Patent Grant
11602201
The present description relates generally to securement of wearable devices, and, more particularly, to an elastic monolithic band for an electronic device, the band being capable of stretching sufficiently to fit over a user's body part, and contracting to securely fit on the user's body part.
Some electronic devices may be removably attached to a user. For example, electronic devices may be attached to a band which may be removably worn on a leg, a head, a chest or rib-cage, or any other specific part of the user's body depending on a function of the electronic device. In general, a wristwatch or fitness/health tracking device can be attached to a user's wrist by joining free ends of a band of the wristwatch or fitness/health tracking device together. In many cases, watch bands may have limited fit adjustment increments available. For example, some bands have an incrementally user-adjustable size (e.g., a buckling clasp, pin and eyelet, etc.) whereas other bands have a substantially fixed size, adjustable only with specialized tools and/or expertise (e.g., folding clasp, deployment clasp, snap-fit clasp, etc.). Other bands may be elastic expansion-type bands that stretch to fit around a user's wrist, e.g., flexible bands including buckles, or metal bands including metal clasps. The degree of comfort and securement of the electronic device can depend on the function and arrangement of the watch band. However, conventional bands can have negative aspects and can undesirably fail prior to the failure of the wearable electronic device.
Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purpose of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following figures.
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of various implementations and is not intended to represent the only implementations in which the subject technology may be practiced. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described implementations may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.
An electronic device, such as a wristwatch or fitness/health tracking device, can be attached to a user's wrist by a watch band. Conventional elastic bands can lose elastic properties over time and can become too big for a user's wrist. Other materials forming the flexible bands can tear or deteriorate over time due to forces applied at the hole of the flexible band by a tongue of a buckle. Metal bands including a metal clasp can include multiple components all coupled together, which can fail, become uncoupled, or otherwise malfunction over time. When a conventional wearable band fails and/or is incapable of securely attaching the electronic device to a user's wrist, the band needs to be replaced and/or the wearable electronic device can be susceptible to damage. Furthermore, when a conventional wearable band fails and/or is incapable of securely attaching the electronic device to a user's wrist.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to providing a monolithic or one-piece wearable band for electronic devices, which is configured to maintain a secure attachment to the wrist so that the electronic device does not shift excessively or slip off of the user. Securement of the electronic device against the user can also be important for the function of electronic magnets, such as biometric sensors. Additionally, it can be desirable to maximize the comfort of the user while wearing the electronic device. Often, a secure attachment can apply an undesirable amount of force on the wrist of the user. In many cases, conventional watch bands may catch, pinch, or pull a user's hair or skin during use if the band is overly tight. In other cases, watch bands may slide along a user's wrist, turn about a user's wrist, or may be otherwise uncomfortable or bothersome to a user if the band is overly loose. These problems can be exacerbated during periods of heightened physical activity, such as while running or playing sports.
Furthermore, adjusting the size or fit of conventional watch bands often requires multiple steps, specialized tools, and/or technical expertise. Sizing options available to a user may be insufficient to obtain a proper fit. The fit may be different and/or may be perceived to be different given certain environmental (e.g. temperature, humidity) or biological conditions (e.g., sweat, inflammation). As a result, users of conventional wristwatches and/or fitness/health tracking devices may select a tolerable (although not optimally comfortable) fit, reserving tight bands for fitness/health tracking devices and loose bands for conventional wristwatches. However, some wearable electronic devices may be multi-purpose devices, providing both fitness/health tracking and timekeeping functionality. Accordingly, the various embodiments of the present disclosure provide watch bands having a closed loop/monolithic/one-piece configuration which are capable of being elastically stretched to fit over a user's hand and contractible to comfortably and securely fit over the user's wrist to maintain contact with the fitness/health tracking sensors, without being overly tight.
