Affixation of objects to garments

• US 9,345,433 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensarx, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sensarx, LLC
• Inventors: Shinozuka, Kenneth F., Mizuta, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): LARSON, JUSTIN MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US14/702,398
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 224/194, 224/930, 215329-340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: A44D 2200/10 Details of construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6823 Trunk, e.g., chest, back, abdomen, hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6828 Leg
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/12 Resilient or clamping means for holding component to structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/3698 Fabric embracing

Abstract

Described herein are methods and apparatuses to mate the object with a cap through a fabric portion of the garment. The methods and apparatuses described herein may address the needs for a safe, secure, and detachable method and apparatus for affixing an object (such as an encased wireless sensor) to a garment worn by a subject.

Claims

1. A method of safely, securely, and detachably affixing an object onto a portion of a garment, wherein the object is configured to mate with a cap through a fabric region of the garment, the method comprising:

placing the fabric region between the object and the cap; and

mating the object and the cap together with the fabric region therebetween,

further wherein the object is shaped in a disc with one or a plurality of spiral-shaped threads configured on its side surface, and the cap is shaped in a ring with one or a plurality of spiral-shaped tracks configured on its inner surface, so that the threads and the tracks are engaged when screwing the object into the cap through the fabric, further comprising an interlocking region with teeth configured on the threads of the object and tabs configured on the cap, wherein the teeth are interlocked with the tabs when the object and the cap are screwed together through the fabric, wherein the teeth are arranged with a decreasing gap between adjacent teeth so that different thicknesses of fabric may be held between the object and the cap.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the object from the garment by disengaging the object from the cap.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the object from the garment by squeezing the cap to release the interlocking teeth and tabs and then unscrewing the object from the cap.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein placing comprises placing the fabric region between the object and the cap wherein a body flexion angle sensor is coupled to the object.

5. The method of claim 4, further wherein the body flexion angle sensor includes a microcontroller and is configured to produce a signal corresponding to a flexion angle of a body of a subject wearing the garment and to communicate the signal to the microcontroller to detect a change in the subject'"'"'s body flexion angle, and to generate, transmit or generate and transmit an alert when the change in the subject'"'"'s body flexion angle exceeds a threshold indicating that the subject has gotten up form a bed or out of a chair.

6. An apparatus configured to safely, securely, and detachably affix an object to a portion of a garment, the apparatus comprising:

an object shaped in a disc having a thickness, comprising one or a plurality of spiral-shaped threads on a side surface,

an annular cap comprising one or a plurality of spiral-shaped tracks on an inner surface configured to mate with the spiral-shaped threads of the object through a fabric of the garment, and

an interlocking region with teeth on the spiral-shaped threads of the object and tabs on the cap, configured so that the teeth interlock with the tabs when the object and the cap are screwed together through the fabric of the garment, wherein the teeth are arranged with a decreasing gap between the teeth so that different thicknesses of fabric may be held between the object and the cap.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising a body flexion angle sensor including a microcontroller, wherein the body flexion angle sensor is configured to produce a signal corresponding to a flexion angle of a body of a subject wearing the garment and to communicate the signal to the microcontroller to detect a change in the subject'"'"'s body flexion angle, and to generate, transmit or generate and transmit an alert when the change in the subject'"'"'s body flexion angle exceeds a threshold indicating that the subject has gotten up form a bed or out of a chair.

8. A method of safely, securely, and detachably affixing a device onto a portion of a garment worn by a subject, wherein the device is enclosed in a housing configured to mate with a cap through a fabric region of the garment, the method comprising:

placing the fabric region between the housing and the cap; and

mating the housing and the cap together with the fabric therethrough,

wherein the device is enclosed in a disc-like housing with one or a plurality of spiral-shaped threads configured on the side surface, and the cap is shaped in a ring with one or a plurality of spiral-shaped tracks configured on the inner surface, so that the threads and the tracks are engaged when screwing the housing into the cap through the fabric, further comprising an interlocking region with teeth configured on the threads of the housing and tabs configured on the cap, so that the teeth are interlocked with the tabs when the housing and the cap are screwed together through the fabric of the garment, wherein the teeth are arranged with a decreasing gap between adjacent teeth so that different thicknesses of fabric may be held between the housing and the cap, wherein the device is enclosed in a disc-like housing with one or a plurality of spiral-shaped threads configured on the side surface, and the cap is shaped in a ring with one or a plurality of spiral-shaped tracks configured on the inner surface, so that the threads and the tracks are engaged when screwing the housing into the cap through the fabric.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing the device from the garment by disengaging the housing from the cap.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing the device from the garment by squeezing the cap to release the interlocking teeth and tabs and then unscrewing the housing from the cap.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device comprises a body flexion angle sensor including a microcontroller that is configured to produce a signal corresponding to a static flexion angle of a body of a subject wearing the garment and to communicate the signal to the microcontroller to detect a change in the subject'"'"'s body flexion angle, and to generate, transmit or generate and transmit an alert when the change in the subject'"'"'s body flexion angle exceeds a threshold indicating that the subject has gotten up form a bed or out of a chair.