Supportive belt system integrating computers, interfaces, and other devices

• US 6,137,675 A
• Filed: 04/15/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael T. Perkins
• Original Assignee: Michael T. Perkins
• Inventors: Perkins, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, HUNG V
• Application Number:
  US09/060,658
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 361/724-727, 361/683, 361/679, 361/680, 2/338, 128/876, 224/904, 224/617, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 361/679.03
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A supportive belt for supporting devices such as computer components around a user'"'"'s torso, including a vertically rigid rear plate, vertically rigid side and front pod elements, and a front buckle fastener. Hinged pod elements in the belt provide horizontal flexibility and associated springs enable the belt to be self-tensioning. A cantilevered arm is supported on a pod element with movement in four directions for supporting input/output devices, platforms, sensors, readers, etc. Keyboard units are cantilever supported on a pod element. The belt and computer components may be used on a torso, on a workstation platform, etc. and may be readily folded for transport. Passageways in the pod elements enable air to flow through the pod elements and remove heat from the torso.

Claims

1. In a belt for supporting devices around a user'"'"'s torso, including a plurality of respective belt mounting positions for supporting respective devices to the belt around the torso, and a fastener for securely fastening the belt around the torso, the improvement comprising:

a plurality of pod elements at the respective belt mounting positions and coupled to the fastener for location immediately adjacent the torso;

each pod element vertically rigid on said torso for rigidly supporting said devices; and

respective hinge members interconnecting said pod elements to each other and to said fastener for providing horizontal flexibility to said belt, such that said belt provides vertical rigidity with horizontal flexibility on said torso.

2. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said hinge members include a connecting flap and hinge pins, said hinge pins hingedly connecting said flap to said pod elements and to said fastener.

3. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said pod elements include elongated passageways through said pod element and extending longitudinally of said torso to enable air to flow upwardly through said pod element and thereby remove heat from said torso adjacent said pod elements.

4. A belt according to claim 1, wherein said pod elements include an interior surface for location immediately adjacent said torso and an opposite exterior surface, and elongated passageways through said pod element between said interior and exterior surfaces and extending longitudinally of said torso to enable air to flow upwardly through said pod element and thereby remove heat from said torso adjacent said pod elements.

5. A belt according to claim 1, including a cantilevered arm having a base end and a support end for supporting one of said devices at said support end, and base support means for mounting said cantilevered arm base end to one of said pod elements.

6. A belt according to claim 1, including a plurality of computer components, and component mounting means for mounting said computer components to respective pod elements on said belt.

7. A belt according to claim 1, including a rear plate mounted between two pod elements, said rear plate defined by a central section, respective outwardly facing C-shaped sections on opposite sides of said central section adjacent respective ones of said two pod elements, and hinge pin means for hingedly connecting each of said C-shaped sections to a respective one of said two pod elements, and further including lumbar support means through tension and lumbar muscle stimulation on each C-shaped section which contacts the muscles on each side of the spine of a user wearing said supportive belt on the torso.

8. A belt according to claim 1, including size adjusting means for adjusting the horizontal size of said belt to a torso.

9. A belt according to claim 2, including a respective spring member associated with a corresponding one of said hinge pins for providing self-tensioning of said belt.

10. A belt according to claim 2, wherein said hinge pins are U-shaped with two legs, each leg engaging said connecting flap and a respective pod element on opposite sides of said connecting flap.

11. A belt according to claim 10, including a respective spring member associated with of corresponding one of said U-shaped hinge pins for providing self-tensioning of said belt.

12. A belt according to claim 11, wherein said spring members comprise a radial spring operatively engaged with a respective leg of said U-shaped hinge pin.

13. A belt according to claim 4, including vent passageways in said pod element extending from said interior surface transversely to intersect said elongated passageway to aid in venting air and removing heat from said torso adjacent said interior surface.

14. A belt according to claim 4, wherein said pod elements include a tapered surface tapering outwardly from said inside surface, said elongated passageways initiating at said tapered surface to facilitate said flow of air into said passageways to aid in the removal of heat from said torso.

15. A belt according to claim 5, wherein said support means includes a base portion for positionably mounting said cantilevered arm base end, including position locking means for enabling the positioning and locking of said base end on said base portion.

16. A belt according to claim 15, wherein said cantilevered arm base end includes a locking slot, and said position locking means includes multiple fingers for selectively engaging said locking slot to enable locking said base end on said base portion.

17. A belt according to claim 16, wherein said base portion includes multiple position slots cooperating with said position locking means multiple fingers to enable positioning of said cantilevered arm base end on said support means base portion.

18. A belt according to claim 5, including a flange mounted to said cantilevered arm support end, including mounting means for said device enabling said device to be tilted, rotated and positionally adjusted in four directions.

19. A belt according to claim 18, including a display device mounted to said cantilevered arm support end by said mounting means.

20. A belt according to claim 18, including one of a display device, audio device, input data device, and output data device mounted to said cantilevered arm support end by said mounting means.

21. A belt according to claim 19, including

components, and component mounting means for mounting said computer components to respective pod elements on said belt;

and

a keyboard and mounting means for mounting said keyboard to a pod element on said belt.

22. A belt according to claim 6, including a keyboard, and keyboard mounting means for mounting said keyboard to a pod element on said belt.

23. A belt according to claim 22, including means for selectively adapting said belt including said display device, plurality of computer components, and said keyboard to be utilized on a work surface.

24. A belt according to claim 7, wherein said hinge pin means also provides for belt size adjustability at a plurality of hinged connections between said C-shaped sections and said pod elements.

25. A belt according to claim 7, wherein said rear plate includes an inside surface adjacent the torso, and a tapered surface tapering outwardly from said inside surface.