Method for making a smart bracelet provided with an electronic component insert

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312047-B2
Application number	US-201716466324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2016
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A method for making a bracelet provided with an electronic component insert, the method includes fabricating a basic, flexible support for an insert in the form of a band, making conductive paths on the flexible support or in the flexible support, disposing on the flexible support various electronic components connected to the conductive paths, and coating the electronic components disposed on the flexible support with a transparent or opaque protective layer to finish the insert of the bracelet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for making a bracelet provided with an electronic component insert, the method comprising:
fabricating a basic, flexible support for the electronic component insert in a form of a band, said flexible support being made of plastic material or of thermoplastic material obtained by molding in a mold adapted to a shape of the bracelet, and including at least two bands disposed one on top of the other or side-by-side, one of the at least two bands having a technical function and the other of the at least two bands having a decorative function;
making conductive paths on the flexible support or in the flexible support;
disposing an electronic component into the electronic component insert such that the electronic component is connected to and placed on one of the conductive paths; and
coating the electronic component disposed in the electronic component insert with a transparent or opaque protective layer to finish the electronic component insert of the bracelet, wherein
the conductive paths are sandwiched between the flexible support and the electronic component.

2. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible support is obtained by injection molding or extrusion of a thermoplastic material or of several plastic or thermoplastic materials in an appropriate mold.

3. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein
the band with a technical function provides thermal conductivity for the electronic component or electromagnetic shielding, and
the band with a decorative function is in a fluorescent color or pearlescent or variochromic or phosphorescent.

4. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible support contains an additive in a form of an organic metal complex.

5. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 4 , wherein the conductive paths are obtained on or in the flexible support or in a layer on the flexible support by activation of a physicochemical reaction induced by a focused laser beam, which is programmed according to electrical connection pattern of the components.

6. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic component insert is disposed and secured inside a sheath or between an upper band and a lower band of the bracelet.

7. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 6 , wherein the electronic component insert is disposed and secured inside a sheath or between an upper band and a lower band of at least one strand of a wristwatch bracelet.

8. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 6 , wherein the sheath or the upper and lower bands of the bracelet are made of leather or of synthetic or woven material.

9. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive paths are made by a selective plasma spraying process.

10. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic component insert is coated with a vulcanized elastomer, which is one of a nitrile rubber or a fluorinated rubber, or with a silicone or with a crosslinked polyurethane.

11. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer is made with a thermoplastic elastomer resistant to environment and to mechanical shocks.

12. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 11 , wherein the thermoplastic material is transparent to electromagnetic waves.

13. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 11 , wherein the protective layer is made of overmolded polyurethane.

14. The method for making a bracelet according to claim 11 , wherein the protective layer includes a combination of thermochromic pigments and fillers, to allow a color of the protective layer to change according to thermal activity of the electronic component.

15. A bracelet obtained by the method according to claim 1 , wherein
the bracelet includes an electronic component insert, which includes a flexible support, conductive paths, electronic components connected to the conductive paths and a protective layer on the electronic components and the flexible support,
the electronic component insert is disposed inside a sheath or between an upper band and a lower band of at least one strand of the bracelet, or coated with a vulcanized elastomer or with a silicone or with a crosslinked polyurethane,
the at least two bands including three bands disposed one on top of the other or side-by-side,
a central band is phosphorescent, and
two lateral bands are in a fluorescent color.

16. The bracelet according to claim 15 , wherein
the electronic component insert is confined inside a lining made of leather or of synthetic or woven material, and
a central opening is provided in the lining on the central phosphorescent band of the flexible support.

17. The bracelet according to claim 15 , wherein
the electronic component insert is confined inside a lining made of leather or of synthetic or woven material, and
openings are provided in one part of an edge of the lining on the fluorescent bands of the flexible support in order to display information.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Francois Nicolas
• Rannoux Claire
• Nicolas Cedric

Classifications

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• A44C5/14

  characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like · CPC title

• A44C5/0053

  Flexible straps · CPC title

• A44C5/0007 Primary

  Bracelets specially adapted for other functions or with means for attaching other articles · CPC title

• A44C5/0015

  providing information, e.g. bracelets with calendars (identification bracelets G09F3/005) · CPC title