Wearable computing device with removable housing cover

Abstract

A wearable computing device includes a housing having an interior surface that defines an interior volume. The housing has a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, with a slot being defined through the protrusion along a vertical direction. The wearable computing device further includes a locking element movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position. The locking element has a hook portion extending outside of the slot. Additionally, the wearable computing device includes a housing cover. An interior surface of the housing cover defines a hook element that is engageable by the hook portion of the locking element such that the housing cover moves with the locking element as the locking element is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position.

Description

WEARABLE COMPUTING DEVICE WITH REMOVABLE HOUSING COVERFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wearable computing devices, and more particularly, to a wearable computing device with a removable housing cover.BACKGROUND

[0002] Recent advances in technology, including those available through consumer devices, have provided for corresponding advances in health detection and monitoring. For example, wearable computing devices such as fitness trackers and smart watches are able to determine information relating to the pulse or motion of a person wearing the device. For instance, certain wearable computing devices include a variety of sensors for measuring multiple biological parameters and, optionally, for enabling other features, such as GPS guidance, music, communications, payments, and / or the like that can be beneficial to a user of the device. Suitable sensors include a heart rate sensor, multi-purpose electrical sensors compatible with electrocardiogram (ECG) and electrodermal activity (EDA) applications, infrared sensors, a gyroscope, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, an ambient light sensor, Wi-Fi, GPS, a vibration sensor, a speaker, and a microphone, among others.

[0003] Conventional wearable computing devices are designed to be water resistant (e.g., to about 5 atmosphere), but conventional sealing techniques often do not allow a user to easily access and re-seal the interior of the device, such as to replace or repair one or more components within the device. For instance, many sealing techniques require adhesives, epoxies, heat-sensitive tapes, and / or the like, which require significant effort, heat, and / or force to soften the material enough to remove a cover for accessing the interior of the device, and which require new adhesive, epoxies, heat-sensitive tape, and / or the like to sufficiently re-seal the device. Sealing techniques that use a more traditional gasket are highly reversible but require a significant volume to implement structures stiff enough to compress the gasket, such as structures that allow for screws or threaded elements, and sufficiently visible to a user for access.

[0004] Accordingly, a wearable computing device with a removable housing cover that is easily and repeatably attached and detached would be welcomed in the art.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or can be learned from the description, or can be learned through practice of the embodiments.

[0006] In one aspect, a wearable computing device is provided. The wearable computing device may include a housing extending between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction. The housing may have an exterior surface and an interior surface, where the interior surface at least partially defines an interior volume. The housing has a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, with a slot being defined through the protrusion. The slot extends along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end. The wearable computing device may further include a locking element at least partially received within the slot. The locking element is movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position. The locking element has a hook portion extending outside of the slot. Additionally, the wearable computing device may include a housing cover having an exterior surface and an interior surface. The interior surface of the housing cover may define a hook element, the hook element being engageable by the hook portion of the locking element such that the housing cover moves with the locking element as the locking element is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position.

[0007] In another aspect, a cover assembly for a wearable computing device is provided. The cover assembly includes a housing extending between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction. The housing may have an exterior surface and an interior surface, where the interior surface at least partially defines an interior volume. The housing has a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, with a slot being defined through the protrusion. The slot extends along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end. The cover assembly may further include a locking element at least partially received within the slot. The locking element is movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position. The locking element has a hook portion extending outside of the slot. Additionally, the cover assembly may include a housing cover having an exterior surface and an interior surface. The interior surface of the housing cover may define a hook element, the hook element being engageable by the hook portion of the locking element such that the housing cover moves with the locking element as the locking element is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position.

[0008] In an additional aspect, a method for servicing a wearable computing device isprovided. The method may include providing a housing. The housing may extend between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction. The housing may have an exterior surface and an interior surface, with the interior surface at least partially defining an interior volume. The housing may define a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, with a slot being defined through the protrusion. The slot may extend along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end. The method may further include inserting a locking element at least partially within the slot, with the locking element being movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position. The locking element may have a hook portion extending outside of the slot. Further, the method may include providing a housing cover. The housing cover may have an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a hook element. Moreover, the method may include aligning the hook element with the hook portion while the locking element is in the unlocking position. Additionally, the method may include moving the housing cover and housing toward each other such that the locking element is moved from the unlocking position into the locking position.

[0009] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate example embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the related principles.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Detailed discussion of embodiments directed to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:

[0011] FIG. 1 A illustrates a front perspective view of a wearable computing device on a wrist of a user in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0012] FIG. IB illustrates a side view of the wearable computing device of FIGS. 1A and IB in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example system that can be utilized with the wearable computing device of FIGS. 1A-1B in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0014] FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate different views of a housing of the wearable computing device from FIGS. 1 A- IB in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0015] FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate different views of the wearable computing device of FIGS. 1A-1B during installation of a cover onto the housing of FIGS. 3A-3D in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter;

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the removable cover of FIGS. 4A-4D in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter; and

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for servicing a wearable computing device in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0019] Conventional wearable computing devices may have a housing and one or more covers that enclose an interior volume of the housing. In some instances, adhesives, epoxies, heat-sensitive tapes, and / or the like are used to selectively couple the cover(s) to the housing and sufficiently make the interior of the housing water-resistant, which may be difficult to soften enough to remove the cover(s) and require new adhesives, epoxies, heat-sensitive tapes, and / or the like to be applied when re-installing the cover(s). These conventional attaching and sealing techniques may make it difficult for a user to service components within the wearable computing device without training or significant trial-and-error. In some instances, the wearable computing device may include one or more gaskets compressed between the housing and the cover(s), such as by using screws or threaded connections.These conventional attaching and sealing techniques may take up a large amount of space and be visible from the exterior of the wearable computing device.

[0020] As such, the present disclosure is related to a wearable computing device having a removable housing cover, and related methods for installing such removable cover, that overcomes such difficulties. For instance, the wearable computing device may include a housing generally extending between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction.The housing may have an exterior surface and an interior surface, where the interior surface at least partially defines an interior volume for receiving one or more components (e.g., battery, circuit boards, etc.). The housing may have a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, with a slot being defined through the protrusion, the slot extending along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end. The wearable computing device may further include a locking element at least partially received within the slot such that the locking element is movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position. The locking element has a hook portion that extends out of the interior volume when the locking element is in the unlocking position. The wearable computing device further includes a housing cover. The housing cover has an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface being configured to face the interior volume when the housing cover is installed on the housing. The interior surface defines a hook element that is engageable by the hook portion of the locking element such that the housing cover and the locking element move together as the locking element is moved between the locked and unlocking positions. As such, the disclosed wearable computing device has a hidden latching mechanism for repeatably coupling and decoupling the housing cover and the housing.

