System comprising a clip and article
The wearable clip system addresses skin irritation and complex manufacturing by using a movable central region with non-conductive material and contacts for secure, efficient electrical connections with wearable articles, enhancing health and fitness measurements.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- GB2024016378
- Authority / Receiving Office
- GB · GB
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-08-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2044-11-07
AI Technical Summary
Existing wearable articles with integrated electrodes or sensing components face challenges in efficiently connecting removable electronics devices for health and fitness measurements without causing skin irritation and requiring complex manufacturing processes.
A wearable clip system with a central region movable relative to the main body, featuring non-conductive material and contacts that allow secure electrical connection with the wearable article's terminals, ensuring the clip does not directly contact the skin and simplifies manufacturing by integrating terminals on the clip attachment portion.
The system provides secure, irritation-free electrical connections for health and fitness measurements while simplifying manufacturing by allowing retrofitting to existing garments, with redundant connections and power management features for reliable operation.
Smart Images

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Abstract
Description
The present invention is directed towards a system comprising a wearable article and a wearable clip, and in particular a system where the wearable clip is attachable to the wearable article to bring components of the wearable clip into electrical communication with the wearable article. BACKGROUND Wearable articles such as chest-straps or articles of clothing can include electrodes or other sensing components to enable measurement of a wearer for health and fitness applications. A removable electronics device couples with the wearable article to electrically connect with the electrodes and receive measurement signals therefrom. The removable electronics device may perform processing on the measurement signals to derive metrics such as the wearer's heart rate, respiration rate and activity level. The electronics device may communicate the metrics to a remote device. Electronics devices may be removably coupled to the wearable article using a suitable mechanical and electrical interface such as a pocket, plug and socket arrangement, or clip. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide an improved system comprising a wearable article and electronics device in the form of a wearable clip. SUMMARY According to the present invention, there is provided a system, wearable article, and wearable clip as set out in the accompanying independent claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows. According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a system. The system comprises a wearable article and a wearable clip. The wearable article comprises a main body having an outer facing surface and an inner facing surface arranged to face a wearer of the wearable article. The system comprises a wearable clip attachment portion comprising first and second end regions that are attached to the main body of the wearable article and a central region that is moveable relative to the main body of the wearable article, the central region being located over the outer facing surface of the main body of the wearable article. The central region comprises a first terminal electrically connected to a first electrical component of the wearable article. The central region comprises an electrically non-conductive material connected to the first terminal. The wearable clip comprises a first portion housing operational circuitry of the wearable clip. The wearable clip comprises a second portion connected to the first portion such that a gap is formed between the first portion and the second portion. The wearable clip comprises at least one contact extending into the gap. The wearable clip is configured to be attachable to the central region of the wearable clip attachment portion such that: the electrically non-conductive material and first terminal are at least partially received within the gap; and a first contact of the at least one contact is brought into contact with the first terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the first electrical component. Advantageously, when the wearable clip is attached to the central region of the wearable clip attachment portion, a contact of the wearable clip is brought into contact with the first terminal to make electrical connection with the wearable article. However, due to the arrangement of the central region relative to the main body, the wearable clip is separated from the wearer by the main body of the wearable article. This means that the wearable clip is not able to contact the skin of the wearer and does not, for example, rub against the wearer and cause irritation. The at least one contact may be a plurality of contacts. The first end region may comprise the first electrical component. The central region may comprise a second terminal electrically connected to a second electrical component. The second end region may comprise the second electrical component. Advantageously, the terminals and electrical components of the wearable article can be provided on the wearable clip attachment portion which is attached to the main body of the wearable article. This simplifies the manufacturing process for the main body of the wearable article as complicated process for electrical component integration are not required. The wearable clip attachment portion can be retrofitted to an existing article made using established garment manufacturing techniques. The first end region and second end region may be attached to the inner facing surface of the main body, and the wearable clip attachment portion may pass through the main body such that the main body is located between the central region and the first and second end regions of the wearable clip attachment portion. Advantageously, the first end region and second end region may be provided on the inner facing surface of the main body such that they may directly contact the skin of the wearer for performing a measurement. The main body is provided between the central region and the end regions of the wearable clip attachment portion such that the central region is separated from the wearer by the main body. The first electrical component may comprise an electrode. The first electrical component may comprise