WO2011086349A1

WO2011086349A1 - Apparatus which is worn on a wrist of a person

Info

Publication number: WO2011086349A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/000036
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Macdonald Fursdon
Original assignee: James Macdonald Fursdon
Priority date: 2010-01-14
Filing date: 2011-01-12
Publication date: 2011-07-21
Also published as: GB201000595D0; GB2489386A; GB201213720D0

Abstract

Apparatus (2) which is worn on a wrist (4) of a person and which comprises an item (6) for being viewed, a strap (8) which mounts the item (6) on the wrist (4) by extending in use around the wrist (4), and receiving means (10) which is positioned underneath the item (6) and which is accessible above the strap (8) and from the direction extending from an elbow of the person towards a hand (12) of the person, whereby in use the receiving means (10) receives a portion (14) of an edge (16) of a sleeve (18) of clothing which is worn by the person and which extends over the wrist (4), and whereby the reception of the portion (14) of the edge of the sleeve (18) in the receiving means (10) enables the item (6) to be viewed and not be obscured by the portion (14) of the edge (16) of the sleeve (18).

Description

APPARATUS WHICH IS WORN ON A WRIST OF A PERSON

This invention relates to apparatus which is worn on a wrist of a person.

Apparatus such for example as watches and bracelets are worn on the wrist of a person. It often happens that the person will be wearing clothing with sleeves, and one of these sleeves will extend along the person's arm such that the end of the sleeve covers the apparatus which is being worn on the person's wrist. For example, if the apparatus being worn is a watch, then the face of the watch is often partially or fully obscured from view by the sleeve of a coat, shirt, blouse or other garment. In order to see the watch face, it may be necessary for the person to stretch their watch arm in order to elevate the sleeve or to pull the sleeve clear of the watch face with their other hand. There are often situations when this is difficult, for example where pilots, drivers, motorcyclists, machinery operators, telephone users, cooks, craftsmen and even passengers in crowded trains and buses are temporarily unable to stretch or move their watch arm, and when their other arm is not always free. Also, with apparatus such for example as watches and items of jewellery, persons often wish the apparatus to be seen in a natural manner and this is often not possible if the end of a sleeve of their clothing covers the particular piece of apparatus in question. It is an aim of the present invention to obviate or reduce the above mentioned problem.

Accordingly, in one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention there is provided apparatus which is worn on a wrist of a person and which comprises an item for being viewed, a strap which mounts the item on the wrist by extending in use around the wrist, and receiving means which is positioned underneath the item and which is accessible above the strap and from the direction extending from an elbow of the person towards a hand of the person, whereby in use the receiving means receives a portion of an edge of a sleeve of clothing which is worn by the person and which extends over the wrist, and whereby the reception of the portion of the edge of the sleeve in the receiving means enables the item to be viewed and not be obscured by the portion of the edge of the sleeve.

The apparatus of the present invention may be used with all different types of clothing including, for example, shirts, blouses, pullovers, cardigans, jackets, coats and overalls.

The apparatus may be one in which the receiving means is of a depth that enables the portion of the edge of the sleeve in the receiving means to terminate naturally with adjacent portions of the edge of the sleeve not in the receiving means, whereby the entire edge of the sleeve is able to terminate naturally in a transverse line and without bunching.

The apparatus may be one in which the receiving means has an open mouth for receiving the portion of the edge of the sleeve, and abutment means which is positioned at a side of the receiving means opposite the open mouth and which prevents the portion of the edge of the sleeve from passing completely through the receiving means.

Preferably, the receiving means is a channel. Other formations for the receiving means may however be employed.

Preferably the channel comprises upper and lower faces which define the open mouth. Other types of surfaces defining the open mouth may however be employed.

Preferably, the abutment means is an abutment wall extending between the upper and lower faces. Other types of abutment means may however be employed so that, for example, the abutment means may be one or more bars. With an abutment wall, the abutment wall may be a solid wall, an open lattice wall, or left and right segments of a ring.

