Patent Application
20080052800
a-b shows exemplary arms using a conventional wearing mechanism;
a-d shows component layers of the wearable holder pad shown in
a-b shows exemplary arms using the wearable holder pad shown in
The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are referred to with the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiment of the present invention describes a wearable holder pad (hereinafter “wearable pad”) with extensions (hereinafter “wings”) and thick areas (hereinafter “thickeners”) that complements a wearing mechanism for use with mobile terminals. Those skilled in the art will understand that the wearable pad is interposed between a surface (e.g., a limb) and the wearing mechanism (e.g., apparatus to be attached to the limb). The wearable pad, wings, and thickeners will be discussed in detail below.
It should be noted that the following description will describe the use of the invention with respect to an arm, and, in particular, in the area around the user's wrist. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the use of a wrist is only exemplary and that the present invention may be applied to any surface, whether rounded or not. In addition, a desired orientation of the present invention is on an arm along the length of the arm (i.e., longitudinal axis) instead of circumnavigating the width of it.
The main pad 101 is a base layer that the other components of the wearable pad 100 may be attached to. In the exemplary embodiments, the main pad 101 exhibits a bow-tie shape. The main pad 101 may be manufactured using a breathable material such as mesh, gauze, perforated polymer, etc. In the exemplary embodiment, the top side of the main pad 101 exhibits a ventilation that is greater than the ventilation allowed by the bottom side of the main pad 101. Those skilled in the art will understand that a higher ventilation may be accomplished using similar materials by using a loosely weaved mesh or gauze or using a perforated polymer with wider and/or more pores. In the exemplary embodiment, the main pad 101 may also be manufactured using a material that allows for the other components to be attached easily using conventional attachment methods (e.g., sewing, adhesives, etc.). Furthermore, the main pad 101 of the exemplary embodiment may be manufactured using a flexible material that is adjustable to be worn on any surface, in particular, a wrist. The flexible material of the main pad 101 allows the wearable pad 100 to conform to the shape of the wrist and the wearing mechanism when interposed in between them. It should be noted that the bow-tie shape of the main pad 101 is only exemplary and that other shapes (e.g., an ellipse, a rectangle, etc.) may be used depending on further applications of the wearable pad 100. It should also be noted that the use of a breathable material to manufacture the main pad 101 is only exemplary and that a non-breathable material or stiffer material such as plastics may be used depending on further applications of the wearable pad 100.
The stiffeners 102 are used to provide a semi-rigid component for the wearable pad 100. The stiffeners 102 are semi-rigid because they allow some bending for the wearable pad 100 to adjust its shape to the surface it is used on. The semi-rigid properties of the stiffeners 102 also allow the wearable pad 100 to substantially hold the shape of the wrist and the wearing mechanism when the wearable pad 100 is interposed between them. The stiffeners 102 are disposed substantially perpendicular to the long side of the wearable pad 100. In the exemplary embodiment, the stiffeners 102 may be manufactured of a flexible rubber. It should be noted that the use of rubber is only exemplary and that other materials may be used to manufacture the stiffeners 102, such as flexible plastics. Those skilled in the art will understand that the use of stiffeners 102 is only exemplary and that the wearable pad 100 may be manufactured without any stiffeners.
The loop material 104 is used for the further applications of the wearable pad 100. In the exemplary embodiment, the loop material 104 is manufactured using the loop side of a hook and loop fastener. The loop material 104 is on top of the main pad 101 of the wearable pad 100 to allow for sufficient grasping of any mechanism (e.g., wearing mechanism) that may attach to it. Thus, depending on the mass and/or size of the mechanism, the loop material 104 is constructed and placed accordingly. It should be noted that the use of the loop material 104 is only exemplary and that other methods for attaching a mechanism to the wearable pad 100 exist such as buttons, snaps, locks, etc.
The wings 105 and the thickeners 106 provide the ability to conform better (conformability) for the wearable pad 100 to be placed flush against any surface (i.e., no gaps between the wearable pad 100 and the surface of the limb). The wings 105 are inherent when the shape of the wearable pad 100 exhibits a bow-tie shape (located on the corners of the main pad 101). The wings 105 include the thickeners 106. Thus, four wings 105 and four thickeners 106 exist. In the exemplary embodiment, the thickeners 106 extend across the length of the wings 105 and create a local protrusion from the bottom side of the wearable pad 100. The thickeners 106 may be manufactured using a compressible material. The compressible material may be, for example, spacer fabric. In the exemplary embodiment, the compressible material is designed to be easily compressed but still maintain its original shape if not subject to a pressure, therefore, functioning similarly to a cushion. In the exemplary embodiments, the thickeners 106 are disposed within the wings 105 (i.e., between the main pad 101 and the breathable material 103). It should be noted that the thickeners 106 disposed within the wings 105 is only exemplary and the thickeners 106 may be placed directly on the bottom side of the wings 105 of the main pad 101, on the top side of the wings 105 of the breathable material 103, etc. By being placed within the wings 105 of the wearable pad 100, a reduced thickness area exists between all the thickeners 106 (i.e., between two thickeners on one short side and between two thickeners on one long side). Those skilled in the art will understand that the reduced thickness areas will extend across the middle of the length and width of the wearable pad 100. Those skilled in the art will also understand that the thickness of the reduced thickness areas will be substantially equal. However, it should be noted that the thickness may be unequal depending on the further applications (e.g., attaching the wearing mechanism) for the wearable pad 100.
In the exemplary embodiment, the edge banding 107 surrounds the border of the wearable pad 100. Thus, the edge banding 107 may be used to hold the components of the wearable pad 100. The edge banding 107 may be manufactured of various materials that are bendable such as materials used for the main pad 101 or the breathable material 103, polymers, plastics, etc. It should be noted that the use of the edge banding 107 is only exemplary and the wearable pad 100 may be manufactured without the edge banding 107. If the wearable pad is designed without the edge banding 107, then the components may be held together using the above described conventional attachment methods.
In the exemplary embodiment, the wearable pad 100 may exhibit a total length of 165 mm. The wearable pad 100 may exhibit a total width of 85 mm. With these dimensions, the length between the two stiffeners should be, at a minimum, 120 mm. It should be noted that these dimensions are exemplary only and that the wearable pad 100 may be designed with a specific mobile computing device that attaches to it.
a-d show component layers of the wearable pad shown in
a-b shows exemplary arms wearing the wearable holder pad shown in
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the present invention, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
