Garment with receptacle and electronic module

• US 9,247,907 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Under Armour Incorporated
• Inventors: Oleson, Mark A., Kovach, F. Grant, Berns, Jason, Hollenbach, Samuel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US14/207,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/00 Garments for children A41D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip

Abstract

A garment includes a fabric portion with an electrode connected to the fabric portion and configured to engage a torso of the wearer. A receptacle is fixedly connected to the fabric portion and includes a receptacle housing, a socket defined by the receptacle housing, and an electrode lead, the electrode lead extending through the receptacle housing and providing an electrical connection between the electrode and the socket. An electronics module is configured to be removably inserted into the socket of the receptacle and contact the electrode lead. The electronics module includes a multi-component injection molded housing including a front face having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is comprised of a relatively soft and resilient polymer material and the second portion is comprised of a relatively hard and rigid polymer material.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement comprising:

a garment;

at least one electrode positioned on the garment;

a multi-component injection molded receptacle provided on the garment, the multi-component injection molded receptacle including a socket with a back wall, a first part of the back wall comprised of a relatively soft and resilient polymer material and a second part of the back wall comprised of a relatively hard and rigid polymer material, the relatively soft and resilient polymer material configured to flex substantially more than the relatively hard and rigid polymer material when a flex force from a human hand is applied to the receptacle, the receptacle further including an electrode lead electrically connected between the at least one electrode and the socket; and

a sensor module configured to be removably inserted into the socket of the receptacle and contact the electrode lead, the sensor module including a multi-component injection molded housing including a front face, the front face including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprised of the relatively soft and resilient polymer material and the second portion comprised of the relatively hard and rigid polymer material.

2. The sensor arrangement of claim 1 wherein the relatively soft and resilient polymer material is thermoplastic polyurethane.

3. The sensor arrangement of claim 2 wherein the relatively hard and rigid polymer material is polycarbonate.

4. The sensor arrangement of claim 3, the relatively hard and rigid polymer material provided as a logo on the front face of the sensor module.

5. The sensor arrangement of claim 3 wherein the polycarbonate is translucent and a plurality of lights are positioned behind the polycarbonate.

6. The sensor arrangement of claim 5 wherein the plurality of lights include a first color light, a second color light and a third color light.

7. The sensor arrangement of claim 6 wherein the first color light indicates that the sensor module is powered on, the second color light indicates that the sensor module is communicating with a remote device, and the third color light indicates a mode for the sensor module.

8. The sensor arrangement of claim 1 wherein the first portion provides most of the front face.

9. The sensor arrangement of claim 8, the sensor module further comprising a rear face positioned behind the front face, the rear face also comprised of the relatively hard and rigid material.

10. The sensor arrangement of claim 1, the receptacle further comprising at least one receptacle contact exposed to the socket and engaging the electrode lead, the receptacle contact further engaging a module contact when the sensor module is positioned in the socket.

11. The sensor arrangement of claim 10 wherein the at least one receptacle contact is a connection pin that is elongated in a direction that extends substantially parallel to the back wall of the receptacle.

12. The sensor arrangement of claim 11 wherein the sensor module includes a circular sidewall and the module contact extends outward from the circular sidewall in a direction substantially parallel to the back wall of the receptacle when the sensor module is positioned in the socket.

13. The sensor arrangement of claim 10, the at least one electrode lead including an elongated curved finger that extends through a channel in a sidewall of the receptacle.

14. The sensor arrangement of claim 13 wherein the finger is a curved finger with a substantially smooth surface that engages a domed end of the receptacle contact in a cavity of the receptacle.

15. The sensor arrangement of claim 14 further comprising a bumper positioned in the channel, the bumper configured to urge the curved finger into engagement with the domed end of the receptacle contact.

16. The sensor arrangement of claim 1 wherein a socket entrance is defined by a circular lip along a rim of the socket, and wherein the sensor module includes a circular groove formed in a circular sidewall, the circular lip of the receptacle engaging the circular groove when the sensor module is positioned within the socket.

17. The sensor arrangement of claim 1 wherein the garment is a torso strap, the torso strap comprising fabric extending from a first end to a second end of the torso strap with a relatively rigid clip configured to couple the first end to the second end of the torso strap.

18. A garment configured to be worn on a torso of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a fabric portion configured to engage the torso of the wearer;

an electrode fixedly connected to the fabric portion, the electrode configured to engage the torso of the wearer;

a receptacle fixedly connected to the fabric portion, the receptacle comprising;

a receptacle housing providing a socket, the receptacle housing including an upper portion comprised of a relatively soft and resilient polymer material and a lower portion comprised of a relatively hard and rigid polymer material, the relatively soft and resilient polymer material configured to flex substantially more than the relatively hard and rigid polymer material when a flex force from the wearer is applied to the receptacle; and

an electrode lead provided within the receptacle, the electrode lead providing an electrical connection between the electrode and the socket; and

an electronics module releasably positioned in the socket, the electronics module including a module housing with a module contact retained by the module housing, the electronics module further comprising a processor, a power device, and a transmitter positioned within the module housing, wherein the module contact is electrically connected to the electrode lead when the electronics module is positioned in the socket.

19. The garment of claim 18, wherein the relatively soft and resilient polymer material is thermoplastic polyurethane and the relatively hard and rigid polymer material is polycarbonate.

20. A garment configured to be worn on a torso of a wearer, the garment comprising:

a fabric portion configured to engage the torso of the wearer;

an electrode fixedly connected to the fabric portion, the electrode configured to engage the torso of the wearer;

a receptacle fixedly connected to the fabric portion, the receptacle comprising a receptacle housing, a socket defined by the receptacle housing, and an electrode lead, the electrode lead extending through the receptacle housing and providing an electrical connection between the electrode and the socket; and

an electronics module configured to be removably inserted into the socket of the receptacle and contact the electrode lead, the electronics module including a multi-component injection molded housing including a front face, the front face including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprised of a relatively soft and resilient polymer material and the second portion comprised of a relatively hard and rigid polymer material.