The receiving means may be a non-flexible receiving means. Alternatively, the receiving means may be a flexible receiving means which operates with a spring clip function. Alternatively, the receiving means may comprise pivot means which enables the item to move, for example between first and second positions. The pivot means is preferably a hinge but other types of pivot means may be employed.

The receiving means may be separately formed from the item to be viewed. Alternatively, the receiving means may be integrally formed with the item to be viewed.

The item for being viewed may be operated by an operational part. The operational part may be an integral part of the item for being viewed. Alternatively, the apparatus may be one in which the item for being viewed is operated by an operational part, and in which the operational part is separately constructed from the item for being viewed, thereby to allow the item for being viewed to be smaller and/or thinner than it would be if the item for being viewed included the operational part.

The item for being viewed may be any suitable and appropriate item able to be worn on the person's wrist and needing to be viewed. Thus, for example, the item may be a watch, a mobile telephone, an ipod, an mp3 player, a camera, a GPS navigator, a compass, a calculator, a keyboard, a voice recorder, a personal digit assistant, a personal alarm, a sensor for one or more of sound, light, radiation, gas, air or medical conditions, a two-way telephone, a two-way radio set, a radio receiver, a personal television receiver, a test instrument, a torch, a barcode reader, a numeric counter, an intercom, a measuring device, a storage device, a tool or a small storage container.

The strap may be any suitable and appropriate type of strap. Thus, for example, the strap may be a strap with a buckle or the strap may be an expanding strap, an elastic strap, or a strap in the form of an expanding or non-expanding bracelet. The strap may be made of any suitable and appropriate type of material. Thus, for example, depending upon the type of strap, the strap may be made from leather, metal, a fabric material, an elastic material, or a synthetic plastics material.

In all embodiments of the invention, the apparatus may be one in which the receiving means extends between the strap and the item to be viewed. The receiving means may be permanently or releasably attached to the item to be viewed. The receiving means may be permanently or releasably attached to the strap. The receiving means may have an opening extending at right angles to the strap and facing an elbow of the person wearing the apparatus on their wrist. The receiving means may extend rearwardly with respect to the strap and towards the elbow of the person wearing the apparatus on their wrist. Releasable fixing means for releasably attaching the receiving means to the strap include, for example, one or more expanding spring pins, sewing, or one or more apertured members through which the strap is fed. Releasable securing means for releasably securing the item to be viewed include, for example, a bayonet fitting constructed to be relatively flat, or a releasable locking device. Permanent securing means for permanently securing the receiving means to the item to be viewed and also to the strap include welding, appropriate bonding adhesives, forming the receiving means integrally with the item to be viewed, and forming the receiving means integrally with the strap. Generally any suitable and appropriate permanent or releasable securing means may be employed for fixing the sealing means to the item to be viewed, and for fixing the receiving means to the strap.

The strap may be an expanding or non-expanding bracelet of the type used for existing watches. Generally the strap used in the present invention may be of any of the known designs mounting known watches on wrists. The term "strap" is thus to be understood as including bracelets, and with the strap/bracelet being expanding or non-expanding and of any materials including leather, plastics materials and metals. The strap may be in the form of a curved bracelet which is made in two halves, but where the two halves, or wings, do not connect with each other but are held in a closed configuration on the wrist with spring pressure. One of the wings may be permanently fixed to the sealing means, leaving just the second wing to open and close, either under spring control or between open and closed formations such for example as detents.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of first apparatus which is worn on a wrist of the person;

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 but without the hand which in Figure 2 would be a left hand;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 but without the person's hand;

Figure 4 is a side view showing second apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side view of apparatus of the present invention but without an item to be viewed, the item to be viewed being able to be clipped to the top of the apparatus shown in Figure 6;

Figure 7 is an end view of the apparatus as shown in Figure 6 and viewed from the person's elbow towards the person's hand;

Figure 8 is a side view of fourth apparatus of the present invention and which has the additional facility of accommodating the top of a glove; Figure 9 is a side view of fifth apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 10 is a side view of sixth apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 11 is an underneath plan view of seventh apparatus of the present invention; and

Figure 12 is a side view of eighth apparatus of the present invention.

