Electromagnetic shielding card case for contactless and chip and pin cards

• US 9,907,375 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael William Kitchen
• Original Assignee: Michael William Kitchen
• Inventors: Kitchen, Michael William
• Primary Examiner(s): Mathew, Fenn C
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLADO, CYNTHIA FRANCISCA
• Application Number:
  US15/455,271
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 150137, 150131, 150132, 150133, 150138, 150147, 206216, 206232, 206234, 206307, 174350, 174377
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 1/06 Wallets devices for the prevention of theft or loss of wallets A45C13/185; for holding keys A45C11/32; Notecases
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/182 Credit card holders
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2001/062 Clips for holding banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2001/065 combined with card holders
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2001/067 Rigid casings
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/186 with protection from unauthorised reading by remotely readable data carriers

Abstract

An improved electromagnetic shielding card case comprising a front panel hingedly connected to a U-shaped member and a base member which sandwich an electromagnetic shielding member between them. A card slot is defined on its top by U-shaped member, its bottom by the shielding member, and its left, right and rear sides by a continuous inner wall extending downwards from the U-shaped member, whereby cards are able to be slidably inserted and removed at the front end of the case and shields cards inside the slot from RFID scanning. A resilient means frictionally engages the edges of cards in the slot so a user can shuffle through cards without any falling out, and allows the topmost card to be pushed forward and easily inserted into a chip and pin card reader. A soft rubber strap affixed to the back of the base member allows paper currency to be held securely.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic shielding card case for contactless and chip and pin cards, the electromagnetic shielding card case comprising:

(a) a base member comprising a generally rectangular planar shape having first, second, third and fourth sides and further comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface;

(b) an electromagnetic shielding member comprising a generally rectangular planar shape having an area that substantially covers a contactless smartcard, said electromagnetic shielding member having means for attachment to said interior surface of said base member and further comprises a top surface;

(c) a U-shaped member which comprises a generally rectangular shape and continuously extends along said second, third, and fourth sides of said base member and has means for attachment to portions of said interior surface of said base member wherein said shielding member is sandwiched between said base member and said U-shaped member, and wherein said U-shaped member further comprises a large generally rectangular opening at its center around which extends a continuous roof member which runs parallel to and is positioned slightly above said shielding member, said U-shaped member further comprises a bottom surface as well as a continuous inner wall and a continuous outer wall which are both extending downwards from said bottom surface of said U-shaped member and which both substantially extend along said second, third and fourth sides of said base member, said continuous inner wall and said continuous outer wall each further comprise a bottom end, said bottom ends of said continuous inner wall and said continuous outer wall rest against said top surface of said shielding member wherein a card slot is defined on its left, right and rear sides by said continuous inner wall, its bottom by said shielding member, and its top by said continuous roof member, and whereby an opening exists at said first side of said base member through which a plurality of cards can be slidably inserted and removed parallel to and against said shielding member, and wherein said roof member cantilevers slightly into said rectangular opening of said U-shaped member along said second, third and fourth sides and partially covers a portion of a topmost card in a stack of said plurality of cards;

(d) a front panel comprising a generally rectangular planar shape having first, second, third and fourth sides which is made from a metal alloy with sufficient electromagnetic shielding properties to block a contactless smartcard from being scanned by a radio frequency identification reader and wherein said front panel further comprises an interior surface and a continuous front wall upstanding from said interior surface of said front panel which extends along said first side and a portion of said second and fourth sides of said front panel;

(e) hinge means for rotatably linking said front panel to said base member along their respective said third sides, whereby said front panel is able to pivot open and away from said base member and said card case can be in a closed position or an open position;

(f) a releasable locking means for selectively maintaining said front panel closed against said U-shaped member to keep said card case in said closed position and prevent said front panel from accidentally pivoting open;

(g) a resilient means disposed inside said card slot for frictionally engaging cards as they are inserted or removed from said card slot to prevent them from accidentally sliding out when said card case is in said open position;

