Folding coin purse and method of making same

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/939,259 filed on Nov. 13, 2007 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/131,172 filed on May 17, 2005 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/761,506 filed on Jan. 21, 2004.

The present invention relates to a folding coin purse, which can be accommodated in a pocket, and a method of making the same. The newly added feature relates to a springy plastic stiffener with covered corners so that the purse does not catch on clothing pocket.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,368,687 (Stanley 1945) is an example of a folding coin purse. The Stanley coin purse consists of an inner flat layer and an outer flat layer of material peripherally stitched to each other. An open access window is provided in one half of the inner flat layer, leaving a loose narrow peripheral margin. The open access window allows the user to view coins within the coin purse and it has a tab to pull up with another hand to lift the end wall up when shuffling coins. The peripheral margin confines the coins. The coin purse folds in half, over the access window, to assume a closed position.

Japanese Patent application 2000357237 (Kojima 2000) similarly discloses a folding coin purse with an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer has two “U” shaped peripheral margins arranged in an end to end relation, with a transparent material closing in the “U” shape of one half to form a transparent pocket. There is a gap between the “U” shaped peripheral margins, which facilitates the coin purse folding in half. The Kojima 2000 patent mentions fixed walls, which means that they are not collapsible.

The present invention discloses several alternative constructions for a folding coin purse with collapsible walls, which can be mostly made of upholstery materials, reinforced vinyl, leather or cloth.

According to the present invention, two methods of making a folding coin purse with four collapsible walls are provided. In the following description, when the material is said to be curled or folded, this indicates that the material is curved up and over once. The coin purse can be made by a first method which involves providing a layer of pliable rectangular material having a first end peripheral edge, a second end peripheral edge, a first side peripheral edge and a second side peripheral edge. A second step involves folding the first end peripheral edge over and securing it to the first side peripheral edge and the second side peripheral edge to form a first pocket with leaving wide side seams. A third step involves folding the second end peripheral edge over and securing it to the first side peripheral edge and the second side peripheral edge to form a second pocket but also leaving wide side seams. A fourth step involves turning both of the first pocket and the second pocket inside out. This forms a body with a first inside out pocket as a first pocket or end wall, a second inside out pocket as a second end wall and the two peripheral side walls, which are created by the wide pocket side seams of the two inverted pockets thus making the four walls necessary for the purse. A fifth step involves folding a second half of the body over a first half of the body to close the access opening to the purse.

According to the prior art, an inner layer and an outer layer were secured together about a peripheral edge. This maintains the peripheral border in a relatively flat orientation. With the folding coin purse according to the present invention, as described above, the peripheral border is biased into an upstanding position by the turning of the first pocket and the second pocket inside out. This results in a much fuller peripheral border which is better adapted to confine the coins within the purse. The border is so much superior to the prior art so that generally one-handed operation of the coin purse is made possible.

According to the present invention, a second method of making a folding coin purse with four collapsible walls is also provided. With this method, a first step involves providing a layer of pliable rectangular material having its corners cut out. A second step involves curling over each of the first end peripheral edge, the second end peripheral edge, the first side peripheral edge, the second side peripheral edge. The first end peripheral edge is secured to both of the first side peripheral edge and the second side peripheral edge. The second end peripheral edge is secured to both of the first side peripheral edge and the second side peripheral edge. This forms a body with four peripheral walls having a first end wall, a second end wall and two side walls which together frame an access opening. A third step involves folding a second half of the body over a first half of the body to close the access opening of the purse.

A functioning folding coin purse can be obtained by following either of the two methods described above. A purse can also be made by either method on the first half of a purse and either method on the second half of the purse. Whether made by the first method or the second method, of a combination of both methods, additional features, as will be hereinafter further described, can be added to further improve performance of the purse.

The first half of the purse, made by the first method, may have a larger pocket by having a rectangular piece of material with a cut out window covered by a mesh or a transparent flexible plastic material sewn around it, so that when the first end is folded over with the transparency to make a larger pocket and a second smaller pocket folded on opposite end for end wall, the pockets are sewn on both sides with leaving wide seams, since the width of seams determine the size of the side walls between the two pockets, when pockets are inverted. It is to be appreciated that a larger coin pocket is achieved with a transparency on first end, a smaller pocket as end wall on second end, and the two side walls between the two pockets, also the opening of both pockets, the sides may be secured to the side walls. If the transparent coin pocket is made farther from mid purse fold line, this allows the pocket to take and receive coins easier from a shallower coin pocket and provides more open access space for retrieving coins from a remainder of the purse since the purse can fold either before or after the mid purse fold line. There may be a springy plastic stiffener with curved corners in second end wall to keep purse corners curved to avoid catching on clothing pocket. If desired, the second half of the purse may instead be made by the second method having either one or two stiffeners on second end wall to have purse walls go upright.

