EP2743787A1 - Flexible portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

The portable electronic device has a flexible main housing that is provided with an upper side band fixed to a lower side band. An electronic assembly is positioned between the lower side band and the upper side band. The reinforcement-elements are arranged between the first region containing first rigidity, and second region containing second rigidity, or between two continuous regions containing first rigidity. The first rigidity is corresponded to a battery and second rigidity is corresponded to a printed circuit board.

Description

The present invention relates to a flexible portable electronic device. In particular, the present invention relates to such a flexible portable electronic device of the wristwatch type.

A flexible electronic device typically consists of a lower flexible band and an upper flexible band secured to the lower flexible band for example by gluing or heat-sealing. Between the lower flexible band and the upper flexible band is housed an electronic assembly for at least developing information. In the particular case of a flexible wristwatch, this electronic assembly is intended to display in particular a time information and is composed, for this purpose, of a display device such as a crystal display cell liquid and a printed circuit board on which are mounted the various discrete and integrated components necessary for the proper functioning of the wristwatch such as, in particular, a time base. The printed circuit board is connected to the liquid crystal display cell as well as to a battery by means of a plurality of connectors.

The upper and lower flexible strips are made of a flexible material such as a polymer which is characterized by high flexibility and elasticity. Suitable polymers for such an application include certain elastomers such as natural rubber, styrene-butadiene copolymer or even thermoplastic polyurethane. Other materials of the flexible thermoplastic polymer type such as a polyamide or a silicone are also conceivable. Portable electronic devices obtained from such bands hoses are intended to be worn around a portion of a user's body, typically the wrist. In the position of use, these portable electronic devices are curved, which has a significant disadvantage. Indeed, the various electronic components (liquid crystal display cell, printed circuit board, battery) that make up the electronic assembly of information development are generally more rigid than the flexible strips between which they are trapped. Depending on the arrangement of these electronic components in the portable electronic device, locally stiffer areas are formed at the junction between two of these electronic components or at the junction between one of these electronic components and the softer material. flexible bands. In these locally more rigid areas then folds appear when the portable electronic device is worn for example around the wrist. These folds are not only unsightly but can also damage electronic components or electrical connections inside the portable electronic device. In the most severe cases, the material of the flexible strips can tear at the folds, which leads to the irreversible destruction of the flexible electronic device.

The present invention aims to overcome these disadvantages by providing a portable electronic device that has a smooth and uniform curvature when worn for example on the wrist of a user.

To this end, the present invention relates to a flexible portable electronic device capable of producing information, this flexible portable electronic device comprising a flexible body arranged to be attached to a part of a body of a user, and at least one electronic assembly for developing the information, the flexible body comprising a lower flexible band and an upper flexible band secured to the lower flexible band, the electronic information-generating assembly being housed between the lower flexible band and the flexible band superior, this electronic set of elaboration of the information being provided with a first stiffness greater than a second rigidity which is provided with the flexible body, characterized in that the flexible portable electronic device comprises a reinforcing element housed between the upper and lower flexible strips and disposed between a first zone of first rigidity and a second zone of second rigidity, or between two consecutive zones of first rigidity.

According to a complementary characteristic of the invention, the reinforcing element is provided with a rigidity which varies between the rigidity of the first zone and the rigidity of the second zone between which it makes the connection.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the rigidity of the flexible body is adapted by adjusting the shape or the thickness of the reinforcing element or by selecting the material in which the reinforcing element is made.

