CN111356381B - Wrist strap clamp - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a jig. In order to prevent removal of a wristband attached to the device by two ends, the clamp (1) comprises at one end a strap closure with a buckle (11) and a closure pin (12), the other end being provided with a longitudinal row of holes (13) for receiving the closure pin. The clip is configured to slide on the buckle when the wristband is closed, said clip being provided with a cover side (2) and comprising at least two lateral sides (3, 4), and at least two legs (8) placed inside the clip cover side and directed inwards so as to form an angle with the cover side.

Description

Wrist strap clamp

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to the field of healthcare technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a solution for improving the operational safety of appliances used for elderly care.

Background

Healthcare technology is increasingly being used today in hospitals, homes and nursing homes for the elderly. There is an increasing interest in healthcare technologies, which benefits from the development of new technologies, etc., which offer more possibilities for remotely providing care or making the living environment "intelligent" with intelligent healthcare. First, healthcare technologies provide support for improving the quality of life (e.g., in terms of independence, safety, etc.) of cared-ees. In the case of dementia care, this relates in particular to detecting a fall or disorientation, personal alarm, etc.

In order to detect disorientation, a device is often used which allows the person concerned to be located, for example by transmitting GPS signals. Such devices are typically attached to a person by means of a wrist strap or ankle strap. It is extremely important that the person cannot release and remove such devices independently.

NL1041489 discloses a system for electronic position monitoring. The system includes a launcher that attaches to the body by a sleeve that generally surrounds the wrist, ankle, or neck. The sleeve is provided with a lock consisting of two push-fit elements which can be connected together by a one-way snap connection. To release the lock, one of the elements must be destroyed.

The document US2012/050532 relates to a portable personal tracker device that can communicate over a mobile network. The device includes a wrist mounting portion with a wrist strap and a closure for securing the wrist strap to a user's wrist. The strap can be locked remotely and also be alerted when opened in a particular mode. The housing has a position detection section that detects the position of the user wearing the wrist-mounting section, and a cellular transmitter/receiver section that communicates information via a mobile network. The remote control button may receive a lock alarm and may also provide remote control as the case may be.

Such systems are complex and expensive. Therefore, a simpler and cheaper solution is desired. The Ascom dealership may distribute a wireless transceiver that may be worn as a wrist band or pendant transmitter (see, inter alia, the following web pages: https:// www.ascom.com/be/nl-be/products/category/activity-content-devices/functions-pendants. To prevent removal, the wristband may be locked. The lock is secured by two separate locking members, one of which must be pushed through one of the holes in the wristband before it can be mounted on the other locking member.

There is a need for an alternative way to easily close such a band, so that the wearer cannot simply remove the attached closure, and the wearer feels insulted.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an aim of embodiments of the present invention to provide a brace for a wrist or arm or ankle strap that can only be removed if a tool is available that is adapted to cooperate with a closure.

The above object is achieved by a clamp and a kit comprising a clamp and a tool according to the present invention.

In a first aspect, the invention relates to a clamp for preventing removal of a wristband attached to a device by two ends, one end comprising a strap closure with a buckle and a closing pin, the other end being provided with a longitudinal row of holes for receiving the closing pin. The clip is configured to slide over the buckle when the strap is closed. The clamp is provided with a cover side and comprises at least two lateral sides. At least two legs are placed inside the cover side of the clamp and are directed inwards so as to form an angle with the cover side.

With the proposed clip, it is indeed impossible for the wearer to release the strap. Once the clip is placed on the buckle, the closing pin is pressed by the clip into the buckle and the strap cannot be released; the legs are fixed behind the edges of the buckle, and therefore the proposed clamp can no longer be easily released by pulling or twisting the clamp. The proposed brace can be used for wrist, ankle, arm, neck etc. … …

In a preferred embodiment, the clamp comprises a recess inside the cover side, which recess is adapted to receive the closing pin. Due to the recesses provided for the closing pins, the clamp can be perfectly fitted on the buckle. Advantageously, on each side of the recess, at least one leg is placed inside the cover side of the clamp and directed inwards so as to form an angle with the cover side. In a preferred embodiment, the clip has exactly one leg on each side of the recess.

