Patent Grant
9357817
Activity monitors have become popular as a tool for promoting exercise and a healthy lifestyle. In addition to keeping time, an activity monitor can include a wide variety of devices for providing biometric information, such as for example a pulse monitor for monitoring heart rate, and an accelerometer which can measure motions such as steps taken while walking or running to provide an estimate of an amount of calories used. Moreover, user-specific information such as age, gender, height and weight can be used to tailor the estimate to the user. Such monitors can be worn on the wrist or arm, for instance. The monitor can be worn during an intended workout period or as a general, all day, free living monitor, where the user may perform specific exercises at some times while going about their daily activities at other times, e.g., including sitting, standing and sleeping.
A typical monitor may be affixed to a wrist or arm with a pair of straps which fold around the wrist or arm, and then affix to each other with a clasp having mating portions on the respective straps. Often, a first strap will have holes along at least a portion of the length of the strap, and the second strap will have a pin which mates in one of the holes of the first strap. The straps may be adjusted for wrists and arms of different sizes by choosing to mate the pin within the appropriate hole along the length of the first strap.
It is known to provide detachable straps on these monitors. In one example, the monitor and strap may have a slot and mounting pin arrangement, for example with a mounting pin on the strap seated within a slot on the monitor. To detach the strap, the strap slides laterally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the device to remove the mounting pin from the slot.
One drawback to such a conventional pin and slot arrangement is that the strap may unintentionally slide laterally with respect to the monitor, for example when the wearer is exercising or the monitor is otherwise jolted. This can result in unintentional separation of the strap from the monitor and the device falling off the wearer's wrist.
Embodiments of the present technology relate to a device worn on a wrist or other body part and including a central piece fastened in place by a pair of straps. The straps fold around a wearer's wrist or other body part and may be fastened together with a clasp. The straps are removable and reversible. That is, each strap includes first and second surfaces, either one may be affixed to the central piece to face outward, away from the wrist.
Each strap further includes a proximal end which attaches to the central piece and a distal end opposite the proximal end. The proximal end of the strap includes a mounting pin, for sliding into and out of a slot on the central piece, and a positioning curve. The positioning curve is a concave curve formed in the proximal end of each strap, which mates with a correspondingly shaped convex receiving curve on the central piece when the strap is properly affixed and centered on the central piece. When properly affixed and centered on the central piece, the positioning curve on the strap aligns with the receiving curve of the central piece, so that the positioning and receiving curves are at their lowest energy state.
When a strap is pushed from a centered position laterally transverse the longitudinal axis, the positioning curve on the strap will no longer align properly with the receiving curve on the central piece, and the positioning curve of the strap will no longer be in its lowest energy state. The positioning curve gravitates toward its lowest energy state, and will resist moving laterally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the device out of its properly aligned and centered position.
In an example, present technology relates to a device for wearing on a body part, the device having a longitudinal axis the device comprising: a central piece including a slot transverse to the longitudinal axis and a first curved surface; and a strap removably connecting to the central piece, the strap including a mounting pin removably mating within the slot of the central piece and a second curved surface removably mating with the first curved surface.
In a further example, the present technology relates to a device for wearing on a body part, the device having a longitudinal axis the device comprising: a central piece including a slot transverse to the longitudinal axis and a first curved surface; and a strap removably connecting to the central piece, the strap including a mounting pin removably mating within the slot of the central piece and a second curved surface removably mating with the first curved surface, the second curved surface deforming upon engaging the strap with the central piece and disengaging the strap from the central piece.
In another example, the present technology relates to a method for positioning a removable strap on a central piece in a device including the removable strap and central piece, the device having a longitudinal axis the device comprising: (a) forming a slot in the central piece transverse to the longitudinal axis; (b) forming a first curved surface in the central piece adjacent the slot; (c) forming a mounting pin on the strap; (d) forming a second curved surface in the strap adjacent the mounting pin; and (e) configuring the second curved surface to deform when the mounting pin is affixed in the slot and when the mounting pin is separated from the slot, the second curved surface deforming due to misalignment of points of contact along the first and second curved surfaces.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The present technology will now be described with reference to
The terms “top” and “bottom,” “upper” and “lower,” and “vertical” and “horizontal” and “front” and “back” as may be used herein are by way of example and illustrative purposes only, and are not meant to limit the description of the invention inasmuch as the referenced item can be exchanged in position and orientation. Also, as used herein, the terms “substantially” and/or “about” mean that the specified dimension or parameter may be varied within an acceptable manufacturing tolerance for a given application. In one embodiment, the acceptable manufacturing tolerance is ±0.25%.
Referring initially to the perspective, front and side views of
The type and function of central piece 104 are not critical to the operation of embodiments of the present invention, but may for example be any of various monitors such as a watch, timer, pulse monitor, pedometer or other accelerometer, calorie counter, smart phone, video phone, digital assistant, digital display and/or calculator. In further embodiments, central piece 104 need not be a monitor or functioning device. It may for example alternatively be part of a bracelet or jewelry provided for aesthetic value.
The straps 106 and 108 may be formed of a variety of flexible materials including for example polyurethane and/or silicone. Other rubbers, plastics, elastomers and materials are contemplated. In embodiments, the straps 106 and 108 may be formed of a combination of silicone and nylon. The nylon may be used for more rigid portions of the straps, such as for example the mounting pin 120 described below, and silicone may be used for the more flexible portions, such as the positioning curve 124 and remainder of the strap. In such an embodiment, the nylon and silicone may be co-molded together, with the nylon extending down into a portion of the straps formed by silicone.
As explained below, the positioning curves 124 need to be a little flexible to allow deformation of the positioning curves when a strap is slid onto or off the central piece, but not too flexible such that sliding and separation of the straps from the central piece occurs too easily. In one example, the positioning curves 124 and other portions of the strap may have a stiffness (durometer measurement) of 85. The stiffness may be higher or lower than 85 in further embodiments.
As described below, straps 106 and 108 may be removable and reversible. That is, one or both straps 106, 108 may be removed from the central piece 104, flipped over and reattached to the central piece 104.
In embodiments, strap 106 may include a number of fastening holes spaced along its length, or a number of pairs of laterally aligned fastening holes spaced along its length. These fastening holes/hole pairs are provided for receiving a pin/pair of pins from a pin plate 110 mounted on strap 108. Other techniques may be used to affix the straps 106, 108 to each other around a wearer's wrist or other body part.
Although not critical to the present technology, in embodiments, the strap 106 may have a length of 105 mm, a width of 28 mm and a thickness of between 1 and 2 mm. The thickness of strap 106 may increase to approximately 6.85 mm at a proximal end of strap 106, due to the presence of the positioning curves at both the first and second surfaces of the strap 106 as explained below. It is understood that the length, width and/or thickness of strap 106 may be larger or smaller than that in further embodiments. Strap 108 may be formed of the same material as strap 106, and with the same width and thickness as strap 106. In embodiments, strap 108 may have a length of 90.5 mm, though the length may be greater or lesser than this in further embodiments.
Both straps 106, 108 may have proximal ends removably affixed to the central piece as explained below, and distal ends opposite the proximal ends. The strap 108 may include one or more holes at its distal end for receiving a pin plate 110. When worn by a user, the pin plate 110 may be affixed to strap 108 so that pins on the pin plate extend through strap 106 (toward the skin of the user) to fix the device 100 to the wrist or other body part of the user. The pin plate 110 may be reversible. That is, it may be mounted on either surface of strap 108, depending on which surface of the strap 108 is facing outward away from a user's wrist.
Referring now to the top view of
Referring initially to the front perspective, rear perspective and side views of
The central piece 104 further includes first and second pairs of curved surfaces 118 adjacent slots 116 at the opposed sides of the central piece 104. The curved surfaces 118 are referred to herein as “receiving curves.” In one embodiment, receiving curves 118 are convex and have a radius of curvature of 103.35 mm. It is understood that the radius of curvature of receiving curves 118 may be larger or smaller than that in further embodiments. In embodiments, all receiving curves have the same radius of curvature, but it is conceivable that the radius of curvature of different receiving curves 118 on the central piece 104 be different from each other.
Each receiving curve 118 in a pair of receiving curves is positioned on different sides of the slot 116. As explained below, the strap 106 includes a pair of positioning curves at the proximal end of the strap, one receiving curve at a first surface and one receiving curve at a second surface. When the strap 106 is affixed to the central piece 104, one positioning curve will engage one of the receiving curves on a first side of slot 116 as explained below, and the other positioning curve will engage the other receiving curve of the pair on the second side of the slot 116.
While the discussion that follows may discuss one positioning curve in contact with one receiving curve, it is understood that the same contact may be taking place between the second positioning curve at the opposite surface of the strap 106 and second receiving curve at the opposite side of the slot 116. However, in a further embodiment, it is conceivable that the strap 106 may include positioning curves at both surfaces (so as to be reversible), but that the central piece 104 only include a single receiving curve adjacent the slot 116. In a still further embodiment, the strap 106 may not be reversible, in which case there may be a single positioning curve at the proximal end of strap 106 which mates with a single receiving curve at a slot 116.
Referring now to the perspective and side views shown in
The diameter of mounting pin 120 may be slightly smaller than that of the enlarged portion 116a of slot 116. To provide a snug fit, mounting pin may include a number of bosses 128 having a slightly larger diameter than the remaining portions of mounting pin 120. In one embodiment, the bosses 128 may be spaced approximately 6 mm from each other and have a width of 0.6 mm. Moreover, in embodiments, mounting pin 120 may have a diameter of 3.3 mm, and the bosses 128 may have a diameter of 3.6 mm (so that the bosses extend 0.15 mm above the remaining portions of mounting pin 120). It is understood at these numbers are by way of example only, and may vary in further embodiments. In this example, the enlarged portion 116a of slot 116 may have a diameter of approximately 3.6 mm.
Strap 106 further includes a pair of curved surfaces 124, referred to herein as “positioning curves” 124, adjacent the mounting pin 120 at the proximal end of strap 106. One such positioning curve 124 is positioned at each of the opposed surfaces of the strap 106. In embodiments, the positioning curves 124 are concave and match the shape and radius of curvature of the receiving curves 118. As noted above with respect to the receiving curves, in one example, the positioning curves 124 may have a radius of curvature of 103.35 mm. It is understood at the radius of curvature of positioning curves 124 may be larger or smaller than that in further embodiments.
If the mounting pin 120 and slot 116 had the same radius of curvature as the receiving and positioning curves 118, 124, the strap 106 could be easily affixed to the central piece 104 by rotating the mounting pin 120 and positioning curve 124 into the slot along the radius of curvature. This would allow for easy affixation, but would suffer the disadvantage described in the Background section that the strap may be easily dislodged from the central piece.
However, mounting pin 120 and slot 116 in embodiments do not have the same radius of curvature as positioning curves 124 and receiving curves 118. As noted above and as shown in the top view of
As such, referring now
As can be seen from
Referring now to
While the above examples of
As the bosses 128 lie in engagement with the slot 116, forces of friction will oppose lateral movement of the mounting pin 120 once it is engaged within the slot 116. However, the aligned and mating positioning and receiving curves according to the present technology require additional forces be exerted to move the strap 106 out of a centered position with respect to the central piece 104. Moreover, when sliding a strap 106 onto the central piece 104, the mating alignment of the positioning and receiving curves when the strap is properly positioned provide a tactile catch, i.e., a satisfying tactile indicator, that the strap 106 is in its proper centered position.
Embodiments of the present technology have been described with the mounting pin 120 formed on the straps 106, 108, and the slot 116 formed in the central piece 104. However, in an alternative embodiment, the mounting pin 120 may be formed on the central piece 104, and the slot 116 may be formed in the proximal ends of the straps 106, 108. It is conceivable that the proximal end of strap 106 have a mounting pin 120, and the proximal end of strap 108 have a slot 116, or vice versa.
Similarly, embodiments of the present technology have been described with the proximal end of straps 106, 108 having a concave curve and the central piece 104 having a convex curve. However, in an alternative embodiment, the proximal ends of straps 106, 108 may have a convex curve and the central piece 104 may have a concave curve. It is conceivable that the proximal end of strap 106 has a concave positioning curve, and that the proximal end of strap 108 has a convex positioning curve, or vice versa, which mate with corresponding receiving curves on opposite sides of the central piece 104.
The foregoing detailed description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140083133 A1 | Mar 2014 | US |
