Patent Application
20050095899
This invention relates generally to portable terminals and more specifically, to wearable, portable and/or mobile terminals and peripherals for wireless communication systems.
Wearable, portable and/or mobile terminals are used for a wide variety of tasks. Such terminals allow a worker using them to have mobility, while providing them with desirable computing and data-processing functions. Furthermore, various terminals provide a communication link to a larger, more centralized computer system. Such terminals are being implemented for an ever-increasing number of tasks.
One illustrative example of a specific use for a wearable or portable terminal is inventory management. Computerized inventory management systems are used in inventory-driven industries for various tasks, such as food and retail product distribution, manufacturing, and quality control. An overall integrated inventory management system involves a combination of a central computer system for tracking and management, and the people who use and interface with the computer system in the form of order fillers, pickers and other workers. The workers handle the manual aspects of the integrated management system.
To provide an interface between the central computer system and the workers, wearable or portable computers or terminals are used by the workers as they complete their numerous tasks. Such wearable terminals, for example, pull information directly from the central system and translate the information into voice or text commands for the workers. Through wireless radiofrequency (RF) networks, the commands to and responses from the workers are communicated between the system and the terminals. To communicate in a voice-driven system, for example, the worker wears a headset, which is coupled to their wearable terminal. Through the headset, the workers are able to receive voice instructions, ask questions, report the progress of their tasks, and report working conditions, such as inventory shortages, for example. Using such terminals, the work is done virtually hands-free without equipment to juggle or paperwork to carry around.
In addition to headsets, other peripherals are often coupled to the terminals depending upon the tasks to be performed. For example, bar code readers and other scanners may be utilized alone or in combination with a headset to communicate back and forth with the system.
An illustrative example of a job through a system utilizing wearable and/or portable terminals having voice capabilities may involve initially welcoming the worker to the system and defining a particular task or order, for example, a load to be filled for a certain truck to depart from a warehouse. The worker may then answer with a particular area (e.g., freezer) that they will be working in for that order. The system then vocally directs the worker to a particular aisle and bin to pick a particular quantity of an item. The worker then vocally confirms their location and the amount of items that are picked. The system may then direct them to a loading dock or bay for a particular truck to receive the order. As may be appreciated, various different scenarios might be played out through the system using a wearable terminal and attached peripherals.
The peripherals, such as a headset, are attached to a terminal with a cord, which extends generally from the terminal (typically worn on a belt) to the head of the worker where the headset is located. As may be appreciated, the workers are moving rapidly around their work area and are often jumping on and off forklifts, pallet loaders, and other equipment. Therefore, there is a possibility for a cord to get caught on some object, such as a forklift. When this occurs, the cord will tend to want to separate either from the headset or from the terminal. Generally, the cords are permanently attached to a headset and each worker maintains their own headset (e.g. for individual responsibility and/or hygiene purposes). The cords are then plugged into the terminals, therefore the separation will generally occur at the terminal socket.
Attempts have been made to appropriately handle a snagged cord and cord separation. However, there are competing issues that must be addressed. When the cord plug is strongly secured to the terminal socket, a snagged cord may pull the socket out of the terminal housing. This may render the terminal inoperable and require repair or replacement. However, strengthening the anchoring point of the socket in the terminal may lead to cords pulling away from their plug, thus rendering the headset unusable. Making the cord more securely attached with its plug, making the terminal socket securely anchored in the terminal housing, and then providing a secure coupling between the plug and the socket, however, may prevent separation but may leave the cord susceptible to catching on surrounding objects resulting in damage to the cord and/or the plug.
Therefore, it is desirable to improve upon the conventional wearable terminals used in an environment where peripherals and their cords are susceptible to snagging.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention.
Although the invention will be described next in relation to certain embodiments, the invention is not limited to practice in any one specific type of portable or wearable terminal. It is contemplated that the principles of the invention can be used with a variety of electronic devices, including but not limited to wearable, portable and/or mobile terminals for use with inventory systems. The description of the invention is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalent arrangements as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In particular, those skilled in the art will recognize that the components of the invention described herein could be arranged in multiple different ways.
Referring to
The peripheral device 16 is adapted with a transducer that generates a signal in response to a suitable input, such as voice input, from the worker 11 and the cord 18 electrically couples the peripheral device 16 with the wearable terminal 10 for transferring the signal from peripheral device 16 to the wearable terminal 10. The central computer system 13 constitutes part of a larger system for sending and receiving information regarding the activities and tasks to be performed by the worker 11. The central computer system 13 may run one or more system software packages for handling a particular task, such as inventory and warehouse management. The peripheral device 16 may also include another transducer that translates information received from the computer system 13 into a format understood aurally by the worker 11.
In a certain environments in which inventories are managed, the cord 18 connecting the peripheral 16 with the terminal 10 may become snagged or entangled, such as on shelving structures or equipment, for example, used to transport the items collected from the inventory. Therefore, it is desirable to have connector 12 which provides a secure electrical connection between cord 18 and terminal 10, but which will break away at a specified break-away force whereby the connector 12 becomes uncoupled or disconnected from the terminal 10 to prevent damage to the terminal 10, peripheral 16 or cord 18.
Individual conductors 30 of the multi-conductor cord 18 are separated within the plug housing 24 and are electrically coupled with respective electrical contacts 32. In the exemplary plug portion 20 shown, the electrical contacts 32 are retractable contacts, such as pogo pin contacts. The contacts 32 protrude through apertures 34 provided in a mating surface 36 of the plug portion 20. The contacts 32 have respective biasing members or springs 38 that bias the pins 32 in a direction toward the mating surface 36, and which also permit the contacts 32 to be displaced such that they are substantially flush with the mating surface 36 when the plug portion 20 couples with the terminal portion.
