Articles with removable elements

• US 6,275,996 B1
• Filed: 01/28/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Widdemer, John D., Redwood, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Calvert, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORAN, KATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US09/494,121
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 215/9, 216/0, 216/11, 216/12, 216/14, 216/16, 216/7, 216/2, 473/205, 600/15, 602/21, 602/22, 602/62, 602/64
• US Class Current: 2/160
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 19/0024 with accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/0007 Bracelets specially adapted for other functions or with means for attaching other articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/06 using magnetic fields produced by permanent magnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Broadly, the present invention is an article, such as a glove or watch, to be worn by a user. The article includes at least one removable element with a health enhancing component, a comfort enhancing component, or an electronic component. Upon mating the element to the article, the element is removably connected to the inside of the article. When the user disposes their a hand within the article, the element is in contact with the user'"'"'s skin. The element can be disposed about the user'"'"'s wrist or adjacent the back of the user'"'"'s hand. In another embodiment, the invention includes a replacement watch band with the health enhancing, comfort enhancing, or electronic components. The health, comfort or electronic features of the components can be appreciated by the user, when the article or watch band is worn.

Claims

1. An article to be worn by a user, the article comprising:

an article body including a portion that at least partially covers the wrist or hand when worn;

at least one article fastener disposed on an article inner surface; and

at least one removable element including an outer surface, a spaced element inner surface having an element fastener, and said element further including at least one component from the following group;

a health enhancing component, a comfort enhancing component, or electronic component, said component being coupled to the element fastener;

wherein upon mating the element fastener to the article fastener, the removable element is removably connected to the article fastener and at least partially covers the wrist or hand when the article is worn.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein the removable element further includes a first layer including the element fastener, a second layer, and a third layer including the outer surface, the second layer being disposed between the first and third layers and the first, second, and third layers being coupled together.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the component is health enhancing and includes a material selected from the group consisting of:

magnetic, copper, or far infra-red amplifying materials.

4. The article of claim 3, wherein the component is located in the second layer.

5. The article of claim 2, wherein the component is comfort enhancing and includes a material selected from the group consisting of:

terry cloth, leather, synthetic leather, fabric, foam, gel pouch, fabric with temperature controlling materials, foam with temperature controlling materials, or gel pouch with temperature controlling materials.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the component includes magnetic material.

7. The article of claim 5, wherein the component includes far infra-red amplifying material.

8. The glove of claim 5, wherein the component includes copper material.

9. The article of claim 2, wherein the component is electronic and includes a function selected from the group consisting of measuring heart rate, measuring blood pressure, measuring distance walked, measuring body temperature, measuring external temperature, measuring time, measuring strokes, measuring speed of the user, or measuring speed of the hand of the user.

10. The article of claim 2, wherein the second layer includes at least one health enhancing component, and the third layer includes at least one comfort enhancing component.

11. The article of claim 10, wherein the health enhancing component includes a magnetic material and the comfort enhancing component includes a temperature controlling material.

12. The article of claim 10, wherein the health enhancing component is a copper material and the comfort enhancing component includes a temperature controlling material.

13. The article of claim 10, wherein the health enhancing component is a copper material and a magnetic material and the comfort enhancing component includes a temperature controlling material.

14. The article of claim 1, wherein the component is in contact with the user'"'"'s skin.

15. The article of claim 1, further including a first article fastener and a second article fastener connected to the inner surface of the article, and a first removable element including a first element fastener, a second removable element including a second element fastener;

wherein upon mating the first article fastener with the first element fastener, the first removable element is removably connected to the first article fastener, and upon mating the second article fastener with the second element fastener, the second removable element is removably connected to the second article fastener.

16. The article of claim 15, wherein the article is a glove and the first article fastener and first removable element are located in a wrist portion of the glove and the second article fastener and second removable element are located in a back portion of the glove.

17. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is a glove and the element is a band disposable in a wrist portion of the glove.

18. The glove of claim 17, wherein the component includes foam with temperature controlling material.

19. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is a watch.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the article body is a watch body;

and the article further includes

a watchband coupled to the watch body, the watchband including the article fastener disposed on the article inner surface; and

the at least one removable element is at least one band.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein the at least one component includes magnetic material.

22. The article of claim 20, wherein the at least one component includes far infra-red amplifying material.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein the at least one component includes copper material.

24. The article of claim 20, wherein the at least one component includes foam with temperature controlling material.

25. The article of claim 1, wherein the component is removably coupled to the element fastener.

26. The article of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the element is positioned to uninterruptedly contact the user'"'"'s skin upon the user disposing a hand within the article.

27. An element for use within an article having an article body including a portion that at least partially covers the wrist or hand when worn and a first fastener, the element comprising:

a second fastener complementary with the first fastener, and

at least one component from the following group;

a health enhancing component, a comfort enhancing component, or electronic component, said component being coupled to the second fastener, said element is configured and dimensioned to fit on the inner surface of the article and at least partially cover the wrist or hand when the article is worn.

28. The element of claim 27, wherein the element is a watch band and the article body is a watch body including:

at least one longitudinally extending layer having the at least one component;

wherein the fasteners connect the layer to the watch body.

29. The watch band of claim 28, wherein the component is health enhancing and selected from the group consisting of magnetic material, far infra-red amplifying material, or copper material.

30. The watch band of claim 28, wherein the component is comfort enhancing and includes a material selected from the group consisting of:

terry cloth, leather, synthetic leather, fabric, foam, gel pouch, fabric with temperature controlling materials, foam with temperature controlling materials, or gel pouch with temperature controlling materials.

31. The watch band of claim 28, wherein the component is electronic and includes a function selected from the group consisting of measuring heart rate, measuring blood pressure, measuring distance walked, measuring body temperature, measuring external temperature measuring time, measuring strokes, measuring speed of user, or measuring speed of the hand of the user.

32. An article to be worn by a user, the article comprising:

at least one article fastener disposed on an article inner surface; and

at least one removable element including an outer surface, a spaced element inner surface having an element fastener, and said element further including at least one component from the following group;

a health enhancing component or electronic component, said component being coupled to the element fastener;

wherein the health enhancing component is selected to alleviate the effects of ailments of the musculoskeletal system; and

wherein upon mating the element fastener to the article fastener, the removable element is removably connected to the article fastener and upon the user wearing the article the outer surface of the element contacts the user'"'"'s skin.