In a preferred embodiment, at least two lateral sides comprise a lower edge. In this way, the clip is guided when sliding on the buckle.

In a preferred embodiment, the third lateral side is positioned to block the wristband closure.

In one embodiment, the clamp includes a second cover side on an underside of the clamp.

In a further embodiment, the clamp comprises an inclined centre bar starting from a position of the clamp where the closing pin can be received. In some embodiments, a flat portion is provided between the location and the slanted center bar.

In a preferred embodiment, the cover side has one or more openings for at least two legs. If a recess is present, there is preferably one or more openings on each side of the recess.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a kit comprising a clip as described above and a tool for releasing the clip. The tool includes a plate or shaft provided with at least two angled legs at an edge of one end of the plate or shaft, the at least two angled legs configured to facilitate lifting of the at least two legs.

In a preferred embodiment, the number of angled legs of the tool is equal to the total number of legs of the clamp. In other embodiments, the number of angled legs of the tool is less than the total number of legs of the clamp.

In a preferred embodiment, the angled legs form an angle of 165 ° with the plate or shaft.

For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achieved over the prior art, certain objects and advantages of the invention have been described herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that not necessarily all such objects or advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

The above and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Drawings

The present invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Fig. 1 shows a wristband contemplated in the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a clamp according to the invention. Figure 2A shows how the clip is pushed onto the buckle of the wristband. Fig. 2B shows an embodiment of the clamp in detail.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the clamp, which also comprises a cover on the lower side.

Fig. 4 shows a central strip extending to the inner edge of the top side.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a tool with which the clamp can be removed.

Fig. 6 shows an embodiment of a clamp and tool according to the invention.

Fig. 7 shows the use of a tool to remove the clip.

Fig. 8 shows another embodiment of the tool.

Detailed Description

The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims.

Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

It is to be noticed that the term 'comprising', used in the claims, should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter, but does not exclude other elements or steps. It is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features, integers, steps or components as referred to, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps or components, or groups thereof. Thus, the scope of the expression "an apparatus comprising the devices a and B" should not be limited to an apparatus consisting of only the components a and B. It is shown that the only relevant components of the device with respect to the present invention are a and B.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Moreover, although some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are intended to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments, as will be understood by those of skill in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments may be used in any combination.

It should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to including any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

The present invention relates to a brace which ensures that a wristband, pendant or ankle strap worn by a person cannot be removed without resorting to a suitable tool having a form and size suitable for the wristband or ankle strap in question. The use of a tool allows the wristband to be removed without damaging the clip or the wristband. Therefore, both can be reused.

In an embodiment as a wrist strap, the strap is intended to attach a device such as a watch or a transmitter (such as an ultrasound transmitter/receiver or a GPS device or any other known means for locating a person) to the wrist. Refer to fig. 1. At one end of the wrist strap (10) a conventional closure with a buckle (11) and a closure pin (12) is provided. The other end comprises a longitudinal row of holes (13) through which the closing pins can pass. The closing pin is attached in a conventional manner to a crosspiece (14) of the buckle, around which the closing pin can be rotated through a certain angle in order to pass through one of the holes. Typically, the buckle is provided with a small notch at the outermost end of the wrist strap, on which the end of the closing pin can rest. In this way, the closure pin does not project with its entire thickness over the buckle edge, but only partially.

One embodiment of a clamp according to the present invention is shown in fig. 2. The clip (1) is dimensioned so that it fits to slide over the buckle (11) (fig. 2A). This means that it is not possible to give universal dimensions for the clamp, since these dimensions are entirely dependent on the dimensions of the wristband closure (i.e. the buckle) on which the clamp according to the invention must be fitted. The aim is that the clip according to the invention can be pushed onto the closure of the wristband when the wristband is closed, in other words when the closing pin (12) has passed through one of the holes (13) and rests on the outside of the buckle.