(h) a paper currency holding means affixed to said exterior surface of said base member for holding paper currency, business cards, receipts, tickets and the like;

wherein when said card case is in said closed position, said continuous front wall on said front panel sits on top of a front edge of said first side of said base member and said interior surface of said front panel rests against said U-shaped member to form a substantially rigid enclosure around said plurality of cards to prevent them from getting crushed or damaged while in said card case, and wherein said continuous front wall acts a barrier to physically prevent said plurality of cards from sliding out at said first side of said base member;

and further wherein said electromagnetic shielding member and said front panel sandwich said plurality of cards contained within said card slot to shield them from being scanned or read by a radio frequency identification scanner or reader, and further wherein said releasable locking means consistently keeps said electromagnetic shielding card case in said closed position so as to prevent a gap or vulnerability from forming in the electromagnetic shielding effect;

and whereby when said card case is in said open position, said continuous front wall on said front panel no longer restricts said plurality of cards in said card slot from sliding out and a user is able to easily see and slidably remove cards from said first side of said base member by engaging them with their thumb through said rectangular opening of said U-shaped member and pushing them out, and further whereby said resilient means allows a user to easily shuffle cards forwards without any accidentally falling out and allows said topmost card in said stack of cards to be ejected slightly from the front of said card case and held with one'"'"'s thumb as it is inserted vertically into a chip and pin card reader.

2. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said hinge means further comprises:

(a) a pair of hinge members affixed to a portion of said third side of said front panel, said hinge members each having a hole defined therethrough;

(b) a hinge pin;

(c) a hinge pin cradle portion disposed within a back edge of said U-shaped member which is shaped to receive said hinge pin;

(d) a pair of hinge pin retaining walls upstanding from a bottom surface of the back of said U-shaped member which covers both ends of said hinge pin;

whereby said hinge pin is inserted through said holes of said hinge members and the remaining exposed surfaces of said hinge pin are sandwiched between said base member and said hinge pin cradle portion on said U-shaped member and prevented from sliding back and forth by virtue of said hinge pin retaining walls.

3. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said releasable locking means further comprises:

(a) a first track disposed along said fourth side of said base member defined on its sides by said continuous outer wall and said continuous inner wall, on its top by said bottom surface of said U-shaped member, and its bottom by said shielding member, said first track further comprises a barrier wall at its back end;

(b) a first gap in said continuous outer wall along a portion of said fourth side of said base member which exposes a portion of said first track;

(c) a latch member comprising a long narrow generally rectangular cross sectional shape with a tongue comprising an angled head at a front end, said latch member further comprises a back end and a ribbed button which protrudes through said first gap;

(d) a hole through a portion of said U-shaped member which aligns vertically over top of and exposes said tongue on said latch member;

(e) a hook member upstanding from said interior surface of said front panel which further comprises an angled head and is aligned with said tongue on said latch member;

(f) a compression spring disposed between said back end of said latch member and said barrier wall which constantly urges against said latch member to keep said tongue positioned over top of an inner portion of said hook member thereby keeping said card case in its said closed position;

wherein said latch member is located inside said first track and has slidable movement parallel to said fourth side of said base member, and whereby when a user engages said ribbed button on said latch member with their finger and slides it backwards against said compression spring, said tongue is disengaged from said inner portion of said hook member and said front panel can be pivoted open to access cards inside said card slot, and whereby when said front panel is pivoted closed, said angled head of said hook member engages said angled head of said tongue and causes said latch member to slide backwards against said compression spring until said hook member moves past said angled head of said tongue after which said compression spring automatically causes said tongue to move into said inner portion of said hook member to lock said card case shut.

4. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said resilient means further comprises:

(a) a pair of tube bosses disposed at a front end of said U-shaped member which are upstanding from a portion of its said bottom surface, said tube bosses are located next to said continuous inner wall near said second and fourth sides of said base member;

(b) a pair of rubber tubes inserted around said tube bosses;

wherein said rubber tubes frictionally engage the edges of said stack of cards as they are inserted into said card slot and grips them so as to prevent them from falling out while said card case is in said open position.

5. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said paper currency holding means further comprises:

(a) a strap trench that is recessed into and extends through the middle of said interior surface of said base member along its longitudinal axis;

(b) a continuous circular strap member made from rubber or elastic or the like;

wherein said strap member loops around said base member so that one half of said strap member extends through said strap trench and the other half extends along said exterior surface of said base member so that paper currency, business cards, receipts, tickets or the like may be secured and carried between said strap member and said exterior surface of said base member, and further wherein said strap member does not have any rigid or sharp features that may be uncomfortable while holding said card case in one'"'"'s pocket.

6. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said card case further comprises an ejection means for ejecting a bottommost card out from said card slot, the ejection means further comprising:

(a) a second track disposed along said second side of said base member defined on its sides by said continuous outer wall and said continuous inner wall, on its top by said bottom surface of said U-shaped member, and its bottom by said shielding member;

(b) a second gap in said continuous outer wall along a portion of said second side of said base member which exposes a portion of said second track;

(c) an ejecting member comprising a long narrow generally rectangular cross sectional shape having a back end and a front end, as well as a projecting arm extending from said back end which protrudes under a low wall portion of said continuous inner wall on said U-shaped member and into a back portion of said card slot flush against said shielding member and is the approximate thickness of one wallet sized card, said ejecting member further comprises a ribbed button which protrudes through said second gap;

wherein said ejecting member is located inside said second track and has slidable movement parallel to said second side of said base member whereby when said card case is in said open position a user may engage said ribbed button on said ejecting member and push it forwards to make said projecting arm urge against a back edge of said bottommost card in said stack of said plurality of cards and push it outwards slightly at said first side of said base member, allowing a user quick access to an individual card.

7. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said means for attachment of said U-shaped member further comprises:

(a) a pair of counter-bored holes in said base member along its said third side;

(b) a pair of hooks upstanding from said interior surface of said base member;

(c) a pair of ledge portions disposed at an end portion of said U-shaped member which align vertically with said pair of hooks on said base member;

(d) a pair of screw bosses in an underside of said U-shaped member that align vertically with said pair of counter-bored holes in said base member;

(e) a pair of thread forming screws;

wherein said pair of hooks on said base member slide on top of said ledge portions on said U-shaped member to interlock with each other, and said pair of thread forming screws are inserted through said pair of counter-bored holes and into said screw bosses in order to securely attach said U-shaped member to said base member and keep said shielding member sandwiched between them.

8. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic shielding member and said front panel are comprised of an aluminum alloy with sufficient electromagnetic shielding properties so as to prevent a contactless smartcard inside said card slot from being powered up and read by an RFID reader.

9. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 1, wherein said base member and said U-shaped member are both made from a substantially rigid plastic material such as polycarbonate or ABS to provide rigidity and strength under compressive forces.

10. An electromagnetic shielding card case for contactless and chip and pin cards, the electromagnetic shielding card case comprising:

(a) a base member comprising a generally rectangular planar shape having first, second, third and fourth sides and further comprising an interior surface, an exterior surface, and a strap trench that is recessed into and extends through the middle of said interior surface of said base member along its longitudinal axis;

(b) an electromagnetic shielding member comprising a generally rectangular planar shape having an area that substantially covers a contactless smartcard, said electromagnetic shielding member having means for attachment to said interior surface of said base member and further comprises a top surface;

(c) a U-shaped member which comprises a generally rectangular shape and continuously extends along said second, third, and fourth sides of said base member and has means for attachment to portions of said interior surface of said base member wherein said shielding member is sandwiched between said base member and said U-shaped member, and wherein said U-shaped member further comprises a large generally rectangular opening at its center around which extends a continuous roof member which runs parallel to and is positioned slightly above said shielding member, said U-shaped member further comprises a bottom surface as well as a continuous inner wall and a continuous outer wall which are both extending downwards from said bottom surface of said U-shaped member and which both substantially extend along said second, third and fourth sides of said base member, said continuous inner wall and said continuous outer wall each further comprise a bottom end, said bottom ends of said continuous inner wall and said continuous outer wall rest against said top surface of said shielding member wherein a card slot is defined on its left, right and rear sides by said continuous inner wall, its bottom by said shielding member, and its top by said continuous roof member, and whereby an opening exists at said first side of said base member through which a plurality of cards can be slidably inserted and removed parallel to and against said shielding member, and wherein said roof member cantilevers slightly into said rectangular opening of said U-shaped member along said second, third and fourth sides and partially covers a portion of a topmost card in a stack of said plurality of cards;

