Conductive connection through eyewear hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11422384-B2
Application number	US-202016949622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

An eyewear device provides for routing a flexible conductive element or conductor through a hollow interior of a hinge mechanism that connects a temple of the eyewear device to its lens-supporting frame. The conductor establishes an electrically conductive connection between electronic components housed in the frame and the temple respectively. The hinge mechanism comprises a pair of hinge pieces that defines a composite conduit through the hinge mechanism, the conduit and hence the conductor routed through the passage being hidden or obscured from external view in any operational position of the hinge mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An eyewear device comprising:
a frame holding one or more optical elements;
a temple coupled to the frame for supporting the frame in position during wearing of the eyewear device;
a hinge mechanism that hingedly couples the temple to the frame, permitting pivotal movement of the temple about a hinge axis to dispose the temple between a wearable position and a collapsed position, the hinge mechanism comprising:
a plurality of hinge knuckles that are respectively connected to one of the frame and the temple and that are intermeshed, together to define a hinge cavity that is hidden from view and that is coincident with the hinge axis, the plurality of hinge knuckles including a pair of end knuckles located at opposite axial ends of the hinge cavity, each end knuckle defining a respective substantially tubular bore co-axial with the hinge cavity; and
a pair of hinge pins pivotally connecting together the intermeshed plurality of hinge knuckles, the pair of hinge pins being located in the pair of end knuckles such as to close off the opposite axial ends of the hinge cavity; and
a conductor extending between the frame and the temple via the hinge mechanism to provide a conductive coupling between components incorporated in the frame and the temple respectively, the conductor passing through the hinge cavity, the conductor intersecting the hinge axis within the hinge cavity.

2. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein the hinge mechanism is provided by a pair of hinge pieces incorporated in the frame and the temple respectively, each hinge piece comprising:
a body portion attached to a corresponding one of the frame and the temple; and
one or more of the plurality of hinge knuckles attached to the body portion,
wherein each body portion defines a passage that extends therethrough, each passage being in communication with the hinge cavity, and
wherein the conductor extends sequentially through the passage of one of the hinge pieces, through the hinge cavity, and through the passage of the other one of the hinge pieces.

3. The eyewear device of claim 2 , wherein the hinge cavity and the passages of the pair of hinge pieces are obscured from external view both in the wearable position and in the collapsed position.

4. The eyewear device of claim 2 , wherein each hinge piece is a metal component of one-piece construction.

5. The eyewear device of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of hinge knuckles has a substantially circular-cylindrical interior that at least partially defines the hinge cavity and that is substantially co-axial with the hinge axis.

6. The eyewear device of claim 2 , wherein each of the pair of hinge pieces is configured such that the passage extending through the respective body portion opens out transversely into the hinge cavity, so that the conductor passes transversely through the hinge cavity.

7. The eyewear device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the pair of hinge pieces is configured such that the passage extending through the body portion of said hinge piece opens axially into the hinge cavity, such that the conductor extends:
transversely through a first one of the hinge pieces;
axially into the hinge cavity; and
from there transversely through a second one of the hinge pieces.

8. The eyewear device of claim 2 , wherein a first one of the pair of hinge pieces defines a pair of passages extending separately through its body portion and opening separately into the hinge cavity.

9. The eyewear device of claim 8 , wherein the first hinge piece provides a pair of tubular hinge knuckles co-axially flanking a central hinge knuckle provided by the other, second hinge piece,
wherein the hinge cavity is defined by a hollow interior of the central hinge knuckle of the second hinge piece, the second hinge piece having a single passage extending through its body portion into the interior of the central hinge knuckle, and
wherein the pair of passages through the body portion of the first hinge piece extend into respective hollow interiors of the pair of hinge knuckles of the first hinge piece, the interiors of the pair of hinge knuckles being in communication with the hinge cavity of the central hinge knuckle at opposite axial ends thereof.

10. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein the conductor is an electrical conductor connected to an onboard battery of the eyewear device to power electronic components across the hinge mechanism.

11. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein the conductor establishes a data connection across the hinge mechanism between electronic components in the frame and in the temple respectively.

12. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein the conductor is a thermal conductor configured to conduct heat across the hinge mechanism from a heat generating component to a heatsink element.

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Moskowitz Douglas Wayne
• Fliszar David G
• Mape Martin

Classifications

• G02C11/10

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• H05K7/20445

  the coupling element being an additional piece, e.g. thermal standoff · CPC title

• G02C5/2209 Primary

  Pivot bearings and hinge bolts other than screws · CPC title

• H05K7/02

  Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure · CPC title

• G02C5/22 Primary

  Hinges (pivotal connection in general F16C11/00) · CPC title