Referring to Figure 1 , there is shown apparatus 2 which is worn upon a wrist 4 of a person. The apparatus 2 comprises an item 6 to be viewed, and a strap 8 which mounts the item 6 on the wrist 4 by extending in use around the wrist 4. The apparatus 2 further comprises receiving means 10 which is positioned underneath the item 6. The receiving means 10 is also accessible above the strap 8 and from a direction extending from an elbow of the person towards a hand 12 of the person. The receiving means 10 is such that in use of the apparatus 2, the receiving means 10 receives a portion 14 of an edge 16 of a sleeve 18 of clothing which is worn by the person and which extends over the wrist 4. The reception of the portion 14 of the edge 16 of the sleeve 18 in the receiving means 10 enables the item 6 to be viewed and not to be obscured by the portion 14 of the edge 16 of the sleeve 18.

As can be appreciated from Figure 1 , the receiving means 10 is of a depth that enables the portion 14 of the edge 16 of the sleeve 18 in the receiving means 10 to terminate naturally with adjacent portions of the edge 16 of the sleeve 18 not in the receiving means, whereby the entire edge 16 of the sleeve 18 is able to terminate naturally in a transverse line and without bunching. A longer sleeve may bunch a little. The receiving means 10 has an open mouth 20 for receiving the portion 14 of the edge 16 of the sleeve 18. The receiving means 10 also has abutment means 22 which is positioned at a side of the receiving means 10 opposite the open mouth 20. The abutment means 22 prevents the portion 14 of the edge 16 of the sleeve 18 from passing completely through the receiving means 10.

The receiving means 10 is a channel. The channel comprises an upper face 24 and a lower face 26. The upper and lower faces 24, 26 define the open mouth 20.

The abutment means 22 comprises an abutment wall extending between the upper and lower faces 24, 26. The abutment wall is a solid wall but it may be another type of wall.

The receiving means 10 shown in Figures 1 , 2 and 3 is a solid non- flexible receiving means.

As shown in Figures 1 , 2 and 3, the item 6 is a watch having a viewing face 28. The strap 8 is a metal bracelet strap having a first part 30, a second part 32 and a clasp 34.

Referring now to Figures 4 - 11 , similar parts as in Figures 1 - 3 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. In Figures 4 and 5, there is shown apparatus 36 in which the item 6 shown in Figure 1 has been replaced by an item 38 in the form of a mobile telephone. The item 38 has a screen 40 and controls 42.

In Figures 6 and 7, there is shown apparatus 44 in which the item has not been shown. Thus Figures 6 and 7 illustrate how an item may be separately formed from the receiving means 10 and clipped or otherwise secured to the receiving means 10. Figure 6 also illustrates how, for relatively large or heavy items, two of the straps 8 may be employed. Alternatively one wide strap may be employed, rather like a wrist brace.

Figure 8 shows apparatus 46 which may be like the apparatus shown in Figure 6 but which includes second receiving means 48 which is constructed similarly as the receiving means 10 but which faces the other way so that the second receiving means 48 has an open mouth 50 opposite the open mouth 20. The, open mouth 50 of the second receiving means 48 is able to receive the end of a glove. Thus the apparatus 46 ensures that both the sleeve 18 and also a glove (not shown) can be worn such that they will not obscure the item to be clipped or otherwise fastened to the second receiving means 48.

The apparatus 44 shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the apparatus 46 shown in Figure 8 illustrate how the item 6 may be separately formed from the receiving means. The apparatus 2 shown in Figures 1 - 3 and the apparatus 36 shown in Figures 4 and 5 illustrate how the item 6, 38 is able to be formed as an integral part of the receiving means 10.

