Electrical connector configured as a fastening element
First Claim
1. A wearable electrical connector for use on a garment having a body conformable communication network, the connector comprising:
- a first mating element configured to be secured to a first garment portion;
a second mating element configured to be secured to a second garment portion, the second mating element configured to be releasably fastened with the first mating element;
a printed circuit board disposed at least partially within the first mating element, the printed circuit board having a plurality of electrically conductive signal traces configured to be electrically coupled to electrical conducting paths of the body conformable network in the first garment portion;
electrically conductive contact pins, oriented along a mating axis of the first and second mating elements and disposed at least partially within the second mating element, the contact pins configured to be electrically coupled to electrical conducting paths of the body conformable network in the second garment portion, and the contact pins being positioned such that the plurality of contact pins make electrical contact with corresponding conductive signal traces on the printed circuit board when the first mating element is fastened to the second mating element,wherein the conductive signal traces and contact pins are disposed within their respective mating elements in a manner so as to allow mating of the first and second mating elements with freedom of rotation of the mating elements about the mating axis and wherein, when the first mating element is fastened to the second mating element, the first and second mating elements releasably secure the first garment portion to the second garment portion and, the contact pins make electrical contact with the conductive signal traces on the printed circuit board so as to electrically couple electrical signal paths in the first garment portion to electrical signal paths in the second garment portion.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An entirely wearable electrical connector for power/data connectivity. The principal element of a modular network is the wearable electrical connector, which is integrated into a personal area network with USB compatibility. Several wearable connector embodiments are disclosed. The first, an O-ring based version, was subsequently replaced by a more mature second version, which is based on anisotropic pressure sensitive conductive elastomer. Both are snap-style, low-profile, 360°-moving, round, blind operable plug-and-play, reconfigurable wearable connectors with power/data daisy-lattice-style connectivity. A third embodiment comprises a non-conductive elastomeric environmental seal. A fourth embodiment utilizes a self-acting, automatic shutter-type environmental seal. A fifth embodiment comprises a smaller version that resembles a conventional snap fastener commonly used on clothing. The inventive technology will benefit the military and public safety personnel such as police, fire, EMT and other services that require special protective clothing integrated with multiple electronic devices. Other applications include special clothing for the disabled, prisoners, the mentally ill and children. A non-wearable embodiment is used to provide evidence of tampering of a container.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A wearable electrical connector for use on a garment having a body conformable communication network, the connector comprising:
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a first mating element configured to be secured to a first garment portion; a second mating element configured to be secured to a second garment portion, the second mating element configured to be releasably fastened with the first mating element; a printed circuit board disposed at least partially within the first mating element, the printed circuit board having a plurality of electrically conductive signal traces configured to be electrically coupled to electrical conducting paths of the body conformable network in the first garment portion; electrically conductive contact pins, oriented along a mating axis of the first and second mating elements and disposed at least partially within the second mating element, the contact pins configured to be electrically coupled to electrical conducting paths of the body conformable network in the second garment portion, and the contact pins being positioned such that the plurality of contact pins make electrical contact with corresponding conductive signal traces on the printed circuit board when the first mating element is fastened to the second mating element, wherein the conductive signal traces and contact pins are disposed within their respective mating elements in a manner so as to allow mating of the first and second mating elements with freedom of rotation of the mating elements about the mating axis and wherein, when the first mating element is fastened to the second mating element, the first and second mating elements releasably secure the first garment portion to the second garment portion and, the contact pins make electrical contact with the conductive signal traces on the printed circuit board so as to electrically couple electrical signal paths in the first garment portion to electrical signal paths in the second garment portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A wearable electrical connector for use on a garment having a body conformable communication network, the connector comprising:
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a first mating element configured to be secured to a first garment portion; a second mating element configured to be secured to a second garment portion, the second mating element configured to be releasably fastened with the first mating element; a printed circuit board disposed at least partially within the first mating element, the printed circuit board having a plurality of electrically conductive signal traces disposed on a surface of the printed circuit board in a pattern of concentric 360 degree annular rings about a central axis, the signal traces configured to be electrically coupled to electrical conducting paths of the body conformable network in the first garment portion; electrically conductive contact pins disposed at least partially within the second mating element, the contact pins configured to be electrically coupled to electrical conducting paths of the body conformable network in the second garment portion, and the contact pins being positioned such that the contact pins make electrical contact with corresponding conductive signal traces on the printed circuit board when the first mating element is fastened to the second mating element; wherein, when the first mating element is fastened to the second mating element, the first and second mating elements releasably secure the first garment portion to the second garment portion and, the contact pins make electrical contact with the conductive annular rings on the printed circuit board so as to electrically couple electrical signal paths in the first garment portion to electrical signal paths in the second garment portion and to allow 360 degree freedom of rotation about the central axis. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification