Watch Charging Assembly Using Wearer Bioelectric Potential
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart watches and other rechargeable battery-operated devices face challenges in maintaining a consistent charge, as traditional wireless charging methods may not provide continuous power supplementation.
Innovation Solution
A watch charging assembly that utilizes the wearer's bodily electrical potential, captured through a pancake coil and conductive inserts with pins, to continuously recharge the smart watch battery, supplementing the charge and extending battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If traditional wireless charging methods are used, then the smart watch can be recharged, but the charge cannot be continuously supplemented and battery life is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the self-service principle by enabling the smart watch to recharge itself continuously through the wearer's body. The bioelectric charge collection assembly captures electrical signals from the wearer's skin and muscles during normal movement, allowing the device to automatically supplement its battery charge without external intervention. This transforms the wearer into an active participant in the charging process, continuously toping up the battery during daily wear.
2Reliability
If a pancake coil is used to capture electrical potential from the wearer, then continuous charging is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin film technology by using a pancake coil that can be integrated into a flexible, thin charging assembly. This thin-film approach allows the coil to conform to the curved surface of the smart watch back while maintaining close contact with the wearer's skin. The flexible nature of the thin film construction enables the assembly to be seamlessly integrated into the watch case without adding significant bulk or rigidity, thus managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The charging assembly is nested within the smart watch structure, with the pancake coil and conductive elements integrated into the watch back housing. The assembly fits within the existing form factor of the smart watch, utilizing the available space efficiently. This nesting approach allows multiple components (coil, conductive inserts, housing) to be compactly arranged without increasing the overall device dimensions significantly.
3Reliability
If conductive inserts with pins are used to contact the skin, then electrical contact intensity is increased, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the electrical contact function into specific localized points rather than a broad surface. The conductive inserts with multiple pins create discrete contact points that focus electrical signal capture on small areas of the skin. This localized approach maintains high electrical contact quality at each pin while distributing the overall contact across multiple small points, reducing the total skin area involved and improving wearer comfort compared to a large continuous contact surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive contact interface is segmented into multiple individual pins rather than a single continuous surface. Each pin acts as an independent contact element, allowing the system to achieve reliable electrical connection through multiple small points. This segmentation distributes the mechanical pressure and thermal contact across many small pins, improving comfort while maintaining electrical reliability through the collective effect of all pins working together.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The assembly effectively extends the battery life of smart watches by continuously recharging the battery using the wearer's electrical potential, reducing the need for frequent external charging, similar to trickle charging systems.
Implementation Method 1
draw the available electrical potential through a 'pancake tesla coil' to convert such electricity to magnetic fluxes
Implementation Method 2
The metal conductive portion has a plurality of pins, each pin projecting from the metal portion to a tip end to increase contact intensity at the skin
Data Source
AI summary
A watch charging assembly 10 has a coil 22, a membrane 24 and a back plate 12. The coil 22 is configured to pass electric current received at a first or second contact pad 27, 28. The membrane 24 is affixed to the coil 22 forming a membrane and coil assembly 20. The back plate 12 has a pair of conductive inserts 30. Each conductive insert 30 is aligned with and contacts each contact pad 27, 28. The back plate 12 with the coil 22 and membrane 24 form the charging assembly 10. The charging assembly 10 is configured to form a bottom or underside or, alternatively, be attached to a bottom or underside of a rechargeable battery operated wristwatch 100 and when worn, the charging assembly 10 receives electric current from the wearer to charge a rechargeable battery of the wristwatch 100. The coil 22 can be a pancake coil.