Comfortable medical headlamp assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351799-B2
Application number	US-201314057351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	May 13, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A battery headlamp assembly that includes a light engine bezel, an adjustable linkage supporting the bezel and including an electrically conductive system terminating at the bezel. Also, a headband assembly supports the adjustable linkage and includes a longitudinal rigid-flex circuit assembly. This assembly has a strip of rigid-flex circuit having two longitudinally opposed ends and including battery contacts on the ends. Also, two networks of electrical components are each supported by and electrically connected together, and to one of the battery contacts, by the strip of rigid-flex circuit, which includes conductive traces connecting both the networks to the electrically conductive system and to each other, to power the bezel from the battery contacts and to permit communications between the networks. In addition, a further electrically conductive element, electrically connects at least one conductive trace of the rigid-flex circuit to the electrically conductive system of the adjustable linkage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery headlamp assembly, comprising:
(a) a light engine bezel;
(b) an adjustable linkage, supporting said bezel and including an electrically conductive system terminating at said bezel;
(c) a headband assembly, supporting said adjustable linkage and including:
(i) an inner assembly including a strip of flex circuit having two longitudinally opposed ends and defining a set of conductive traces; a pair of circuit boards, each one electrically and physically connected to one of said two longitudinally opposed ends and each bearing a network of electrical components and including a set of battery contacts, said conductive traces connecting both said networks to each other to permit communications between said networks;
(ii) a further electrically conductive element, electrically connecting at least one conductive trace of said flex circuit to said electrically conductive system of said adjustable linkage, thereby permitting said bezel to be powered from said battery contacts; and
(iii) a housing of flexible material substantially enclosing said inner assembly and said further electrically conductive element and supporting said linkage.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said flex circuit and said circuit boards are integrated together into one continuous piece of rigid-flex circuit.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein said housing of flexible material defines a battery slot on each said end of said rigid-flex circuit.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein said flexible material enclosing said inner assembly ensheathes at least a portion of said inner assembly, directly touching it.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said flexible material substantially enclosing said inner assembly is unitary and homogeneous.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each circuit board has a farthest end, which is farthest from said linkage, and wherein said battery contacts are a component of both circuit boards, at said farthest end.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said inner assembly further includes a set of cans covering said electrical networks and wherein said flexible material substantially ensheathes said inner assembly, except said battery contacts, and a conductive portion of said further electrically conductive element, to permit it to be electrically connected to said electrically conductive system.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the D Shore durometer rating of said flexible material is between 45D and 70D.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the D Shore durometer rating of said flexible material is between 50D and 60D.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein said D Shore durometer rating of said flexible material is between 55 and 60D.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said band extends past said inner assembly, thereby forming side-extensions located behind and above the batteries, that may be joined together to form a portion extending around the back of a user's head.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein said side extensions have a shore durometer rating that is different from the shore durometer rating of said flexible material covering said rigid-flex circuit.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said band includes two portions extending perpendicularly from said portion sheathing said inner assembly, said extensions being joinable to form a portion extending around the top of a user's head.

14. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said further electrically conductive element includes a jack, connected to at least one of said traces and said electrically conductive system includes a mating plug.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , further including an additional jack, connected to at least one of said traces, and permitting mating plug for transmitting electricity to said battery contacts, for recharging batteries connected to said contacts.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , where said jacks are positioned side by side about said linkage and wherein said jacks are ensheathed by said polymer material to create a pair of forward protrusions, which resist vertical flexure of said headband assembly during linkage adjustment.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said flexible material is a polymer material.

18. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said electrically conductive system and said further electrically conductive element comprise an insulated wire, connected to a rigid-flex circuit trace and to said bezel, and where said wire, in said headband assembly constitutes said further electrically conductive element, and in said linkage constitutes said electrically conductive system.

19. A method of making a headband for an electrical device to be supported and supplied with electricity by said headband, comprising:
(a) providing an inner assembly, including:
(i) an electrically conductive assembly, including a terminal to permit connection to said electrical device;
(ii) two networks of electrical components each supported by and electrically connected together and to said electrical device by said electrically conductive assembly;
(iii) cans placed over said networks; and

(b) suspending said inner assembly inside a mold and filling said mold with a curable resin, thereby substantially covering said inner assembly with said resin; and
(c) permitting said resin to cure.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said electrical device is at the center of said inner assembly.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein said electrically conductive assembly includes a longitudinal extent of flex circuit that supports as well as electrically connects said networks.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein said terminal is a jack supported by said flex circuit.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein said curable resin is a polymer resin.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein said polymer resin is a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene block copolymer.

Assignees

• River Point Llc
• Riverpoint Medical Llc

Inventors

• Ferguson John Thomas

Classifications

• A61B90/30

  Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure · CPC title

• A61B1/0692

  head mounted · CPC title

• A61B2090/502

  Headgear, e.g. helmet, spectacles · CPC title

• B29C70/72

  Encapsulating inserts having non-encapsulated projections, e.g. extremities or terminal portions of electrical components {(B29C70/742 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F21V21/084

  Head fittings · CPC title