[0021] In some instances, the wearable computing device includes a sealing element, such as a gasket, received between the housing and the housing cover. The sealing element is fully compressed between the housing and the housing cover when the hook element of the housing cover and the hook portion of the locking element are engaged, and the locking element is in the locked position, where the compressed sealing element seals the housing at the housing and the housing cover. In one or more instances, the wearable computing device further includes a retainer that extends through the housing and at least partially into the locking element when the locking element is in the locking position to prevent the locking element from moving towards the unlocked position, and that is selectively removable from the locking element to allow the locking element to be movable between the locking and unlocked positions. The retainer may further improve the engagement between the housing and the housing cover. In some instances, the wearable computing device includes a biasing element configured to bias the locking element towards the unlocked position, to help ease removal of the housing cover.

[0022] Accordingly, the disclosed wearable computing device provides a repeatably attachable and detachable connection between the housing cover and the cover that is easy for an operator, that does not require any new materials for each attachment, that reduces the volume required to couple the housing cover to the cover, and that is substantially hiddenfrom view.

[0023] With reference now to the Figures, example embodiments of the present disclosure will be discussed in further detail.

[0024] Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 A-1B illustrate perspective views of a wearable computing device 100 according to the present disclosure and FIG. 2 illustrates an example system 150 that can be utilized with such wearable computing device 100. In general, the wearable computing device 100 includes a housing 102 that contains the electronics associated with the wearable computing device 100. The housing 102 is configured to rest against a user. In some instances, as shown in FIG. 1 A, the wearable computing device 100 may be worn on a user’s forearm 104 like a wristwatch. Thus, as shown, the wearable computing device 100 may include a wearable band, such as a wristband 106 having one or more parts, such as the two wristband straps 106A, 106B, for securing the wearable computing device 100 to the user’s forearm 104. In such instance, the housing 102 may include one or more connection points (e.g., connection points 108 A, 108B) for such wristband 106. However, it should be appreciated that the wearable computing device 100 may be worn at any other suitable location by a user, such as, for example, on an ankle.

[0025] In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 A-1B, the housing 102 has a main housing 110, an upper housing cover 112, and a lower housing cover 114 (FIG. IB). As particularly shown in FIG. IB, the main housing 110 of the housing 102 of the wearable computing device 100 generally extends between the upper housing cover 112 and the lower housing cover 114 of the housing 102. As will be described in greater detail below, the upper and lower housing covers 112, 114 are connectable to the main housing 110 to seal an interior volume of the wearable computing device 100. In some instances, the connection points 108 A, 108B may be provided on the main housing 110.

[0026] The upper housing cover 112 is configured to receive an electronic display screen 116. For example, in an embodiment, the upper housing cover 112 may be constructed of glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, or similar. The electronic display screen 116 may be arranged within the housing 102 and viewable through the upper housing cover 112. Moreover, in an embodiment, the electronic display screen 116 may cover an electronics package (not shown), which may also be housed within the housing 102.

[0027] The lower housing cover 114 of the housing 102 may be configured to be closest to a user when worn. For instance, the lower housing cover 114 may contact a dorsal wrist of a user when being worn by the user. As such, plurality of sensor electrodes 120 may be positioned on the lower housing cover 114 so as to maintain skin contact with the user whenbeing worn by the user. Thus, in such embodiments, each of the sensor electrodes 120 may be configurable to measure, at least, electrical impedance of the user at a location of the skin contact (e.g., at the dorsal wrist). Accordingly, in one or more embodiments, one or more (or all) of the plurality of sensor electrodes 120 may be impedance sensor electrodes.

[0028] Further, the sensor electrodes 120 described herein may be constructed of any suitable material. For example, in an embodiment, the sensor electrodes 120 described herein may be constructed of stainless steel, graphene, or any other material having a suitable conductivity and / or corrosion resistance and may have an optional PVD coating, that may be 1 -micrometer thick titanium nitride. In such embodiments, the PVD coating may provide a desired color to the sensor electrodes 120, thereby preventing oxidation beyond what the stainless steel already provides, and also increases durability. In additional embodiments, PVD and surface finish can be used to increase / decrease moisture retention, which affects the impedance signal and user comfort. In particular embodiments, the sensor electrodes 120 may be formed of an alloy of tin and nickel (TiN) with a shiny or mirror surface finish. Moreover, in an embodiment, the sensor electrodes 120 may be constructed of a hydrophobic material or a transparent material. For instance, the sensor electrodes 120 may be constructed of glass, sapphire, ceramic, and / or the like with coatings (e.g., for hydrophobicity, wear resistance, and / or the like).

[0029] In some embodiments, the wearable computing device 100 may also include at least one additional biometric sensor electrode in addition to the impedance sensor electrodes 120. In such embodiments, the additional biometric sensor electrode may include one or more temperature sensors (such as an ambient temperature sensor or a skin temperature sensor), a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a microphone, an optical sensor (e.g., a lights sensor such as a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor), and / or the like. For instance, in the schematic diagram of the system 150 shown in FIG. 2, the wearable computing device 100 includes an optical sensor 122 including one or more detectors 124 for detecting light and one or more light sources or emitters 126 (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) for emitting light. The detectors 124 and emitters 126 may be arranged within the housing 102 and at least partially exposed through the lower housing cover 114 of the housing 102. The detectors 124 may be used alone and be used to detect ambient light (light not emitted from the wearable computing device 100) or may be used in combination with the emitters 126 such that the detectors 124 detect both ambient light and light from the emitters 126. Use of emitters 126 may particularly be useful in dark environments, where there is little ambient light. The data generated by the sensor(s) 122 may be used to determine a HR estimate or otherphysiological metrics and / or may to determine a distance of the lower housing cover 114 of the wearable computing device 100 from an object, such as the user’s forearm 104 (FIG. 1 A).

[0030]

[0031] As further shown in FIG. 2, the system 150 may also include at least one controller 152. In an embodiment, the controller(s) 152 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or graphics processing unit (GPU) for executing instructions that can be stored in a memory device 154, such as flash memory or DRAM, among other such options. For example, in an embodiment, the memory device 154 may include RAM, ROM, FLASH memory, or other non-transitory digital data storage, and may include a control program comprising sequences of instructions which, when loaded from the memory device 154 and executed using the controller(s) 152, cause the controller(s) 152 to perform the functions that are described herein. As would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, the system 150 can include many types of memory, data storage, or computer-readable media, such as data storage for program instructions for execution by the controller or any suitable processor. The same or separate storage can be used for images or data, a removable memory can be available for sharing information with other devices, and any number of communication approaches can be available for sharing with other devices.

