Buckle with slotted-hole tang

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10542794-B2
Application number	US-201715627273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 11, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A wristband with straps having a fixed-position keeper and a tang buckle with an elongate-hole tang is provided. The elongate hole may permit the tang to slide for a limited distance along the length of the buckle strap, thereby accommodating different wrist sizes and shapes while reducing the possibility of “bridging” or “tang lift” in the band.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first strap, the first strap having a plurality of keeper holes arranged at spaced-apart locations from one another along a long axis of the first strap; and
a buckle, the buckle located at one end of the first strap and including:
a tang pivot bar;
a tang, the tang having an elongate hole through which the tang pivot bar passes, wherein the elongate hole allows the tang to rotate about a center axis of the tang pivot bar and to translate relative to the tang pivot bar by at least a first distance along a direction perpendicular to the center axis; and
a frame, wherein the frame includes a contact surface configured to contact, regardless of where the tang pivot bar is positioned in the elongate hole, a portion of the tang located on an end of the tang opposite from the elongate hole when the tang is rotated relative to the frame so as to engage with the contact surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongate hole is an obround hole and the tang pivot bar has a round cross section in at least a region that passes through the tang.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second strap, the second strap having a plurality of adjustment holes arranged at spaced-apart locations from one another along a long axis of the second strap.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
t=thickness of the tang where the tang passes through one of the adjustment holes on the second strap when the second strap is connected with the first strap,
w=width of the adjustment hole in a direction aligned with the long axis of the second strap,
p=pitch distance between adjacent adjustment holes,
r is a value between 0.4 and 0.5, and
the first distance=t−w+rp.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a peg component that extends from a side of the second strap that faces towards the first strap when the second strap and the first strap are connected, wherein the peg component is configured to engage with one of the keeper holes on the first strap.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the peg component includes a body portion with a cross-section that is substantially the same as cross-sections of the keeper holes and a head portion that has a cross-section larger than the cross-sections of the keeper holes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the first strap includes a flexible polymer outer skin and a flexible polymer spine embedded within the outer skin,
the spine includes the keeper holes, and
the outer skin has openings with cross-sections larger than the cross-sections of the head portion at each keeper hole such that the head portion is at least partially recessed into the first strap when the peg component is engaged with the spine.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment holes have a pitch spacing of between 0.2 inches and 0.25 inches.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment holes have a pitch spacing that is variable.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment holes have a pitch spacing that is constant.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tang includes:
a first segment that extends away from the elongate hole along a first axis aligned with a long axis of the elongate hole,
a second segment that extends along a second axis that intersects the first axis at an angle of between 70° and 90°, and
a third segment that extends along a third axis that intersects the second axis at an angle of between 70° and 90°.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first strap is configured to permit the tang to rotate about the center axis of the tang pivot bar by a first amount when the tang is translated in the direction perpendicular to the center axis such that the tang is extended away from the keeper holes by the first distance.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the first strap includes a guide surface that is nominally parallel to the long axis of the first strap, and
the guide surface has a dimension along a direction parallel to the long axis of the first strap that is at least twice the first distance.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein:
the guide surface is configured to permit the tang to rotate about the center axis of the tang pivot bar by a second amount when the tang is translated in the direction perpendicular to the center axis such that the tang is translated towards the keeper holes by the first distance, and
the second amount is less than the first amount.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a portion of the tang in between the tang pivot bar and the guide surface has a thickness that is between 80% and 100% of a minimum distance between the tang pivot bar and the guide surface in a region where the tang engages with the tang pivot bar.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the frame has a recess and:
the recess is configured to receive the tang when the tang is rotated around the center axis of the tang pivot bar and into contact with the frame,
the recess is sized wider than the tang,
the recess has the contact surface that contacts the tang when the tang and the frame are in contact with each other, and
the contact surface is longer than the first distance in a direction aligned with the long axis of the first strap when the frame is oriented such that the contact surface is parallel to the long axis of the first strap.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the keeper holes have a pitch spacing of between 0.2 inches and 0.25 inches.

18. An apparatus comprising:
strap means; and
buckle means connected with the strap means and including slidable and rotatable tang means and a frame, wherein the tang means is rotatable relative to the frame about a center axis and translatable by at least a first distance relative to the frame along a direction perpendicular to the center axis, wherein the slidable and rotatable tang means is configured such that an end of the slidable and rotatable tang means opposite the center axis is able to be rotated into contact with the frame regardless of an amount of translation experienced by the slidable and rotatable tang means.

19. A method for reducing bridging in a wearable device strap, the method comprising:
providing a first strap, the first strap having a plurality of keeper holes arranged at spaced-apart locations from one another along a long axis of the first strap and a buckle, the buckle located at one end of the first strap and including:
a tang pivot bar;
a tang, the tang having an elongate hole through which the tang pivot bar passes, wherein the elongate hole allows the tang to rotate about a center axis of the tang pivot bar and to translate relative to the tang pivot bar by at least a first distance along a direction perpendicular to the center axis; and
a frame, wherein the frame includes a contact surface configured to contact, regardless of where the tang pivot bar is positioned in the elongate hole, a portion of the tang located on an end of the tang opposite from the elongate hole when the tang is rotated relative to the frame so as to engage with the contact surface.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
providing a second strap, the second strap having a plurality of adjustment holes arranged at spaced-apart locations from one another along a long axis of the second strap;
inserting a first end of the second strap through the buckle;
inserting the tang through one of the adjustment holes;
connecting the first end of the second strap with one of the keeper holes in the firs

Assignees

• Fitbit Inc

Inventors

• Mccray Dennis Jacob
• Vandenbussche Gregoire Ludovic Vincent
• Fairbanks Eric John
• Ku Ming-Sheng

Classifications

• G04G17/02

  Component assemblies · CPC title

• A44C5/2071

  with the two ends of the strap or chain overlapping each other and fastened by an action perpendicularly to the main plane of these two ends (A44C5/2009 - A44C5/2057 take precedence) · CPC title

• A44B11/02

  frictionally engaging surface of straps · CPC title

• G04G21/025

  for measuring physiological data · CPC title

• A44C5/2042 Primary

  Fasteners provided with a turnable clamping lever · CPC title