Wrist band for wrist-mounted radio with an uninsulated buckle

• US 5,134,724 A
• Filed: 05/08/1990
• Issued: 07/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Protocol-ip.com, LLC, Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Corporation (Seiko Group), Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Gehring, Mark R., Suter, Richard R., Ragan, Lawrence H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAILE, ANDREW I
• Application Number:
  US07/520,650
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 455/193, 455/274, 455/260-281, 455/290, 455/344, 455/351, 455/348, 455/349, 343/718, 343/720, 343/788, 368/10, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/274
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets

Abstract

A wrist band for a wrist-mounted radio system is provided wherein a metallic wrist-band buckle need not be insulated. The system includes a radio receiver which includes a differential input in a wrist-band antenna with a "null point" at the location of the buckle. The wrist-band antenna is insulated from the wearer'"'"'s body at all points except at the buckle.

Claims

1. A wrist-mounted radio receiver system for wearing on a wrist comprising:

a case for the radio receiver;

two wrist straps extending from opposite sides of said case, each of said straps having a first end and a second end;

a metal antenna element located inside each of said straps, said antenna element being insulated from the wrist of the wearer, each of said antenna elements having a first end and a second end;

attachment means for physically attaching said first end of each of said straps to said case;

connection means for electrically connecting said first end of each of said antenna elements to the radio receiver to form a balanced, differential input to the radio receiver;

a non-insulated buckle physically and electrically connecting together the second ends of said straps and connecting together the second ends of said antenna elements so as to form a loop antenna for the radio receiver;

whereby said loop antenna has a null region located coincident with said buckle such that touching the buckle does not detune said loop antenna.

2. The system of claim 1 where said wrist straps are constructed of an electrically insulating material which is formed about said metal antenna element, such that each strap has an outer surface, which faces away from the wrist of the wearer, and an inner surface, which is in contact with the wrist of the wearer.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said buckle includes a first clasping portion and said inner surface of at least one of said straps includes a port therein which receives said first clasping portion of said buckle, and which permits physical and electrical contact between said clasping portion and said antenna element.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said buckle includes means for fixing said buckle on one of said straps at a predetermined distance from said case.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said buckle includes means for movably securing said buckle adjacent to said second end of one of said straps.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said buckle includes a second clasping portion which is electrically and physically connected to the other strap second end and to the antenna element second end carried therein.

7. A wrist-mounted radio receiver system for wearing on a wrist comprising:

a case for the radio receiver;

two electrically non-conductive wrist straps extending from opposite sides of said case, each of said straps having a first end, which is physically attached to said case, and a second end, each strap further having an inner surface which contacts the wrist of the wearer and an outer surface which faces away from the wrist of the wearer;

two metal antenna elements substantially enclosed in said non-conductive wrist straps, one of said metal antenna elements being substantially enclosed in each of said straps, said antenna elements being insulated from the wrist of the wearer, each of said antenna elements having a first end and a second end;

connection means for electrically connecting said first end of each of said antenna elements to the radio receiver to form a differential input to the radio receiver;

a non-insulated buckle which includes a first clasping portion for providing physical and electrical contact with said antenna element in one of said straps and a second clasping portion for providing physical and electrical contact with the other of said straps so as to form a loop antenna for the radio receiver;

whereby said loop antenna has a null region located coincident with said buckle such that touching the buckle does not detune said loop antenna.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said antenna elements are first and second antenna elements, and wherein said first clasping portion is permanently fixed to said first antenna element at a predetermined distance from said case.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said strap associated with said second antenna element includes at least one port therein for receiving said second clasping portion therethrough.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said inner surfaces of said straps includes wasted areas therein which receive said buckle.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said first clasping portion includes clasping means which are conformal with said wasted areas and are receivable therein for holding said buckle on at a predetermined location.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said second clasping portion includes clasping means which are conformal with said wasted areas and are receivable therein for holding said buckle on the other of said straps at a predetermined location.

13. A wrist-mounted radio receiver system for wearing on a wrist comprising:

a case for the radio receiver;

a wrist band for securing said case to a wearer'"'"'s wrist, said wrist band including;

two wrist straps extending from opposite sides of said case, each of said straps having a first end and a second end and inner and outer surfaces;

a metal antenna element located inside each of said straps, said antenna element being insulated from the wrist of the wearer, each of said antenna elements having a first end and a second end; and

a non-insulated buckle which includes a first clasping portion for providing physical and electrical contact with said antenna element in one of said straps and a second clasping portion for providing physical and electrical contact with the other of said straps so as to form a loop antenna for the radio receiver;

whereby said loop antenna has a null region located coincident with said buckle such that touching the buckle does not detune said loop antenna;

attachment means for physically attaching said first end of each of said straps to said case; and

connection means for electrically connecting said first end of each of said antenna elements to the radio receiver to form a differential input to the radio receiver.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said first clasping portion is permanently fixed to the antenna element located in one of said straps at predetermined distance from said case.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the strap associated with the other antenna element includes at least one port therein for receiving said second clasping portion therethrough.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein said inner surfaces of said straps include wasted areas therein which receive said buckle.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein said first clasping portion includes clasping means which are conformal with said wasted areas and are receivable therein for holding said buckle on one of said straps at a predetermined location.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein said second clasping portion includes clasping means which are conformal with said wasted areas and are receivable therein for holding said buckle on the other of said straps at a predetermined location.