[0032] The system 150 also includes one or more power components 156, such as may include a battery operable to be recharged through conventional plug-in approaches, or through other approaches such as capacitive charging through proximity with a power mat or other such device.

[0033] In addition, as shown, the system 150 includes any suitable user interface elements in communication with the controller 152, such as the display 116 of the wearable computing device 100. The display 116 may be any suitable display type, such as a touch screen, organic light emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD), and / or the like. In further embodiments, the system 150 can also include at least one additional EO device 158 configured to allow the controller 152 to receive conventional inputs from a user. These conventional inputs can include, for example, a push button (e.g., button 128 in FIG. IB), touch pad, touch screen, wheel joystick, keyboard, mouse, keypad, and / or any other such device or element whereby a user can input a command to the system 150. In another embodiment, the EO device(s) 158 may be connected by a wireless infrared or Bluetooth or other link as well in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the EO device(s) 158 may additionally, or alternatively, include a microphone or other audio capture element that accepts voice or other audio commands. For example, in particular embodiments, the system150 may not include any buttons, but might be controlled only through a combination of visual and audio commands, such that a user can control the wearable computing device 100 without having to be in contact therewith. In certain embodiments, the I / O elements 158 may also include one or more of the sensor electrodes 120 described herein, optical sensor(s) (e.g., sensor(s) 122), barometric sensors (e.g., altimeter, etc.), and the like.

[0034] The system 150 may also include one or more wireless components 160 operable to allow the controller 152 to communicate with one or more electronic devices within a communication range of the particular wireless channel. The wireless channel can be any appropriate channel used to enable devices to communicate wirelessly, such as Bluetooth, cellular, NFC, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), or Wi-Fi channels. It should be understood that the system 150 can have one or more conventional wired communications connections as known in the art.

[0035] Still referring to FIG. 2, the sensor(s) 122, may be coupled to the controller 152 directly or indirectly using driver circuitry 162 by which the controller 152 may drive the emitter(s) 126 and obtain signals from the detector(s) 124.

[0036] Moreover, the system 150 may include one or more internal motion sensors 164 (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or the like) inside the housing 102 and configured to generate motion data indicative of movement of the wearable computing device 100, with the motion sensors 164 being in communication with the controller 152.

[0037] A host computer 168 can communicate with the wireless networking components 160 via one or more networks 166, which may include one or more local area networks, wide area networks, UWB, and / or internetworks using any of terrestrial or satellite links. In some embodiments, the host computer 168 executes control programs and / or application programs that are configured to perform some of the functions described herein.

[0038] In some embodiments, the system 150 may include at least one imaging element, such as one or more cameras that are able to capture images of the surrounding environment and that are able to image a user, people, or objects in the vicinity of the device. The imaging element can include any appropriate technology, such as a CCD image capture element having a sufficient resolution, focal range, and viewable area to capture an image of the user when the user is operating the device. Further image capture elements may also include depth sensors. Methods for capturing images using a camera element with a computing device are well known in the art and will not be discussed herein in detail. It should be understood that image capture can be performed using a single image, multiple images, periodic imaging, continuous image capturing, image streaming, etc. Further, the system 150 can include theability to start and / or stop image capture, such as when receiving a command from a user, application, or other device.

[0039] In general, the user might have a wearable computing device, such as a smartwatch or fitness tracker (e.g., the wearable computing device 100), which the user would like to be able to communicate with other devices, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, and / or the like. Applications may allow communication between multiple devices and a wearable computing device to enable a user to obtain information from the wearable computing device. For example, data captured using a sensor of the wearable computing device 100 may be communicated to the smartphone and / or the tablet computer using an application installed on the smartphone and / or the tablet computer. The user may also want the wearable computing device 100 to be able to communicate with a service provider, such as with the host computer 168 of a service provider, or other such entity, that is able to obtain and process data from the wearable computing device 100 and provide functionality that may not otherwise be available on the wearable computing device 100 or applications installed on the other devices. In addition, as shown, the wearable computing device 100 may be able to communicate with the service provider (e.g., the host computer 168 of the service provider) through at least one network (e.g., the network 166), such as the Internet or a cellular network, or may communicate over a wireless connection such as Bluetooth® to the other device(s) (e.g., the smartphone and / or the tablet computer), where the other device(s) then communicate with the service provider over the at least one network. There may be a number of other types of, or reasons for, communications in various embodiments.

[0040] In addition to being able to communicate, a user may also want the devices to be able to communicate in a number of ways or with certain aspects. For example, the user may want communications between the devices to be secure, particularly where the data may include personal health data or other such communications. The device or application providers may also be required to secure this information in at least some situations. The user may want the devices to be able to communicate with each other concurrently, rather than sequentially. This may be particularly true where pairing may be required, as the user may prefer that each device be paired at most once, such that no manual pairing is required. The user may also desire the communications to be as standards-based as possible, not only so that little manual intervention is required on the part of the user but also so that the devices can communicate with as many other types of devices as possible, which is often not the case for various proprietary formats. A user may thus desire to be able to walk in a room with one device and have such device automatically communicate with another target device with little to noeffort on the part of the user. In various conventional approaches, a device will utilize a communication technology such as Wi-Fi to communicate with other devices using wireless local area networking (WLAN). Smaller or lower capacity devices, such as many Internet of Things (loT) devices, instead utilize a communication technology such as Bluetooth®, and in particular Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which has very low power consumption.

[0041] In further embodiments, data may be captured, processed, and displayed in a number of different ways. For example, data may be captured using sensors on the wearable computing device 100, but due to limited resources on the wearable computing device 100, the data may be transferred to the smartphone, the tablet computer, and / or the service provider 168 (or a cloud resource) for processing, and results of that processing may then be presented back to that user on the wearable computing device 100, smartphone, the tablet computer and / or another such device associated with that user. In at least some embodiments, a user may also be able to provide input such as health data using an interface on any of these devices, which can then be considered when making that determination.

