Streamlined personal harness for supporting a wearable computer and associated equipment on the body of a user

• US 6,443,347 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Elizalde, Luis E., Smith, Ronald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cronin, Stephen K.
• Application Number:
  US09/692,280
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 224/601, 224/602, 224/603, 224/623, 224/625, 224/626, 224/637, 224/639, 224/640, 224/645, 224/646, 224/235, 224/236, 224/242, 224/245, 224/246, 224/264, 224/901.4, 224/901.6, 224/930, 224/643
• US Class Current: 224/626
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2003/025 and one additional strap around the waist
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2003/146 Pack-carrying harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0525 Personal portable computing devices, e.g. laptop, tablet, netbook, game boy, navigation system, calculator
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 3/14 Carrying-straps; Pack-carrying harnesses
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/93 Attached to animate bearer

Abstract

A personal harness for a wearable computer on the body of a user has a waist belt and a shoulder sling that are integrally formed with each other. The waist belt is inelastic and forms a belt around the waist of the user. The waist belt has a strap with hook-and-loop fasteners for adjusting the circumference of the waist belt. The shoulder sling is draped over one shoulder of the user and has front and rear sashes with primary and secondary compartments, respectively. The primary compartment has a zipper along one side edge and a sealable flap at an upper end for containing wearable computer hardware. The secondary compartment also has a sealable flap at an upper end for supporting telecommunications equipment for the computer on the body of the user. In addition, both compartments have mesh windows for ventilating the equipment.

Claims

1. A garment for equipment that is worn on a body of a user, comprising:

a waist belt adapted to be worn about a waist of the user;

adjustment means for adjusting a circumference of the waist belt; and

a shoulder sling extending from the waist belt, and adapted to be worn over one of the shoulders of the user;

wherein the shoulder sling comprises;

a primary compartment integrally formed with the shoulder sling between a plurality of layers of the shoulder sling, the primary compartment having a first sealable closure for housing a first component of the equipment; and

a secondary compartment integrally formed with the shoulder sling between a plurality of layers of the shoulder sling, the secondary component having a second sealable closure for housing a second component of the equipment.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein the adjustment means is an extensible strap for adjusting the circumference of the waist belt.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein the waist belt is substantially inelastic, and the shoulder sling has elastic and inelastic portions.

4. The garment of claim 1 wherein the first sealable closure of the primary compartment is a zipper.

5. The garment of claim 1 wherein each of the adjustment means, the primary compartment, and the secondary compartment has hook-and-loop fasteners.

6. The garment of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary sealable closure in the primary compartment, and wherein the primary compartment contains an elastic strap mounted therein for retaining the first component of the equipment.

7. A garment for equipment that is worn on a body of a user, comprising:

a waist belt adapted to be worn about a waist of the user;

adjustment means for adjusting a circumference of the waist belt; and

a shoulder sling extending from the waist belt, and adapted to be worn over one of the shoulders of the user, the shoulder sling having a primary compartment with a first sealable closure for housing a first component of the equipment, and a secondary compartment with a second sealable closure for housing a second component of the equipment;

wherein

each of the compartments of the shoulder sling has a substantially inelastic backing and an elastic cover with at least one window therein for ventilating the respective compartments.

8. A personal harness that is worn on a body of a user for supporting a wearable computer and associated equipment, the personal harness comprising:

a substantially horizontal, inelastic waist belt adapted to be worn about a waist of the user;

adjustment means for adjusting a circumference of the waist belt;

a substantially vertical shoulder sling extending from the waist belt, and adapted to be worn over one of the shoulders of the user, the shoulder sling having a front sash and a rear sash;

a primary compartment formed in the front sash and having a first sealable closure for housing a first component of the computer, and an auxiliary sealable closure; and

a secondary compartment formed in the rear sash and having a second sealable closure for housing a second component of the computer.

9. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein the adjustment means is an extensible strap for adjusting the circumference of the waist belt.

10. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein each of the compartments has a substantially inelastic, padded backing and an elastic cover with windows located therein for ventilating the respective compartments.

11. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein the first sealable closure of the primary compartment is a zipper.

12. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein each of the adjustment means, the auxiliary sealable closure, and the second sealable closure utilize hook-and-loop fasteners.

13. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein the primary compartment contains an elastic strap mounted therein for retaining the first component of the computer.

14. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein the waist belt and adjustment means utilize a strap having a buckle and an extensible portion with hook-and-loop fasteners for adjusting the circumference of the waist belt.

15. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein the auxiliary sealable closure is adapted to support and retain a head mounted display.

16. The personal harness of claim 8 wherein the shoulder sling has a textured inner surface for resisting slippage of the shoulder sling with respect to a shoulder of the user.

17. The personal harness of claim 8, further comprising an eyelet on an inner surface of the front sash of the shoulder sling and in communication with the primary compartment for accommodating wiring extending from the first component of the computer.

18. The personal harness of claim 8, further comprising a retention device mounted to the waist belt for retaining an excessive length of wiring associated with the computer.

19. A personal harness that is worn on a body of a user for supporting a wearable computer and associated equipment, the personal harness comprising:

a substantially horizontal, inelastic waist belt adapted to be worn about a waist of the user;

an extensible strap for adjusting a circumference of the waist belt;

a substantially vertical shoulder sling adapted to be worn over one of the shoulders of the user, the shoulder sling having front and rear sashes that extend from front and rear portions, respectively, of the waist belt;

a primary compartment formed in the front sash and having a first sealable closure for housing a first component of the computer, and an auxiliary sealable closure located at an upper end of the first sealable closure;

a secondary compartment formed in the rear sash and having a second sealable closure for housing a second component of the computer; and

wherein

each of the compartments has a substantially inelastic, padded backing and an elastic cover with windows located therein for ventilating the respective compartments.

20. The personal harness of claim 19 wherein the first sealable closure of the primary compartment is a zipper.

21. The personal harness of claim 19 wherein each of the waist belt and extensible strap, the auxiliary sealable closure, and the second sealable closure utilize hook-and-loop fasteners.

22. The personal harness of claim 19 wherein the primary compartment contains elastic straps mounted therein for retaining the first component of the computer.

23. The personal harness of claim 19 wherein the auxiliary sealable closure is adapted to support and retain a head mounted display.

24. The personal harness of claim 19 wherein the shoulder sling has a textured inner surface for resisting slippage of the shoulder sling with respect to a shoulder of the user.

25. The personal harness of claim 19, further comprising an eyelet on an inner surface of the front sash of the shoulder sling and in communication with the primary compartment for accommodating wiring extending from the first component of the computer.

26. The personal harness of claim 19, further comprising a retention device mounted to the waist belt for retaining an excessive length of wiring associated with the computer.