Figure 10 shows apparatus 52 in which the receiving means 10 comprises pivot means 54. The pivot means 54 comprises a hinged arrangement which permits the receiving means 10 to increase or decrease in thickness in order to accommodate thinner or thicker sleeves, or possibly two sleeves such for example as the sleeve of a shirt or a blouse over which is worn the sleeve of a jumper or cardigan. If a coat or jacket is worn over these items of clothing, then the receiving means 10 may receive a third portion of the edge of a sleeve.

Figure 9 shows apparatus 56 in which the receiving means 10 is fixed but which has an item 58 attached to it by a hinge 60. The hinge 60 enables the item 58 to pivot from a flat first position on top of the receiving means 10 to a second position. This second position is not limited to the vertical position shown in Figure 9. The item 58 is a mobile telephone having a camera lens 62. In the first position of the item 58, a clip 64 holds the item 58 in position.

Figure 11 shows apparatus 66 which is an underneath plan view and shows a U-shaped formation for a bottom part 68 of receiving means 10. The top part of the receiving means 10 will usually be of a similar shape to the bottom part 24 of the receiving means 10.

Referring now to Figure 12, there is shown apparatus of the invention that is convenient for use with items for being viewed and which are of a construction, for example an electronic construction, and which may be more conveniently used when wrist-mounted than when hand held. The apparatus shown in Figure 12 comprises an item 6 for being viewed, and an operational part 67, for example an operational circuitry part 67. An advantage of this construction is that it allows the item 6 for being viewed to be less bulky than when the operational part 67 is formed integrally with the item 6 for being viewed, as shown for example in Figure 4.

The apparatus shown in Figure 12 may be such that the operational part 67 may be manufactured integrally with the lower arm of the channel. The item 6 for being viewed, complete with any controls or buttons, may be manufactured integrally with the upper arm. The item 6 for being viewed and the operational part 67 may be connected by a conductor 69, integral or aligned with the U-channel and the abutment means 22, or connected by any other convenient means such as a wireless connection, for example a radio frequency wireless connection. Where conductors are used, they may ideally be integral with the channel and the abutment 22.

In another example, it may be convenient to construct both the item 6 for being viewed and the operational part 67 as one elongated unit, whereby the whole is then bent to form the channel. The wrist strap 8 may then be anchored to the lower arm.

Power for the apparatus of the present invention may be sou reed through photovoltaic cells or other means in the item for being viewed. Alternatively, the apparatus may be powered by body heat, movement generators or batteries accommodated in the operational part or in any appropriate combination.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in all drawings and in all aspect of the invention. Thus, for example, the illustrated items 6, 38, 58 have been given by way of example only and they may be replaced by a wide variety of other items that a person needs to see, or would like to be seen. The illustrated strap 8 may be any suitable and appropriate strap, including expanding and non-expanding bracelets. If desired, the strap may be sufficiently large to enable all embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention to be worn on a person's forearm. As with watches, the apparatus shown in the drawings may be worn on a person's left or right wrist as may be desired.

The receiving means 10 may be made of any suitable and appropriate material. The receiving means 10 may be a spring clip receiving means. Where a hinge is employed, the hinge may consist of any number of parts. The hinge pivots may be lockable in any position, or they may be controlled by friction or spring tension. The pivots may enable the receiving means to be of a minimal height in circumstances where a person does not wish to accommodate a sleeve, for example where the person is wearing a short-sleeved garment or a garment with no sleeves at all.

The receiving means 10 may be such that it has parallel upper and lower faces. Alternatively, the upper and lower faces may not be parallel from to back or side to side.

The apparatus of the present invention may be designed such that the part of the person's sleeve in the receiving means 10 is not freely moveable and is trapped. This may be advantageous for articles of clothing such for example as flying, racing, arctic cold, fire or other overalls where it may not be necessary or desirable to have free movement underneath the item. The receiving means 10 may be such that the upper part of the receiving means such for example as the upper part of the channel enables movement, whilst the lower part of the receiving means such for example as the lower part of the channel incorporates anchorage points for the strap.

