Add-on capacitive touchscreen aid

• US 10,433,984 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2014
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Van Wiemeersch, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Bruce E
• Application Number:
  US14/260,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20140236314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/54 Artificial arms or hands or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/583 Hands; Wrist joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/586 Fingers
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/588 Hands having holding devices shaped differently from human fingers, e.g. claws, hooks, tubes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5001 Cosmetic coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5061 the sense of touch
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/543 Lower arms or forearms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 4/00 Methods or devices enabling patients or disabled persons to operate an apparatus or a device not forming part of the body operating or control means for prostheses A61F2/48, A61F2/68

Abstract

An apparatus that allows a glove wearer or the wearer of a prosthetic limb to operate a device having a capacitive touchscreen is disclosed. There are three solutions provided in the disclosed invention. The first embodiment of the disclosed invention is directed to a conductive finger sock that can be applied to a digit of a non-conductive artificial limb. The finger sock may cover the whole digit of the artificial limb or may cover only the tip. The second embodiment is an adhesive element having a conductive material such as a conductive thread or a conductive sponge material. The adhesive element can be attached to a glove or to a prosthetic limb or may be used as an actual bandage. The third embodiment of the disclosed invention is directed to a factory integrated conductive tip that is part of a digit of a non-conductive artificial limb. Regardless of the embodiment, the conductive element may be attached to the wearer'"'"'s skin by a conductive line or may be used without the conductive line and thus may function in isolation.

Claims

1. A prosthetic device comprising:

a body portion including a limb-attachment end;

a finger portion extending from the body portion, said finger portion including an integrated conductive tip and an attachment band, said conductive tip being attached to said finger portion by said attachment band;

a conductive line attached at a first end to the integrated conductive tip and at least partially embedded in the body portion; and

a second conductive portion attached to a second end of the conductive line, wherein said limb-attachment end is selected from the group consisting of;

(a) a forearm attachment end; and

(b) an upper arm-attachment end.

2. The prosthetic device of claim 1, wherein the second end of the conductive line includes an adhesive patch.

3. A prosthetic limb comprising:

a prosthetic finger having a tip;

an attachment band; and

an integrated conductive tip integrated with said prosthetic finger, said conductive tip encompassing said tip of said prosthetic finger, said conductive tip being attached to said tip of said finger by said attachment band.

4. The prosthetic limb construction of claim 3 further including a conductive line connected to said conductive tip and a skin-contacting adhesive patch connected to said conductive line.

5. The prosthetic limb construction of claim 4 wherein said skin-contacting adhesive patch includes a conductive portion, said conductive line being connected to said conductive portion.

6. A prosthetic hand comprising:

a body portion;

a finger portion extending from the body portion;

an attachment band;

an integrated conductive tip integrated with the finger portion by said attachment band;

a conductive line coupled to the conductive tip and at least partially embedded in the body portion and the finger portion; and

an adhesive patch that is coupled to the conductive line and that includes a conductive portion.