GB2485520A - Safety connector for securely attaching an item of wearable electronic equipment to a user - Google Patents

Abstract

A safety connector is provided for securely attaching an item of wearable electronic equipment to a user. The safety connector is constructed from two hinged clasp sections 1A & 1B. One of the clasp sections 1B contains a plurality of multi-position make-break switches 1D that are set in a pre-defined configuration to enable a wire loop circuit to be established. A strap 1S with locator holes 1SH is used to form a strap loop wherein the loose end of the strap is placed between the two hinged clasp sections 1A & 1B. Closing the clasp securely holds the strap in place. One of the strap locator holes 1SH must be positioned over a moveable multi-position switch release pin 1E. Any excessive movement of the switch release pin resets the coded multi-position switches 1D and breaks the wire loop. A break in the wire loop may be used to trigger an alarm signal.

Description

SAFETY CONNECTOR

This invention relates to a safety connector.

Due to greater integration of transistor circuits, smaller devices and lower power consumption, product manufacturers are providing a greater range of smaller, conveniently portable electronic equipment. However, this equipment has become the target of the opportunist thief. Also, wearable child alarm equipment needs to be securely attached to the user. If the attached equipment is forcibly removed, then one or several alarms need to be triggered immediately.

Current mechanisms for securely attaching a piece of wearable electronic equipment to a user are limited. Though several contain a wired circuit loop, which is broken when opening or releasing the strap, they can be quickly reconnected and so reconnect the previously broken circuit. To reduce false alarms there is usually a time delay when the circuit loop is broken. This would then allow a determined attacker or abductor to forcibty remove the wearable alarm or equipment and then reconnect the connectors without triggering the alarm. In addition, an attacker might try to pull the wearable equipment from a user's limb to release it. This action wouldn't normally break the electrical loop and so it wouldn't trigger an alarm even though an attack is being perpetrated.

What is required is a safety connector that overcomes the disadvantages of the wearable equipment connectors described above.

According to the present invention there is provided a safety connector means comprising an open and closeable two section hinged clasp, the lower clasp section further comprising a plurality of user selectable multi-position make-break switches, which when set in their predefined coded positions form a closed electrical circuit, the user selectable multi-position make-break switches being automatically reset as to break the closed electrical loop on opening the clasp, the electrical closed circuit being formed by a wire loop, powered by attached equipment means and is routed internally through the strap means, safety connector means and back to the attached equipment means.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 shows the two-section clasp in the open position and attached strap; Figure 2 illustrates how the strap can be folded over to form a loop and is located over the multi-position switch release slider pin: Figure 3 shows a side view of the connector: Figure 4 shows an example of how four pairs of make-break switch contacts are arranged to form a predefined coded wire loop circuit: Figure 5 shows how the wire loop is routed from an attached equipment unit through the safety connector, through the strap, back through the safety con nector and back to the attached equipment unit: Figure 6 shows a plan view of a single multi-position switch mechanism: Figure 7 shows a side view of a single multi-position switch mechanism: Figure 8 shows in part a plan view of the two multi-position switches and the multi-position switch release slider mechanism: Figure 9 shows in part an example of a multi-position switch release slider with latches for two multi-position switches.

An embodiment of the safety connector 1 is shown in figure 1. It comprises a two-section clasp, a lower clasp section lB and an upper clasp section IA.

The two clasp sections are connected together by a hinge means 1 H. This allows the two clasp sections to be opened and closed. Figure 3 shows how the hook 1C connected to section 1A is used to securely lock the two clasp sections together when the two sections 1A and 18 are in the closed position.

The hook 1C locks into position via the hook aperture iF. Once in the closed position, the two clasp sections can also locked into position with a key means (not shown) using mechanical locking means I K, as shown in figure 2. This embodiment provides greater security measures. The lower clasp section contains a plurality of multi-position make-break switches ID and a multi-position switch release slider pin I E. These will be described in more detail later. The strap means IS has a row of locator holes ISH. One end of the strap means iS is securely connected to either the lower clasp 18 or the upper clasp 1A.

