DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0035] The present invention is directed to a traffic ticket book holder 10 for law enforcement personnel that can be attached to the upper arm of an officer. FIG. 1 discloses a lightweight traffic ticket book holder 10 that is easily accessible yet out of the way when attached to a parking enforcement officer. The currently used traffic ticket book holders are not user friendly as they tend to be bulky, heavy and made of metal. With the size and weight of the current traffic ticket book holders, law enforcement officers are unable to carry them on their person.

[0036] A law enforcement officer carries standard issued equipment mainly on their belt. This equipment usually comprises a flashlight, a baton, a radio and handcuffs. With the belt cluttered with the standard equipment, there is no room to attach a traffic ticket book holder.

[0037] As is also depicted in FIG. 1 , the traffic ticket book holder 10 has a generally rectangular shape. The main body 21 defines an inner compartment 70 that carries a number of traffic ticket books and tickets (not shown) and a front cover 18 that releasably seals the inner compartment 70 . In this view, a shoulder strap 76 is shown attached to the traffic ticket book holder 10 . A protective flap 14 is attached along an upper edge of the main body 21 to protect against various weather conditions and overlaps the top of the front cover 18 . The front cover 18 has a fixed portion of a clip 15 affixed to it and an outer pocket 24 for miscellaneous items.

[0038] A flexible arm strap 13 is provided to secure the traffic ticket book holder 10 to the upper arm of a police officer. One end of the flexible arm strap 13 is attached to the right lateral side 89 of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . The flexible arm strap 13 is attached to the upper arm of the parking enforcement officer and prevents any unwanted movement of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . The flexible arm strap 13 may be manufactured of stretchable material to provide a snug fit around the upper arm of the police officer or user. One opposing end of the flexible arm strap 13 is attached to an arm adjustment piece 11 . The flexible arm strap 13 further prevents the traffic ticket book holder 10 from dislodging when brushed up against something.

[0039] The arm adjustment piece 11 has a surface with a plurality of spaced apart snap buttons 29 to engage with recessed buttons (not shown) on a releasable portion 12 of the snap clip 16 . The arm adjustment piece 11 is readily accessible to the officer to reattach any of the rows of buttons 29 with recessed buttons of the releasable portion 12 of the snap clip 16 . Thus the arm adjustment piece 11 provides for varying arm sizes. The officer or user then can easily adjust the flexible arm strap 13 for comfort without cutting off blood circulation and providing enough tension to secure the traffic ticket book holder 10 to the arm of a user. The arm adjustment piece 11 can be designed as various different mechanisms so long as an adjustment of the flexible arm strap 13 is allowed to conform to the size of the user's arm and retain the traffic ticket book holder 10 in an attached position.

[0040] The releasable portion of the clip 12 , when engaged with the fixed portion 15 , together make up the snap clip 16 . The fixed portion 15 is attached to the front cover 18 and the snap clip 16 can be detached when the sides 15 a of the fixed portion 15 are depressed. The snap clip 16 is a pressure sensitive latch that is both easily locked and unlocked to allow for an easy release.

[0041] The snap clip 16 can also be provided with a safety release feature that allows the officer or user to quickly remove the traffic ticket book holder 10 from the arm of an officer or user, without depressing the snap clip 16 when necessary. The snap clip 16 can be designed to remain locked until a predetermined load is applied. In an emergency, the officer simply yanks or applies the predetermined load on the traffic ticket book holder 10 and the snap clip 16 disengages, thus allowing the traffic ticket book holder 10 to be removed quickly.

[0042] Typically to write out a citation, an officer must specifically recite the exact infraction of the law. These infractions or violations are contained in an offense specific book (not shown). This offense specific book can easily be carried in the front pocket 24 of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . A portion of the front pocket 24 may be made of elastic material to allow for easier access. FIG. 1 discloses a front pocket 24 on the exterior of the front cover 18 . Additional compartments may also be provided on the front cover 18 and on the main body 21 .

[0043] FIG. 2 shows an upper rear fastener 30 located on the rear surface 19 of the main body 21 of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . The upper rear fastener 30 mates with the opposing hook and loop fastener 78 to further secure the traffic ticket book holder 10 to the uniform of the officer. FIG. 2 shows the upper rear fastener 30 mated with the shoulder strap 76 .

[0044] The officer releases a protective flap 14 from the front cover 18 via a flap fastener 38 and an upper front cover fastener 42 . As mentioned previously, the protective flap 14 acts as a covering that protects the inner contents of the traffic ticket book holder 10 from inclement weather such as rain and snow. Zipper heads 46 are unzipped and lateral sides 90 of the main body 21 detach from the front cover 18 as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0045] The front cover 18 has an upper foldable portion 20 that folds at crease 102 for access to the identification pocket 66 and to the citations in the ticket compartment 70 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the identification pocket 66 has a window 68 , so that when the offender's identification is placed in the pocket 66 , the officer may easily copy the information from the identification to the ticket. For further access to the ticket compartment 70 , the front cover 18 can be fully opened as depicted in FIG. 4 .

