Wrist band with embedded antenna

• US 6,175,729 B1
• Filed: 03/24/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group), Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: He, Zhujun, Terasawa, Dai, Saruwatari, Tomozumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): JACKSON, BLANE J
• Application Number:
  US09/046,708
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 455/344, 455/279, 455/280, 455/348, 455/351, 455/80, 455/274, 455/575, 343/718, 343/720, 343/788, 340/825.44
• US Class Current: 455/344
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/24 with folding devices
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/04 Antennas attached to or integrated in watch bracelets
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals

Abstract

A wrist band for a device main body containing communication circuits, having a first wrist band at least partially covering a first antenna plate, a second wrist band at least partially covering a second antenna plate, and a clasp device including a contact mechanism for electrically connecting the first antenna plate and the second antenna plate to form a loop-like antenna when the second wrist band and first wrist band are clasped. The clasp device is releasable and has a three-fold stricture. The clasp device includes a clasp lower plate having a base end portion fixed to the first wrist band, a clasp intermediate plate connected to the clasp lower plate, a clasp upper box connected to the clasp intermediate plate and fixed to the second wrist band and a clasping lock mechanism that fixes the clasp upper box to the clasp lower plate when the clasp intermediate plate is rotated and overlapped onto the clasped lower plate. The contact mechanism includes a bare portion of the second antenna plate on an inner peripheral surface of the second wrist band and a projecting contact portion projecting from a top surface of the clasp lower plate and electrically connected with the first antenna plate, the projecting contact portion contacting the bare portion of the second antenna plate when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped.

Claims

1. A wrist band for a device main body containing communication circuits comprising:

a first wrist band at least partially covering a first antenna plate extending from a first side of the device main body;

a second wrist band at least partially covering a second antenna plate extending from a second side of the device main body;

a releasable clasp device including a contact mechanism for electrically connecting the first antenna plate and the second antenna plate to form a loop-like antenna when second wrist band and the first wrist band are clasped;

the releasable clasp device having a three fold structure including a clasp lower plate having a base end portion fixed to the first wrist band, a clasp intermediate plate connected to the clasp lower plate, a clasp upper box connected to the clasp intermediate plate and fixed to the second wrist band and a clasping lock mechanism which fixes the clasp upper box to the clasp lower plate when the clasp intermediate plate is rotated and overlapped onto the clasp lower plate; and

the contact mechanism includes a bare portion of the second antenna plate on an inner peripheral surface of the second wrist band and a projecting contact portion projecting from a top surface of the clasp lower plate and electrically connected with the first antenna plate, the projecting contact portion contacting the bare portion of the second antenna plate when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped.

2. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate plate includes a slot formed therein through which the projecting contact portion passes when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped.

3. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the projecting contact portion is positioned to contact the bare portion of the second antenna plate without contacting the clasp intermediate plate when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped.

4. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the projecting contact portion is urged by a contact urging spring to elastically contact the bare portion of the second antenna plate.

5. A wrist band according to claim 4, wherein the projecting contact portion is formed as a single piece with the contact urging spring.

6. A wrist band according to claim 4, wherein the upper surface of the clasp lower plate includes a protective cover for covering the contact urging spring, and wherein the projecting contact portion projects from the upper surface of the protective cover.

7. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the bare portion of the second antenna plate does not protrude beyond the tip side of the clasp lower plate when the clasp intermediate plate is overlapped onto the clasp lower plate.

8. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the clasp upper box is movable in a longitudinal direction along the second wrist band and includes a clasp upper box-fixing lock mechanism that can clamp the clasp upper box at a selected position along the second wrist band.

9. A wrist band according to claim 8, wherein the second wrist band includes a plurality of dents formed on an inner peripheral surface in the longitudinal direction at predetermined intervals, and the clasp upper box-fixing lock mechanism includes engagement projections engageable with the dents.

10. A wrist band according to claim 9, wherein the clasp upper box includes index marks for aligning the engagement projections with selected ones of the dents.

11. A according to claim 1, wherein the clasp upper box-fitting lock mechanism and a portion of the clasping lock mechanism are formed as a single piece.

12. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the clasping lock mechanism has a hook extending from the top surface of the clasp lower plate and an engagement piece on the lower surface of the clasp upper box that automatically engages the hook with elasticity due to action of engaging springs when the clasp upper box is pressed toward the clasp lower plate with the clasp intermediate plate overlapped onto the clasp lower plate, and

wherein the engagement piece is displaced against the action of the engaging springs to disengage the engagement piece from the hook when a user performs a release operation.

13. A wrist band according to claim 12, wherein the engagement piece includes two engagement plates having outer end portions projecting from opposite sides of both side surfaces of the clasp upper box, and inner end portions each passing around from the outer end portions to an opposite side of the hook to be engaged with the hook at the opposite side, and

wherein the two engagement plates are urged by the engaging springs toward the respective outer end portions, and wherein the inner end portions are elastically engaged with the hook, displaced against urging forces of the engaging springs when the outer end portions are pressed by both side surfaces of the clasp upper box and disengaged from the hook.

14. A wrist band according to claim 13, wherein the inner end portions are constructed so as to pass around to the opposite side of the hook in the reverse direction to each other, whereby the two engagement plates are substantially co-planar and do not overlap.

15. A wrist band according to claim 1, wherein the clasping lock mechanism has a hook extending from the top surface of the clasp lower plate in a shape bent toward the tip portion of the clasp lower plate, and an engagement plate formed on the side of the second wrist band separately from a main body portion of the clasp upper box and rotatably supported on a connecting shaft, and

wherein the engagement plate includes an engagement shaft which engages the hook when the engagement plate is rotated around the axis of the second connecting shaft with the clasp intermediate plate overlapped onto the clasp lower plate, and is lowered from a raised position to a lowered position with respect to the second wrist band, and wherein the engagement plate includes engaging projections that engage holes formed in both side surfaces of the clasp lower plate when the engagement plate is pressed toward the clasp lower plate using the engaged portion of the engagement shaft and the hook as a fulcrum after the engagement shaft has been engaged with the hook.

16. A wristband communication device comprising:

a device main body containing a communication circuit;

a first wrist band at least partially covering a first antenna plate extending from a first side of the device main body;

a second wrist band at least partially covering a second antenna plate extending from a second side of the device main body; and

a clasp device including a contact mechanism for electrically connecting the first antenna plate and the second antenna plate to form an antenna when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped,

wherein the clasp device is releasable and has a three-fold structure including a clasp lower plate having a base end portion fixed to the first wristband, a clasp intermediate plate connected to the clasp lower plate, a clasp upper box connected to the clasp intermediate plate and fixed to the second wrist band and a clasping lock mechanism that locks the clasp upper box to the clasp lower plate when the clasp intermediate plate is rotated and overlapped onto the clasp lower plate, and

wherein the contact mechanism includes a bare portion of the second antenna plate, a projecting contact portion projecting from a top surface of the clasp lower plate and electrically connected with the first antenna plate that contacts the bare portion of the second antenna plate without contacting the clasp intermediate plate when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped.

17. A method for making a wrist band for a main body containing communications circuits, comprising:

making a first wrist band at least partially covering a first antenna plate extending from a first side of the device main body;

making a second wrist band at least partially covering a second antenna plate extending from a second side of the device main body;

making a releasable clasp device including a contact mechanism for electrically connecting the first antenna plate and the second antenna plate to form a loop-like antenna when second wrist band and the first wrist band are clasped;

the releasable clasp device having a three fold structure including a clasp lower plate having a base end portion fixed to the first wrist band, a clasp intermediate plate connected to the clasp lower plate, a clasp upper box connected to the clasp intermediate plate and fixed to the second wrist band and a clasping lock mechanism which fixes the clasp upper box to the clasp lower plate when the clasp intermediate plate is rotated and overlapped onto the clasp lower plate; and

the contact mechanism having a bare portion of the second antenna plate on an inner peripheral surface of the second wrist band and a projecting contact portion projecting from a top surface of the clasp lower plate and electrically connected with the first antenna plate, the projecting contact portion contacting the bare portion of the second antenna plate when the first wrist band and the second wrist band are clasped.