Wearable Communication Device Wire Routing and Tensioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wearable electronic devices with displays or headphones connected to an equipment base on the neck or shoulders suffer from excessive wire length, leading to sagging, tangling, and restricted head movement, as well as aesthetic issues due to visible wires and bulkiness.
Innovation Solution
A wearable electronic communication device design featuring a neck loop with a dorsal wire node and a suboccipital wire node, where the wires are tensioned along the head and neck, minimizing sag and allowing for easy winding and storage, with the equipment base positioned on the neck and shoulders to reduce wire length and improve aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the equipment base is positioned on the spectacle frame, then the device can be worn on the head, but the wire length becomes excessive causing sagging and tangling
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into two separate wearable parts: the spectacle frame with display on the head and the equipment base on the neck/shoulders. This segmentation allows the wire to be positioned strategically rather than hanging freely, reducing sag and tangling while maintaining necessary connectivity between components.
Solution Approach 2:
The neck loop acts as an intermediary element between the head-mounted spectacle frame and the equipment base. By routing the wire through the neck loop structure, the system achieves better wire management and reduces the harmful effects of excessive wire length without requiring the equipment base to be positioned on the spectacle frame itself.
2Ease of operation
If the equipment base is positioned on the spectacle frame, then connectivity is maintained, but the spectacle frame becomes massive and inconvenient to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into two separate wearable components: the lightweight spectacle frame containing only the display on the head, and the equipment base containing power sources and electronics worn on the neck and shoulders. This segmentation transfers weight from the head to the neck/shoulders, improving wearing comfort while maintaining all necessary functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The equipment base containing power sources and electronic components is extracted from the spectacle frame and repositioned to the neck/shoulders area. This extraction removes the excessive weight and bulk from the spectacle frame, making it convenient to wear while the equipment base remains accessible for connectivity purposes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a wire connects the head-mounted display to the neck-mounted equipment base, then connectivity is provided, but the wire hangs and limits head rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The wire management system is designed to be dynamic and adaptive to head movements. The neck loop configuration allows the wire to move flexibly with head rotation while maintaining connectivity, preventing tangling through strategic positioning rather than rigid constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The neck loop serves as an intermediary that mediates between the head-mounted display and neck-mounted equipment base. It provides a flexible connection point that accommodates head movements and rotations while managing wire positioning to reduce tangling and maintain freedom of movement.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the wire length is increased to enable head rotation, then mobility is improved, but the wire may get caught on neighboring objects
Solution Approach 1:
The neck loop acts as an intermediary that provides a controlled path for the wire between the head and equipment base. This intermediary structure allows sufficient wire length for head rotation while constraining the wire's path to prevent it from getting caught on neighboring objects, thus reducing entanglement risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire routing parameters are optimized by positioning the equipment base on the neck/shoulders and using the neck loop as an anchor point. This parameter change in wire positioning and tension allows adequate head rotation range while minimizing the wire's exposure to surrounding objects that could cause entanglement.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable electronic communication device includes a neck loop with a first electrical connector; a frame comprising a second electrical connector, a front bar with nose pads, and two temples, wherein each temple is connected to one of two lateral ends of the front bar; a first wire connected to one of the lateral temples; and a second wire connected to the other lateral temple. The first or second wire is electrically connected to the second electrical connector, and the other end of the same wire is electrically connected to the first electrical connector. The first and second wires are connected to the neck loop close to each other and form a dorsal wire node on the neck. The first and second wires are mechanically connected to each other between the frame and the dorsal wire node to form a suboccipital wire node below an occiput of the user.