Watch case with positioning means

• US 5,912,865 A
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 06/15/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Ortega, Oscar
• Primary Examiner(s): MISKA, VIT W
• Application Number:
  US09/175,130
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 368/88, 368/276, 368/281-282, 368/309
• US Class Current: 368/276
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/0023 for therapeutic purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/0058 for shaped watches

Abstract

A watch case is arranged with a periphery having a lobe and a recess to cooperate with the human anatomy and ergonomics. A specially shaped watch case provides a means to couple a wristwatch to a wrist bone. The coupling provides mechanism to reduce movement of the watch about the wrist and to locate an optical probe with respect to a preferred region of tissue. In addition to the special shape of the watch case, an arrangement of watch bands and their attachment to watch cases advances the objectives of devices of the invention.

Claims

1. A wristwatch having structure operable for coupling the watch case to a wrist bone, the wristwatch comprising:

a watch case having substantially flat top and bottom portions, a width from about one to four centimeters, and a periphery having a lobe and recess operable for engaging the wrist bone of a person wearing said wristwatch.

2. A wristwatch of claim 1, said lobe and recess are formed into the periphery at the top left portion of the watch case as the watch case oriented with respect to human wrist.

3. A wristwatch of claim 2, further comprising regions for output and input controls integrated with the top portion of the watch case.

4. A wristwatch of claim 2, further comprising a display region which supports liquid crystal type display elements.

5. A wristwatch of claim 1, said periphery forming two sites operable for receiving therein and having affixed thereto watch band portions, said sites having extent limits which form an offset with respect to each other.

6. A wristwatch of claim 1, said periphery forming two sites operable for receiving therein and having affixed thereto watch band portions, said sites having edges aligned askew with respect to a horizontal projection.

7. A wristwatch of claim 1, further comprising:

a watch band in two portions a first portion affixed to said watch case at a first site operable for receiving the first watch band portion and a second portion affixed to said watch case at a second site operable for receiving the second watch band portion.

8. A wristwatch of claim 5, further comprising:

a watch band in two portions a first portion affixed to said watch case at a first site operable for receiving the first watch band portion and a second portion affixed to said watch case at a second site operable for receiving the second watch band portion.

9. A wristwatch of claim 6, further comprising:

a watch band in two portions a first portion affixed to said watch case at a first site operable for receiving the first watch band portion and a second portion affixed to said watch case at a second site operable for receiving the second watch band portion.