Where the receiving means is a U-channel and the item is a watch, then the overall height of the watch face above the wrist need only be approximately 4mm greater than a normally mounted wrist watch. This minimal increase in overall height offers the user the option of wearing their sleeve over the watch in conventional style if desired, especially where a watch movement of slim design is selected.

Mounting a watch or other item on the receiving means invites design changes to maximise advantages afforded by the present invention. Thus, for example, normally a watch is secured to the wrist by straps attached at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock dial positions, with the crown (winder) and any other controls at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. With the apparatus of the present invention, the watch part is supported only on one side face facing the wearer's wrist, i.e. the 3 o'clock position when the watch is worn on the left wrist, and the 9 o'clock position when the watch is worn on the right wrist. The crown and any extra controls may therefore be easier to use if they are repositioned to the 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock positions.

To accommodate both left and right hand use in one unit, the movement may be rotatable 180° relative to the channel. Alternatively, units may be made specifically for left and right hand use.

In mobile telephones, they are currently usually carried in pockets, briefcase, handbags, or simply left in various places where they can easily suffer damage or become lost. Additionally, retrieving a mobile telephone in order to receive and make calls can be annoying and time consuming unless the mobile telephone is readily to hand.

When telephones are used in vehicles or on the move, it is common practice to place the telephone in a clip, holder or adapter, from where the mobile telephone normally relays information by wire to an amplifier, or by a radio link to a unit such as an earpiece worn by the driver of the vehicle. The effective range of radio link, such as the Bluetooth (Registered Trade Mark) platform, is often limited so that should the driver leave the vehicle by even a short distance, the link is usually lost. Additionally, an earpiece can do little to enhance a wearer's natural beauty.

Whilst mounting a telephone on a wrist strap is already known, it is only possible to retain for visibility by clamping the telephone to the arm on top of a garment, or to have an unclothed arm when the temperature is warm enough.

As new telephones offer additional facilities such as cameras, GPS, internet access and television, ease of access to the instrument itself has become a limiting factor in the usefulness and therefore practical value of these new features. The apparatus of the present invention is able to overcome this problem.

Mobile telephone designs are such that printed electronics are enabling mobile telephones to be made smaller and lighter, and yet offer more features. The apparatus of the present invention enables a multifunction mobile telephone to become a popular replacement for a watch for everyday wear. People may be right or left handed. To adapt a mobile telephone for either hand, software may be included to rotate the screen and keyboard function, with alternative fingerboard overlays to match the keyboard digits to the software. Alternatively, mobile telephones may be offered in specific left and right hand models.

It may be convenient to place the lens of a camera mobile telephone in the side of the mobile telephone rather than in the base. If the lens mount or photo sensor were then rotatable its own axis, both landscape and portrait formats could be viewed without turning the body of the mobile telephone. This would eliminate the need to turn the base of the telephone towards the subject.

Currently, mobile telephones operate on a flat or tiered platform. When used in conjunction with the receiving means employed in the apparatus of the present invention, it may be desirable to make a mobile telephone in an "L" shape or cylinder segment form to follow the wear's arm profile. This arm profile offers the option of having controls at the side as well as on the top surface.

With regard to loud speaker operation for vehicles, it can readily be understood that a mobile telephone secured to the wrist and offering loud speaker hands-free operation with screen and all controls fully visible and operational within arms length offers a solution to the current problems long associated with mobile communication in vehicles.

