BATTERY COMPARTMENTS FOR WEARABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150346766A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Battey, Robert L., Justice, Gregory Kim, Hewko, Adam, Hogander, Jonathan, Sherrett-Temple, Benjamin, Williams, Scott F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,904,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/02 Component assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/188 Mounting of power supply units
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/06 on insulating boards , e.g. wiring harnesses for printed circuits H05K1/18, H05K3/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

A battery box for a wearable computing device is disclosed. The battery box is comprised of a cover, battery, a structural housing sized to hold the battery, and a polymer rim. The battery box is enveloped in a thermoplastic elastomer molecularly bonded to the polymer rim. The polymer rim, thermoplastic elastomer, and cover of the battery box cooperatively resist fluid ingress into the battery box.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a battery; and

a structural housing sized to hold the battery and including;

a mouth that defines an opening sized to receive the battery, and

an access port providing connection access to the battery;

a polymer rim connected to the mouth of the structural housing;

a thermoplastic elastomer molecularly bonded to the polymer rim to envelop an exterior of the structural housing; and

a cover connected to the polymer rim and cooperating with the polymer rim and the thermoplastic elastomer to resist fluid ingress into a battery box defined by at least the structural housing, the polymer rim, and the cover.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the structural housing is comprised at least partially by metal.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the mouth of the structural housing defines a plurality of dovetail sockets, each dovetail socket interlocking with a complimentary dovetail of the polymer rim.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the structural housing is sized to accommodate lifetime expansion of the battery.

5. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a haptic motor, wherein the structural housing includes one or more motor mounts configured to hold the haptic motor within the battery box.

6. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit array between the structural housing and the thermoplastic elastomer.

7. The computing device of claim 6, further comprising a battery connector extending from the flexible printed circuit array to the battery through the access port of the structural housing.

8. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a steel band between the structural housing and the thermoplastic elastomer.

9. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising a flexible printed circuit array between the structural housing and the steel band.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the flexible printed circuit array and the steel band are secured to the structural housing by one or more rivets.

11. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners, wherein the structural housing includes a plurality of bosses exterior the polymer rim, the cover includes a plurality of ports aligned with the plurality of bosses, and each of the plurality of fasteners extends through a corresponding port into a corresponding boss to seal the cover to the polymer rim.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the battery box is elongate with a nonzero radius of curvature.

13. A method of manufacturing a wearable computing device, the method comprising:

dovetailing a polymer rim to a metal member to form a battery housing;

inserting a hand load into the battery housing;

injection molding a thermoplastic elastomer around at least the battery housing while maintaining access to the hand load through the polymer rim;

removing the hand load through the polymer rim;

electrically connecting a battery to a battery connector extending through an access port of the metal member; and

fastening a cover to the battery housing to seal the battery within the battery housing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising securing a flexible printed circuit array between the metal member and a steel band via one or more rivets.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the polymer rim is molecularly bonded to the thermoplastic elastomer.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein fastening the cover to the battery housing includes applying a sealant between the polymer rim and the cover.

17. A wearable computing device, comprising:

a compute system including a display;

a first battery;

a second battery;

a first structural housing sized to hold the first battery and including;

a first mouth that defines a first opening sized to receive the first battery;

a first access port providing connection access to the first battery; and

a first polymer rim connected to the first mouth of the first structural housing;

a second structural housing sized to hold the second battery and including;

a second mouth that defines a second opening sized to receive the second battery;

a second access port providing connection access to the second battery; and

a second polymer rim connected to the second mouth of the second structural housing;

a flexible printed circuit array electrically connecting the compute system between the first battery and the second battery via the first access port and the second access port;

a thermoplastic elastomer molecularly bonded to the first polymer rim and the second polymer rim to envelop an exterior of the first structural housing and the second structural housing;

a first cover connected to the first polymer rim and cooperating with the first polymer rim and the thermoplastic elastomer to resist fluid ingress into a first battery box defined by at least the first structural housing, the first polymer rim, and the first cover; and

a second cover connected to the second polymer rim and cooperating with the second polymer rim and the thermoplastic elastomer to resist fluid ingress into a second battery box defined by at least the second structural housing, the second polymer rim, and the second cover.

18. The wearable computing device of claim 17, wherein the first structural housing and the second structural housing are comprised at least partially by metal.

19. The wearable computing device of claim 17, wherein the first battery box and the second battery box are elongate with a nonzero radius of curvature.

20. The wearable computing device of claim 17, further comprising a steel band, and wherein:

the first battery box is interior the steel band;

the second battery box is interior the steel band;

the compute device is exterior the steel band at a segment of the steel band between the first battery box and the second battery box; and

the display is facing away from the steel band.