[0042] As indicated above, conventional wearable computing devices are water resistant (e.g., to about 5 atmosphere), but conventional sealing techniques often do not allow a user to easily access and re-seal the interior of the device, such as to replace or repair one or more components within the device. For instance, many sealing techniques require adhesives, epoxies, heat-sensitive tapes, and / or the like, which require significant effort, heat, and / or force to soften the material enough to remove a cover for accessing the interior of the device, and which require new adhesive, epoxies, heat-sensitive tape, and / or the like to sufficiently re-seal the device. Sealing techniques that use a more traditional gasket are highly reversible but require a significant volume to implement structures stiff enough to compress the gasket, such as structures that allow for screws or threaded elements, and sufficiently visible to a user for access.

[0043] Thus, as will be described below in greater detail, the wearable computing device 100 described herein has a housing cover (e.g., upper housing cover 112 and / or lower housing cover 114) configured to be repeatably attachable and detachable in a way that is easy for an operator, that does not require any new materials for each attachment, that reduces the volume required for the connection, and where the connection is substantially hidden from view.

[0044] Particularly, referring now to FIGS. 3 A-3D, different views of a housing (e.g., main housing 110 of housing 102) of the wearable computing device 100 from FIGS. 1A-1B are illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. Particularly, FIG. 3 Aillustrates a partial, exploded, perspective view of the main housing 110, FIG. 3B illustrates a section view of the main housing 110 taken with respect to section line 3B-3B in FIG. 3 A, FIG. 3C illustrates another partial, exploded, perspective view of the main housing 110, and FIG. 3D illustrates a partial, assembled, perspective view of the main housing 110.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, the main housing 110 extends between an upper or first side 110A and a lower or second side HOB along a vertical direction VI . The upper housing cover 112 (FIGS. 1 A-1B) of the housing 102 is configured to couple to the main housing 110 proximate to the first side 110A, while the lower housing cover 114 (FIGS. 1 A-1B) is configured to couple to the main housing 110 proximate to the second side HOB. Moreover, main housing 110 generally extends between an exterior surface 110EXT and an interior surface 110INT. The interior surface 110INT at least partially defines an interior volume of the housing 102 for receiving one or more components (e.g., display 116, sensor(s) 120, 122, controller 152, memory device(s) 154, power component(s) 156, wireless component(s) 160, driver(s) 162, motion sensor(s) 164, etc.). As particularly shown in FIG. 3B, the main housing 110 may define one or both of the connection points 108 A, 108B. Particularly, each connection point 108 A, 108B may be part of a band recess in the exterior surface 110EXT configured to receive a respective end of the band 106, where the band recess 108 A, 108B extends from the exterior surface 110EXT towards the interior surface 110INT.

[0046] The main housing 110 may have one or more protrusions 200 (only one of which is shown) extending outwardly (e.g., in a radial direction Rl) from the interior surface 110INT further into the interior volume of the main housing 110. A slot 202 may be defined through each, respective protrusion 200, where each slot 202 generally extends along (e.g., substantially parallel to) the vertical direction VI between a first slot end 202A and a second slot end 202B. Each slot 202 may be configured to at least partially receive a locking element 204. The locking element 204 may be movable within the slot 202 along the vertical direction VI between an unlocking position and a locking position as will be described below. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the locking element 204 has a hook portion 204H proximate to a lower end 204B of the locking element 204 along the vertical direction VI, the hook portion 204H extends outside of the slot 202 and is configured to couple with the housing cover (e.g., lower housing cover 114).

[0047] To help guide the locking element 204 within the slot 202, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, the slot 202 may further define a channel 206. The channel 206 extends along the vertical direction VI between a first channel end 206 A and a second channel end 206B. In some instances, the first channel end 206A and the first slot end 202A are at the same locationalong the vertical direction VI. In one instance, the second channel end 206B is spaced apart from the second slot end 202B in the vertical direction VI such that the channel 206 extends along only a portion of the slot 202 in the vertical direction VI. Correspondingly, the locking element 204 has guide portion 204G configured to be at least partially received within the channel 206. Engagement of the guide portion 204G and the channel 206 limits rotation of the locking element 204 within the slot 202 about the vertical direction VI. In some instances, the guide portion 204G contacts the second channel end 206B when the locking element 204 moves along the slot 202 towards the second slot end 202B (e.g., into the unlocking position as will be described below) to limit travel of the locking element 204 in the vertical direction VI.

[0048] Moreover, one or more biasing elements 208 may be provided to help bias the locking element 204 towards the second slot end 202B (e.g., towards the unlocking position as will be described below). For instance, as best shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the locking element 204 has one or more landing portions 204L configured to be in contact with an end of a respective biasing element 208. The biasing elements 208 may be configured as any suitable biasing element, such as springs, and / or made out of a compressible material (e.g., elastomer), and / or the like. As shown in FIG. 3C, the biasing element(s) 208 may be received within the slot 202. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3D, a cover element 210 may be installed to retain the biasing element(s) 208 within the slot 202. The cover element 210 may have a biasing portion 210A configured to be directly above each respective biasing element 208 in the vertical direction VI to retain the biasing element(s) 208 within the slot 202. Moreover, in some instances, cover element 210 may define a central opening 210B through which an upper or first end 204A of the locking element 204 along the vertical direction VI may be received. In some instances, movement of the locking element 204 along the vertical direction VI through the central opening 210B may be limited by engagement of the guide portion 204G with the cover element 210 as the locking element 204 moves towards the first slot end 202 A. In some instances, as best shown in FIG. 3C, a recess 200R is defined in the protrusion 200, the recess 200R spacing apart the first slot end 202A from an upper surface 200U of the protrusion, the recess 200R at least partially receiving the cover element 210 to limit movement of the cover element 210 relative to the slot 202.

[0049] As will be described below in greater detail, the locking element 204 may be configured to rotate within the slot 202 as the locking element 204 moves between the first and second slot ends 202 A, 202B. For instance, the locking element 204 has a sloped surface 204S on a radial side of the locking element 204 opposite from the hook portion 204Hrelative to the radial direction R1. Moreover, the locking element 204 has contact surface defined by a first contact area 204P1 and a second contact area 204P2 on a same side (e.g., same radial side) of the locking element 204 as the hook portion 204H relative to the radial direction Rl. The sloped surface 204S extends at least part of the distance in the vertical direction VI between the guide portion 204G and the hook portion 204H. The sloped surface 204S may extend at a fixed, non-zero angle Ml (FIG. 3B) relative to the contact surface defined by the contact areas 204P1, 204P2. The sloped surface 204S is configured to selectively contact the protrusion 200 proximate to the second slot end 202B, while the contact areas 204P1, 204P2 are configured to selectively engage the protrusion 200 at the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202. In general, as the locking element 204 is moved towards the first slot end 202A along the vertical direction VI within the slot 202, the selective engagement between the sloped surface 204S and the protrusion 200 and between the contact areas 204P1, 204P2 and the protrusion 200 may cause the locking element 204 to pivot or rotate to make the sloped surface 204S more aligned with the interior surface110INT within the slot 202 (e.g., more aligned with the vertical direction VI). Conversely, as the locking element 204 is moved towards the second slot end 202B along the vertical direction VI within the slot 202, engagement between the sloped surface 204S and the protrusion 200 and between the contact areas 204P1, 204P2 and the protrusion 200 may cause the locking element 204 to pivot or rotate relative to the slot 202 and make the sloped surface 204S less aligned with the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202 (e.g., less aligned with the vertical direction VI). As will be discussed further below, such pivoting of the locking element 204 may help change a direction of force applied between the hook portion 204H and the housing cover (e.g., lower housing cover 114).