Where the apparatus of the present invention as an item in the form of a mobile telephone, then the mobile telephone may be of any size or type. Where the receiving means enables a mobile telephone to swivel and lock at any convenient position relative to the person's wrist, then the pivoting action of the telephone, plus the bending of the person's arm at the elbow, may allow the user to point the lens towards a subject whilst observing the viewfinder screen. If the forearm is held horizontally, this allows a landscape format shot. If the forearm is held vertically, this allows a portrait format shot. It may be also convenient to lock the mobile telephone at any convenient angle relative to the receiving means as an aid to easier viewing of the screen, for example when driving. When not in use as a camera, the mobile telephone may be held in a normal mount position by an convenient locking mechanism such for example as a clip or catch. Any demountable mechanism may be used for attaching the item to the receiving means if the item is not formed as an integral part of the receiving means. The precise shape of the receiving means may vary in design. The receiving means may be of different colours and materials as may be required, for example to complement an item being worn. Defining faces of the receiving means may be of any convenient number, length, width, shape or curvature. It should be more convenient to mount an instrument or tool on the inside or outside of a person's wrist, or in a semi-circular form rather than in the normal "watch" positions on top of or below the person's wrist. The receiving means 10 is able to be shaped and equipped accordingly.

If desired, the bend of the receiving means, for example the bend of the channel over the person's hand may be projected so a fillet may support one or both sides of the receiving means for a small distance back from the bend. The upper part of the receiving means is highly versatile in so far as it may include various holes, location pins, a threaded boss (as on a camera tripod), tap threads or slots to accommodate specialized equipment. It may also hold magnets or spring clips to retain certain tools, or could be lined with hook and loop material, for example Velcro (Registered Trade Mark), to retain tools or containers or other items. Any suitable form of adhesive could be used. Figure 11 shows a design where it may be desirable to mount the wrist straps to each side of the channel mount without having a single continuous piece lower arm. This can be achieved by mounting the wrist strap anchors onto the illustrated horseshoe or split saddle lower part of the receiving means as shown in Figure 11.

Claims

1. Apparatus which is worn on a wrist of a person and which comprises an item for being viewed, a strap which mounts the item on the wrist by extending in use around the wrist, and receiving means which is positioned underneath the item and which is accessible above the strap and from the direction extending from an elbow of the person towards a hand of the person, whereby in use the receiving means receives a portion of an edge of a sleeve of clothing which is worn by the person and which extends over the wrist, and whereby the reception of the portion of the edge of the sleeve in the receiving means enables the item to be viewed and not be obscured by the portion of the edge of the sleeve.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the receiving means is of a depth that enables the portion of the edge of the sleeve in the receiving means to terminate naturally with adjacent portions of the edge of the sleeve not in the receiving means, whereby the entire edge of the sleeve is able to terminate naturally in a transverse line and without bunching.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the receiving means has an open mouth for receiving the portion of the edge of the sleeve, and abutment means which is positioned at a side of the receiving means opposite the open mouth and prevents the portion of the edge of the sleeve from passing completely through the receiving means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the receiving means is a channel.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the channel comprises upper and lower faces which define the open mouth.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the abutment means comprises an abutment wall extending between the upper and lower faces.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the receiving means is a non-flexible receiving means.

8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 - 6 in which the receiving means is a flexible receiving means which operates with a spring clip function.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 - 6 in which the receiving means comprises pivot means which enables the items to move.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the pivot means is a hinge.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the receiving means is separately formed from the item to be viewed.

12. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 - 10 in which the receiving means is integrally formed with the item for being viewed.

13. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the item for being viewed is operated by an operational part, and in which the operational part is separately constructed from the item for being viewed, thereby to allow the item for being viewed to be smaller and/or thinner than it would be if the item for being viewed included the operational part.

14. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the item is a watch, a mobile telephone, an ipod, an mp3 player, a camera, a GPS navigator, a compass, a calculator, a keyboard, a voice recorder, a personal digit assistant, a personal alarm, a sensor for one or more of sound, light, radiation, gas, air or medical conditions, a two-way telephone, a two-way radio set, a radio receiver, a personal television receiver, a test instrument, a torch, a barcode reader, a numeric counter, an intercom, a measuring device, a storage device, a tool or a small storage container.

15. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the strap is a strap with a buckle, an expanding strap, an elastic strap, or a strap in the form of an expanding or non-expanding bracelet.