Conductive connection through eyewear hinge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12019310-B2
Application number	US-202217820651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Oct 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

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. The hinge mechanism comprises a pair of hinge pieces that defines a composite conduit through the hinge mechanism, 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 device body comprising:
an eyewear frame;
a temple coupled to the eyewear frame for enabling head-mounted wear of the eyewear frame; and
a hinge mechanism coupling the temple to the eyewear frame to permit relative hinged movement about a hinge axis; and
a conductor extending between the eyewear frame and the temple via the hinge mechanism to provide a conductive coupling between respective components incorporated in the eyewear frame and the temple respectively,
wherein the device body defines a continuous internal conduit that extends between the respective coupled components, the internal conduit being closed off from an exterior of the device, and
wherein the conductor is enclosed within the conduit, different conductor portions along the length of the conductor comprising:
an elongate temple portion extending lengthwise along the temple in a direction transverse to the hinge axis;
an elongate frame portion extending along a portion of the eyewear frame and being oriented transverse to the hinge axis; and
an elongate hinge portion that extends transversely between the temple portion and the eyewear frame portion at the hinge axis, the hinge portion having a lengthwise direction which is oriented substantially co-axial with the hinge axis.

2. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein the internal conduit is obscured from external view both in a wearable condition, in which the temple projects transversely from the eyewear frame for operational wear, and in a collapsed condition, in which the temple extends substantially parallel to the eyewear frame.

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

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

5. 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.

6. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein:
the conductor is an electrical conductor connecting an onboard battery of the eyewear device to power electronic components across the hinge mechanism, and
wherein the conductor is additionally a thermal conductor configured to conduct heat across the hinge mechanism from a heat generating component to a heatsink element.

7. The eyewear device of claim 1 , wherein the internal conduit defines a hinge cavity in which the conduit hinge portion is located, the hinge cavity being absent of obstruction to the hinge portion of the conductor.

8. The eyewear device of claim 7 , wherein the hinge cavity is sealed off at its opposite axial ends by pair of hinge pins that are co-axial with the hinge axis, the hinged coupling between the temple and the frame being provided by the hinge pins.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the hinge mechanism is provided by a pair of hinge pieces incorporated in the eyewear frame and the temple respectively, each hinge piece comprising:
a body portion attached to the eyewear frame or the temple respectively; and
a hinge formation attached to the body portion and hingedly engaged with a complementary hinge formation of the other hinge piece, together forming the hinge mechanism,
wherein the hinge cavity is defined by the engaged hinge formations,
wherein each body portion defines a passage that extends therethrough and providing a respective portion of the internal conduit, 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.

10. The eyewear device of claim 9 , wherein each hinge piece is a metal component of one-piece construction.

11. The eyewear device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the hinge formations comprises a substantially tubular hinge knuckle having a substantially cylindrical interior that at least partially defines the hinge cavity and that is substantially co-axial with the hinge axis.

12. The eyewear device of claim 9 , wherein
the hinge formation of one of the hinge pieces comprises a pair of tubular end knuckles that are co-axial with the hinge cavity and that are located at opposite axial ends of the hinge cavity; and
wherein the eyewear device further comprises a pair of hinge pins pivotally connecting the hinge formations of the pair of hinge pieces, the pair of hinge pins being located in the pair end knuckles such as close off opposite axial ends of the hinge cavity.

13. The eyewear device of claim 9 , wherein the passages defined by the body portions of the respective hinge pieces open out transversely into the hinge cavity, so that the conductor passes transversely through the hinge cavity.

14. The eyewear device of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the passages through the body portions 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.

15. The eyewear device of claim 9 , 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.

16. The eyewear device of claim 15 , wherein the hinge formation of the first hinge piece comprises a pair of tubular hinge knuckles co-axially flanking a central hinge knuckle provided by the hinge formation of 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.

Assignees

• Snap Inc

Inventors

• Moskowitz Douglas Wayne
• Fliszar David G
• Mape Martin

Classifications

• E05D11/0081

  for transmitting energy, e.g. electrical cable routing · CPC title

• H05K7/02

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

• H05K7/20445

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

• G02C11/10

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02C5/2209 Primary

  Pivot bearings and hinge bolts other than screws · CPC title