The first pocket may be made by either the first method or the second method if transparent material is sewn to purse first end wall and side walls by a shoe makers sewing machine. Or a flat U-shaped plastic insert, with a springy transparent plastic hinged to the mid section of the U-shape plastic insert and may be called U-shape—maybe secured to the first end wall and side walls on the first half purse with an industrial shoe makers sewing machine. The transparent plastic material, if moved upward through U-shape sides, can be held so as not to go up too high by securing it with a string(s) to the U-shape, or have a notch made on transparent plastic side or to inner U-shape side(s). If desired the transparent plastic may have a flexible plastic on its end so as not to scruff the purse closing cover. There may also be a more durable hinge piece secured to the mid U-shape and to the transparent plastic also. If purse is not over loaded with coins being that transparent plastic can move upward to take coins, it can be made closer to the mid purse fold line allowing to use the purse without engaging fasteners, if desired, being that purse has plastic stiffeners secured in side walls near mid purse fold line in second half of the purse. There can be strips of plastic secured to purse bottom if transparent plastic scrubs on purse bottom when moved upward although that also helps to hold transparent plastic upward.

Flat or curved plastic stiffeners, secured to the side walls of the second half purse, restrain the coins when the purse is closed end wise. If the stiffeners are secured to width of the purse fold line purse will typically not widen, if secured past the fold line purse will widen, and the same applies to softer plastic U-shape sides. The side wall stiffeners also keep the side walls curved over down flat when pressed down by the second end wall stiffener.

When walls in second half purse are to move upright, the end wall over side walls are sewn together through the purse sides spaced some from the corners, then at second end wall, a springy rectangular plastic stiffener being the width of purse at its curved upward corners only which is to have purse corners curved upward also, to avoid catching on clothing pocket, it\'s held to purse between the stitching through purse sides and the corners. Then two other being somewhat similar rectangular plastic stiffeners in width, the lower stiffener has its corner cut off to pass by the sewing through purse sides which are spaced some from the corners, and it also gives some room for purse corners to be curved and side walls with their stiffeners moving to the end of second end wall: the top rectangular stiffener may start just above the sewing through the purse sides and both stiffeners are secured together at their mid, the top stiffener stays on top of the side walls and the lower stiffener stays under the side wall stiffeners, they are secured to second end wall at mid also, the top stiffener may be curved upward some near mid then curved downward if needed so that the side wall edges with stiffeners move freely back and forth between the two plastic stiffeners each time the walls go upright and down. When second end wall is moved upright the side walls with stiffeners go upright also, if needed due to some materials a notch may be made by making a cut on top of side wall stiffener and curving one side of cut inward to keep the end wall stiffener upright at the notch, when end wall is pushed off the notch side walls also go down flat for closing the purse. The stiffener with curved corners makes the end wall more rigid when upright and pushing coins do not put it down. This avoids having a notch on side wall stiffener. This purse works because the purse walls are straight—not curved or rounded—and also because the side wall edges go back and forth between two stiffeners in the end wall. A string or thread is secured from end wall to the side wall to prevent the end wall from moving over upright too far.

When the second end wall is over side walls and are sewn together through the purse sides spaced some from the corners, the end wall may have only one springy plastic stiffener with curved upward corners to keep the purse corners curved to avoid catching on clothing pockets. Springy plastic flat or curved stiffeners are secured to side walls extending from near mid purse fold line to some past a cut on side walls which is near the stitching through purse sides, when taking coins and the side walls are pushed wider with fingers, this makes the end wall stiffener drop some between side walls, then side walls are held to width of end wall stiffener, if the end wall stiffener is made wider, the side walls can go upright or some over upright, this purse should be trouble free in different climate conditions. The end wall stiffener, may be curved upward some and secured to end wall. Before closing this purse endwise the end wall is kept open and is moved downward till the side walls collapse inward, then end wall with stiffener is closed over the side walls to close the purse.

When the end wall is over side walls and they are secured together through the walls of purse the side wall stiffeners may be sewn to side walls to some before end wall. The stiffeners are cut angled to a point in which their top ends are curved inward so end wall stiffener pushes them down flat with sidewalls to close the purse. Also stiffeners were sewn to side walls that go into the second end wall. The improvement for those purses is having a springy plastic stiffener with curved corners secured to end wall so purse corners do not catch on clothing pocket.

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