Additionally, it may be desirable to provide a closed loop/monolithic/one-piece watch band formed of highly elastic materials and mechanical designs to enable a targeted extension force profile. For example, the closed loop/monolithic/one-piece watch band of the various embodiments described herein may be designed or otherwise configured to maintain a stress of the single-piece watch band body in the stretched mode substantially constant against a variation in strain of the closed loop/monolithic/one-piece watch body.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide closed-loop watch bands formed of monolithic materials developed to meet a high extension to enable installation of the watch without detaching the band while contracting to a low constant force for long term wearing. For example, specific monolithic materials may be selected and a surface area of the monolithic materials may be modified such as by creating pores in the monolithic materials. This modification may thereby reduce the amount of force exerted by the watch band on the user's wrist as compared to conventional material, while still providing secure attachment to the user. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide ease of watch installation by a user as well as secure fitting to avoid looseness in fit of the watch under external forces.
According to some embodiments, a one-piece watch band may include multiple different materials combined together so as to provide the targeted extension force profile. For example, various materials having different properties may be combined or layered to produce a continuous closed loop body favoring high extension in some areas, and higher strength and stiffness in other areas. The aforementioned configuration advantageously allows for extension of the one-piece watch band during installation over the hand, while also allowing contraction of the one-piece watch band to the lower force for long-term secure and comfortable wearing on the user's wrist without being overly tight.
According to some embodiments, a one-piece watch band may include an internal mechanical structure, for example an auxetic structure or material configured to unfold and/or collapse at a designed force in order to maintain a substantially constant low force profile during extension of the one-piece watch band.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are thus directed to providing teaching of a monolithic or one-piece watch band without a clasp or other separate length adjustment and/or securement mechanism whereby the band is formed of a material capable of being stretched and deformed to a strain of up to 75% to fit over a user's hand, and contractible back to a strain of between 1-5% for comfortable wearing, without plastically deforming.
These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to
Referring to
As shown in
Referring now to
As illustrated by the line labeled “designed material,” the various embodiments of monolithic materials, and one-piece composites and structures as shall be described in further detail below with regards to
As depicted in
In accordance with some embodiments, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may be a material selected from the group consisting of at least one of elastomers, silicones, fluorosilicones, urethanes, synthetic thermosets, and any combination thereof. However, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned materials, but may apply to any material capable of achieving the desired extension force profile. In some embodiments, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may have a hardness of at least 14A shore, for example the hardness may range from about 14A shore to about 20A shore to maintain the desired force profile. In other embodiments, however, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may have a hardness of greater than 20A shore to maintain the desired force profile. In some embodiments, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may have a Young's Modulus ranging from about 0.1 Megapascals to about 2.0 Megapascals, and in some specific embodiments, ranging from about 0.1 Megapascals to about 1.0 Megapascals to maintain the desired force profile.
As previously described, a lower force exerted by the user would accordingly correspond to a lower force exerted back on the user by the band in an effort to revert back to the band's non-deformed state. Advantageously, the aforementioned configuration, similar to that of the monolithic watch band body 108A and the porous foam-like monolithic watch band 108B discussed above, allows for the composite material elastic watch bands 108C and 108G to exert a force that is sufficient to secure the band on the user's wrist when in the contracted, fitted mode, without being overly too tight. As such, the composite material elastic watch bands 108C, 108G may stretch more at the locations of the less stiffer and less rigid of the materials 122 and 124, and advantageously provider a lower constant force profile than that achievable using just the stiffer or more rigid one of the materials 122, 124. Accordingly, the amount of force necessary to slide the one-piece composite material elastic watch band 108C, 108G over the user's hand, and to contract the watch band 108C, 108G back to the fitted mode may be reduced.
As defined herein hinges 113 of the auxetic material refer to joints that attach the cells 121 together while allowing for limited movement between the cells 121. In particular, when the one-piece support structure 108D is stretched, the hinge-like features collapse as indicated by the arrows in
In accordance with some embodiments, a layer of skin 112 may be coated or otherwise formed overlaying the one-piece support structure 108D. The skin 112 may be a thin coating material or jacket formed so as to prevent interference or inhibiting of the auxetic properties of the one-piece support structure 108D. The skin 112 may be formed having a proximal end and a distal end corresponding to the proximal and distal ends of the one-piece support structure for coupling to the watch housing.