Figure 2 shows how the strap means iS can be looped back over the clasp to form an adjustable strap that can be wrapped around a user's arm, leg or a belt for example. The strap locator holes ISH in the strap iS allows the strap IS to be placed over the protruding multi-switch release slider pin iE. The multi-switch release slider pin iE going through one of the strap holes 1SH.

The selection of which strap locator hole I SH goes over the multi-switch release slider pin IE determines the size of the strap loop. When the two-section clasp is closed the strap I S is held securely in position. Any excessive strap movement will then cause the multi-switch release slider pin I E to move such a distance as to release and reset the position of the plurality of multi-switch make-break switches. This action is described later and will then break the electrical wire loop circuit 3. As the wire loop 3 is connected and powered by a directly attached electronic equipment unit 3Z, detection of the break to the wire loop can be used to trigger an alarm signal. As shown in figure 5, the electrical closed wire loop circuit 3 is formed by a wire that is routed internally from the attached equipment means through the strap means, safety connector means and back to the attached equipment means.

The coded make-break section of the wire loop 3 that is housed in clasp section lB is shown in part in figure 4 and made up from wire sections 3W1 to 3W5 in this example. In order that the attached electronic unit 3Z can monitor the electrical circuit formed by the wire loop 3, the user needs to set each of the multi-position switched ID to the circuit make position before closing the clasp sections. The end of each wire section 3W1 -3W5 has a contact means 3C. Two contacts 3G are required to form a make-break switch pair 3CP. The position of the make-break switch pair contacts 3CP determines when a multi-position switch ID will make an electrical circuit or break an electrical circuit.

Figure 4 shows how four make-break switch contact pairs 3CP are located on a virtual grid to form a coded multi-switch I D connector. The position of the make-break switch pair contacts 3CP is set at manufacture, the position of which determine the closed electrical wire loop code. Though simple two position make-break switches can be used, in a preferred embodiment multi-position make-break switches ID are used as this provides for more switch position combinations and hence makes it more difficult to decode the correct closed loop switch positions. Figure 4 shows how four three position make-break switch pair contacts 3CP are used to form a coded wire loop 3. To form an electrical connection, a pair of make-break switch contacts 3CP need to be shorted together electrically. This is achieved when a wire circuit formed by a pair of switch contacts 2C and connecting wire 2G is aligned over a corresponding make-break switch contact pair 3CP. In a circuit make position a switch contact 2C is in direct contact with its corresponding make-break switch contact 3C. For multi-position switch A to make an electrical connection it needs to be in position Al. For multi-position switch B to make an electrical connection it needs to be in position B3. For multi-position switch C to make an electrical connection it needs to be in position Cl. For multi-position switch D to make an electrical connection it needs to be in position Dl. When a multi- position switch 1 D is in position 2 it is in the reset position and the multi-position switch ID in then in circuit break position. Though four make-break switch contact pairs 3CP are shown, more can be used. The number of make- break switch pair contacts 3CP is directly proportional to the number of multi-position switches I D used.

A plan view of the multi-position switch I D assembly is shown in figure 6. The corresponding side view is shown in figure 7. The body 2A of a multi-position switch can move in lateral plane and is perpendicular, but in the same plane as the movement of the multi-switch release slider 4A. A hole or stub 2B is used to move the body 2A into various switch location as outlined in figure 4.

