Expandable Wallet Panel Structure to Limit Lateral Displacement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wallet designs for portable electronic devices suffer from lateral displacement of panels when inserting or removing data cards, leading to insecurity and difficulty in card insertion/removal, while also striving to be thin and accommodate multiple cards.

Innovation Solution

The wallet features paired complementary structures such as protrusions and receivers on the panels, with a biasing mechanism to maintain alignment and limit lateral movement, using protrusions that fit into receivers and potentially enhanced with extensions and receptacles for increased stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If fabric or elastomeric materials are used to join panels, then the wallet can expand and contract to accommodate cards, but lateral displacement of panels occurs when lateral forces are applied

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexpansion and contraction capabilityVSAvoidlateral alignment stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The wallet structure is segmented into discrete functional elements: flexible joining structures allow expansion/contraction while separate alignment structures (protrusions and receivers) maintain lateral stability. This segmentation enables each component to perform its specific function without interfering with the other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Protrusions and receivers act as intermediary elements between the flexible joining structures and the panels. These intermediaries transfer and constrain lateral forces, preventing direct lateral displacement of panels while allowing the flexible materials to perform their expansion/contraction function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Length of moving object

If panel thickness is reduced to maintain thin profile, then the wallet remains thin, but structures to limit lateral displacement become more difficult to create

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewallet thicknessVSAvoidlateral displacement constraint implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment solution moves from a two-dimensional surface problem to a three-dimensional space problem by using protrusions extending from one panel into receivers on the other panel. This vertical dimension (through-thickness direction) provides effective lateral constraint even when panel thickness is minimized, as the protrusion-receiver engagement creates mechanical interlocking in the third dimension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Quantity of substance

If multiple data cards are accommodated, then storage capacity increases, but wallet thickness increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of data cardsVSAvoidwallet thickness

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The wallet employs dynamic flexibility through elastomeric joining structures that allow the wallet to expand when cards are inserted and contract when cards are removed. This dynamic adaptation enables the wallet to maintain a thin profile in its relaxed state while accommodating multiple cards when needed, rather than being forced to maintain a fixed thick structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution effectively limits lateral displacement, enhances storage capacity, and ensures secure retention of data cards, maintaining a thin profile.

Implementation Method 1

The connecting structure has a bias placing the wallet in a relaxed state. The bias provides a force to draw the top and bottom panels together when the wallet is in an expanded state.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12478155B2Wallet with structure to limit lateral displacement

Publication Date: 2025.11.25 FELLOWES MOBILE LLC

AI summary

A wallet or case to hold data cards such as credit cards and identification cards. The wallet includes two panels joined by an elastic or expanding and contracting structure so that the wallet may expand top accommodate more cards, and contract to hold less cards and maintain a downward bias or pressure on the stack of cards in the wallet. The wallet includes complementary structures on the two panels to interfere with each other in a lateral direction to limit or prevent the lateral displacement of one panel relative to the other. The structures may include posts and receivers in the panels. In some embodiments, the posts and receivers include additional enhancements to allow the structures to remain in interface for a greater distance of wallet expansion and contraction.