Coupling member and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168736-B2
Application number	US-201615235918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 13, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A coupling member that is attachable to/detachable from a housing of an electronic device while making the housing wearable on a user's body, and an electronic device including the coupling member is provided. The electronic device includes a band member that is configured to come in contact with a user's body portion, a slide member that is mounted on the band member, and is bound to a portion of the housing in a state where the coupling member is mounted on the housing, an opening that is formed in the slide member, a locking member that is disposed on the band member, and a locking protrusion that is formed on a locking member. The locking protrusion appears to the outside of the slide member through the opening according to the reciprocating of the locking member, and the coupling member is bound to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a housing that includes a first face that faces in a first direction, a second face that faces in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and a side face that at least partially encloses a space between the first face and the second face;
a display that is exposed through the first face of the housing; and
a coupling member that is mounted to be attachable to/detachable from a portion that faces in a third direction in the side face of the housing, and is configured to detachably couple the electronic device to a user's body portion,
wherein a portion of the housing includes:
a first recess that is formed on a portion of the side face of the housing in a fourth direction that is opposite to the third direction;
a first protrusion that protrudes in the third direction from another portion of the side face of the housing; and
a second recess that extends on at least a portion of the first protrusion to face in the first direction,

wherein the coupling member includes:
a first portion that is configured to be in contact with the user's body portion when the electronic device is coupled to the user's body portion;
a second portion that is arranged to be movable in the third direction between the first portion and the portion of the housing when the coupling member is mounted on the portion of the housing, and includes a second protrusion that protrudes in the fourth direction; and
a third portion that is disposed between the second portion and the portion of the housing and includes at least one opening, and

wherein, when the coupling member is mounted on the portion of the housing, the second protrusion protrudes to the outside of the third portion through the opening to be at least partially accommodated in the first recess, and the third portion is at least partially accommodated in the second recess.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, as the second portion moves in the third direction, the second protrusion moves in the third direction to be released from the first recess.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein, in a state where the second protrusion is spaced apart from the first recess, the third portion moves in the second direction such that the coupling member is separated from the portion of the housing.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling member includes:
a fourth portion that is disposed between the first portion and the second portion, and includes a third recess formed in the second direction to accommodate the second portion.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling member further includes:
a joint member configured to join the third portion and the fourth portion to the first portion.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising: another coupling member that is mounted to be attachable to/detachable from a portion that faces in the fourth direction in the side face of the housing, and is configured to detachably couple the electronic device to the user's body portion.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion of the portion of the housing includes:
a first portion of the protrusion that extends in a fifth direction that is perpendicular to the first, second, third, and fourth directions while enclosing a portion of the second recess in the second face side, and
another portion that extends in the second direction from the first portion of the first protrusion to enclose another portion of the second recess.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the second recess includes a portion recessed to face the first direction on at least a portion of the first protrusion.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion is integrally formed on the housing.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion forms a surface that is flush with the first face, the second face and/or the side face of the portion of the housing.

11. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the face of the first protrusion, which faces in the third direction, has a shape that is the same as a face of the coupling member, which faces a portion of the side face of the housing.

12. A wearable electronic device comprising:
a housing that includes a first face that faces in a first direction, a second face that faces in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, and a side face that at least partially encloses a space between the first face and the second face;
a display that is exposed through the first face of the housing; and
a coupling member that is mounted to be attachable to/detachable from a portion that faces in a third direction in the side face of the housing, and is configured to detachably couple the electronic device to a user's body portion,
wherein a portion of the housing includes:
a first protrusion and a second protrusion that protrude in the third direction;
a first recess that is formed on the first protrusion in a fourth direction that is perpendicular to the third direction; and
a second recess that is formed on the second protrusion in a fifth direction that is opposite to the fourth direction,

wherein the coupling member includes:
a first portion that is configured to be in contact with the user's body portion when the electronic device is coupled to the user's body portion;
a through-hole that is formed through the first portion in the fourth direction or the fifth direction;
a recess that is formed to extend from the one face of the first portion in the first direction to be connected to the through-hole;
a bar that is disposed inside the through-hole, and configured to have elasticity in the fourth direction and/or the fifth direction; and
a button that is at least partially disposed inside the recess, and is arranged to be pushed in the first direction, and

wherein, when the coupling member is mounted on the portion of the housing, the first portion is at least partially disposed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and the opposite ends of the bar are accommodated in the first and second recesses, respectively.

13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein, as the button is pushed in the first direction, the opposite ends of the bar move in the fourth direction and the fifth direction, respectively, so that the bar is contracted.

14. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the bar includes:
a first sub-bar that extends in the fourth direction,
a second sub-bar that extends in the fifth direction, and
an elastic body that is disposed between the first sub-bar and the second sub-bar.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the bar includes:
a first pin that protrudes in the second direction from the first sub-bar, and
a second pin that protrudes in the second direction from the second sub-bar.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 ,
wherein the button includes first and second recesses, each of which extends in the second direction from one face of the button, which faces in the first direction, and each of the first and second recesses is at least partially inclined, and
wherein the first pin is accommodated within the first recess and the second pin is accommodated within the second recess.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein, as the button is pushed in the first direction, the first pin moves along an inclined region of the first recess and the second pin moves along an inclined region of the second recess.

18. A w

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hyung-Woo
• Choi Hwan-Seok
• Lee Kyung-Hwan
• Wee Jong-Cheon

Classifications

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/1656

  Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203) · CPC title

• G06F1/1633

  Constructional details or arrangements of portable computers not specific to the type of enclosures covered by groups G06F1/1615 - G06F1/1626 · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G04B37/1486 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet (building watches into bracelets (montre marquise) G04B37/12; arrangements for hanging pocket- or other watches on chains G04B37/1446) · CPC title