Tracking device incorporating cuff with cut resistant materials

• US 9,129,504 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Track Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SecureAlert Incorporated
• Inventors: Oliphant, P. Christian, Derrick, Bruce G.
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US14/307,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 340/693.5, 340/693.9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2005/008 Hand articles fastened to the wrist or to the arm or to the leg
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0516 Portable handheld communication devices, e.g. mobile phone, pager, beeper, PDA, smart phone
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/00 Alarms responsive to a single specified undesired or abnormal condition and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0286 Tampering or removal detection of the child unit from child or article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons

Abstract

A mounting strap assembly or cuff of a tracking device includes a primary mounting strap and at least one secondary reinforcing strap. Cut resistant material having the form of a woven, knitted, stranded, mesh or stacked material is also provided to further resist cutting or severing of the cuff.

Claims

1. A tracking device comprising:

a housing containing circuitry for detecting and communicating a location of the tracking device;

a mounting strap that is connected to the housing and that is configured in size and shape for being securely wrapped around and mounted to a part of a person wearing the tracking device;

a first hardened metal band that is affixed to a first side of the mounting strap and which provides reinforcing support to the mounting strap; and

a cut-resistant material that is configured to at least resist cutting by a saw, the cut-resistant material being positioned directly against the first hardened band.

2. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the mounting strap has an inner side and an outer side relative to the person wearing the mounting strap, the inner side comprising the first side of the mounting strap, the cut-resistant material being positioned on the outer side relative to the first hardened band.

3. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material comprises a woven material.

4. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material comprises a knitted material.

5. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material comprises a grouping of loose fiber strands.

6. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material comprises a fiber mesh.

7. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material comprises a plurality of sheets of material that are stacked or otherwise layered.

8. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material is formed into a tube or sleeve configuration.

9. The tracking device of claim 8, wherein the first hardened band is a metallic band.

10. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material is a high-density polyethylene fiber material.

11. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material is a basalt fiber material.

12. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material is a fiberglass material.

13. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant material is a non-metallic synthetic material.

14. The tracking device of claim 1, wherein the tracking device further comprises a continuity cable that extends along the entire length of the mounting strap and that at least periodically carries a signal through the mounting strap to and from the circuitry in the housing, the cut-resistant material being positioned between the continuity cable and the first hardened band.

15. The tracking device recited in claim 14, wherein the continuity cable comprises at least one strand of an optical fiber and wherein the signal is an optical signal.

16. The tracking device recited in claim 1, the tracking device further comprising at least two different layers of the cut-resistant material, each of the at least two different layers comprising a different type of the cut-resistant material.

17. A tracking device comprising:

a housing;

tracking and monitoring circuitry for detecting a location of the tracking device;

communication circuitry for wirelessly communicating the location of the tracking device to a remote monitoring system, the tracking and monitoring circuitry and the communication circuitry being connected to the housing;

a primary mounting strap that is connected to the housing and that is configured in size and shape for being wrapped around an ankle of a person and for securely mounting the tracking device to the person;

at least one sub-strap that is composed of a different material than the primary mounting strap, the at least one sub-strap being composed of a material that is harder to sever with a cutting instrument than a material of the primary mounting strap; and

a layer of cut-resistant material comprising at least one of a woven material, a knitted material, a fiber-stranded material, a mesh material or stacked sheets.

18. The tracking device of claim 17, the tracking device further comprising at least two different layers of the cut-resistant material, each of the at least two different layers comprising a different type of the cut-resistant material.

19. A tracking device comprising:

a housing;

tracking and monitoring circuitry for detecting a location of the tracking device contained at least partially within the housing;

a cuff that is connected to the housing and that is configured in size and shape for being wrapped around an ankle of a person and for securely mounting the tracking device to the person; and

loose fiber material contained within the cuff.

20. The tracking device of claim 19, wherein the cuff and housing are integrally connected.