Wearable Band With Segmented Protective Frame

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic equipment, such as wristwatches, face challenges in accommodating large-capacity batteries due to space constraints, leading to design limitations and poor wear comfort when devices vulnerable to deformation are integrated into the band.

Innovation Solution

A band with a protective frame featuring a combination of soft and hard sections, where the hard sections are positioned to protect vulnerable parts and the soft sections allow for flexibility, preventing deformation and enabling the integration of high-capacity batteries while maintaining wear comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If devices vulnerable to deformation are disposed on the band, then the band can accommodate more functionality, but the band structure becomes complex and wear comfort deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidband structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protective frame is segmented into hard sections and soft sections, with each section serving a specific function. The hard sections protect vulnerable device parts while the soft sections maintain wear comfort, allowing the band to accommodate devices without requiring a completely rigid structure throughout.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the protective frame have different mechanical properties - hard sections at locations requiring protection and soft sections at locations requiring flexibility. This local differentiation allows the band to provide protection only where needed while maintaining overall flexibility and comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Quantity of substance

If the equipment body size is increased to accommodate large-capacity batteries, then battery capacity increases, but the equipment becomes less compact and less comfortable to wear

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery capacityVSAvoidequipment body size

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent moves the battery from the traditional equipment body location to the band location, utilizing the longitudinal dimension of the band rather than expanding the lateral dimensions of the equipment body. This allows high-capacity battery integration while maintaining a compact equipment body suitable for wearing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If the band is made rigid to protect devices from deformation, then device protection improves, but wear comfort deteriorates due to inability to bend

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice protectionVSAvoidwear comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The protective frame incorporates both hard sections for protection and soft sections for flexibility at different locations, allowing the band to be rigid where needed and flexible where required for comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The protective frame uses a composite structure combining hard and soft materials or sections, integrating the beneficial properties of both rigidity and flexibility within a single protective component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS9798356B2Band and electronic equipment

Publication Date: 2017.10.24 CASIO COMPUTER CO LTD

AI summary

A band, including: a device which has a part to be protected; and a protective frame which has a soft section that is easily deformed and a hard section that is less easily deformed than the soft section, the hard section being connected to the soft section and disposed at a portion where the part to be protected is disposed.