The clamp according to the invention has a cover side (2) on top, i.e. a side that can be pushed onto the wristband closure in order to largely or even completely protect it, and two or three lateral sides (3, 4, 5). The two lateral sides (3, 4) on the two side edges of the wristband are formed such that: they help slide the clip over the wristband closure. In a preferred embodiment, these lateral sides are therefore provided with a lower edge (6) which holds the clamp firmly on the wristband closure. Preferably, a third lateral side is provided on the wristband, the third lateral side being located across the wristband. This third lateral side may extend the entire width of the wristband or may be an extension of only one of the other two lateral sides.

Optionally, the clamp according to the invention may also comprise a complete cover (7) on the underside of the clamp. This is shown in fig. 3. In this case, an opening is provided in said third lateral side (5) to allow the passage of the wristband. The height of the opening is related to the thickness of the strip.

Inside the lid side, a center strip (16) is provided, which preferably extends into a recess (15) in which a protruding part of the closing pin (12) fits. There is at least one leg (8) on each side of the central strip. In a preferred embodiment, there is exactly one leg on each side of the recess. In alternative embodiments, there may be more than one leg on one or both sides. In some embodiments, the top side of the clamp, i.e. the lid side, comprises a corresponding number of openings (9) for the legs. In embodiments where there are multiple legs on the same side, one opening may be provided for all legs together. In other embodiments, where there are more than one leg on the same side of the center bar, the clip as a whole may be wide enough to allow separate openings for each leg. In other embodiments, the lid side is completely closed.

When attaching the clip to the wristband closure, the leg slides under tension over the buckle of the wristband closure, causing the leg to be pushed up. Once the clip has been fully driven onto the buckle, the legs lose their tension and return to their original position, causing them to hook or catch behind the buckle.

In some embodiments, the notches form the ends of a slanted center bar (16) that rises gradually from the ends of the notches and coincides on opposite edges with the inner edge of the top side. This is shown in fig. 4. In an advantageous embodiment, the center bar extends over the inner edge of the top side and thus creates a rib protruding over the edge, as shown in fig. 2B. In one embodiment, the ribs may protrude between 0.5 to 6mm above the edge, preferably 1mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm or 5 mm. The advantage of such a rib is that the clip drops through the rib into the hole in the wristband. In some embodiments, the ramp does not rise from the end of the notch, but rather forms a flat portion first, with the ramp beginning to rise at the end further from the notch.

The legs are oriented towards the inner edge of the clip, i.e. away from the lid side, and are thus angled to the top side. The angle is adapted to the shape of the wristband closure. The size of the wristband clip determines, in part, the size of the necessary angle formed by the legs.

In another aspect, the invention discloses a tool (20) designed to cooperate with the above-described clamp. More specifically, the tool is used to remove the clip according to the invention after it has been arranged on the closure of the wristband. As mentioned, it is not possible to remove the clamp according to the invention without the aid of the tool. With the aid of which the clamp can be removed non-destructively. Therefore, it can be reused.

A diagram of one embodiment of the tool is shown in fig. 5. The tool is intended to release the clamp by using the well-known principle of lever arms. The tool (20) comprises a plate or shaft (22), which plate or shaft (22) is provided with a plurality of legs (21) at one end of the plate. In this embodiment, the tool resembles the shape of a fork. The number of legs and their positioning on the edge are chosen such that the legs correspond in number and position to the clamps that must cooperate with the tool. This means that in a preferred embodiment there is one leg on each side of the middle of said edge of the plate. The legs have a width corresponding to the legs in the clamp. However, this does not necessarily mean that the width of the legs and the number of legs are exactly the same in the tool and the holder. The tool always comprises at least two legs, which correspond in position to the legs of the clamp cooperating with the tool.

In embodiments with four legs in the clamp (two on each side of the centre bar), for example, a tool with two legs is sufficient. Fig. 6 shows an embodiment in which the number of legs in the cover side differs from the number of legs provided on the tool. The clip shown here has two legs on each side of the center bar. In the embodiment shown, one opening is provided for two legs on each side. To remove the clamp, the tool is pushed under the clamp, the leg of the tool made slightly wider being able to lift both legs on one side of the centre bar.