[0046] The main body 21 is designed to structurally define the ticket compartment 70 to accommodate multiple ticket booklets and retain the shape of the ticket compartment 70 . Here a sleeve 110 is provided to maintain the integrity of the ticket compartment 70 and to retain any multiple ticket booklets. The ticket compartment 70 may also have multiple sub compartments or pockets (not shown) to further organize the various types of tickets and multiple ticket booklets, as well as other miscellaneous items.

[0047] The front cover 18 further defines the ticket compartment 70 . The front cover 18 opens and closes the ticket compartment 70 with zipper heads 46 . Two separate zipper heads 46 are used along two separate zipper tracks 50 that cover the right lateral side 89 and the left lateral side 90 . The main body 21 is provided with a handle 44 , as depicted in FIG. 4 . The handle 44 is looped through the zipper ends. The handle 44 allows the drawstring to be looped through the zipper. By pulling on the handle 44 portion of the traffic ticket book holder 10 , the traffic ticket book holder 10 can be closed. The handle 44 is concealed along the area between the upper side 98 and the protective flap 14 when the traffic ticket book holder 10 is in a closed position. The upper side 98 may also be spaced slightly below the upper edges of the right lateral side 89 and the left lateral side 90 and the rear surface 19 . This provides an area to accommodate the handle 44 .

[0048] FIG. 5 depicts a shoulder strap 76 , which has a hook and loop type fastener 78 on an exterior surface that faces the rear surface 19 and releasably attaches with the upper fastener 30 located on the upper portion of the rear surface 19 . The shoulder strap 76 also has a shoulder ring 74 to engage with the shoulder flap of the uniform. The shoulder flap of the uniform is looped through ring 74 and is buttoned to the uniform in the usual manner. By clasping the shoulder strap 76 to the shoulder flap of the uniform in this manner, the traffic ticket book holder 10 is prevented from sliding along the arm of the officer. The shoulder strap 76 and the opposing hook and loop fasteners 78 and 30 can be of any size depending on a predetermined load to remove the traffic ticket book holder 10 from the opposing hook and loop fasteners 78 and 30 . The shoulder strap 76 may optionally be left on the uniform when the traffic ticket book holder 10 is not in use or when the uniform is being laundered. The shoulder ring 74 retains the shoulder strap 76 on the shoulder flap to prevent any sliding along the shoulder flap.

[0049] FIG. 6 also discloses the shoulder strap 76 and an armband 82 on the arm of the officer, with the traffic ticket book holder 10 attached in a closed position. The flexible armband 82 is fitted around the arm of the officer and is independent of the traffic ticket book holder 10 .

[0050] Nearly all law enforcement paramedic and military uniforms, have shoulder flaps located on the opposing shoulders of their uniform. The officer's police number can be placed here or it can be used to display any recognition or awards. One feature of the traffic ticket book holder 10 is that it attaches to the shoulder flap while still allowing the shoulder flap to be used in the usual manner. By utilizing the shoulder flap, the traffic ticket book holder 10 is secured to an officer's arm, thus freeing up the officer's hands and preventing the traffic ticket book holder 10 from sliding down the arm of the officer.

[0051] When the officer desires access to the contents of the traffic ticket book holder 10 , he or she simply unlatches the snap clip 16 and pulls the traffic ticket book holder 10 away from his or her arm. The upper rear fastener 30 and the lower rear fastener 34 then detach from the opposing hook and loop fastener 78 .

[0052] As can be seen in FIG. 6 , the traffic ticket book holder 10 is fastened to the upper arm of an officer or user. To reattach the traffic ticket book holder 10 , the officer simply attaches the opposing hook and loop fasteners 78 and the arm fastener 86 with the upper rear fastener 30 . Flexible arm straps 13 are then wrapped around the arm of the user, and the releasable snap portion 12 is once again engaged with the fixed portion of the clip 15 . In this manner, a police officer is able to carry citations with easy access, while also freeing the officer's hands for quick action.

[0053] It is further appreciated that in cold weather, the traffic ticket book holder 10 can be secured to the exterior of a sweater or coat. The arm adjustment piece 11 can be adjusted to accommodate a sweater or jacket. Also law enforcement sweaters and coats typically have a shoulder flap, so the shoulder strap 76 can still be utilized in securing the traffic ticket book holder 10 to an officer's uniform.

[0054] Various materials may be used in the manufacture of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . Any material that is resistant to wear and that can hold up in various weather conditions is preferable. Nylon may be one of many materials used in the manufacture of the traffic ticket book holder 10 .

[0055] In another embodiment, as depicted in FIG. 7 , the traffic ticket book holder 10 is secured to the arm of a user by a single flexible strap 22 . The flexible arm strap 22 is attached to the rear surface 19 and is wrapped around the arm of the officer so as to comfortably secure the traffic ticket book holder 10 . The arm strap 22 has a free end 23 that is fed through a buckle 26 , which is then tightened and folded back and secured with hook and loop fasteners 25 and 27 located near the free end 23 of the arm strap 22 . In this manner, a police officer can release the traffic ticket book holder 10 by pulling on the free end 23 to release the arm strap 22 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that the fixed end of the arm strap 22 can also be attached to the front cover 18 instead of the main body 21 .

