US4769656A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Expansion band antenna for a wrist instrument and method of making it
Assignee: Timex Group USA Inc
•
Filing: 1987-01-28
•
Granted: 1988-09-06
•
Expires: 2007-01-28
Abstract
Abstract An antenna for a wrist transmitter or receiver carried in a wrist instrument is made of a wire mesh enclosed in an elastic fabric sleeve. The antenna wire is composed of a tubular mesh of individual copper conductors which are loosely woven, twisted, or braided in such a way as to permit lateral expansion and also to assume a flat configuration. In a preferred form of the invention, the wire is woven in a manner similar to that of a coaxial cable outer shield conductor. The method of making the expansion band antenna consists of inserting an unexpanded wire mesh within a stretchable elastic fabric sleeve, expanding the mesh within the sleeve, and then flattening the sleeve and wire mesh. The wire mesh may be expanded within the sleeve by allowing a stretched sleeve to relax while holding the unexpanded mesh within it, or it may be expanded laterally within the sleeve by a mechanical or pneumatic tool.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald K. Dickey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 03:31
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01Q; H01Q1/00; H01Q1/12; H01Q1/22; H01Q1/27; H01Q1/273; H01Q1/44
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
An expansion band antenna for a wrist instrument having a ground connection and incorporating a radio device therein operating within a preselected frequency band, comprising: an elastic strap member comprising a sleeve adapted to be attached at either end thereof to said wrist instrument to hold it in place and stretchable to pass over the hand of the wearer, a continuous wire member comprising a multistrand mesh of individually insulated conductive strands loosely arranged in such a way as to permit lateral expansion, said wire member being expanded laterally within said strap member, and connection means connected to said wire member for electrically connecting at least one end of said wire member to said radio device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
116 words
An expansion band antenna for a wrist instrument having a ground connection and incorporating a radio device therein operating within a preselected frequency band, comprising: an elastic strap member comprising a sleeve adapted to be attached at either end thereof to said wrist instrument to hold it in place and stretchable to pass over the hand of the wearer, a continuous wire member comprising a multistrand mesh of individually insulated conductive strands loosely arranged in such a way as to permit lateral expansion, said wire member being expanded laterally within said strap member, and connection means connected to said wire member for electrically connecting at least one end of said wire member to said radio device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein said wire member strands are loosely interwoven in the manner of a stranded coaxial cable shield conductor and wherein the other end of the wire member is connected to said ground connection to provide a loop.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination according to claim 1 wherein said wire member strands are divided into a plurality of groups of strands, a first half of said groups being formed helically clockwise and a second half of said groups being formed helically counter clockwise and interwoven among said first groups.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein said elastic strap member is a fabric sleeve comprising elastomeric fibers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The combination according to claim 4 where the sleeve is braided and further comprises synthetic fibers braided among said elastomeric fibers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
126 words
Method of making an expansion band antenna for a wrist instrument having a ground connection and incorporating a radio device therein operating within a preselected frequency band, comprising: providing an elastic strap member comprising a sleeve adapted to be attached at either end thereof to said wrist instrument to hold it in place and stretchable to pass over the hand of the wearer, inserting into said sleeve a continuous wire member comprising a multistrand mesh of individually insulated conductive strands loosely arranged in such a way as to permit lateral expansion, expanding said continuous wire member laterally within said elastic strap member, and attaching connections to said continuous wire member for electrically connecting at least one end of said continuous wire member to said radio device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
126 words
Method of making an expansion band antenna for a wrist instrument having a ground connection and incorporating a radio device therein operating within a preselected frequency band, comprising: providing an elastic strap member comprising a sleeve adapted to be attached at either end thereof to said wrist instrument to hold it in place and stretchable to pass over the hand of the wearer, inserting into said sleeve a continuous wire member comprising a multistrand mesh of individually insulated conductive strands loosely arranged in such a way as to permit lateral expansion, expanding said continuous wire member laterally within said elastic strap member, and attaching connections to said continuous wire member for electrically connecting at least one end of said continuous wire member to said radio device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said wire member strands are loosely interwoven in the manner of a stranded coaxial cable shield conductor, and including the step of attaching the other end of the wire member to said ground connection.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 6, wherein said expanding step comprises: clamping the opposite ends of a stretched sleeve and an unstretched wire member within said sleeve, and allowing said sleeve to relax while said ends are clamped.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said expanding step comprises: placing said wire member within said sleeve and laterally separating said strands while the wire member is inside the sleeve.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim 6 including the further step of flattening said sleeve and said laterally expanded wire member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-09-06 | 1992-03-07 | 1992-09-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-09-06 | 1996-03-07 | 1996-09-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-09-06 | 2000-03-07 | 2000-09-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |