Band with folded seam for an electronic device

• US 10,064,458 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Griffin, II, James G., Shaffer, Benjamin A., Siahaan, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): LARSON, JUSTIN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US15/258,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20170065038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/0053 Flexible straps
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/14 characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/008 Hand articles fastened to the wrist or to the arm or to the leg
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/14 the joint having the same thickness as the thickness of the parts to be joined B29C66/1142 takes precedence

Abstract

A wearable band formed from two or more pieces of material is disclosed. The wearable band may include a first material having a thinned portion formed on an inner surface and adjacent an end of the first material, and a second material positioned adjacent to the first material. The second material may include a thinned portion formed on an inner surface and adjacent an end of the second material. The wearable band may also include a coupling component configured to couple the first material to the second material. The thinned portion of the first material may be folded onto itself, and the thinned portion of the second material may be folded onto itself.

Claims

1. A wearable band comprising:

a first material having a first thinned portion formed on a first surface at a first end of the first material;

a second material having a second thinned portion formed at a second surface at a second end of the second material; and

a coupling component coupling the first end to the second end;

wherein

the first thinned portion of the first material is folded onto itself; and

the second thinned portion of the second material is folded onto itself.

2. The wearable band of claim 1, wherein:

the first material forms a top layer of the wearable band;

the second material forms at least a portion of a bottom layer of the wearable band; and

the coupling component comprises a thread sewn through the first thinned portion and the second thinned portion to form a seam; and

the seam is positioned along the bottom layer of the wearable band.

3. The wearable band of claim 1, wherein:

the first thinned portion of the first material is folded about the coupling component and toward the first surface; and

the second thinned portion of the second material is folded about the coupling component and toward the second surface of the second material.

4. The wearable band of claim 1, wherein the first thinned portion of the first material has first thickness that is less than a second thickness of a remaining portion of the first material adjacent to the first thinned portion.

5. The wearable band of claim 1, wherein the first thinned portion of the first material has first thickness that is approximately half of a second thickness of a remaining portion of the first material adjacent to the first thinned portion.

6. The wearable band of claim 1, further comprising a filler material positioned over the second surface and the second thinned portion of the second material.

7. The wearable band of claim 6, wherein the filler material is positioned over the first thinned portion of the first material.

8. A method for forming a wearable band for an electronic device, comprising:

thinning a first end of a first band portion to form a first thinned portion;

thinning a second end of a second band portion to form a second thinned portion;

positioning the first end of the first band portion adjacent to the second end of the second band portion;

affixing the first thinned portion of the first band portion to the second thinned portion of the second band portion using a coupling component;

folding the first thinned portion of the first band portion about the coupling component and onto itself; and

folding the second thinned portion about the coupling component and onto itself.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

a seam is formed between the first and second band portions; and

the first and second band portions form a smooth substantially flat surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first band portion and the second band portion are part of a continuous strip of material; and

the first and second band portions are joined to form a loop.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the loop is flattened to form a portion of the wearable band; and

the seam is positioned along a bottom surface of the wearable band.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the loop is flattened to form the wearable band; and

the seam is positioned at an attachment end of the wearable band that is configured to couple the wearable band to a device housing.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

folding a remaining portion of the first band portion over the second band portion to form a top layer of the wearable band, wherein;

the second band portion forms at least a portion of a bottom layer of the wearable band.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

positioning a filler material between the bottom layer and the top layer of the wearable band.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein:

positioning the first end of the first band portion adjacent the second end of the second band portion comprises aligning the first end of the first band portion with the second end of the second band portion and releasably coupling the first band portion to the second band portion; and

affixing the first thinned portion of the first band portion to the second thinned portion of the second band portion comprises sewing a thread through the first thinned portion and the second thinned portion.

16. A wearable electronic device comprising:

a housing;

a display positioned within the housing; and

a wearable band coupled to the housing and comprising;

a first material forming a top layer of the wearable band, the first material having a thinned portion formed at a first end;

a second material positioned adjacent the first material and forming at least a portion of a bottom layer of the wearable band and having a second thinned portion at a second end of the second material;

a coupling component formed through the thinned portion of the first material and the thinned portion of the second material to couple the first material to the second material, wherein the first and second thinned portions are folded to form a seam.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

the first thinned portion of the first material is folded onto itself; and

the first thinned portion of the first material folded onto itself has a thickness that is approximately equal to a remaining portion of the first material.

18. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein a thickness of the wearable band across the seam is substantially uniform.

19. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first and second thinned portions have a uniform material thickness.

20. The wearable electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

the first thinned portion of the first material includes a first tapered portion; and

the second thinned portion of the second material includes a second tapered portion.