Retainer for documents with alarm

Claim 2

A document retainer comprising: a plurality of receptacles, each of said receptacles for receiving and holding a document therein; sensing means associated with each of said receptacles for detecting the presence or absence of a document in said receptacle; an electronic circuit responsive to said sensing means and being energized by a power supply upon detection of a document absent from said receptacle by said sensing means, said electronic circuit including: an audible alarm operable to provide an audible signal; time delay means in communication with said audible alarm and being operable to connect said audible alarm to said power supply after a pre-determined amount of time has elapsed after energization of said electronic circuit; and switch means in communication with said time delay means, said switch means being manually actuable to reset said time delay means to inhibit said audible alarm from sounding.

Claim 3

A document retainer as defined in claim 1 wherein said time delay means includes a timer, said timer initiating a count upon energization of said circuit, said timer connecting said audible alarm to said power supply once said count reaches a pre-determined value, said switch means resetting said timer upon actuation thereof.

Claim 4

A document retainer as defined in claim 2 wherein each actuation of said switch means resets said timer, said timer resuming said count upon resetting by said switch means and the subsequent release thereof.

Claim 5

A document retainer as defined in claim 3 wherein said count reaches said predetermined value in the time taken for a typical credit card transaction to take place.

Claim 6

A document retainer as defined in claim 1 further comprising an inaudible alarm operable to provide an inaudible signal upon energization of said electronic circuit.

Claim 7

A document retainer comprising: a receptacle having front and back walls to receive a document; sensing means having first and second electrical contacts disposed in said receptacle, said contacts having a pair of juxtaposed faces spring biased towards one another to be engageable with one another and to establish electrical contact therebetween, said faces being maintained in a spaced relationship by insertion of a document in said receptacle, each of said contacts being secured in an electrically insulated manner at one end thereof to a substrate; said substrate maintaining said faces in alignment and preserving said spring bias; said receptacle front wall and back wall constituting guide means for the insertion of a document in said receptacle and between said pair of juxtaposed faces, each of said walls being provided with at least one aperture therein, each of said apertures allowing at least one of said contacts to pass therethrough so that said pair of juxtaposed faces engage and establish electrical contact therebetween in the interior of said receptacle; said substrate extending laterally beyond said contacts to provide laterally spaced marginal edges for attachment of said substrate to one of said receptacle walls adjacent the edges thereof to maintain alignment of said substrate to said receptacle and said faces within said receptacles; and means provided to connect operatively said contacts to an alarm circuit to trigger said circuit upon the withdrawal of a document from said receptacle.

Claim 8

A document retainer comprising: a receptacle having front and back walls to receive a document; sensing means having first and second electrical contacts disposed in said receptacle, said contacts having a pair of juxtaposed faces spring biased towards one another to be engageable with one another and to establish electrical contact therebetween, said faces being maintained in a spaced relationship by insertion of a document in said receptacle, each of said contacts being secured in an electrically insulated manner at one end thereof to a substrate; said substrate maintaining said faces in alignment and preserving said spring bias; said receptacle front wall and back wall constituting guide means for the insertion of a document in said receptacle and between said pair of juxtaposed faces, each of said walls being provided with at least one aperture therein, each of said apertures allowing at least one of said contacts to pass therethrough so that said pair of juxtaposed faces engage and establish electrical contact therebetween in the interior of said receptacle; said substrate extending laterally beyond said contacts to provide laterally spaced marginal edges for attachment of said substrate to one of said receptacle walls adjacent the edges thereof to maintain alignment of said substrate to said receptacle and said faces within said receptacles; and means provided to connect operatively said contacts to an alarm circuit to trigger said circuit upon the withdrawal of a document from said receptacle.

Claim 9

A document retainer as defined in claim 6 wherein attachment of said laterally spaced marginal edges of said substrate to said receptacle wall also serves to form sealed lateral marginal edges for said receptacle.

Claim 10

A document retainer as defined in claim 6 further comprising a plurality of receptacles, each of said receptacles being operable to receive and retain a document therein, each of said receptacles being provided with said sensing means.

Claim 11

A document retainer as defined in claim 8 wherein said plurality of first contacts are provided on a first electrically conductive plate and said plurality of second contacts are provided on a second electrically conductive plate, said first and second plates being attached to said substrate such that said faces are opposingly aligned, said contacts being laterally spaced on said first and second plates respectively.