[0050] Moreover, in some instances, as best shown in FIG. 3B, the main housing 110 further defines one or more bores 212 extending from the exterior surface 110EXT to the interior surface 110INT along a bore axis Al. Each bore 212 opens into a respective one of the slots 202. In some instances, the bore axis Al extends at an angle relative to the vertical direction VI, such that the bore axis Al extends upwardly from the exterior surface 110EXT to the interior surface 110INT. In one or more instances, the bore 212 may extend from a respective band recess 108A, 108B into the respective one of the slots 202 such that the bore 212 is hidden from view when the band 106 is received within the band recess 108A, 108B.

[0051] Correspondingly, the locking element 204 further defines a retainer opening 204R in the contact surface (e.g., the contact surface defined by contact areas 204P1, 204P2). For instance, the retainer opening 204R may be defined in the contact surface between the firstcontact area 204P1 and the second contact area 204P2 along the vertical direction VI. The retainer opening 204R extends along a retainer axis A2. The retainer axis A2 substantially aligns with the bore axis Al when the locking element 204 is moved in the slot 202 into the position closest to the first slot end 202 A (e.g., in the locking position, as will be described in greater detail below), such that the bore axis Al extends into the retainer opening 204R and the retainer axis A2 extends into the bore 212. In some instances, the bore axis Al and the retainer axis A2 are parallel when the locking element 204 is moved in the slot 202 into the position closest to the first slot end 202A. In one instance, the bore axis Al and the retainer axis A2 are coincident when the locking element 204 is moved in the slot 202 into the position closest to the first slot end 202A.

[0052] As such, a cover assembly as defined herein includes at least the main housing 110, one or more of the housing covers (e.g., lower housing cover 114), and the locking element 204.

[0053] As will be described in greater detail below, when the axes Al, A2 of the bore 212 and the retainer opening 204R are substantially aligned, a retainer element 214 (FIG. 4D) may be insertable through the bore 212 and into the retainer opening 204R to couple the locking element 204 to the main housing 110 and prevent the locking element 204 from moving towards the second slot end 202B. In some instances, the retainer element 214 may be a pin, a screw, and / or the like that is repeatably insertable and removable from bore 212 and retainer opening 204R.

[0054] Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4D, different views of the wearable computing device 100 of FIGS. 1 A-1B during installation of a cover (e.g., lower housing cover 114) onto a housing (e.g., main housing 110 of FIGS. 3A-3D) are illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. For instance, FIGS. 4A-4D each illustrate a partial, section view of the wearable computing device 100, again corresponding to section line 3B-3B in FIG. 3 A. Particularly, FIG. 4A illustrates the wearable computing device 100 when the locking element 204 is in an unlocking position, FIG. 4B illustrates the wearable computing device 100 when the locking element 204 is moved away from the unlocking position, FIG. 4C illustrates the wearable computing device 100 when the locking element 204 is in the locking position, and FIG. 4D illustrates the wearable computing device 100 when the locking element 204 is fixed in the locking position.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 4A-4D, the lower housing cover 114 has an exterior surface 114EXT and an interior surface 1 MINT, with the interior surface 1 MINT being configured to face the interior volume at least partially defined by the main housing 110. The lowerhousing cover 114 similarly defines at least one hook element 114H (only one of which is shown) for coupling with the hook portion 204H of a respective one of the locking elements 204. The hook element(s) 114H extend, at least in part, from the interior surface 1 MINT. The hook element(s) 114H of the lower housing cover 114 are engageable by the hook portion(s) 204H of the locking element(s) 204 such that the lower housing cover 114 and locking element(s) 204 move together.

[0056] In some instances, the lower housing cover 114 further defines a seal flange 114F about a radially outer perimeter of the interior surface 1 MINT of the lower housing cover 114. In one or more instances, the seal flange 114F may at least partially conceal a sealing element 216 positioned around the lower housing cover 114. In some instances, the seal flange 114F may limit movement of the sealing element 216 in the vertical direction VI. The main housing 110 may similarly define a flange surface 110S extending radially inwardly relative to the radial direction R1 from the interior surface 110INT at a location spaced apart from the lower side HOB of the main housing 110 along the vertical direction VI. The sealing element 216 may be any suitable type of sealing element 216, such as an O-ring, a gasket, an over-molded part, a dispensed material, etc. In some instances, sealing element 216 is a reusable sealing element 216, which may be used across multiple installations and removals of the lower housing cover 114. For instance, sealing element 216 may be made of any suitable material or combinations of materials that allows sealing element 216 to at least partially, and repeatably, elastically deform, such as, but not limited to, liquid silicon rubber (LSR), foam, and / or the like. However, in some instances, the sealing element 216 may be suitable for only one use, such as a dispensed adhesive, a dispensed foam, and / or the like.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4A, in the unlocking position, the locking element 204 is positioned within the slot 202 closest to the second slot end 202B. In some instances, in such unlocking position, the hook portion 204H is positioned at least partially outside of the interior volume defined at least by the main housing 110, below the lower side 110B of the main housing 110 along the vertical direction VI. In such position, the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 is positioned at a radially innermost position relative to a radial center of the main housing 110 such that the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 may only partially engage into the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114. Moreover, contact surface of the locking element 204 (e.g., extending through contact areas 204P1, 204P2) extends at an angle M2 relative to the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202. In particular instances, the angle M2 is a non-zero angle. Similarly, the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 extends at an angle M3 relative to an inner surface 202S of slot 202proximate the channel 206. In particular instances, the angle M3 is a non-zero angle. Additionally, in some instances, the first contact area 204P1 is in contact with the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202, while the second contact area 204P2 is spaced apart (e.g., in the radial direction) from the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4B, as the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing 110 are moved towards each other (e.g., as the lower housing cover 114 is moved towards the main housing 110, the main housing 110 is moved towards the lower housing cover 114, or both) along the vertical direction VI, the lower end 204B of the locking element 204 comes into contact with a portion 114S of the interior surface 1 MINT of the lower housing cover 114. As the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing 110 are moved further towards each other, the locking element 204 is moved by the contact between the lower end 204B of the locking element 204 and the portion 114S to slide in the slot 202 from the second slot end 202B towards the first slot end 202A from the unlocking position toward the locking position. Moreover, as the locking element 204 is moved towards the first slot end 202A, the locking element 204 begins to pivot or rotate due to contact within the slot 202 such that the hook portion 204H moves radially outward relative to the radial center of the main housing 110 and is received further within the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114. With such rotation of the locking element 204, the angle M2 between the contact surface of the locking element 204 (e.g., extending through contact areas 204P1, 204P2) and the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202 decreases relative to FIG. 4 A. Similarly, the angle M3 between the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 and the inner surface 202S of slot 202 decreases relative to FIG. 4A. In some instances, the contact of the first contact area 204P1 with the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202 and the contact between the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 with the inner surface 202S drives the rotation or pivoting of the locking element 204 as the locking element 204 is moved in the vertical direction. In such position shown in FIG. 4B, the second contact area 204P2 is still spaced apart (e.g., in the radial direction) from the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202, but less spaced apart than in the FIG. 4B than in FIG. 4A, as the angle M2 decreases.