an electrical pathway to a first sensor. The operational circuitry of the wearable clip may be arranged to receive measurement signals from the electrode via the connection between the first contact and the first terminal. The central region may comprise a second terminal electrically connected to a second electrical component of the wearable article. The electrically non-conductive material may be connected to the first terminal and the second terminal and may hold the first terminal and the second terminal in a spaced apart relationship, The wearable clip may be attachable to the central region of the wearable clip attachment portion such that the second terminal is at least partially received within the gap, and a second contact of the plurality of contacts is brought into contact with the second terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the second electrical component. The second electrical component may comprise an electrode. The second electrical component may comprise an electrical pathway to a second sensor. The operational circuitry of the wearable clip may be arranged to receive measurement signals from the electrodes via the connection between the first and second contacts and the first and second terminals. The plurality of contacts may comprise a third contact, the third contact being arranged to contact the second terminal. Advantageously, the third contact may provide a redundant electrical connection with the second terminal of the wearable article. The third contact may be electrically connected to the operational circuitry. The central region may comprise a third terminal electrically connected to a third electrical component of the wearable article. The electrically non-conductive material may be connected to the first terminal, second terminal, and third terminal. The electrically non-conductive material may hold the first terminal, second terminal, and third terminal in a spaced-apart relationship. The plurality of contacts may comprise a third contact, the third contact being arranged to contact the third terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the third electrical contact. Advantageously, the third contact may be useable to engage with a third terminal of the wearable article to bring the operational circuitry into electrical connection with the third electrical component. The plurality of contacts may comprise a contact configured to engage with the electrically non-conductive material such that the contact is not electrically connected to the wearable article. Advantageously, the wearable clip comprises one or more additional contacts that engage with the reinforcement material to help hold the wearable clip in a secure position and reduce relative movement between the wearable clip and the central region of the wearable article. The plurality of contacts may comprise a contact coupled to power circuitry of the wearable clip such as for charging and / or powering the wearable clip. The contact coupled to power circuitry may be configured to engage with the electrically non-conductive material such that the contact is not electrically connected to the wearable article. Advantageously, the wearable clip comprises a contact for use in charging and / or powering the wearable clip. When coupled to the wearable article, the contact may be electrically isolated from the first terminal and the second terminal. The contact coupled to power circuitry may be configured to couple to an energy harvester of the wearable article. Advantageously, power may be transferred to the wearable clip from the energy harvester via the contact. This enables the wearable clip to be powered using energy recovered by the energy harvester. The energy may be recovered, for example, from motion and or body heat of the wearer of the wearable article. The contact may be coupled to the energy harvester via a terminal of the wearable article. The contact coupled to power circuitry may be couplable to a power source, such as for charging the power store when the wearable clip is not attached to the wearable article. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise a recess for receiving the contact configured to engage with the electrically non-conductive material / coupled to power circuitry. Advantageously, the recess may help ensure that the wearable clip is correctly positioned and may help restrict relative movement between the wearable clip and the central region. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise a plurality of material layers. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise a reinforcement material. The reinforcement material may comprise plastic material such as PVC or silicone. The at least one / plurality of contacts may be spring-biased contacts configured to urge against the central region of the wearable article so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region. Advantageously, the spring-biased contacts urge against the central region of the wearable article to apply pressure to the central region. This secures the wearable clip in place and helps ensure that a secure electrical connection is provided between the terminals and the contacts of the wearable clip. The reinforcement material may comprisea notch, and the wearable clip may comprisea post arranged in the gap. The post may be arranged to engage with the notch so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region. Advantageously, the notch and post aid in guiding the wearable clip into the correct position to ensure the contacts are in electrical connection with the terminals. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise one or more channels, and the wearable clip may comprise one or more guide rails configured to engage with the one or more channels so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region. Advantageously, the channel and guide rail assist in the alignment of the wearable clip and may help to lock the wearable clip in position. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise one or more guide rails and the wearable clip may comprise one or more channels. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise one or more guide rails and one or more channels. The wearable clip may comprise one or more guide rails and one or more channels. The surface of the second portion of the wearable clip facing the gap may be configured to increase friction between the central region and the wearable clip so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region. Advantageously, a frictional engagement between the surface of the second portion and the central region may be provided to help restrict relative movement between the central region and the wearable clip. The surface of the central region locatable in the gap, and in particular, the surface of the electrically non-conductive material, may be configured to increase friction between the central region and the wearable clip. The surface of the second portion may comprise an undulating profile. The surface of the central region may comprise an undulating profile. The central region may comprise a machine-readable code. The wearable clip may comprise a sensor arranged to read the machine-readable code when the central region is at least partially received within the gap. The electrically non-conductive material may comprise the machine-readable code. The sensor of the wearable clip may be configured to activate in response to the wearable clip being attached to the wearable article. Advantageously, power consumption is reduced by selectively activating the wearable clip when the wearable clip is attached to the wearable article. When removed from the wearable article, the sensor may be deactivated. The sensor of the wearable clip may be configured to activate in response to displacement of one or more of the plurality of contacts. Advantageously, displacement of one or more of the contacts as result of the central region being received within the gap can trigger the sensor to be activated to read the machine-readable code. Advantageously, different pins may be displaced when coupled to different wearable articles, and the wearable clip may use this to determine the type of wearable article the wearable clip is coupled to. The wearable clip may use this information to activate a particular sensor or particular mode of sensor operation for the wearable clip. The first portion of the wearable clip may be connected to the second portion of the wearable clip by a connecting portion. The connecting portion may rigidly connect the first portion to the second portion such that the first portion and second portion are restricted from moving relative to one another. The connecting portion may permit relative movement between the first portion and the second portion. The connecting portion may join a first end of the first portion to a first end of the second portion. A second end of the first portion is not connected to a second end of the second portion. The gap extends from the connecting portion to the second ends of the first portion and second portion. According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a wearable article. The wearable article comprises a main body having an outer facing surface and an inner facing surface arranged to face a wearer of the wearable article. The wearable article comprises a wearable clip attachment portion comprising first and second end regions that are attached to the main body of the wearable article and a central region that is moveable relative to the main body of the wearable article, the central region being located over the outer facing surface of the main body of the wearable article. The central region comprises a first terminal electrically connected to a first electrical component of the wearable article. The central region comprises a second terminal electrically connected to a second electrical component of the wearable article. The central region comprises an electrically non-conductive material connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, the electrically non-conductive material holding the first terminal and the second terminal in a spaced-apart relationship. According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a system. The system comprises a wearable article and a wearable clip. The wearable article comprises a first terminal electrically connected to a first electrical component of the wearable article and an electrically non-conductive material connected to the first terminal. The wearable clip comprises a first portion housing operational circuitry of the wearable clip. The wearable clip comprises a second portion connected to the first portion such that a gap is formed between the first portion and the second portion. The wearable clip comprises a plurality of contacts extending into the gap. The plurality of contacts comprises a first contact electrically connected to the operational circuitry of the wearable clip. The plurality of contacts comprise one or more contacts electrically connected to power circuitry of the wearable clip. The wearable clip is configured to be attachable to the wearable article such that the electrically non-conductive material and first terminal are at least partially received within the gap; the first contact is brought into contact with the first terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the first electrical component; and the one or more contacts electrically connected to power circuitry of the wearable clip are brought into contact with the electrically non-conductive material or an energy harvester of the wearable article. The wearable article may comprise a second terminal electrically connected to a second electrical component of the wearable article. The electrically non-conductive material may separate the first terminal and the second terminal. A second contact of the plurality of contacts may be brought into contact with the second terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the second electrical component. According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a wearable clip. The wearable clip comprises a first portion housing operational circuitry of the wearable clip. The wearable clip comprises a second portion connected to the first portion such that a gap is formed between the first portion and the second portion. The wearable clip comprises a plurality of contacts extending into the gap. The plurality of contacts comprises a first contact electrically connected to the operational circuitry of the wearable clip. The plurality of contacts comprise one or more contacts electrically connected to power circuitry of the wearable clip for charging a power store of the wearable clip and / or powering the wearable clip. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figures 1 and 2 show an example system comprising a wearable article and wearable clip according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 3 shows a view of part of the wearable article of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 4 shows a view of part of the inner facing surface of the wearable article of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 5 shows a view of part of the wearable article of Figures 1 and 2. Figures 6 to 8 show views of part of the wearable clip of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 9 shows a sectional view of the wearable clip. Figure 10 shows a simplified schematic view of the system of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 11 shows another example wearable article useable with the wearable clip of Figures 1 and 2. Figure 12 shows an example system comprising a wearable article and wearable clip according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 13A and 13B show external and internal views an example system comprising a wearable article and wearable clip according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 14 shows an example wearable article according to aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 15 shows an example wearable article according to aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness. The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. It is to be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Figures 1 and 2 show an example system 10 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The system 10 comprises a wearable article 100 and a wearable clip 200. The wearable clip 200 is removable and attachable to the wearable article 100. Figure 1 shows the wearable clip 200 removed from the wearable article 100. Figure 2 shows the wearable clip 200 attached to the wearable article 100. When coupled to the wearable article 100, components of the wearable clip 200 are brought into electrical communication with components of the wearable article 100. This allows the wearable clip 200 to perform measurements of a wearer of the wearable article 100 for example. The measurements may relate to the health and / or fitness of the wearer. In the examples described below, the measurements are electrical measurements of the wearer performed using electrodes incorporated into the wearable article 100 that contact the skin of the wearer. The measurements could be ECG measurements. Other measurements are possible and may be provided by incorporating suitable sensing components in the wearable article 100 and operational circuitry in the wearable clip 200. In addition to sensing functions, the electrical components of the wearable article 100 could be configured to apply a stimulus to the wearer such as for therapeutic applications. Figures 3 to 6 shows the wearable article 100 in isolation. The wearable article 100 comprises a main body 102 which, in this example, is in the form of a chest-strap. The main body 102 could be any form of accessory / item of clothing such as a wrist-strap, t-shirt or other form of top, trousers / bottoms, headgear, eyewear, footwear, underwear, outerwear or personal protective equipment (PPE). The main body 102 has an outer facing surface 104 that faces away from a wearer wearing the wearable article 100 and an inner facing surface 106 that faces towards a wearer wearing the wearable article 100. In some examples, the inner facing surface 106 will be in contact with the skin of the wearer when the wearable article 100 is worn. The wearable article 100 further comprises a wearable clip attachment portion 108. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 is typically manufactured separately to the main body 102 and subsequently attached to the main body 102. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 is provided to enable the wearable clip 200 to removably attach to the wearable article 100 to bring operational circuitry of the wearable clip into communication with electrical components of the wearable article 100. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 in this example is in the form of a band / strip. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 comprises a first end region 110 (Figure 4) and a second end region 112 (Figure 4) that are attached to the main body 102 of the wearable article 100 such that they are not moveable relative to the wearable article 100. The first end region 110 and the second end region 112 are attached to the inner facing surface 106 of the main body 102 in this example. The first end region 110 and second end region 112 may be attached to the inner facing surface 106 by bonding or stitching for example. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 comprises a central region 114 that is moveable relative to the main body 102 of the wearable article 100. In other words, the central region 114 is not attached to the main body 102 of the wearable article 100. The central region 114 is located over the outer facing surface 104 of the main body 102 such that the main body 102 separates the central region 114 from the wearer when the wearable article 100 is worn. The central region 114 comprises a first terminal 116 that is electrically connected to a first electrical component 118 of the wearable article 100. In this example, the first electrical component 118 is formed by the first end region 110 of the wearable clip attachment portion 108. The first end region 110 is a conductive material that functions as an electrode. In this example, the first terminal 116 and first electrical component 118 are formed from the same strip of electrically conductive material. The strip of electrically conductive material passes through the main body 102 such that the first terminal 116 and first electrical component 118 are arranged either side of the main body 102 and electrically connected to one another. A slit 120 is formed in the main body 102 to allow the strip of electrically conductive material to pass through the main body 102. A strengthening material 122 is bonded to the main body 102 around the slit 120. The central region 114 comprises a second terminal 124 that is electrically connected to a second electrical component 126 of the wearable article 100. In this example, the second electrical component 126 is formed by the second end region 112 of the wearable clip attachment portion 108. The second end region 112 is a conductive material that functions as an electrode. In this example, the second terminal 124 and second electrical component 126 are formed from the same strip of electrically conductive material. The strip of electrically conductive material passes through the main body 102 such that the second terminal 124 and second electrical component 126 are arranged either side of the main body 102 and electrically connected to one another. A slit 128 is formed in the main body 102 to allow the strip of electrically conductive material to pass through the main body 102. A strengthening material 130 is bonded to the main body 102 around the slit 128. While in this example, the central region 114 comprises first terminal 116 and second terminal 124, it will be appreciated that a single terminal may be provided or more than two terminals may be provided. The wearable article 100 further comprises a backer layer 132 (Figure 4) attached to the inner surface 106 of the main body 102. The backer layer 132 electrically insulates part of the strips of conductive material. The backer layer 130 does not cover the entirety of the inner surface 106 and exposes the electrodes 118,126 such that they may contact the skin surface of the wearer. The central region 114 comprises an electrically non-conductive material 134,136 (Figure 3) arranged between the first terminal 116 and the second terminal 124. The electrically non-conductive material 134,136 is connected to the first terminal 116 and the second terminal 124 and holds the first terminal 116 and the second terminal 124 in a spaced-apart relationship. In other words, the electrically non-conductive material 134,136 joins the first terminal 116 to the second terminal 124 but prevents an electrical connection forming between the first terminal 116 and the second terminal 124. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 comprises a first electrically non-conductive layer 134 (Figure 5) that functions as a topper layer a second electrically non- conductive layer 136 (Figure 5) that functions as a backer layer. The layers 134,136 are joined together. The first electrically non-conductive layer 134 is arranged between the first terminal 116 and second terminal 124. The first electrically non-conductive layer 134 is a moulded component made from a material such as PVC or silicon. In some examples, the first electrically non-conductive layer, first terminal, and second terminal may be formed together in the same manufacturing operation. The first and second electrically non-conductive layers 134, 136 may be moulded or formed in the same operation or made from the same material and fixed (e.g., folded) over the first terminal and second terminal. The second electrically non-conductive layer 136 in this example is wider than the first electrically non-conductive layer 134. The second electrically non-conductive layer 136 is generally thinner than the first electrically non-conductive layer 134 and may be a non-conductive film that is bonded to the inner facing surface of the first terminal 116 and second terminal 124. The second electrically non-conductive layer 136 may extend through the slits 120,128 formed in the main body 102 of the wearable article 100. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 joins the first terminal 116 and second terminal 124 together while electrically insulating them. This prevents electrical shorts being formed between the first terminal 116 and second terminal 124. In addition, the electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 adds structural rigidity to the central region 114. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 may therefore function to provide structural reinforcement. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 may be thicker than the terminals 116,124. The electrically non-conductive material 134,136 may be more rigid. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 may be designed to withstand repeated insertions / removals of the wearable clip 200 onto the central region 114. The wearable clip 200 is shown in Figure 6 to 10. Figure 6 to 8 show various views of the wearable clip 200. Figure 9 is a sectional view in which a second portion of the wearable clip 200 is removed such that the surface of a first portion of the wearable clip 200 facing into a gap formed in the wearable clip 200 is more easily visible. Figure 10 is a simplified schematic diagram of the wearable clip 200 showing how the contacts of the wearable clip 200 interact with the central region 114 of the wearable article 100 received with the gap. The wearable clip 200 comprises a first portion 202 that houses operational circuitry 204 (Figure 10) of the wearable clip 200. The wearable clip 200 comprises a second portion 206 that is connected to the first portion 202 such that a gap 208 is formed between the first portion 202 and the second portion 206. The first portion 202 is joined to the second portion 206 by connecting portion 210. In this example, the connecting portion 210 rigidly joins the first portion 202 to the second portion 206 such that the first portion 202 and second portion 206 are restricted from moving relative to one another. In other examples, the connecting portion 210 permits relative movement between the first portion 202 and the second portion 206. The connecting portion 210 may comprise a hinge such as a spring-biased hinge. The connecting portion 210 joins a first end 212 of the first portion 202 to a first end 214 of the second portion 206. The second end 216 of the first portion 202 and second end 218 of the second portion 206 are not connected together. The gap 208 extends from the connecting portion 210 to the second ends 216, 218 of the first portion 202 and second portion 206. In operation, the wearable clip 200 is slid over the central region 114 of the wearable clip attachment portion 108 such that at least part of the electrically non-conductive material 134,136, first terminal 116 and second terminal 124 are received in the gap 208 formed between the first portion 202 and the second portion 206 of the wearable clip 200. This is shown schematically in Figure 10. The wearable clip 200 is thus removably coupled to the wearable article 100 but separated from the wearer by the main body 102 of the wearable article 100. When positioned on the wearable article 100, the wearable clip 200 is able to perform measurements of the wearer such as measurements for health and / or fitness tracking. The measurements may be performed in combination with sensing components (e.g., electrodes 118,126) incorporated into the wearable article 100. Either or both of the second ends 216, 218 of the first portion 202 and second portion 206 may comprise one or more features to catch or hook into the central region 114 of the wearable clip attachment portion 108 so as to provide further mechanical securement between the wearable clip 200 and the wearable clip attachment portion 108. As shown most clearly in Figures 8 to 10, the wearable clip 200 comprises a plurality of contacts 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230. Six contacts 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230 are shown in this example but more or fewer may be provided. The contacts 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230 extend into the gap 208. In this example, the contacts 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230 