Systems, articles, and methods for elastic electrical cables and wearable electronic devices employing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9600030-B2
Application number	US-201514621044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 14, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Systems, articles, and methods for elastic electrical cables are described. An elastic electrical cable includes a molded band of elastomer with a length that follows a tortuous path including a number of semi-rigidly set changes in direction. The elastomer band is formed by an overmolding process to enclose or at least partially contain a flexible printed circuit board, with various access points provided to electrically couple to/from the flexible printed circuit board. An annular wearable electric device employing at least one such elastic electrical cable as an adaptive coupler that simultaneously provides both electrically conductive coupling and adaptive physical coupling is described. Methods of preparing/manufacturing such elastic electrical cables are also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An annular wearable electronic device having a circumference that is variable in a dimension, the annular wearable electronic device comprising:
a first pod structure positioned at least approximately on the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device, wherein the first pod structure includes electric circuitry;
a second pod structure positioned at least approximately on the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device, wherein the second pod structure includes electric circuitry and wherein the first pod structure and the second pod structure are physically separated from one another by a first distance at least approximately along the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device; and
a first adaptive coupler positioned at least approximately on the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device, wherein the first adaptive coupler provides both electrically conductive coupling and adaptive physical coupling between the first pod structure and the second pod structure, and wherein the first adaptive coupler comprises:
at least a first electrically conductive pathway that is electrically conductively coupled to both the electric circuitry of the first pod structure and the electric circuitry of the second pod structure; and
a first elastomer band that is physically coupled to both the first pod structure and the second pod structure, wherein at least a portion of the first electrically conductive pathway extends through an inner volume of the first elastomer band, and wherein a length of the first elastomer band that couples in between the first pod structure and the second pod structure is greater than the first distance and includes at least one semi-rigidly set change in direction.

2. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein:
when not worn by a user, the dimension of the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device is a minimum value with the first adaptive coupler in an unstretched state; and
when worn by the user, the dimension of the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device is increased to encircle a portion of the user with the first adaptive coupler in a stretched state, the stretched state of the first adaptive coupler achieved by a change in an angle of the at least one semi-rigidly set change in direction in the length of the first elastomer band that couples in between the first pod structure and the second pod structure.

3. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first elastomer band includes an overmold portion over the at least a portion of the first electrically conductive pathway that extends through the inner volume of the first elastomer band.

4. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 3 wherein the first elastomer band comprises:
a first longitudinal section of elastomer having a recess that is sized and dimensioned to receive the at least a portion of the first electrically conductive pathway that extends through the inner volume of the first elastomer band, wherein the first longitudinal section of elastomer includes the number of semi-rigidly set changes in direction; and
a second longitudinal section of overmold elastomer over at least a portion of the recess of the first longitudinal section of elastomer to define the inner volume of the first elastomer band.

5. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first electrically conductive pathway includes at least one electrically conductive trace carried by a flexible substrate.

6. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a third pod structure positioned at least approximately on the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device, wherein:
the third pod structure includes electric circuitry;
the second pod structure and the third pod structure are physically separated from one another by a second distance at least approximately along the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device;
the first adaptive coupler provides electrically conductive coupling and adaptive physical coupling between the second pod structure and the third pod structure;
the first adaptive coupler further comprises at least a second electrically conductive pathway that is electrically conductively coupled to the electric circuitry of the second pod structure and to the electric circuitry of the third pod structure; and
the first elastomer band is physically coupled to both the second pod structure and the third pod structure, wherein at least a portion of the second electrically conductive pathway extends through an inner volume of the first elastomer band, and wherein a length of the first elastomer band that couples in between the second pod structure and the third pod structure is greater than the second distance and includes at least one semi-rigidly set change in direction.

7. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third pod structure positioned at least approximately on the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device, wherein the third pod structure includes electric circuitry and wherein the second pod structure and the third pod structure are physically separated from one another by a second distance at least approximately along the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device; and
a second adaptive coupler positioned at least approximately on the circumference of the annular wearable electronic device, wherein the second adaptive coupler provides both electrically conductive coupling and adaptive physical coupling between the second pod structure and the third pod structure, and wherein the second adaptive coupler comprises:
at least a second electrically conductive pathway that is electrically conductively coupled to both the electric circuitry of the third pod structure and the electric circuitry of the second pod structure; and
a second elastomer band that is physically coupled to both the second pod structure and the third pod structure, wherein at least a portion of the second electrically conductive pathway extends through an inner volume of the second elastomer band, and wherein a length of the second elastomer band that couples in between the second pod structure and the third pod structure is greater than the second distance and includes at least one semi-rigidly set change in direction.

8. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the length of the first elastomer band that couples in between the first pod structure and the second pod structure follows a tortuous path that includes the at least one semi-rigidly set change in direction.

9. The annular wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second elastomer band that is physically coupled to both the first pod structure and the second pod structure, wherein a length of the second elastomer band that couples in between the first pod structure and the second pod structure is greater than the first distance and includes at least one semi-rigidly set change in direction.

10. An elastic electrical cable comprising:
a flexible printed circuit board including at least one electrically conductive trace carried on a flexible substrate; and
an elastomer band, wherein at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board extends through an inner volume of the elastomer band, and wherein a length of the elastomer band follows a tortuous path that includes a number of semi-rigidly set changes in direction.

11. The elastic electrical cable of claim 10 wherein the elastomer band includes an overmold portion over the at least a portion of the flexible printed circuit board tha

Assignees

• Thalmic Labs Inc

Inventors

• Bailey Matthew
• Orzel Stephen E

Classifications

• A61B2562/164

  the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier · CPC title

• H05K1/147

  at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit (H05K1/148 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2562/166

  the sensor is mounted on a specially adapted printed circuit board · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• A61B5/6831

  Straps, bands or harnesses · CPC title