[0059] Additionally, the sealing element 216 may be at least partially received between the main housing 110 and the lower housing cover 114, such as at least partially radially between the interior surface 110INT of the main housing 110 and the lower housing cover 114 and axially between the seal flange 114F of the lower housing cover 114 and the flange surface 110S of the main housing 110.

[0060] As the lower housing cover 114 is moved further towards the main housing 110 alongthe vertical direction VI from the position in FIG. 4B, the locking element 204 is further moved by the contact between the lower end 204B of the locking element 204 and the portion 114S to slide in the slot 202 further towards the first slot end 202A until the locking element 204 is in the locking position shown in FIG. 4C. As the locking element 204 is moved into the locking position, the contact between the second contact area 204P2 of the locking element 204 and the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202 and the contact between the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 and the inner surface 202S drives the further rotation of the locking element 204 such that the hook portion 204H is pivoted further radially outwardly relative to the radial center of the main housing 110 and is received more fully, or fully, within the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114. In such position, the contact surface of the locking element 204 (e.g., extending through contact areas 204P1, 204P2) extends more parallel to the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202 compared to FIG. 4B. Similarly, the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 extends more parallel to the inner surface 202S of slot 202 compared to FIG. 4B.

[0061] In some instances, in such position of FIG. 4C, the first contact area 204P1 is spaced apart (e.g., in the radial direction) from the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202, while the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 is still in contact with the inner surface 202S.

[0062] As such, the locking element 204 is slidable and pivotable relative to the slot 202 such that the hook portion 204H is pivoted between a radially innermost position (FIG. 4A) and a radially outermost position (FIG. 4C), where the radially outermost position is radially outward of the radially innermost position.

[0063] In the locking position, the sealing element 216 is fully received in the radial direction R1 between the interior surface 110INT of the main housing 110 and the lower housing cover 114 and is radially compressed between such surfaces such that the interior volume of the wearable computing device 100 is fully sealed. However, it should be appreciated that, in some instances the sealing element 216 may, additionally or alternatively, be compressed axially between the main housing 110 and the lower housing cover 114. For instance, the sealing element 216 may additionally, or alternatively, be axially compressed between an upper axial surface 114A of the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114 and an axial surface 111 of the interior surface 110INT of the main housing 110. It should further be appreciated that, while only one sealing element 216 is shown, multiple sealing elements 216 may be used, such as to radially and / or axially seal the interior volume of the wearable computing device 100.

[0064] Once the locking element 204 is in the locking position, the retainer element 214 may be inserted through the bore 212 and into the retainer opening 204R as shown in FIG. 4D. In some instances, the length of the retainer element 214 may be selected such that, when the retainer element 214 is fully inserted into the retainer opening 204R, the retainer element 214 is configured to contact and push against the locking element 204 from within the retainer opening 204R such that the retainer element 214 applies a force that urges the locking element 204 to rotate the hook portion 204H further radially outwardly, where the inner surface 202S forms a pivot point for such rotation of the locking element 204, which increases a clamping force between the hook portion 204H and the hook element 114H. The axes Al, A2 (FIGS. 4A-4C) may be oriented such that the retainer element 214 is oriented substantially parallel to an interface of contact between the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 and the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114. In the position shown in FIG. 4D, the contact surface of the locking element 204 (e.g., extending through contact areas 204P1, 204P2) extends substantially parallel (e.g., within 5 degrees of parallel, within 3 degrees of parallel, within 2 degrees of parallel, etc.) or parallel to the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202. Similarly, the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 extends substantially parallel (e.g., within 5 degrees of parallel, within 3 degrees of parallel, within 2 degrees of parallel, etc.) or parallel to the inner surface 202S of slot 202. In some instances, in such position of FIG. 4D, the contact surface of the locking element 204 (e.g., contact areas 204P1, 204P2) is spaced apart (e.g., in the radial direction) from the interior surface 110INT within the slot 202, while the sloped surface 204S of the locking element 204 is still in contact with the inner surface 202S.

[0065] Generally, as the locking element 204 pivots between the unlocking and locking positions, the interface of the contact between the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 and the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114 rotates to extend more perpendicularly to the vertical direction VI (e.g., more along the radial direction Rl). In other words, the interface of the contact extends more along the radial direction Rl when the locking element 204 is in the locking position than when the locking element 204 is in the unlocking position. Due to the orientation of the interface in the locking position, the force applied between the locking element 204 and the lower housing cover 114 is applied almost entirely along the vertical direction VI, which, in some instances, helps prevent imposing an over-constraining load that locally changes a compression ratio of the sealing element 216. In some instances, however, the additional pivoting of the locking element 204 may bias the hook element 114H radially outwardly, which may compress the sealing element 216 furtherbetween the interior surface 1 1 OINT of the housing 110 and the radially outer side of the hook element 114H.

