US 10,761,346 B1Granted

Head-mounted computer device with hinge

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsJung Sik Yang, Eliot Kim, Chia-Jean Wang

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Abstract

A head-mounted wearable device utilizes electronics placed in one or more of a left temple or a right temple. The temples are joined to a front frame using hinges. The hinges provide passageways, slots, or other openings to permit passage of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) within an open core of the hinge. The FPC allows communication between the left temple and the right temple. During motion of the hinge, the FPC may twist such that the ends within the hinge are rotated relative to one another while remaining substantially parallel to one another. The overall length of the FPC passing through the hinge remains substantially unchanged between the hinge being open or closed. The FPC remains protected within the hinge and is minimally displaced, preventing the introduction of a crease in the FPC at a hinge line.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A head-mounted wearable device comprising:

a front frame comprising:
a left brow section,
a right brow section, and
a frame bridge joining the left brow section and the right brow section;
a left upper hinge affixed to the left brow section distal to the frame bridge;
a right upper hinge affixed to the right brow section distal to the frame bridge;
a channel extending along an underside of the front frame from the left upper hinge to the left brow section to the frame bridge to the right brow section to the right upper hinge;
wherein each upper hinge comprises:
an upper cylindrical engagement feature including an open core, and
a receptacle;
the head-mounted wearable device further comprising a left hinge base and a right hinge base, each hinge base comprising:
a lower cylindrical engagement feature, and
a tab to insert into the receptacle of the upper hinge;
a left temple and a right temple, each temple comprising:
a knuckle comprising an open core to accept the upper cylindrical engagement feature and the lower cylindrical engagement feature of a respective hinge,
a compartment, and
a slot extending from the compartment to an interior of the open core of the knuckle;
and
a flexible printed circuit (FPC) comprising a plurality of electrical conductors and arranged to pass from:
a left temple compartment through the left temple slot in the left temple compartment into the open core of the left temple knuckle, through the left upper cylindrical engagement feature via a first right angle bend, through the left upper hinge via a second right angle bend, along the channel, through the right upper hinge via a third right angle bend, through the open core of the right upper cylindrical engagement feature via a fourth right angle bend, through the open core of the right temple knuckle, and through the right temple slot into the right temple compartment.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.