The body 2A is h&d in position by a runner 2E. The ends of a runner 2E are connected to the clasp body lB. A hole through the body 2A allows the body 2A to freely move along the runner 2E. At each end of the body are two pairs of wire contacts 2C. A pair of contacts 2C are connected electrically across the body 2A by a wire means 2G. When in the make position, a contact 2C touches its corresponding wire loop contact 3C, so the closed electrical circuit (make) for a particular multi-position switch I D becomes wire loop section 3W(n) to wire loop contact 3C to switch body contact 2C through wire 2G to the opposite switch body contact 2C to wire loop contact 3C to wire loop section 3W(n+1). Mechanical spring means 2F located concentrically with runner 2E at either ends of the runner 2E. The spring 2F provides the force to reset the multi-position switch body 2A into its reset position when the clasp is opened or the multi-position switch release slider 4A is moved the required distance to reset the multi-position switches I D. Each switch body 2A of a multi-position switch 1 D is held in one of two locked positions when a spring loaded ball bearing 2D is located over its corresponding recess 4R. The spring loaded ball bearing 2D is located on the underside of body 2A. Three ramp sections 4S1, 4S2 and 4S3 around each recess 4R provide an increasing force gradient as the ball bearing 20 is moved along one of the ramp sections. This provides a resistive mechanism before a switch snaps into a locked location. Ramp section 4S1 is used when the switch body 2A is moved along the runner 2E axis. Ramp sections 4S2 and 4S3 are used to hold the ball bearing 2D in place until the it overcomes the force required by the sideways movement of the multi-position switch release slider 4A. Figure 9 shows an example of a multi-position switch slider 4A with four ball bearing locking positions and associated ramps sections (4S1, 4S2, 4S3) for two multi-position switches I D. The sideways motion required to release the ball bearings 2D can be applied by depressing the release button 4B that is connected to the multi-position switch release slider 4A. Though only one release button 4B is shown in figure 8 another one could be provided at the other end of the multi-position switch release slider 4A. The sideways motion of the multi-position switch release slider 4A is controlled and restricted by the spring means 4F. These spring means are concentrically mounted on a runner 4E, which in turn supports and guides the multi-position switch release slider 4A. Both ends of the runner 4E are fixed to the clasp body lB for support. Though only one runner 4E is shown for clarity more support and guide runners 4E can be provided to allow lateral movement only.

The same situation applies to the switch body runners 2E. ln the latter cases, these support runners would not require extra spring 2F and 4F means.

The multi-position switch slider pin IE that is directly connected to the multi- position switch release slider 4A, which can also be used to release the multi-position switches I D from their locked positions if the strap means 1 S is in an operable position and is moved by such a distance as to release the ball bearing 2D.

When the clasp section IA and claps section I B are in the closed position hook IC is used to hold the two sections securely in place. Hook 1C goes through hook aperture IF and locks under the multi-position switch release slider 4A. The multi-position switch release slider 4A can not move in the same plane as the hook IC otherwise the action of closing the clasp would release the set multi-position switches 1 D. To open the clasp the release button 46 needs to be depressed. This then aligns the hook release notch 4N with the hook 1C. Consequently, this action then releases the hook 1C from its locked position allowing both clasp sections IA, I B to be opened. This action then releases and resets the multi-position switches and breaks the electrical wire loop circuit 3.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the mechanical spring means 2F, 4F and the spring loaded ball bearing means 2D can be replaced and implemented using elastically moveable plastic moldings (not shown).

Then the elastically moveable plastic moldings 2F and 4F (not shown) would be integral to the clasp section I B and aid manufacturing, reduce the number of parts and reduce costs.

Although the invention has been described herein with reference to particular preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are illustrative of the aspects of the invention. As such, a person skilled in the art may make numerous modifications to the illustrative embodiments described herein. Such modifications and other arrangements which may be devised to implement the invention should not be deemed as departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described and claimed herein.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS1). A safety connector means comprising an open and closeable two section hinged clasp, the lower clasp section further comprising a plurality of user selectable multi-position make-break switches, which when set in their predefined coded positions form a closed electrical circuit, the user selectable multi-position make-break switches being automatically reset as to break the closed electrical loop on opening the clasp, the electrical closed circuit being formed by a wire loop, powered by attached equipment means and is routed internally through the strap means, safety connector means and back to the attached equipment means.

   2). A safety connector means as claimed in Claimi wherein, the strap means has a row of locator holes that can be co-located over the multi-position switch release slider pin, the strap means being securely locked into position by closing the two clasp sections.

   3). A safety connector means as claimed in Claim 2 wherein, excessive strap movement causes the multi-position switch release slider pin means to move such a distance as to release and reset the multi-position switches and break the electrical loop.

   4). A safety connector means as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, opening the two section clasp means causes the multi-position switches to be reset and break the electrical loop.

   5). A safety connector means as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, the two section clasp can be securely locked using key means.

   6). A safety connector means as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, the mechanical spring means are implemented using elastically moveable plastic moldings.

   7). A safety connector means as claimed in any preceding claim wherein, the spring loaded ball bearing means are implemented using elastically moveable plastic moldings.

   8). A safety connector means substantially described herein with reference to Figures 1 -9 of the accompanying drawings.