[0066] When the bore 212 is positioned within a band recess 108A, 108B, once the retainer element 214 is inserted through the bore 212 into the retainer opening 204R, the band 106 may be installed, hiding the bore 212 and retainer element 214 from the exterior of the wearable computing device 100. To subsequently remove the lower housing cover 114 from the main housing 110, such as to service or replace one or more parts within the interior volume of the wearable computing device 100, a user may remove the band 106 (FIG. 1) from the band recesses 108A, 108B to access the retainer element 214. The user may then remove the retainer element 214. In some instances, the biasing force from the biasing element(s) 208 is sufficient to overcome a sealing force between the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing 110 and allow the locking element 204 to move from the locking position at least partially towards the unlocking position, and thus, move the lower housing cover 114 away from the main housing 110. However, in some instances, a user must apply an additional force (e.g., using suction cups, a wedge, and / or the like) to overcome the sealing force between the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing 110. In instances where a sealing element (e.g., the sealing element 216) is axially compressed between the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing 110, and the sealing element 216 is configured as an elastic compressible element, the sealing element may provide some additional force which may help move the lower housing cover 114 away from the main housing 110 (and thus, the locking element(s) 204 towards the unlocking position). When the locking element 204 is in the unlocking position, the hook elements 114H of the housing cover 114 may be unhooked from the locking element 204.

[0067] In some instances, the lower housing cover 114 may further include one or more guiding features to keep the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing portion 110 substantially concentric during installation. For instance, as shown in FIG. 5, the hook element 114H of the lower housing cover 114 is formed as part of an undercut at the interior surface 1 MINT. In some instances, the undercut may further define a first guide surface 114G1 at one circumferential side of the hook portion 204H, where the first guide surface 114G1 extends at a non-zero angle relative to the radial direction R1 to guide the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 increasingly towards a center of the hook element 114H. In some instances, the undercut may further define a second guide surface 114G2 at a second circumferential side of the hook portion 204H, where the second guide surface 114G2 may similarly guide the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204. In some instances,the second guide surface 114G2 extends parallel to the radial direction R1. Additionally, in one or more instances, one or more guide structures 114P extends from the interior surface 1 MINT of the lower housing cover 114 along the vertical direction VI at a location spaced apart from the hook element 114H in the circumferential direction. A radially outer side or surface of the guide structure 114P may slide along the interior surface 110INT of the main housing 110 when the lower housing cover 114 and the main housing portion 110 are substantially concentric such that the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 is circumferentially aligned with the hook element 114H of the housing cover 114.

[0068] It should be appreciated that, while only one protrusion 200 and corresponding locking element 204 are shown in detail in FIGS. 3A-4D, and only one corresponding hook portion 114H is shown in FIGS. 4A-5, the main housing 110 may have any suitable number of protrusions 200, corresponding locking elements 204, and corresponding hook portions 114H that allows for the appropriate degree of sealing of the housing 102. For instance, as indicated above, in some instances, at least two locking elements 204 are configured to be used. In such instances, such locking elements 204 may be provided at opposite sides along the circumference of the wearable computing device 100 to more evenly distribute force on the sealing element 216. For example, as described, at least one corresponding protrusion 200 is provided proximate to each of the band recesses 108 A, 108B. However, it should be appreciated that any other suitable number of locking elements 204 and corresponding features may instead be provided. For instance, in one or more instances, three or more locking elements 204 and corresponding features may instead be provided. In some instances, only one locking element 204 is necessary, and a toe-in feature is defined in the main housing 110 with a corresponding toe on the lower cover housing 114 (or vice versa) at an opposite, circumferential side of the wearable computing device 100 from the locking element 204.Moreover, in some instances, the locking elements 204 (and corresponding features) are evenly distributed about the circumference of the wearable computing device 100 to more evenly distribute force on the sealing element 216. It should additionally be appreciated that a single cover element 210 may be used across the protrusions 200, or that a separate cover element 210 may be used for each protrusion 200.

[0069] It should further be appreciated that while the locking element 204 is shown as being used to couple the lower housing cover 114 to the main housing 110, one or more locking elements 204 may additionally, or alternatively, be used to couple the upper housing cover 112 to the main housing 110 in a similar manner.

[0070] Moreover, it should be appreciated that while the locking element 204 is illustrated asbeing free to pivot or rotate within the slot 202 without a fixed pivot point being defined, in some instances, a pivot point may be defined for the locking element 204 about which the locking element 204 is pivotable to move the hook portion 204H radially inwardly or outwardly, where the pivot point may not need to slide along the slot 202 with the locking element 204. In general, the illustrated embodiment may take up less installation space than an embodiment with a fixed pivot point, however, the fixed pivot point may be less likely to jam.

[0071] Referring now to FIG. 6, a flow diagram of a method 300 for servicing a wearable computing device (e.g., wearable computing device 100) is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present subject matter. In general, the method 300 is described herein with reference to the wearable computing device described in FIGS. 1 A-5. However, it should be appreciated that the disclosed method 300 may be implemented with any other suitable wearable computing device having any other suitable configurations. In addition, although FIG. 6 depicts steps performed in a particular order for purposes of illustration and discussion, the methods discussed herein are not limited to any particular order or arrangement. One skilled in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will appreciate that various steps of the methods disclosed herein can be omitted, rearranged, combined, added, and / or adapted in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0072] At (302), the method 300 may include providing a housing having a protrusion extending from an interior surface into an interior volume with a slot being defined through the protrusion along a vertical direction. For instance, as discussed above, the main housing 110 may have at least one protrusion 200 extending from an interior surface 110INT into an interior volume with a slot 202 being defined through each protrusion 200 along the vertical direction VI.

[0073] Further, at (304), the method 300 may include inserting a locking element at least partially within the slot with a hook portion of the locking element extending outside of the slot. For example, as discussed above, the locking element 204 may be at least partially insertable within a respective slot 202 such that the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 extends outside of the slot 202 along the vertical direction VI.

[0074] At (306), the method 300 may further include providing a housing cover defining a hook element on an interior surface of the housing cover. For instance, as described above, the housing cover 114 may define one or more hook elements 114H on the interior surface 1 MINT of the housing cover 114.

[0075] Moreover, at (308), the method 300 may include aligning the hook element with thehook portion while the locking element is in the unlocking position. For instance, as described above with reference to FIG. 4 A, the hook element 114H may be circumferentially and radially aligned with the hook portion 204H while the locking element 204 is in the unlocking position such that the housing cover 114 and main housing 110 are ready for coupling.