Thanks to these features, the present invention provides a flexible portable electronic device in which the reinforcing element makes it possible to make the transition between a rigid zone corresponding to an electronic component of the electronic information-processing assembly and a zone more flexible corresponding to the flexible body material of the flexible portable electronic device. Similarly, the reinforcing element can provide the connection between two consecutive rigid areas and spaced apart. By choosing the material in which the reinforcing element is produced and by adapting its thickness and its dimensions, it is thus possible to progressively reduce the rigidity of the flexible body from a high value corresponding to the rigidity of the electronic component. at a lower value corresponding to that of the flexible body. The transition between a high stiffness zone and a lower stiffness zone therefore no longer results in the appearance of folds in the flexible strips, which improves the aesthetic appearance of the portable electronic device and makes it possible to avoid that it does not deteriorate.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will emerge more clearly from the following detailed description of a method of embodiment of a flexible portable electronic device according to the invention, this example being given for purely illustrative and non-limiting purposes only in connection with the appended drawing in which the single figure is a perspective and exploded view of the flexible portable electronic device according to the invention between the upper and lower flexible bands of which is housed a reinforcing element.

The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea of providing a flexible portable electronic device which is in the form of a flexible body intended to be worn, for example, around a wrist of a user, and which is distinguished by the absence of folds in the material in which the flexible body is made. To achieve this objective, the present invention teaches to provide a reinforcing element between a high stiffness zone corresponding to the presence of an electronic component and a lower stiffness zone corresponding to the material of the flexible body. By adapting the shape, the dimensions, the thickness or the material in which the reinforcing element is made, the value of the stiffness of the flexible body is gradually reduced from a high value to a reduced value, so that it does not appear folds to the transition between these zones of different rigidities. The aesthetics of the portable electronic device is improved as well as its resistance to wear.

The single figure appended to the present patent application is a perspective and exploded view of the flexible portable electronic device according to the invention.

Designated as a whole by the general reference numeral 1, the portable electronic device is flexible and is intended to be worn around a portion of a body of a user such as a wrist. The portable electronic device 1 comprises a flexible body 2 which has substantially the shape of a band or bracelet and which consists of a lower flexible band 4 and an upper flexible band 6. The lower flexible band 4 can be made of any plastic material such an elastomer. The upper flexible band 6 is in the form of a sealed plastic film secured to a perimeter 8 of the lower flexible band 4. The attachment of the upper flexible band 6 to the lower flexible band 4 can be done in any appropriate manner as gluing or thermo-welding. According to one variant, the upper flexible band 6 can be secured to the entire surface of the lower flexible band 4.

The portable electronic device 1 has the function of being able to at least produce information and, in the preferred example, to elaborate and display such information. For this purpose, the portable electronic device 1 comprises at least one electronic assembly 10 for producing information mounted on the lower flexible band 4, on the side where the upper flexible band 6 is fixed. For this purpose, the lower flexible band 4 presents, at a location of its length, a housing 12 in which is disposed the electronic assembly 10 for developing and displaying information.

In the example shown in the drawing, the electronic assembly 10 for producing and displaying information comprises a flexible display device 14 such as a liquid crystal display cell or a display cell. The printed circuit board 18 furthermore carries the various discrete and integrated electronic components 20 required for the proper functioning of the portable electronic device 1 such as, in particular, an electronic printed circuit board 18, mounted on an upper surface 16 of a printed circuit board 18. time base. The assembly is completed by a flexible battery 22 arranged on the side of a lower face 24 of the printed circuit board 18, in the housing 12 provided for this purpose in the lower flexible band 4.

As already mentioned above, the portable electronic device 1 according to the invention is intended to be worn around a part of a body of a user such as the wrist. The portable electronic device 1 must therefore be curved to fit the profile substantially circular wrist of the user. The various electronic components that constitute the electronic assembly 10, namely the display device 14, the printed circuit board 18 and the battery 22 must therefore have a certain flexibility. However, it will be understood that, while being flexible, these various electronic components have a rigidity greater than the rigidity of the lower flexible strips 4 and 6 which make up the flexible body 2 of the portable electronic device 1. Thus, locally local areas are formed. rigid at the junction between two of these electronic components or at the junction between one of these electronic components and the softer material of the flexible strips.