In accordance with some embodiments, the elastic material of the one-piece watch bands 108C-108F may be a material selected from the group consisting of at least one of elastomers, silicones, fluorosilicones, urethanes, synthetic thermosets, and any combination thereof. However, the various embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the aforementioned materials, but may apply to any material capable of achieving the desired extension force profile. In some embodiments, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may have a hardness of at least 14A shore, for example the hardness may range from about 14A shore to about 20A shore to maintain the desired force profile. In other embodiments, however, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may have a hardness of greater than 20A shore to maintain the desired force profile. In some embodiments, the elastic material of the monolithic watch band body 108A may have a Young's Modulus ranging from about 0.1 Megapascals to about 2.0 Megapascals, and in some specific embodiments, ranging from about 0.1 Megapascals to about 1.0 Megapascals to maintain the desired force profile.
A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean one and only one unless specifically so stated, but rather one or more. For example, “a” module may refer to one or more modules. An element proceeded by “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional same elements.
Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and do not limit the invention. The word exemplary is used to mean serving as an example or illustration. To the extent that the terms include have, or the like is used, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term comprise as comprise is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions.
Phrases such as an aspect, the aspect, another aspect, some aspects, one or more aspects, an implementation, the implementation, another implementation, some implementations, one or more implementations, an embodiment, the embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, a configuration, the configuration, another configuration, some configurations, one or more configurations, the subject technology, the disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof and alike are for convenience and do not imply that a disclosure relating to such phrase(s) is essential to the subject technology or that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may apply to all configurations, or one or more configurations. A disclosure relating to such phrase(s) may provide one or more examples. A phrase such as an aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to other foregoing phrases.
A phrase “at least one of” preceding a series of items, with the terms “and” or “or” to separate any of the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list. The phrase “at least one of” does not require selection of at least one item; rather, the phrase allows a meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one of each of the items. By way of example, each of the phrases “at least one of A, B, and C” or “at least one of A, B, or C” refers to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at least one of each of A, B, and C.
It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations, or processes disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations, or processes may be performed in different order. Some of the steps, operations, or processes may be performed simultaneously. The accompanying method claims, if any, present elements of the various steps, operations or processes in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented. These may be performed in serial, linearly, in parallel or in different order. It should be understood that the described instructions, operations, and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software/hardware product or packaged into multiple software/hardware products.
In one aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being directly coupled. In another aspect, a term coupled or the like may refer to being indirectly coupled.
Terms such as top, bottom, front, rear, side, horizontal, vertical, and the like refer to an arbitrary frame of reference, rather than to the ordinary gravitational frame of reference. Thus, such a term may extend upwardly, downwardly, diagonally, or horizontally in a gravitational frame of reference.
The disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. In some instances, well-known structures and magnets are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the concepts of the subject technology. The disclosure provides various examples of the subject technology, and the subject technology is not limited to these examples. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the principles described herein may be applied to other aspects.
All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout the disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for”.
The title, background, brief description of the drawings, abstract, and drawings are hereby incorporated into the disclosure and are provided as illustrative examples of the disclosure, not as restrictive descriptions. It is submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the detailed description, it can be seen that the description provides illustrative examples and the various features are grouped together in various implementations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed configuration or operation. The claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects described herein, but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims and to encompass all legal equivalents. Notwithstanding, none of the claims are intended to embrace subject matter that fails to satisfy the requirements of the applicable patent law, nor should they be interpreted in such a way.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/729,954, entitled “HIGHLY ELASTIC COMPOSITES AND CONSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTINUOUS WATCH BAND DESIGN,” filed Sep. 11, 2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2270216 | Marwil | Jan 1942 | A |
| 2338332 | Jaten | Jan 1944 | A |
| 3063058 | Vollet | Nov 1962 | A |
| 5038718 | Pfleger | Aug 1991 | A |
| 5054433 | Pfleger | Oct 1991 | A |
| 10455906 | Wu et al. | Oct 2019 | B1 |
| 20100300146 | Klecka | Dec 2010 | A1 |
| 20190283309 | Kato | Sep 2019 | A1 |
| 20200121036 | Takasawa | Apr 2020 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62729954 | Sep 2018 | US |
