GB2282061A - Holder for cards or fabric samples - Google Patents

Abstract

A holder primarily for use in facilitating the visual matching of the colour of a fabric with that of one of a multiplicity of fabric samples 41 held in the holder, has a multiplicity of elongate members 11 each having two superposed walls 13a, 13b, at least one of which is transparent, united at transversely extensive bonds 15 so as to provide a series of slit-form rectangular receptacles 17 open at a lateral boundary 19 for the purpose of receiving the samples. The members 11 each have a hole at corresponding ends; and a stud may extend through the holes to retain the members 11 whilst permitting fan movement of any desired member with respect to the others for the display of samples to be matched. <IMAGE>

Description

WALLETS This invention relates to wallets and finds particular application as a device for holding cards, business and personal cards, for examples, and, even more, as a device for use in facilitating the visual matching of a characteristic feature, notably colour, of fabrics with that of one of a multiplicity of fabric samples held in the wallet.

According to the invention, a wallet comprises: a multiplicity of elongate members each having two juxtaposedly confronting laminar wall portions, at least one of which is of a transparent material, united at transversely extensive bonds therebetween so as to provide, between said wall portions, a series of receptacles of slit-form, each open at at least one lateral boundary thereof and being disposed one beside another in the longitudinal direction of said wall portions; and means adapted to retain said multiplicity of elongate members in predetermined relationship with respect to one another.

The several elongate members may each have an integral end portion pierced with a hole; and said retaining means then comprises a linking member which extends through each of said holes and serves to maintain said elongate members in a predetermined sequence whilst permitting angular displacement about said linking member of any elongate member with respect to the remainder of the elongate members.

The foregoing and other features of wallets in accordance with the invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig.l shows, full size, a front view of a multi-compartment elongate member of a wallet for holding fabric samples; Fig.2 shows the rear view of the member of Fig.l; Fig.3 shows a single compartment elongate member for the wallet; Fig.4 shows a rear view of the member depicted in Fig. 3; Figs.5 and 6 show, full size, front and rear views, respectively, of a cover member for the wallet; and, Fig.7 shows a wallet in accordande with the invention with the several component parts thereof fanned out.

The wallet comprises: a multiplicity of pliably flexible elongate members 11 each having two juxtaposedly confronting laminar wall portions 13a,13b, each of a transparent plastic material, said wall portions being united by transverse bonds 15 spaced apart longitudinally thereof so as to provide, between said wall portions 13a,13b, a series of receptacles 17 rectangular in shape, each open at a lateral boundary 19 thereof, and disposed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the members 11; and means 21 adapted to retain said multiplicity of elongate members in predetermined relationship with respect to one another.

In addition to said multiplicity of elongate slit-receptacled members, the wallet depicted has a multiplicity, in the example two, of elongate members 23 each having two juxtaposedly confronting laminar wall portions 25a,25b, respectively, one 25a of which is of a transparent material, united at lateral bonds 27a, 27b, respectively, spaced apart longitudinally of said wall portions so as to provide, within said at least one elongate member, a single slit-receptacle open along at least one transverse boundary 29.

The wallet has, further, two end cover members 31 having a form similar to that of the members 11 and 23.

The several elongate members 11, 23 and 31 each have an integral end portion 33 pierced with a hole 35; and said retaining means 21 comprises a linking member 37 which extends through each of said holes 35 and serves to maintain said elongate members in a predetermined sequence whilst permitting angular displacement about said linking member 37 of any elongate member 11 with respect to the remainder of the elongate members.

The linking member 37 depicted comprises a stud which has two abutments, one at each side of the elongate members 23, serving to inhibit removal of the members 11, 23 and 31 whilst permitting pivotal movement thereof about the axis of the stud 37.

As shown, the several receptacles of the members 11 of the wallet may receive and hold fabric samples 39, commonly referred to as swatches, each of which comprises a generally rectangular portion 41 of fabric and a laminar backing member 43, suitably paper, to which said fabric portion 41 is adherent.

The wall portions of the members 11 being each transparent, the fabric is visible from the front and the backing member from the back thereof. Depending upon the characteristic, in the present example colour, of the swatches 39 which it may be desired to match, using the wallet of swatches distinctive as to said colour characteristic, each of the backing members 43 bears printed information , visible from the rear of the member 11 through the wall portion 13b as to the identity of the swatch colour As shown in Fig.l the sides of the backing members 43 visible through the transparent wall 13b bear information as to the characteristic, colour in the present example, of the fabric sample adherent thereto. Whilst the information presented in Fig. 1 relate, for for the purposes of explanation, the one to a basic colour the other to an accent colour, the practice would, of course, be to maintain basic colours together and likewise accents.

The single pocket elongate members may each contain a individual card bearing advisory information as to fashion in relation to, for example, physical characteristics, height, girth, proportions. and so on and so forth, of prospective users of the wallet.

The cover members 31, or either of them, may, as with the members 23 each be constituted as an elongate member having two juxtaposedly confronting laminar portions united at bonds extending along lateral edges thereof. The slit-form rceptacles thereby provided in the cover members 31 may hold cards bearing information as to the identity of the owner of the wallet.

Whilst, in the example described, not only the wall portions 13a but the wall portions 13b, also, of the members 11 are of a transparent material, it might be preferred to employ an opaque, preferably white opaque, material for the wall portions 13b.

Whilst, with such an arrangement, information as to identity of fabric sample characteristic, colour, say, would be obscured, the fabric samples would be displayed to better effect against the white background. The information borne by the backings to which the fabric samples are adherent, would, of course, still be present; but access to such information would needs be by removal of the swatch from the slit receptacle in which it is held.

Whilst the retaining member 21 of the wallet is shown as a stud 37, other devices might be employed. One such alternative may be a ring.

Whilst the wallet of the example described has been for the purpose of facilitating fabric matching, it may, suitably dimensioned, be employed to hold business, visiting, credit cards and the like.

Claims (13)

1. A wallet which comprises: a multiplicity of elongate members each having two juxtaposedly confronting laminar wall portions, at least one of which is of a transparent material, united at transversely extensive bonds therebetween so as to provide, between said wall portions, a series of receptacles of slit-form, each open at at least one lateral boundary thereof, and being disposed one beside another in the longitudinal direction of said wall portions; and means adapted to retain said multiplicity of elongate members in predetermined relationship with respect to one another.

2. A wallet as claimed in claim 1 in which said bonds partition said juxtaposed laminar wall portions such that said receptacles are each of rectangular shape.

3. A wallet as claimed in claim 1 or 2 which is for use in facilitating the visual matching of a fabric characteristic with that of a fabric sample, and which includes a multiplicity of fabric samples, distinctive as regards the characteristic to be matched, respectively occupying a corresponding multiplicity of said receptacles in said multiplicity of elongate members.

4. A wallet as claimed in claim 3 in which: both said wall members are of a transparent material; and said fabric samples each comprise a portion of fabric and and a laminar backing member to which said fabric portion is adherent.

5. A wallet as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 and which comprises, in addition to said multiplicity of elongate receptacled members, at least one elongate member having two juxtaposedly confronting laminar wall portions, at least one of which is of a transparent material, united at lateral bonds spaced apart longitudinally of said wall portions to provide, within said at least one elongate member, a single receptacle open along at least one transverse boundary thereof.

6. A wallet as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the several elongate members each have an integral end portion pierced with a hole; and said retaining means comprises a linking member which extends through each of said holes and serves to maintain said elongate members in a predetermined sequence whilst permitting angular displacement about said linking member of any elongate member with respect to the remainder of the elongate members.

7. A wallet as claimed in claim 6 in which said linking member comprises a pin or stud which extends through said holes and which is provided with two abutments one at each side of the elongate member and serving to inhibit their removal whilst permitting pivotal movement thereof about the axis of the pin.

8. A wallet as claimed in claim 6 in which said linking member comprises an endless member such, for example, as a ring.

9. A wallet as claimed in claim 7 or 8 and which has two elongate laminar cover members between which said receptacled elongate members are disposed.

10. A wallet as claimed in claim 9 in which said cover members or either of them comprises two juxtaposedly confronting laminar wall portions, one of which is of an opaque and the other of a transparent material, said wall portions being united at bonds extending along lateral edges of the wall portions and being open along at least one transverse edge thereof so as to provide a within the cover a slit-form receptacle.

11. A kit comprising the several parts adapted to be assembled to constitute a wallet as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10.

12. A wallet for use in facilitating visual matching of a fabric characteristic with that of a fabric sample, being a wallet substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A kit comprising the several parts adapted to be assembled to constitute a wallet as claimed in claim 12, being parts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.l to 7 of the accompanying drawings.