extend from the first portion 202 into the gap 208, but one or more of the contacts 220,222, 224, 226, 228, 230 could also extend from the second portion 206 into the gap 208. The wearable clip is not required to comprise a plurality of contacts and may comprise one contact in some examples. Generally, at least one contact is provided. In this example, contacts 220,222 are electrically connected to the operational circuitry 204 (Figure 10) of the wearable clip 200. When the wearable clip 200 is slid over the central region 114, the contacts 220,222 are brought into contact with the first terminal 116 of the wearable article 100 such that the operational circuitry 204 is brought into electrical communication with the first electrical component 118 of the wearable article 100. The contact 222 functions as a redundant connection between the operational circuitry and the first electrical component 118. In this example, contacts 228,230 are electrically connected to the operational circuitry 204 (Figure 10) of the wearable clip 200. When the wearable clip 200 is slid over the central region 114, the contacts 228, 230 are brought into contact with the second terminal 124 of the wearable article 100 such that the operational circuitry 204 is brought into electrical communication with the second electrical component 126 of the wearable article 100. The contact 228 therefore functions as a redundant connection between the operational circuitry and the second electrical component 126. In this example, the operational circuitry of the wearable clip 200 is brought into electrical communication with the first and second electrical components 118,126 via contacts 220, 224, 228, 230. A such, the wearable clip 200 can perform measurements of the wearer via the electrical components 118, 126. Example measurements include biopotential and bioimpedance measurements. A biopotential measurement may be used to record an electrocardiogram of the wearer amongst other examples. A bioimpedance measurement may be used to measure the body composition of the wearer amongst other examples. It will be appreciated that other measurements may be performed. In this example, contacts 224, 226 are electrically connected to power circuitry 232 (Figure 10) used to charge a power store (not shown) of the wearable clip 200. The power store may be a rechargeable battery of the wearable clip 200 for example. The power store may be housed in the first portion 202 or the second portion 206 of the wearable clip 200. The power circuitry may be housed in the first portion 202 or the second portion 206. When the wearable clip 200 is slid over the central region 114, the contacts 224, 226 are brought into contact with the electrically non-conductive material 134, 136. As such, contacts 224, 226 are electrically insulated from the wearable article 100. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 comprises recesses 138, 140 (Figure 5) arranged to receive the contacts 224, 226. When the wearable clip 200 is removed from the wearable article 100, it can be connected to a suitable charging device for charging the wearable clip 200 via contacts 224, 226. The recesses 138, 140 in the electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 help to securely hold the wearable clip 200 in position and help facilitate correct positioning of the wearable clip 200. The contacts 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230 are spring-biased contacts and are arranged to urge against the central region 114 of the wearable article 100 to held securely hold the wearable clip 200 on the central region 114 and limit relative movement between the central region 114 and the wearable article 100. This helps prevent the wearable clip 200 from being accidentally removed or dislodged such as during vigorous exercise. The electrically non-conductive material 134,136 comprises a notch 140 (Figures 3 and 5) on its upper edge. The notch 140 acts to limit the extent the wearable clip 200 can be slid onto the central region 114. The notch 140 is formed in both the first electrically non-conductive layer 134 and the second electrically non-conductive layer 136. The notches 140 in the first electrically non-conductive layer 134 and the second electrically non-conductive layer 136 are aligned. The depth of the notch 140 is selected to help ensure that the contacts 220,222, 224,226,228, 230 engage with the desired elements of the central region 114. The wearable clip 200 comprises a corresponding post 234 (Figure 9) that is arranged in the gap 208. The post 234 is arranged to engage with the notch 140 so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip 200 relative to the central region 114. The electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 comprises one or more (two in this example) channels 142, 144 (Figure 5) that extend from the upper edge of the electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 to the lower edge of the electrically non-conductive material 134,136. The channels 142,144 are provided on the first electrically non-conductive layer 134. The wearable clip 200 comprises one or more (two in this example) guide rails 236, 238 (Figures 8 and 9) that are configured to engage with the channels 142,144 to help ensure correct positioning of the wearable clip 200 on the central region 114 and to restrict movement of the wearable clip 200 relative to the central region 114. The guide rails 236,238 extend from the first portion 202 into the gap 208. The guide rails 236, 238 have pointed ends to facilitate insertion into the channels 142,144. The central region 114 and, in particular, the electrically non-conductive material 134, 136 comprises a machine-readable code 146 (Figures 3 and 5). The wearable clip 200 comprises a sensor 240 (Figures 9 and 10) arranged to read the machine-readable code 146 when the electrically non-conductive material 134,136 is received with the gap 208. The sensor 240 is an optical sensor which may comprise an optical detector and an optical source such as an LED configured to emit light towards the machine-readable code 146. The reflected light is then read by the optical detector. The machine-readable code 146 may identify properties of the wearable article 100. The machine-readable code 146 may be etched into the electrically non-conductive material 134,136 or formed during the process of moulding the electrically non-conductive material 134,136. The machine-readable code 146 may be in the form of a bar code, data matrix code or QR code. The machine-readable code 146 is not required to be provided on the electrically non-conductive material 134,136 and could be provided