Claim 12

A document retainer as defined in claim 9 wherein said plates are provided with projections on the periphery thereof and said substrate is provided with apertures to receive said projections and thereby attach said plates to said substrate.

Claim 13

A document retainer as defined in claim 10 wherein said substrate is formed from an insulating material and is interposed between said first and second plates, said substrate further including passages formed therein to permit one of the juxtaposed faces in each of said first and second contacts to pass to permit said faces to move into engagement and establish electrical contact therebetween.

Claim 14

A document retainer as defined in claim 9 wherein said substrate is formed from a pair of layers, said first and second plates being interposed between said layers, said document retainer further comprising insulation means positioned between said first and second plates, at least one of said layers having apertures provided therein to permit protrusion of said pairs of contacts therethrough; and means to join said layers and to maintain securely said plates and insulation means therebetween to inhibit lateral misalignment between said faces.

Claim 15

A document retainer as defined in claim 8 wherein said plurality of receptacles are in echelon.

Claim 16

A wallet case or cover provided with a receptacle comprising: an opening to receive a modular document retainer and withdrawal sensor mechanism having an alarm, said receptacle being provided with a front wall and a back wall, said walls having apertures formed therein to allow the use of said mechanism while it is contained within said receptacle and permitting insertion and withdrawal of said documents from said mechanism in addition to facilitating use of manually controlled switches provided on said mechanism and functional sensing of said audible and inaudible alarms; and closure means to ensure containment of said mechanism within said receptacle and inhibiting lateral misalignment between said apertures and said mechanism.

Claim 17

A wallet case or cover provided with a receptacle comprising: an opening to receive a modular document retainer and withdrawal sensor mechanism having an alarm, said receptacle being provided with a front wall and a back wall, said walls having apertures formed therein to allow the use of said mechanism while it is contained within said receptacle and permitting insertion and withdrawal of said documents from said mechanism in addition to facilitating use of manually controlled switches provided on said mechanism and functional sensing of said audible and inaudible alarms; and closure means to ensure containment of said mechanism within said receptacle and inhibiting lateral misalignment between said apertures and said mechanism.

Claim 18

A document retainer comprising: a plurality of receptacles, each of said receptacles for receiving and maintaining a document therein; sensing means associated with each of said receptacles for detecting the presence or absence of a document therein; an electronic circuit responsive to said sensing means and being energized by a power supply upon detection of the withdrawal of a document from any of said receptacles; and releasable attachment means provided on said retainer to allow attachment of said retainer to another object.

Claim 19

A document retainer comprising: a plurality of receptacles, each of said receptacles for receiving and maintaining a document therein; sensing means associated with each of said receptacles for detecting the presence or absence of a document therein; an electronic circuit responsive to said sensing means and being energized by a power supply upon detection of the withdrawal of a document from any of said receptacles; and releasable attachment means provided on said retainer to allow attachment of said retainer to another object.

Claim 20

A document retainer as defined in claim 15 wherein said attachment means is in the form of a spring clip.

Claim 21

A document retainer as defined in claim 15 wherein said attachment means is in the form of hook and loop fabric.

Claim 22

A document retainer as defined in claim 15 further comprising: detection means associated with said attachment means and operable to sense removal of said retainer from said other object; and an alarm circuit responsive to said detection means and being energized by said power supply upon removal of said retainer from said other object.

Claim 23

A document retainer as defined in claim 18 wherein said detection means is in the form of a pair of electrical contacts.

Claim 24

A document retainer as defined in claim 15 further comprising: an audible alarm operable to provide an audible signal; time delay means in communication with said audible alarm and being operable to connect said audible alarm to said power supply after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from the energization of said electronic circuit; and switch means in communication with said time delay means, said switch means being manually actuable to reset said time delay means to inhibit said audible alarm from sounding.

Claim 25

A document retainer as defined in claim 20 further comprising an inaudible alarm operable to provide an inaudible signal upon energization of said electronic circuit.

Claim 26

A document retainer as defined in claim 20 further comprising: detection means associated with said attachment means and being operable to sense removal of said retainer from said other object; an alarm circuit responsive to said detection means and being energized by said power supply upon removal of said retainer from said other object; and means to circumvent said time delay means and operable to energize said audible and inaudible alarms upon removal of said retainer from said other object.

Claim 27

A document retainer as defined in claim 22 wherein said attachment means is in the form of a spring clip.