are substantially identical.

4. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the holding devices (5, 6) have such dimensions that when the card holder is closed, the cards will lie mainly parallel in the card holder, with a distance between one card and the next in the area of 0.5-1 mm.

5. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the locking mechanism (4) for the covers consists of symmetrically arranged snap locks at each of the non-hinged comers of the card holder covers.

6. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that it comprises at least one spring-loaded mechanism (8, 10), which exerts pressure outwards on the hinged covers (1, 2) when closed, and which provides assistance in opening the card holder when the locking mechanism (4), which keeps the card holder locked, is released.

7. Card holder as claimed in claim 6,

characterized in that the spring-loaded mechanism is mainly powered by at least one spring (10), mounted concentrically with the hinges of the covers.

8. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that each of the holding devices (5, 6) is made as one single integrated and preferably, mould casted elastic unit having holding surfaces (11, 12) for the cards in the shape of a certain number of U-pieces;

that at the bottom of every U-piece there are ring shaped hinges (7a, 7b etc) to be hinged together with the covers, and that between the top of each neighboring U-piece there is a connecting piece (8), for example in the shape of a V, as the connecting piece (8) is shaped and dimensioned such that it becomes compressed when the card holder is closed, and that the elasticity of the material exerts a certain countervailing force against the locking motion, and conversely a force that assists in the opening of the card holder when being opened.

9. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the holding surfaces (11, 12) are closed along their outermost long edges by means of a side element (15).

10. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the holding surfaces (11, 12) typically have a width of 5-6 mm and a length of 20-35 mm.

11. Card holder as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the outermost connecting pieces (8) of each holding device (5, 6) each bridges to a fixing device (9), designed to be fixed to the corresponding cover (1, 2).