COMBINATION WALLET, TIMEPIECE AND MONEY CLIP

Abstract

A wallet equipped with a timepiece and a money clip. The wallet comprises first and second exterior covers that define oppositely-facing first and second exterior surfaces, respectively. At least one pocket is defined within an interior of the wallet and sized for storing credit cards. The timepiece is a watch attached to the first exterior surface, and the money clip is attached to the second exterior surface so as to be oppositely disposed from the watch. The money clip has a portion roughly parallel to the plane of the second exterior surface and biased in a direction toward the second exterior surface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/467,053, filed Apr. 30, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to pocket-sized, flat holders for money, credit cards and bank cards. More particularly, this invention relates to a wallet equipped with pockets for storing items such as credit and bank cards, a clip for securing paper money, and a timepiece.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Various personal accessories are available for carrying money and credit and bank cards. Aside from conventional wallets and money clips of the type sized for being carried in a pocket, accessories for carrying money have been proposed that are equipped with additional features for the convenience of the user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,310 discloses a folding wallet equipped with a digital watch specially configured to be mounted to the interior of the wallet. In addition, wallets and other personal accessories have been equipped with clips for securing the wallet or accessory to the user's clothing. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,656 to Bonaldi discloses a wallet equipped with a removable clip to enable its attachment to clothing and permit key chains and other items to be attached to wallet, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,600 to Angus et al. discloses a closable container equipped with a clip for securely attaching the container to clothing.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0006] The present invention provides a wallet equipped with a timepiece and a money clip. The wallet comprises first and second exterior covers that define oppositely-facing first and second exterior surfaces, respectively. At least one pocket is defined within an interior of the wallet and is sized for storing credit cards. The timepiece is a watch attached to the first exterior surface, and the money clip is attached to the second exterior surface so as to be oppositely disposed from the watch. The money clip has a portion lying roughly parallel to the plane of the second exterior surface and biased in a direction toward the second exterior surface.

[0007] According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the watch and the money clip are oriented and sized so as not to impede with stowing the wallet in a pocket of a wearing apparel, such as a shirt, trousers or jacket. As such, the wallet can be used in an entirely conventional manner, but with the added advantages of being functional as a timepiece and a money clip. According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the watch is a conventional wristwatch with its wristband omitted, in which case the first exterior cover is preferably equipped with straps or other suitable means that hold the posts conventionally used to secure a wristband to the wristwatch.

[0008] Other objects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the front and backside of a non-folding wallet in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention.

[0010] FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the front and backside of a non-folding wallet in accordance with a second embodiment of this invention.

[0011] FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the exterior and interior of a folding wallet in accordance with a third embodiment of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] FIGS. 1 and 2 represent a wallet 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The wallet 10 is of a non-folding configuration comprising a pair of exterior covers 12 and 14 between which a single interior pocket 16 is defined and sized for storing credit cards, etc. In addition to defining the pocket 16, the exterior covers 12 and 14 also define oppositely-facing exterior surfaces. A watch 18 is shown as being secured with straps 22 to the exterior surface defined by the cover 12. The straps 22 overlap posts 20 on opposite sides of the watch 18. In this regard, the watch 18 can be a wristwatch conventionally manufactured with the posts 20 adapted for attaching a wristband to the watch 18. In the invention, the straps 22 replace the wristband as the means for securing the watch 18 to the wallet 10.

[0013] As seen in FIG. 2, the wallet 10 is also equipped with a money clip 24 attached to the cover 14 opposite the watch 18. The money clip 24 is mounted with a support 26 anchored in the cover 14. The clip 24 lies roughly parallel to the cover 14 and is biased with a hinged spring 28 into the cover 14 so as to be capable of securing paper money therebetween. Notably, the watch 18 and money clip 24 are oriented and sized so as not to impede inserting and stowing the wallet 10 in a pocket of clothing, such as a shirt, trousers or jacket. More particularly, the straps 22 and the money clip 24 are aligned in the same direction so that the wallet 10 can be easily inserted into a pocket, such as by first inserting the end of the wallet 10 opposite the opening to the pocket 16.

[0014] FIGS. 3 and 4 represent a wallet 110 in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The wallet 110 can be seen to be similar to the wallet 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2. For example, the wallet 110 has a non-folding configuration, an oppositely-disposed pair of exterior covers 112 and 114, a watch 118 secured with straps 122 to the exterior cover 112, and a money clip 124 secured to the exterior cover 114. The wallet 110 differs principally by the configuration of the money clip 24, which lacks a spring-biased hinge, and the exterior cover 112 is smaller than the exterior cover 114 so as to expose a series of interior walls 115 of different lengths that define multiple interior pockets 116.