(d) a front panel comprising a generally rectangular planar shape having first, second, third and fourth sides which is made from a metal alloy with sufficient electromagnetic shielding properties to block a contactless smartcard from being scanned by a radio frequency identification reader and wherein said front panel further comprises an interior surface and a continuous front wall upstanding from said interior surface of said front panel which extends along said first side and a portion of said second and fourth sides of said front panel;

(e) hinge means for rotatably linking said front panel to said base member along their respective said third sides, whereby said front panel is able to pivot open and away from said base member and said card case can be in a closed position or an open position;

(f) a releasable locking means for selectively maintaining said front panel closed against the top of said U-shaped member to keep said card case in said closed position and prevent said front panel from accidentally pivoting open;

(g) a resilient means disposed inside said card slot for frictionally engaging cards as they are inserted or removed from said card slot to prevent them from accidentally sliding out when said card case is in said open position;

(h) a continuous circular strap member made from rubber, elastic or the like, said strap member loops around said base member so that one half of said strap member extends through said strap trench and is covered by said shielding member and the other half extends along said exterior surface of said base member so that paper currency, business cards, extra cards, receipts, tickets or the like may be secured and carried between said strap member and said exterior surface of said base member;

wherein when said card case is in said closed position, said continuous front wall on said front panel sits on top of a front edge of said first side of said base member and said interior surface of said front panel rests against said U-shaped member to form a substantially rigid enclosure around said plurality of cards to prevent them from getting crushed or damaged while in said card case, and wherein said continuous front wall acts a barrier to physically prevent said plurality of cards from sliding out at said first side of said base member;

and further wherein said electromagnetic shielding member and said front panel sandwich said plurality of cards contained within said card slot to shield them from being scanned or read by a radio frequency identification scanner or reader, and further wherein said releasable locking means consistently keeps said electromagnetic shielding card case in said closed position so as to prevent a gap or vulnerability from forming in the electromagnetic shielding effect;

and whereby when said card case is in said open position, said continuous front wall on said front panel no longer restricts said plurality of cards in said card slot from sliding out and a user is able to easily see and slidably remove cards from said first side of said base member by engaging them with their thumb through said rectangular opening of said U-shaped member and pushing them out, and further whereby said resilient means allows a user to easily shuffle cards forwards without any accidentally falling out and allows said topmost card in said stack of cards to be ejected slightly from the front of said card case and held with one'"'"'s thumb as it is inserted vertically into a chip and pin card reader.

11. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said hinge means further comprises:

(a) a pair of hinge members affixed to a portion of said third side of said front panel, said hinge members each having a hole defined therethrough;

(b) a hinge pin;

(c) a hinge pin cradle portion disposed within a back edge of said U-shaped member which is shaped to receive said hinge pin;

(d) a pair of hinge pin retaining walls upstanding from a bottom surface of the back of said U-shaped member which covers both ends of said hinge pin;

whereby said hinge pin is inserted through said holes of said hinge members and the remaining exposed surfaces of said hinge pin are sandwiched between said base member and said hinge pin cradle portion on said U-shaped member and prevented from sliding back and forth by virtue of said hinge pin retaining walls.

12. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said releasable locking means further comprises:

(a) a first track disposed along said fourth side of said base member defined on its sides by said continuous outer wall and said continuous inner wall, on its top by said bottom surface of said U-shaped member, and its bottom by said shielding member, said first track further comprises a barrier wall at its back end;

(b) a first gap in said continuous outer wall along a portion of said fourth side of said base member which exposes a portion of said first track;

(c) a latch member comprising a long narrow generally rectangular cross sectional shape with a tongue comprising an angled head at a front end, said latch member further comprises a back end and a ribbed button which protrudes through said first gap;

(d) a hole through a portion of said U-shaped member which aligns vertically over top of and exposes said tongue on said latch member;

(e) a hook member upstanding from said interior surface of said front panel which further comprises an angled head and is aligned with said tongue on said latch member;

(f) a compression spring disposed between said back end of said latch member and said barrier wall which constantly urges against said latch member to keep said tongue positioned over top of an inner portion of said hook member thereby keeping said card case in its said closed position;

wherein said latch member is located inside said first track and has slidable movement parallel to said fourth side of said base member, and whereby when a user engages said ribbed button on said latch member with their finger and slides it backwards against said compression spring, said tongue is disengaged from said inner portion of said hook member and said front panel can be pivoted open to access cards inside said card slot, and whereby when said front panel is pivoted closed, said angled head of said hook member engages said angled head of said tongue and causes said latch member to slide backwards against said compression spring until said hook member moves past said angled head of said tongue after which said compression spring automatically causes said tongue to move into said inner portion of said hook member to lock said card case shut.

13. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said resilient means further comprises:

(a) a pair of tube bosses disposed at a front end of said U-shaped member which are upstanding from a portion of its said bottom surface, said tube bosses are located next to said continuous inner wall near said second and fourth sides of said base member;

(b) a pair of rubber tubes inserted around said tube bosses;

wherein said rubber tubes frictionally engage the edges of said stack of cards as they are inserted into said card slot and grips them so as to prevent them from falling out while said card case is in said open position.

14. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said card case further comprises an ejection means for ejecting a bottommost card out from said card slot, the ejection means further comprising:

(a) a second track disposed along said second side of said base member defined on its sides by said continuous outer wall and said continuous inner wall, on its top by said bottom surface of said U-shaped member, and its bottom by said shielding member;

(b) a second gap in said continuous outer wall along a portion of said second side of said base member which exposes a portion of said second track;

(c) an ejecting member comprising a long narrow generally rectangular cross sectional shape having a back end and a front end, as well as a projecting arm extending from said back end which protrudes under a low wall portion of said continuous inner wall on said U-shaped member and into a back portion of said card slot flush against said shielding member and is the approximate thickness of one wallet sized card, said ejecting member further comprises a ribbed button which protrudes through said second gap;

wherein said ejecting member is located inside said second track and has slidable movement parallel to said second side of said base member whereby when said card case is in said open position a user may engage said ribbed button on said ejecting member and push it forwards to make said projecting arm urge against a back edge of said bottommost card in said stack of said plurality of cards and push it outwards slightly at said first side of said base member, allowing a user quick access to an individual card.

15. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said means for attachment of said U-shaped member further comprises:

(a) a pair of counter-bored holes in said base member along its said third side;

(b) a pair of hooks upstanding from said interior surface of said base member;

(c) a pair of ledge portions disposed at an end portion of said U-shaped member which align vertically with said pair of hooks on said base member;

(d) a pair of screw bosses in the underside of said U-shaped member that align vertically with said pair of counter-bored holes in said base member;

(e) a pair of thread forming screws;

wherein said pair of hooks on said base member slide on top of said ledge portions on said U-shaped member to interlock with each other, and said pair of thread forming screws are inserted through said pair of counter-bored holes and into said screw bosses in order to securely attach said U-shaped member to said base member and keep said shielding member sandwiched between them.

16. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said electromagnetic shielding member and said front panel are comprised of an aluminum alloy with sufficient electromagnetic shielding properties so as to prevent a contactless smartcard inside said card slot from being powered up and read by an RFID reader.

17. The electromagnetic shielding card case according to claim 10, wherein said base member and said U-shaped member are both made from a substantially rigid plastic material such as polycarbonate or ABS to provide rigidity and strength under compressive forces.