[0076] Additionally, at (310), the method 300 may include moving the housing cover and the housing toward each other such that the locking element is moved from an unlocking position to a locking position while engaging the hook element. For instance, as described above with reference to FIGS. 4A-4D, once the hook element 114H is aligned with the hook portion 204H, the housing cover 114 may be moved towards the main housing 110, the main housing 110 may be moved towards the housing cover 114, or both along the vertical direction such that the locking element 204 is moved from the unlocking position (FIG. 4A) to the locking position (FIGS. 4C and 4D).

[0077] It should be appreciated that one or more of the steps of method 300 may be reversible to detach the housing cover 114 from the main housing 110 to allow the interior volume to be accessible during servicing. For instance, the hook element 114H of the housing cover 114 may be detachable from the hook portion 204H of the locking element 204 when the locking element 204 is in the unlocking position to allow access to the interior volume.

[0078] The technology discussed herein makes reference to servers, databases, software applications, and other computer-based systems, as well as actions taken and information sent to and from such systems. The inherent flexibility of computer-based systems allows for a great variety of possible configurations, combinations, and divisions of tasks and functionality between and among components. For instance, processes discussed herein can be implemented using a single device or component or multiple devices or components working in combination. Databases and applications can be implemented on a single system or distributed across multiple systems. Distributed components can operate sequentially or in parallel.

[0079] While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to various specific example embodiments thereof, each example is provided by way of explanation, not limitation of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing, can readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and / or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, features illustrated or described aspart of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such alterations, variations, and equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A wearable computing device, comprising: a housing extending between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction, the housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface at least partially defining an interior volume, the housing having a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, a slot being defined through the protrusion, the slot extending along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end; a locking element at least partially received within the slot, the locking element being movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position, the locking element having a hook portion extending outside of the slot; and a housing cover having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a hook element, the hook element being engageable by the hook portion of the locking element such that the housing cover moves with the locking element as the locking element is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position.

2. The wearable computing device of claim 1, further comprising at least one biasing element received within the slot, each of the at least one biasing element being configured to bias the locking element towards the unlocking position.

3. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein a channel is defined along a portion of the slot, the channel extending along the vertical direction between a first channel end and a second channel end, and wherein the locking element further defines a guide portion, the guide portion being at least partially received within the channel.

4. The wearable computing device of claim 3, wherein the guide portion contacts the second channel end when the locking element is in the unlocking position, the guide portion moving towards the first channel end when the locking element moves from the unlocking position towards the locking position.

5. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein the housing further defines a bore extending from the exterior surface to the interior surface along a bore axis, and wherein the locking element further defines a retainer opening extending along a retainer axis, the retainer axis substantially aligning with the bore axis when the locking element is in the locking position,the wearable computing device further comprising a retainer element insertable through the bore and into the retainer opening when the locking element is in the locking position to prevent the locking element from moving towards the unlocking position.

6. The wearable computing device of claim 5, wherein the bore axis extends at an angle relative to the vertical direction.

7. The wearable computing device of claim 5, wherein the retainer element is configured to contact the locking element to increase a clamping force applied between the hook portion and the hook element.

8. The wearable computing device of claim 5, wherein the housing defines a band recess in the exterior surface, the band recess extending towards the interior surface, the bore extending from within the band recess.

9. The wearable computing device of claim 8, further comprising a wearable band, the wearable band being at least partially received within the band recess.

10. The wearable computing device of claim 1, further comprising a sealing element, the sealing element being compressed between the housing and the housing cover when the locking element is in the locking position, the interior volume being sealed at the housing cover by the sealing element when the sealing element is compressed.

11. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein the locking element has a contact area and a sloped surface, the contact area being on a same side of the locking element as the hook portion in a radial direction, the sloped surface being on an opposite side from the contact area, the sloped surface extending at a non-zero angle relative to the contact area, the contact area and the sloped surface contacting the protrusion within the slot such that the locking element pivots relative to the slot as the locking element is moved between the unlocking and locking positions.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 11, wherein the locking element pivots relative to the slot such that the hook portion is at a radially innermost position when the locking element is in the unlocking position and a radially outermost position when the locking element is in the locking position, the radially outermost position being radially outward of the radially innermost position.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein an interface of contact between the hook portion and the hook element rotates as the locking element is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position, the interface extending more along a radial direction than when in the locking position than when in the unlocking position.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein the housing cover further defines a guide structure extending from the interior surface of the housing cover along the vertical direction, a radially outer side of the guide structure being configured to contact the interior surface of the housing when the hook portion of the locking element is circumferentially aligned with the hook element of the housing cover.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein the housing cover further defines a guide surface extending from a circumferential side of the hook element at a nonzero angle relative to a radial direction.

16. The wearable computing device of claim 1, wherein the protrusion is one of a plurality of protrusions, the locking element is one of a plurality of locking elements, and the hook element is one of a plurality of hook elements, each of the plurality of protrusions being configured to receive a respective one of the plurality of locking elements, each of the plurality of locking elements being configured to couple to a respective one of the plurality of hook elements.

17. A cover assembly for a wearable computing device, the cover assembly comprising: a housing extending between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction, the housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface at least partially defining an interior volume, the housing having a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, a slot being defined through the protrusion, the slot extending along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end; a locking element at least partially received within the slot, the locking element being movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position, the locking element having a hook portion extending outside of the slot; and a housing cover having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a hook element, the hook element being engageable by the hook portion of the locking element such that the housing cover moves with the locking element as the locking element is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position.

18. A method for servicing a wearable computing device, the method comprising: providing a housing extending between a first side and a second side along a vertical direction, the housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface at least partially defining an interior volume, the housing having a protrusion extending from the interior surface into the interior volume, a slot being defined through the protrusion, the slot extending along the vertical direction between a first slot end and a second slot end;inserting a locking element at least partially within the slot, the locking element being movable within the slot between an unlocking position and a locking position, the locking element having a hook portion extending outside of the slot; providing a housing cover having an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a hook element; aligning the hook element with the hook portion while the locking element is in the unlocking position; and moving the housing cover and housing toward each other such that the locking element is moved from the unlocking position into the locking position.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising inserting a retainer element through a bore defined through the housing from the exterior surface to the interior surface and into a retainer opening defined in the locking element when the locking element is in the locking position to prevent the locking element from moving towards the unlocked position.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: removing the retainer element from the retainer opening and the bore to allow the locking element to move from the locking position to the unlocking position; and detaching the hook element of the housing cover from the hook portion of the locking element when the locking element is in the unlocking position to access the interior volume.

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