Watchband Retaining Part for Secure Tracking Device Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tracking devices, such as the Apple AirTag, are prone to being lost or misplaced, particularly in children, elderly, or disabled individuals, as they are not securely integrated into everyday wearables like watches.
Innovation Solution
A digital watch assembly that securely retains a tracking device using a flexible retaining part made of silicone, rubber, or plastic, which engages the watchband to conceal and protect the tracking device, ensuring it is hidden between the watchband and the watch, providing a secure and hidden location for the tracking device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tracking device is carried separately (e.g., loose in a pocket or on a keychain), then it is easy to access and replace, but it is prone to being lost or misplaced
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking device is integrated into the watch assembly by combining it with the watchband and watch case. The retaining wall structure merges the tracking device housing with the watch components, creating a unified assembly where the tracking device becomes part of the wearable rather than a separate accessory.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking device is nested within the watch assembly structure. The retaining wall creates a recess that houses the tracking device between the watchband and the watch case, effectively nesting one device within another to achieve secure retention while maintaining a compact form factor.
2Reliability
If a tracking device is securely integrated into a watch, then it is less likely to be lost, but it becomes more difficult to access and replace
Solution Approach 1:
The watch assembly is segmented into distinct components: the watchband, the tracking device, and the watch case. The retaining wall acts as a separate structural element that connects these components while allowing the tracking device to be accessed by removing the watchband, providing a balance between security and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining wall serves as an intermediary structure between the watchband and the watch case. It provides a secure mounting point for the tracking device while allowing the watchband to be removed and reattached, facilitating easy access to the tracking device without compromising its secure integration.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a tracking device is visible and exposed, then it is easy to locate, but it is more susceptible to damage and loss
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking device is nested within the watch assembly, housed in a recess created by the retaining wall between the watchband and the watch case. This nesting provides physical protection while the translucent or open design of the retaining wall allows the tracking device to remain visible for easy location.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining wall can be made translucent or transparent, allowing the tracking device to be visible through the material. This enables the tracking device to be protected by the retaining wall structure while remaining visually detectable, solving the contradiction between protection and locatability.
Data Source
AI summary
The assembly includes a watch, a watchband, a tracking device and a flexible retaining part formed to engage the watchband and to retain the watch and the tracking device. The part has a cylindrical shape wall with an open top edge spaced from an inwardly extending collar to define a recess to receive the tracking device. Frist and second arcuate wall extensions are connected by a member and define aligned openings through which the tracking device can be inserted into the retaining part, and which are adapted to receive the watchband. When the watch is situated in the top of the part, the tracking device is situated in the collar in the interior surface of the retaining part, and the watchband is inserted through the align openings, the tracking device is securely retained between the watchband and the watch. The watchband may be a “slap” watchband.