[0015] Finally, FIGS. 5 and 6 represent a wallet 210 in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention. The wallet 210 differs in one respect from the previously described wallets 10 and 110 by being of a folding configuration, such that the wallet 210 further includes interior cover portions 232 and 234 opposite a pair of exterior cover portions 212 and 214, respectively, with a fold 230 separating the exterior and interior cover portions 212 and 232 from the exterior and interior cover portions 214 and 234. Multiple pockets 216 are defined between the exterior and interior cover portions 212 and 232 in combination with interior walls 215, whose lengths differ from that of the cover portions 212 and 232 to facilitate inserting and removing cards from the pockets 216. As before, the watch 218 is secured with straps 222 to the exterior cover portion 212, while the money clip 224 attached to the exterior cover portion 214 has an unhinged configuration similar to that of FIG. 4.

[0016] While the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A wallet comprising first and second exterior covers, a first exterior surface defined by the first exterior cover, an oppositely-facing second exterior surface defined by the second exterior cover, at least one pocket within an interior of the wallet and sized for storing credit cards, a watch attached to the first exterior surface, and a money clip attached to the second exterior surface, the money clip having a portion roughly parallel to the plane of the second exterior surface and biased in a direction toward the second exterior surface so as to be capable of securing paper money therebetween.

2. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the watch is a wristwatch equipped with laterally-opposite posts configured for securing a wristband thereto, the wallet further comprising means for attachment to the posts and securing the wristwatch to the wallet.

3. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the wallet is a non-folding wallet and the at least one pocket is between the first and second exterior covers of the wallet and defined at least in part by the first and second exterior covers.

4. A wallet according to claim 3, wherein the wallet further comprises at least one interior wall parallel to and between the first and second exterior covers, the first exterior cover being smaller than the second exterior cover so as to expose the at least one interior wall.

5. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the wallet is a folding wallet and further comprises a first interior cover opposite the first exterior cover, a second interior cover opposite the second exterior cover, and a fold separating the first interior cover and the first exterior cover from the second interior cover and the second exterior cover, respectively, the at least one pocket being defined in part by at least one of the first and second interior covers.

6. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the money clip is hinged.

7. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the money clip is not hinged.

8. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the money clip is biased against the second exterior surface.

9. A wallet according to claim 1, wherein the watch and the money clip are oriented and sized so as not to impede with stowing the wallet in a pocket of a wearing apparel.

10. A wallet sized for stowing in a pocket of a wearing apparel, the wallet comprising:

first and second exterior covers defining first and second exterior surfaces, respectively, the first and second exterior surfaces facing in opposite directions;

at least one pocket within an interior of the wallet and sized for storing credit cards;

a wristwatch on the first exterior surface and equipped with laterally-opposite posts configured for securing a wristband thereto, the wristwatch being secured to the first exterior surface by portions of the first exterior cover that overlay the posts; and

a money clip attached to the second exterior surface, the money clip having a portion roughly parallel to the plane of the second exterior surface and biased in a direction toward the second exterior cover so as to be capable of securing paper money therebetween;

wherein the wristwatch and the money clip are oriented and sized so as not to impede with stowing the wallet in the pocket of the wearing apparel.

11. A wallet according to claim 10, wherein the wallet is a non-folding wallet and the at least one pocket is between the first and second exterior covers of the wallet and defined by the first and second exterior covers and at least one interior wall parallel to and between the first and second exterior covers.

12. A wallet according to claim 11, wherein the first exterior cover is smaller than the second exterior cover so as to expose the at least one interior wall.

13. A wallet according to claim 10, wherein the wallet is a folding wallet and further comprises a first interior cover opposite the first exterior cover, a second interior cover opposite the second exterior cover, and a fold separating the first interior cover and the first exterior cover from the second interior cover and the second exterior cover, respectively, the at least one pocket being defined in part by at least one of the first and second interior covers.

14. A folding wallet sized for stowing in a pocket of a wearing apparel, the folding wallet comprising:

first and second exterior cover portions separated by a fold and defining first and second exterior surfaces, respectively, the first and second exterior surfaces facing in opposite directions when the folding wallet is folded at the fold;

first and second interior cover portions separated by the fold and defining first and second interior surfaces, respectively, the first and second interior surfaces facing each other when the folding wallet is folded at the fold;

at least one interior wall defining at least one pocket between at least one of the first and second interior and exterior cover portions of the folding wallet, the pocket being sized for storing credit cards;

a wristwatch on the first exterior surface and equipped with laterally-opposite posts configured for securing a wristband thereto, the wristwatch being secured to the first exterior surface by portions of the first exterior cover portion that overlay the posts; and

a money clip attached to the second exterior surface, the money clip having a portion roughly parallel to the plane of the second exterior surface and biased against the second exterior cover portion so as to be capable of securing paper money therebetween;

wherein the wristwatch and the money clip are oriented and sized so as not to impede with stowing the folding wallet in the pocket of the wearing apparel.