Highly elastic composites and constructions for continuous watch band design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11602201-B1
Application number	US-201916566806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2019
Priority date	Sep 11, 2018
Publication date	Mar 14, 2023
Grant date	Mar 14, 2023

Abstract

A band for securing an electronic device to a user may include a monolithic band body having proximal and distal ends for coupling to a body of the electronic device. The monolithic band body may include an elastic material that is elastically stretchable between (1) a fitted mode where the electronic device is secured to a limb of the user, and (2) a stretched mode for fitting over the limb of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A band for securing an electronic device to a user, the band comprising:
a monolithic band body having proximal and distal ends for coupling to a body of the electronic device, wherein
the monolithic band body comprises an elastic material that is elastically stretchable between (1) a fitted mode where the electronic device is secured to a limb of the user, and (2) a stretched mode for fitting over the limb of the user, wherein the elastic material exhibits a substantially constant force profile when stretched between (1) the stretched mode at a first force and (2) the fitted mode at a second force, to maintain a stress of the monolithic band body in the fitted mode substantially constant against a variation in strain of the monolithic band body.

2. The band of claim 1 , wherein the elastic material of the monolithic band body is elastically stretchable from a level of 1% strain in the fitted mode up to a level of 75% strain in the stretched mode without plastically deforming.

3. The band of claim 1 , wherein the elastic material exhibits the substantially constant force profile when stretched between (1) the fitted mode at about 0.1 N to about 7.5 N and (2) the stretched mode at less than 13 N, to maintain the stress of the monolithic band body in the fitted mode substantially constant against the variation in strain of the monolithic band body.

4. The band of claim 1 , wherein the elastic material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of at least one of elastomers, silicones, fluorosilicones, urethanes, synthetic thermosets, and any combination thereof.

5. The band of claim 1 , wherein the monolithic band body comprises a porous monolithic material.

6. A band for securing an electronic device to a user, the band comprising:
a monolithic band body having proximal and distal ends for coupling to a body of the electronic device, wherein
the monolithic band body comprises an elastic material that is elastically stretchable between (1) a fitted mode where the electronic device is secured to a limb of the user, and (2) a stretched mode for fitting over the limb of the user, wherein the elastic material has a Young's Modulus ranging from about 0.1 Megapascals to about 2.0 Megapascals.

7. The band of claim 1 , wherein the elastic material is configured to stretch up to 600% in length without plastically deforming.

8. The band of claim 1 , wherein a deformation of the monolithic band body in the stretched mode is maintained between about 25% to about 75% strain, and a deformation of the monolithic band body in the fitted mode ranges from about 1% to about 5% strain.

9. A watch band for securing a watch to a wrist of a user, the watch band comprising:
a one-piece structure having a proximal end to attach to a first side of a housing of the watch, and distal end configured to attach to a second side of the watch housing, wherein:
the one-piece structure comprises an elastic material;
the elastic material exhibits a substantially constant force profile when stretched between (1) a fitted mode where the watch is secured to the wrist of the user, and (2) a stretched mode for fitting over a hand of the user; and
in the fitted mode, the one-piece structure is configured to exert a force to secure the watch on the wrist.

10. The watch band of claim 9 , wherein the elastic material exhibits the substantially constant force profile when stretched between (1) the fitted mode at about 0.1 N to about 7.5 N and (2) the stretched mode.

11. The watch band of claim 9 , wherein the one-piece structure comprises an auxetic material.

12. The watch band of claim 11 , wherein the auxetic material has a hinged structure configured to collapse in the stretched mode to maintain a substantially constant force profile during stretching of the one-piece structure.

13. The watch band of claim 11 , further comprising a skin overlaying the one-piece structure, the skin having a proximal end and a distal end corresponding to the proximal and distal ends of the one-piece structure for coupling to the first and second sides of the watch housing.

14. The watch band of claim 9 , wherein the one-piece structure comprises a composite material including multiple materials.

15. The watch band of claim 14 , wherein portions of the multiple materials form different geometric shapes.

16. The watch band of claim 14 , wherein the multiple materials differ in at least one of tensile strength, shear strength, and rigidity.

17. The watch band of claim 9 , wherein the one-piece structure comprises an elastic corded material.

18. The watch band of claim 9 , wherein the elastic material comprises an elastic material having a Young's Modulus ranging from about 0.1 Megapascals to about 2.0 Megapascals.

19. The watch band of claim 9 , wherein the elastic material is configured to stretch up to 600% in length without plastically deforming.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Slabaugh Scott W
• Sano Tatsuya
• Hsu Jen-Chun
• Yabe Osamu
• Moustafa Zaki
• Hatanaka Motohide
• Chen Hsiang Hung
• Shiraishi Eiryo

Classifications

• A44C5/0069 Primary

  extensible · CPC title

• G04B37/1486

  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