on one of the terminals 116,124. The sensor 240 is triggered to read the machine-readable code 146 in response to displacement of one or more of the plurality of contacts 220, 222,224,226,228, 230. In this example, the contacts 224,226 are displaced (Figure 10) when slid over the electrically non-conductive material 134,136 and the displacement is sufficient to cause the contacts 224, 226 to overextend their natural displacement and touch the printed circuit board on which they are mounted. This event is detectable by the wearable clip 200 and useable to trigger the sensor 240 to perform an optical reading. In this way, power is conserved as the sensor 240 is only activated when the operational circuitry detects that the wearable clip 200 is in a position where a machine-readable code is likely to be present. The wearable clip 200 may comprise a motion sensor. The motion sensor may detect the sliding motion of the wearable clip 200 over the central region 114 and use this to trigger operation of the sensor 240 to read the code. However, detecting displacement of the contacts is preferred as it has a lower power consumption. In some examples, the sensor 240 may also be used to perform measurements of the wearer. For example, if the gap 208 is large enough or the second portion 206 can be displaced from the first portion 202 (such as using a hinge connection as described above) to increase the size of the gap 208, a finger may be inserted into the gap 208 to perform an optical measurement of the wearer such as an SP02 measurement. The optical measurement can be used to collect other measurements such as heart rate, heart rate variability, respiration rate, perfusion index, PPG, PTT, skin temperature, blood pressure estimation, sympathetic nervous system activity, and VO2 max estimation. The surface 242 (Figure 7) of the second portion 206 that faces the gap 208 is configured to increase friction between the central region 114 and the wearable clip 200 so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip 200 relative to the central region 114. In this example, the surface 242 has an undulating profile. Other profiles of the surface 242 to increase friction are possible. For example, the surface 242 may be tapered. Separately or additionally, the surface of the electrically non-conductive material 134,136 may be configured to increase friction between the central region 114 and the wearable clip 200 and may comprise the undulating profile. The operational circuitry 204 of the wearable clip 200 comprises suitable circuitry for receiving measurement signals and processing measurement signals received from electronics components 118, 126. The operational circuitry of the wearable clip 200 may control a communicator of the wearable clip 200 (not shown) to transmit data to an external device such as a mobile phone or base station. The base station may have its own power source. The operational circuitry 204 may comprise one or more processors. The power circuitry 232 of the wearable clip 200 comprises suitable circuitry for power management of the wearable clip 200. The power circuitry 232 may comprise one or more processors. The wearable clip 200 may comprise additional components such as further sensors (e.g., motion sensors), output devices such as status LE Ds, and memory devices for short term and potentially long term storage of measurement data. Figure 11 shows a different wearable article 100' that the wearable clip 200 may be connected to. For simplicity, the main body of the wearable article 100' is not shown and only the wearable clip attachment portion 108' is visible. The wearable clip attachment portion 108' comprises the first terminal 116 that connects to first electrical component 118 and second terminal 124 that connects to the second electrical component 126. In addition, the wearable clip attachment portion 108' comprises a third terminal 148 that connects to a third electrical component 150 of the wearable article 200. The electrical components 118, 126, 150 are electrodes. When the wearable clip 200 is slid over the central region 114, the contacts 220,222 contact the first terminal 116 as described above. However, in this example, the contact 230 contacts the second terminal 124 while the contact 228 contacts the third terminal 148. In this way the wearable clip 200 is electrically connected to three electrodes of the wearable article 200 and is able to perform 3-lead ECG measurements for example. The contacts 224, 226 engage with the electrically non-conductive material. Significantly, the same wearable clip 200 is able to be used with different wearable articles 100, 100' and perform different operations depending on the configuration of the wearable 100,100' the wearable clip 200 is connected to. Figure 12 shows an implementation of the system 10. The wearable article 100 is in the form of a top. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 is positioned on the top at a position that corresponds to a centre-front region of the chest of the wearer when the wearable article is worn. Figure 13 shows another implementation of the system 10. The wearable article 100 is in the form of a breast support garment, and in particular a sports bra. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 is positioned such that it is coupled to the underband of the breast support garment. Figure 14 shows another example wearable article 100 useable in the system 10. The wearable article 100 is in the form of a tank top with built in breast support. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 is positioned such that is coupled to a underband of the breast support garment that runs under the bust of the wearer when worn. Figure 15 shows another example wearable article 100 useable in the system 10. The wearable article 100 is in the form of a jumpsuit with built in breast support. The wearable clip attachment portion 108 is positioned such that is coupled to a underband of the breast support garment that runs under the bust of the wearer when worn. Various combinations of optional features have been described herein, and it will be appreciated that described features may be combined in any suitable combination. In particular, the features of any one example embodiment may be combined with features of any other embodiment, as appropriate, except where such combinations are mutually exclusive. Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" or "comprises" means including the component(s) specified but not to the exclusion of the presence of others. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent, or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.