[0056] Also in this embodiment, a zipper track 50 runs continuously along the upper side 97 , lateral side 89 , and the bottom side 98 . In this manner, only one zipper head 46 is used to open and gain access to the ticket compartment 70 . It will be appreciated that with this design there is no need for the drawstring 54 or its related parts. In this embodiment, a protective flap 14 is pivotally hinged along the upper edge, where the front cover 18 meets the upper side 97 , so as to shield the outside pocket 24 .

[0057] FIG. 8 depicts another preferred embodiment of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . The front cover 18 has a loop portion of a hook and loop fastener 25 . The arm strap 22 has a hook end of a hook and loop fastener 27 located at the free end of the strap 23 so as to couple with the loop portion of the hook and loop fastener 25 . To remove the traffic ticket book holder 10 , the free end of the strap end 23 is unlatched from the loop portion of the hook and loop fastener 25 and the traffic ticket book holder 10 is detached. For reattachment, the opposing hook and loop fastener 78 and upper rear end fastener 30 are mated and the arm strap 22 is longitudinally wrapped around the arm of the officer and secured to the front cover 18 .

[0058] FIG. 9 is a rear view of another embodiment of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . This embodiment is different from the previous embodiments in that the arm strap 22 is secured to the rear surface 19 of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . Additionally, the first end 28 of the arm strap 22 is partially exposed with a hook and loop fastener 25 to act as a latching tab with the strap fastener 27 of the free end of the strap 23 . Once again a lower fastener may be placed below the arm strap 22 on the rear surface 19 . In this manner, the arm strap 22 does not wrap around or attach to the front cover 18 . The traffic ticket book holder 10 is secured to the user's arm but also allows access to the contents in the ticket compartment 70 , without having to remove the traffic ticket book holder 10 from the officer's or user's arm.

[0059] FIG. 10 discloses another embodiment of the shoulder strap 76 . In this embodiment, the shoulder strap 76 substantially extends the length and width of the rear surface 19 . Likewise, the opposing hook and loop fastener 78 extends substantially over the exposed surface of the opposing hook and loop fastener 78 . However, the opposing hook and loop fastener 78 may optionally extend along portions of the surface of the shoulder strap 76 . With the upper rear fastener 30 of the traffic ticket book holder 10 substantially extending over the rear surface 19 , the traffic ticket book holder 10 will be secured when attached to the shoulder strap 76 . Thus the holder strap 71 may optionally be omitted. The shoulder strap 76 may be made of slightly more rigid material to further prevent unwanted movement of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . At the upper section of the shoulder strap 73 is a section of soft material to conform to the contour of the shoulder of the officer for additional comfort.

[0060] There is also an arm tab 79 that has a tab fastener 75 that releasably mates with the free end fastener 77 of the arm strap 72 . The arm strap 72 has an arm fastener 86 rigidly secured along the edge of the right shoulder 83 . The arm strap 72 wraps around the upper arm of the officer to secure the shoulder strap 76 to the arm. The holder strap 71 wraps around the traffic ticket book holder 10 to prevent dislodging from the attached position. The holder strap 71 is releasably secured to holder tab 81 via holder tab fastener 80 and holder tab fastener 84 .

[0061] FIG. 11 discloses another embodiment of the shoulder strap 76 in FIG. 10 , with another embodiment of the traffic ticket book holder 10 in a closed position. The shoulder strap 76 affords the ability of access to the ticket compartment 70 without removing the traffic ticket book holder 10 . To remove the traffic ticket book holder 10 , the holder strap 71 is unlatched from the holder tab fastener 80 and the traffic ticket book holder 10 is pulled away from the shoulder strap 76 .

[0062] The traffic ticket book holder 10 has access to the ticket compartment 70 along the upper end of the traffic ticket book holder 10 . The front cover 18 is rigidly secured to and is part of the main body 21 . The upper side 97 is now opened to allow access to the ticket compartment 70 with no zippers being utilized. Instead, the protective flap 14 is the sole mechanism to open and close the ticket compartment 70 .

[0063] The traffic ticket book holder 10 can be used by other professionals such as security guards, military personnel and firefighters. The traffic ticket book holder 10 need not be solely used for tickets. For example, the traffic ticket book holder 10 can be used to carry a two-way radio or a homing device to track the position of an individual. This may be advantageous when entering a building and getting the position of military personnel in a battle zone or maneuvers out in the field.

[0064] It can be appreciated to one skilled in the related art that the traffic ticket book holder 10 may be secured to the arm of the police officer in many different ways and have the armbands secured in various places using various methods. Fastening the shoulder flap of a user's uniform may be accomplished using various devices and methods. For example, instead of the shoulder ring 74 , the shoulder strap 76 could have a hole (not shown) to loop the shoulder flap through to attach to the uniform and utilize a releasable buckle (not shown) to secure the traffic ticket book holder 10 instead of hook and loop type fasteners. Also the traffic ticket book holder 10 may have only one zipper head 46 for opening the ticket compartment 70 . The traffic ticket book holder 10 could also be designed in various ways. This and other variations of the invention are within the scope of the present invention.

[0065] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.