The legs of the tool are slightly inclined relative to the plate or shaft (22). The angle β (as shown in fig. 5) between the legs and the plate has a value between 140 ° and 170 °. In a preferred embodiment, the angle β is equal to 165 °.

To open the clamp, the legs of the tool are pushed under the cover side of the clamp, as shown in the left half of fig. 7. To facilitate the pushing in, in some embodiments of the clip, a small notch (24) is provided on the edge of the clip in line with the inwardly directed leg of the clip. The recess (24) can be seen in the right half of fig. 7.

Once the legs of the tool are brought under the cover side, the clamp can be released by pressing the plate or shaft downwards, causing the legs of the tool to move upwards, and by doing so lifting the legs of the clamp, causing them to be released.

Fig. 8 shows a diagram of yet another embodiment of a tool. The tool (20) has the form of a plate (22), on which plate (22) there are provided at least two angled legs (21) on the inside, which legs extend to the edges of the plate. In another embodiment, there is a small gap between the edge of the plate and the edge of the angled leg extending toward the plate. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, two edges are also provided, which can slide on the lateral sides of the clamp when the tool is applied to the clamp.

Instead, an embodiment is now proposed in which the wrist strap does not have one but two closing pins. This also has a corresponding effect on the design of the clamp. As in the above described embodiments, the clamp is provided with a cover side and has at least two lateral sides. In some of these alternative embodiments, a notch large enough to receive two closure pins is provided. With respect to the legs, various options are possible. At least one leg is positioned on each side of the recess. Between two closing pins, one additional leg or more than one additional leg may be provided. The legs are placed in openings in the cover side of the clamp and are oriented inwardly, thus forming an angle with the cover side. In other embodiments, a separate notch is provided for each closure pin. In these cases, at least one leg is positioned on each side of the notch. In some cases, the legs may be shared between the two closure pins. As described above, the leg is placed in the opening on the jig cover side.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the invention. However, it will be appreciated that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. A computer program may be stored/distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims (15)

1. A clip for preventing removal of a wristband attached to a device by two ends, said wristband comprising at one end a strap closure with a buckle and a closing pin, the other end of said wristband being provided with a longitudinal row of holes for receiving said closing pins, said clip being configured to slide over said strap buckle when said wristband is closed, wherein said clip is provided with a cover side and comprises at least two lateral sides and at least two legs placed inside said cover side of said clip and directed inwards so as to form an angle with said cover side.

2. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the at least two lateral sides comprise a lower edge.

3. The clip of claim 1, wherein a third lateral side is positioned to block the wristband closure.

4. The clip of claim 1, including a second cover side on an underside of the clip.

5. The clamp of claim 1, comprising a notch inside the cover side, the notch adapted to receive the closing pin.

6. A clip as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one said leg is located on each side of the recess.

7. The clip of claim 6, comprising exactly one leg on each side of the notch.

8. The clamp of claim 1, comprising an inclined central bar starting from a point of the clamp where the closing pin can be received.

9. A clamp according to claim 8, wherein a flat portion is provided between said point and said inclined central strip.

10. The clamp of claim 1, wherein the cover side has one or more openings for the at least two legs.

11. A kit comprising the clamp of claim 1 and a tool for releasing the clamp, the tool comprising a plate or shaft provided with at least two angled legs at or near one end of the plate or shaft, the at least two angled legs configured to lift the at least two legs of the clamp.

12. The kit of claim 11, wherein the number of angled legs of the tool is equal to the total number of legs of the clamp.

13. The kit of claim 11, wherein the number of angled legs of the tool is less than the total number of legs of the clamp.

14. The kit of claim 11, wherein the angled leg forms an angle with the plate or shaft of between 140 ° and 170 °.

15. The kit of claim 11, wherein the angled leg forms an angle of 165 ° with the plate or shaft.

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