Band latch mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10646007-B2
Application number	US-201715627915-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2017
Priority date	Apr 11, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

A band latch mechanism that is configured to connect a wristband to a fitness tracker is provided. The band latch mechanism may be configured to be inserted into a cavity of a housing of the fitness tracker and configured so that any metallic body of the band latch mechanism does not contact metallic surfaces of the cavity in order to prevent an electrical ground from being positioned within a keep-out zone of an antenna of the fitness tracker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a body portion that is configured to be connected to a band and includes a recess with a first cross-sectional area when viewed along a direction perpendicular to a top surface of the body portion,
an insertion portion that extends away from the body portion and is contained within a prismatic reference volume that extends away from the body portion in a first direction, wherein:
the prismatic reference volume has a second cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the first direction,
the second cross-sectional area has a rounded-corner rectangular shape of substantially 26.8 millimeters by substantially 2.16 millimeters and corners radiused substantially 0.80 millimeters, and
the insertion portion has at least a third cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the first direction that is circumscribed by the rounded-corner rectangular shape;

a latching portion that has a latching edge that is configured to be displaceable between a first position and a second position, wherein:
in the first position, the latching edge is outside the prismatic volume, and
in the second position, the latching edge is within the prismatic volume; and

a force biasing portion that is configured to cause the latching edge to be in the first position, wherein:
the recess is configured to permit the movement of the latching portion between the first position and the second position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the insertion portion and the latching portion are both comprised of a non-metallic material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface of the insertion portion and the exterior surface of the latching portion are both comprised of a non-metallic material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surfaces of the insertion portion and the latching portion that contact a housing of a fitness monitoring device when the insertion portion and the latching portion are inserted into a cavity of the housing are comprised of a non-metallic material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in the first position, when the insertion portion and the latching portion are inserted into a cavity of a housing of a fitness monitoring device, the latching edge is located within a notch of the cavity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latching portion is rotatably connected to the insertion portion such that the latching portion is rotatable about a rotation axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a pin, wherein:
the insertion portion further includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion that are offset from each other in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction,
the rotation axis extends between the first protrusion and the second protrusion,
a first end of the pin is positioned in the first protrusion, a second end of the pin is positioned in the second protrusion, and the pin extends between the first protrusion and the second protrusion,
the latching portion further includes a latching body having a hole that extends through the latching body in a direction parallel to the latching edge, and
the pin extends through the hole of the latching body to rotatably connect the latching portion to the first protrusion and the second protrusion, such that the latching portion is rotatable about the pin.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
the insertion portion and the latching portion are both comprised of a non-metallic material, and
the force biasing portion and the pin are both comprised of a metallic material.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the force biasing portion is within the prismatic reference volume, and
the pin is within the prismatic reference volume.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein:
the force biasing portion is a torsion spring,
a first end of the torsion spring is connected to the latching portion,
a second end of the torsion spring contacts one or more of the body portion and the insertion portion,
a first section of the torsion spring is coiled around the pin,
when the latching edge is in the first position, the torsion spring is deflected by a first amount, and
when the latching portion is in the second position, the torsion spring is deflected by a second amount that is greater than the first amount.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the torsion spring has four active coils, a mean coil diameter of substantially 1.35 millimeters, a wire diameter of substantially 0.35 millimeters, and a deflection angle of at least 20 degrees.

12. The latching mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the rotational distance between the first position and the second position is about twenty degrees.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a first width of the insertion portion is substantially 26.6 millimeters,
a first thickness of the insertion portion is substantially 2 millimeters, and
a first length of the insertion portion is substantially 3.1 millimeters.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the latching portion further includes a latching lever that is connected to the latching edge, and
the latching lever has a fourth cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the first direction that is less than the first cross-sectional area of the recess.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latching portion further comprises a first surface and a second surface that intersect to form the latching edge.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the internal angle between the first surface and the second surface is about 95 degrees or less.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the body portion is connected to the band,
the band includes a band body portion and a rib,
the rib is comprised of a compliant material, extends from the band body portion, and extends around a section of the body portion, the insertion portion, and the latching portion.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the rib is compressible by substantially 0.03 millimeters.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the latching portion is contiguous with the insertion portion.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the body portion is contiguous with the insertion portion.

Assignees

• Fitbit Inc

Inventors

• Mccray Dennis Jacob
• Paschke Brian Dennis
• Harber Chadwick John
• Ku Ming-Sheng

Classifications

• A44C5/2042 Primary

  Fasteners provided with a turnable clamping lever · 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

• G04G21/025

  for measuring physiological data · CPC title

• A44C5/0053

  Flexible straps · CPC title

• G04G17/02

  Component assemblies · CPC title