Each contact 32 is provided with an insert 42, such as a solder cup, that is press-fit into a corresponding cavity 41 provided in the plug housing 24. Each spring 38 is compressed between the insert 42 and a frustoconical portion 43 of the respective contact 32. The insert 42 also electrically couples each conductor 30 of the multi-conductor cord 18 with a corresponding one of the electrical contacts 32. The insert 42 operates to seal off the junction between each conductor 30 and the corresponding contact 32 from moisture infiltrating about the contact 32 into the associated cavity 41.
When the wearable terminal 10 is used in alternatingly warm, humid environments, such as a warehouse or the outdoors, and cold, dry environments, such as a storage freezer, there may be a tendency for the condensation which develops on the connector 12 to freeze, potentially interfering with the electrical contacts. Advantageously, the spring force of the springs 38 on contacts 32 may be selected such that the spring force will break off any ice which may have formed over the contacts 32, when the connector portions are uncoupled and the contacts 32 are moved toward their extended positions by springs 38.
With continued reference to
The first and second engagement claws 44, 46 have angled surfaces 56, 58, respectively, which facilitate coupling the plug portion 20 with the terminal portion 22. The second engagement claw 46 on lever arm 48 has a leading edge 60 which is angled to facilitate coupling the plug portion 20 with the terminal portion 22, whereby contact between leading edge 60 and the second engagement lip 78 urges lever arm 48 from the first position toward the second position, against the opposing bias force created by spring 52. In an exemplary embodiment, leading edge 60 is angled approximately 111° from a surface parallel to the angled surface 58 of second engagement claw 46, as depicted in
With continued reference to
As shown in
As shown in
Advantageously, the angled surfaces 56, 58, 80, 82 on the first and second engagement claws 44, 46 and on the corresponding first and second engagement lips 76, 78 act in cooperation with the spring 52 on the plug portion 20 to allow the plug portion 20 to break away from the terminal portion 22 when force of a specific magnitude is applied to the plug portion 20. This force may be applied to the plug portion 20 through the cord 18 connected to the plug housing 24, such as when the cord 18 becomes snagged on an object or machine. Accordingly, the angled surfaces 56, 58, 80, 82 on the first and second engagement claws 44, 46 and the first and second engagement lips 76, 78 may be selected, in conjunction with a given spring constant of the spring 52 on the plug housing 24 to permit the plug portion 20 to break away from the terminal portion 22 at a predetermined break-away force. This break-away force may be applied to the plug portion 20 in any direction, such as normal to the mating surface 36, tangential to the mating surface 36, or generally any angular direction therebetween.
When the force applied to plug portion 20 reaches the predetermined break-away force value, lever arm 48 is caused to rotate about pin 50 toward the second position, whereby plug portion 20 may become uncoupled from terminal portion 22. The relationship between the angled surfaces 58, 82 is such that the relative length dimensions of corresponding surfaces 58 and 82 determine the amount of rotation of lever arm 48 about pin 50 against the force created by the accompanying compression of spring 52.
Advantageously, the break-away force may be specified such that the plug connector portion 20 will remain coupled to the terminal portion 22 during normal operation of the terminal 10, but permits the plug portion 20 to uncouple from the terminal portion 22 when the force applied to the plug portion 20 through the cord 18 reaches the specified break-away force to thereby prevent damage to the electrical connector 12, or to prevent hindering the user of terminal 10. For example, the orientation of the angled surfaces 56, 58, 80, 82 and the spring constant of spring 52 may be selected such that the break-away force is approximately equal to a force at which cord 18 has been rated to operate without sustaining damage, multiplied by a design factor.
Generally, the force for which the cord 18 is rated to operate without sustaining damage is specified by the manufacturer of the cord. The design factor generally has a value less than 1 and is applied to the rated force to account for variations in material properties, the number of loadings which may be experienced by the cord, the durability of the cord over time, and other considerations which add uncertainty to the determination of a proper rating for the cord. In an exemplary embodiment, cord 18 is rated for about 40 pounds and the design factor is selected to range from about 0.25 to about 0.33, whereby the desired break-away force is about 10 pounds.
With reference to
The plug housing 24, terminal housing 70, and arm 48 may be formed from polymeric material. In an exemplary embodiment, the plug housing 24, terminal housing 70, and arm 48 are formed from XENOY®, a thermoplastic resin available from GE Plastics, Seven Hills, Ohio. This polymer has good low temperature characteristics useful when the connector 12 is exposed to low temperatures.
With reference to
While described herein with regard to a wearable terminal 10, it will be appreciated that the exemplary connector 12 is applicable to other wearable, portable and mobile electronic devices connected by a wire or cord to a peripheral device. Moreover, while an exemplary embodiment is disclosed herein with respect to a voice headset, other peripherals 16 may also be utilized equally with the present invention. For example, bar code readers, scanners, printers and other peripherals which might be coupled to terminal 10 through cord 18 will also benefit from the aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, while an exemplary embodiment is described with respect to use of the invention and a portable terminal 10 in an inventory management environment, the principles of the invention will have equal applicability to other terminals or electronic devices, and other operating environments.
While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the various embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methods and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of Applicants' general inventive concept.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/185,300 filed on Jun. 27, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10185300 | Jun 2002 | US |
| Child | 10982967 | Nov 2004 | US |