In the example shown in the drawing, we see two such junction zones designated by the arrow A between the ends of the printed circuit board 18 and the flexible body 2 of the portable electronic device 1. In these junction areas may then appear folds when the portable electronic device 1 is worn for example around the wrist. These folds are not only unsightly, but can also damage electronic components or electrical connections inside the portable electronic device 1. In the most severe cases, the material of the lower flexible bands 4 and upper 6. may tear at the location of the folds, which leads to the irreversible destruction of the portable electronic device 1 flexible.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, a first and a second reinforcing member 26a and 26b are disposed between the printed circuit board 18 and the flexible battery 22. As can be seen from the drawing, these first and second reinforcing elements 26a and 26b make it possible to ensure the transition between the flexible battery 22 and the printed circuit board 18 which is larger than the flexible battery 22. The first and second reinforcing elements 26a and 26b thus allow to ensure the transition between an area of first rigidity corresponding to the flexible battery 22 and a zone of second rigidity corresponding to the printed circuit board 18. These reinforcing elements 26a and 26b can be indifferently attached to the printed circuit board 18, the flexible battery 22 or on one of the lower flexible strips 4 or upper 6.

Further, it is seen in the drawing that the first and second reinforcing members 26a and 26b extend beyond the geometric limits of the printed circuit board 18 in the longitudinal direction of the portable electronic device 1. More specifically, the first and second reinforcing members 26a and 26b substantially have an arrow shape which tapers as one moves away from the transverse edges 28 of the printed circuit board 18. The first and second members of reinforcement 26a and 26b thus also make it possible to ensure the transition between an area of first rigidity corresponding to the printed circuit board 18 and an area of second rigidity corresponding to the material of the flexible body 2 of the portable electronic device 1.

It is thus understood that, in particular by adapting the shape of the first and second reinforcing elements 26a and 26b, it is possible to progressively reduce the value of the rigidity by a high value corresponding to the stacking zone of the electronic components, namely the display device 14, the printed circuit board 18 and the flexible battery 22, at a reduced value corresponding to the material of the flexible body 2 of the portable electronic device 1, so that no wrinkles appear at the transition between these areas of different rigidities. The aesthetics of the portable electronic device 1 is improved as well as its resistance to wear.

Note in the second reinforcing element 26b the presence of two openings 30 to allow the connection of the output terminals 32 of the flexible cell 22 on the printed circuit board 18.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and that various modifications and simple variants can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. He goes especially Of course, one can also play on the thickness or material in which the reinforcing element is made to gradually reduce the value of the stiffness of the flexible body from a high value to a reduced value.

Claims (4)

A flexible portable electronic device capable of producing information, said flexible portable electronic device (1) comprising a flexible body (2) arranged to be attached to a portion of a user's body, and at least one electronic assembly ( 10) for developing information, the flexible body (2) comprising a lower flexible band (4) and an upper flexible band (6) secured to the lower flexible band (4), the electronic assembly (10) for generating the information being housed between the lower flexible band (4) and the upper flexible band (6), this electronic information development assembly (10) being provided with a first rigidity greater than a second rigidity which is provided with the flexible body (2), characterized in that the flexible portable electronic device (1) comprises a reinforcing element (26a, 26b) housed between the lower and upper flexible strips (4, 6) and disposed either at the junction between a first zone of first rigidity and a second zone of second rigidity, or at the junction between two consecutive zones of first rigidity. Flexible portable electronic device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing element (26a, 26b) is provided with a rigidity which varies between the stiffness of the first zone and the rigidity of the second zone between which it makes the link. Flexible portable electronic device according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the rigidity of the flexible body (1) is adapted by adjusting the shape or the thickness of the reinforcing element (26a, 26b) or by selecting the material in which the reinforcing element (26a, 26b) is made. Flexible portable electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the reinforcing elements (26a, 26b) are fixed on the printed circuit board (18), on the flexible battery (22) or on one of the lower flexible strips (4) or upper (6).

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