Package and article carriers – Carried by animate bearer – Article held by receiver
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2001-11-20
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Carried by animate bearer
Article held by receiver
C224S235000, C224S623000, C224S675000, C224S901400, C224S901600, C002S247000, C150S134000, C450S089000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318613
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to carrying pouches for credit cards, folded money, identification cards and similarly sized materials and more particularly concerns a pouch attachable to part of a garment, such as the center section or strap of a woman's bra or a similarly shaped portion of any garment.
A variety of pouches have been designed for use in carrying credit cards, folding money, identification cards and the like which connect to, or are part of, a garment and are oriented so as to be concealed, yet accessible. Generally, their bulk, shape and orientation on the garment are mutually exclusive of comfort and purpose, those that work efficiently being uncomfortable and those that are comfortable being inefficient. They are all generally mobile in that, though attached to the garment, they are not held in secure orientation in relation to the garment. They are, therefore, generally difficult to open and close and to fill and empty. Most of them are designed to be located between the garment to which they are attached and the body of the user. This in turn results in the absorption of body moisture by the pouch and eventually by its contents or, if the pouch material is nonabsorbent, in skin irritation and discomfort to the user. Furthermore, because of their orientation between the garment and the body, they are relatively inaccessible and therefore inconvenient.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a carrying pouch which is as small as possible while accommodating credit card size contents. Another object of this invention is to provide a carrying pouch which has a compartment oriented with respect to its fastener for comfort and convenience of the user. A further object of this invention is to provide a carrying pouch which, when attached to a garment, is immobilized in its orientation. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a carrying pouch which, when attached to the user's garment, is easily accessed. It is also an object of this invention to provide a carrying pouch which, when attached to the user's garment, is easily opened and closed. Still another object of this invention is to provide a carrying pouch which, when attached to the user's garment, is easily filled and emptied. An additional object of this invention is to provide a carrying pouch which is not positioned between the garment to which it is attached and the skin of the wearer. And it is an object of this invention to provide a carrying pouch which does not absorb or transmit body moisture to its contents, yet does not cause irritation and discomfort to the user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a pouch attachable to a garment or other item of wearing apparel is provided for storing objects of credit card length and width. The pouch includes a container and a fastening mechanism for securing the container to the garment or other item of wearing apparel. The container has front and back walls fixed to each other along bottom and opposite side edges. The walls define a compartment sized to receive and hold, in a substantially immobile condition, a plurality of the objects when they are stacked face-to-face and inserted, preferably in a lengthwise direction, through an open top edge of the container. A mechanism, such as a button, zipper or, preferably, mating pieces of hook-and-loop material, is provided for sealing at least a portion of the open top edge so as to secure the objects inserted into the container. A strap fixed at one of its ends to a back face of the container back wall proximate one of its edges extends across the container back face to its free end at a point proximate another of its edges. A segment of hook-and loop material is fixed along its entire length to the entire length of the front face of the strap. A mating segment of hook-and-loop material is fixed along its entire length to the back face of the container back wall between the fixed end of the strap and the point at the free end of the strap. When the segments of hook-and-loop material are mated with a segment of the garment or other wearing apparel disposed between a portion of their lengths, the container is immobilized in relation to the garment or other item of wearing apparel.
Preferably, the strap fixed end is at approximately a midpoint of the top edge of the container and the free end is at approximately a midpoint of the bottom edge of the container with a pull tab extending from the free end of the strap. The sealing mechanism is preferably fixed proximate a midpoint of the top edge. The container side edges are preferably arcuate so as to approximately conform to cleavage between a woman's breasts and further immobilize the pouch when it used between the cups of a woman's bra. Preferably the back wall of the container has two layers of cloth with a layer of comparatively rigid material disposed between the cloth layers, a back layer of the two layers of cloth being moisture absorbent and a front layer of the two layers of cloth being impermeable to moisture. Preferably, the front wall of the container also has two layers of cloth, the front layer being decorative and the back layer being impermeable to moisture. This embodiment is specially suited for use on the center part of a woman's bra or a similar segment of other wearing apparel.
In an alternative embodiment, two parallel, spaced-apart straps extend from fixed ends at points on one of the side edges to free ends at points on another of the side edges in a direction parallel to the top and bottom edges. Each of the straps has a hook-and-loop segment cooperable with a mating hook-and-loop segment on the back face of container back wall. This embodiment is specially suited for use with the shoulder straps of an undergarment or similar segments of other wearing apparel.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 241189 (1976-08-01), Clark
patent: 2492852 (1949-12-01), Harvey
patent: 2503847 (1950-04-01), Shanahan
patent: 2593711 (1952-04-01), Weatherly
patent: 2624881 (1953-01-01), Lee
patent: 3078852 (1963-02-01), Stapleton
patent: 4079767 (1978-03-01), Howard
patent: 4815510 (1989-03-01), Edelist
patent: 5067178 (1991-11-01), Katchika
patent: 5170917 (1992-12-01), Tourigny
patent: 5496205 (1996-03-01), Lee
patent: 5544745 (1996-08-01), Famorca
patent: 5573441 (1996-11-01), Smith
patent: 5588571 (1996-12-01), Mazzo
patent: 6182878 (2001-02-01), Racca
Catalano Frank J.
Cronin Stephen K.
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