Claims
1. A system comprising:a wearable article comprising: a main body having an outer facing surface and an inner facing surface arranged to face a wearer of the wearable article; a wearable clip attachment portion comprising first and second end regions that are attached to the main body of the wearable article and a central region that is moveable relative to the main body of the wearable article, the central region being located over the outer facing surface of the main body of the wearable article, wherein the central region comprises:a first terminal electrically connected to a first electrical component of the wearable article;an electrically non-conductive material connected to the first terminal;a wearable clip comprising: a first portion housing operational circuitry of the wearable clip; a second portion connected to the first portion such that a gap is formed between the first portion and the second portion; and at least one contact extending into the gap,wherein the wearable clip is configured to be attachable to the central region of the wearable clip attachment portion such that: the electrically non-conductive material, and first terminal are at least partially received within the gap; and a first contact of the at least one contact is brought into contact with the first terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the first electrical component.
2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first end region and second end region are attached to the inner facing surface of the main body, and the wearable clip attachment portion passes through the main body such that the main body is located between the central region and the first and second end regions of the wearable clip attachment portion.
3. A system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the central region further comprises a second terminal electrically connected to a second electrical component of the wearable article, and the electrically non-conductive material is connected to the first terminal and the second terminal and holds the first terminal and the second terminal in a spaced apart relationship.26 06 254. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the wearable clip is attachable to the central region of the wearable clip attachment portion such that is the second terminal is at least partially received within the gap, and a second contact of the at least one contact is brought into contact with the second terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the second electrical component.
5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one contact comprises a third contact, the third contact being arranged to contact the second terminal.
6. A system as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the central region comprises a third terminal electrically connected to a third electrical component of the wearable article, wherein the at least one contact comprises a third contact, the third contact being arranged to contact the third terminal to electrically connect the operational circuitry with the third electrical component.
7. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one contact comprises a contact coupled to power circuitry of the wearable clip8. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the contact coupled to power circuitry is configured to engage with the electrically non-conductive material such that the contact is not electrically connected to the wearable article.
9. A system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the contact coupled to power circuitry is configured to couple to an energy harvester of the wearable article.
10. A system as claimed in claim 7 to 9, wherein the contact is couplable to a power source for charging the power store when the wearable clip is not attached to the wearable article.
11. A system as claimed in any of claims 7 to 10, wherein the electrically non-conductive material comprises a recess for receiving the contact coupled to power circuitry.
12. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first end region comprises the first electrical component.26 06 2513. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first electrical component comprises an electrode, and optionally wherein the operational circuitry of the wearable clip is arranged to receive measurement signals from the electrode via the connection between the first contact and the first terminal.
14. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electrically non-conductive material comprises a plurality of layers.
15. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the at least one contact are spring-biased contacts configured to urge against the central region of the wearable article so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region.
16. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electrically non-conductive material comprises a notch, and the wearable clip comprises a post arranged in the gap, the post arranged to engage with the notch so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region.
17. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electrically non-conductive material comprises one or more channels or guide rails, and the wearable clip comprises a corresponding one or more guide rails or channels configured to engage with the one or more channels or guide rails of the electrically non-conductive material so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region.
18. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the surface of the second portion of the wearable clip facing the gap is configured to increase friction between the central region and the wearable clip so as to restrict movement of the wearable clip relative to the central region and / or the surface of the central region locatable in the gap is configured to increase friction between the central region and the wearable clip.
19. A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the surface of the second portion and / or central region comprises an undulating profile.
20. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electrically non-conductive material comprises a machine-readable code, and wherein the wearable clip26 06 25comprises a sensor arranged to read the machine-readable code when the electrically non-conductive material is received within the gap.
21. A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the sensor of the wearable clip is configured to activate in response to the wearable clip being attached to the wearable article.
22. A system as claimed in claim 20 or 21, wherein the sensor of the wearable clip is configured to activate in response to displacement of one or more of the plurality of contacts.
23. Awearable article comprising:a main body having an outer facing surface and an inner facing surface arranged to face a wearer of the wearable article;a wearable clip attachment portion comprising first and second end regions that are attached to the main body of the wearable article and a central region that is moveable relative to the main body of the wearable article, the central region being located over the outer facing surface of the main body of the wearable article, wherein the central region comprises:a first terminal electrically connected to a first electrical component of the wearable article;a second terminal electrically connected to a second electrical component of the wearable article; andan electrically non-conductive material connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, the electrically non-conductive material holding the first terminal and the second terminal in a spaced-apart relationship.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Electronics module and assembly comprising electronics module and fabric article
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