Wiring harness for clothing, electronic devices including such a wiring harness, and garments incorporating such a wiring harness and electronic device

A wiring harness for clothing, and garments so equipped. The wiring harness is of asymmetrical configuration, and may extend through channels positioned substantially along reinforced portions of the garment. The wiring harness includes a T-junction from which extend a male media connector and two media cables, a first media cable extending along seams of one side of the garment, and a second media cable extending along a neck portion of the garment from the T-junction at one side to another side, both media cables terminating in male media connectors. The male media connector of the T-junction and the male media connector of the second media cable connect to female media connectors of earphone cables, while the male media connector of the first media cable connects to a female media connector of a portable media device, which may be disposed within a pocket of the garment.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wiring harnesses suitable for incorporation into clothing, and garments incorporating such wiring harnesses. More particularly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wiring harnesses having a first portion that may be affixed to a garment and one or more second portions which are removable from the garment.

BACKGROUND

The advent and widespread adoption of small, solid-state, portable devices for storage and play of media, such as music, books and video, has been startlingly fast and widespread. MP3 players, as exemplified by the IPOD® devices, as well as so-called smart phones which include a media storage capability, as exemplified by the IPHONE® devices, have made portable media a convenience, if not perceived as a necessity, of a large population segment in developed and developing countries.

Such devices, which may be characterized herein generally as “portable media devices,” are very light and compact, and are often used in conjunction with wired headphones (which may also be characterized as earphones), which may take the form of on-ear or over-ear headphones, or in-ear headphones, commonly termed “earbuds,” for users to access audio media while walking, jogging, cycling or other everyday activities that require movement from a fixed position. As a result, when an individual carries a portable media device, it may prove difficult to easily and comfortably extend the earphone wiring from the location of the portable media player to the user's ears, particular in cooler or cold weather when jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, waterproof shells, parkas, coats and other outerwear is required. While it is possible to incorporate a wiring harness into a garment to provide a connection between a portable media play and headphones, many outerwear garments require washing from time to time. However, a complete wiring harness including headphones is not susceptible to washing without damage to the headphones. Waterproof headphones are available; however, such products are more expensive than non-waterproof headphones, and the sound quality of these products is generally inferior.

BRIEF SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a wiring harness for attachment to a garment, the wiring harness comprising a junction having a male connector, a first media cable extending from a male connector to the junction and a second media cable extending from a male connector to the junction and operably coupled to the male connector of the first media cable and to the male connector of the junction.

Another embodiment comprises a garment including a wiring harness, the garment comprising a body having armholes at opposing sides thereof, and a neckline. A wiring harness is secured to the body, the wiring harness comprising a junction having a male connector, a first media cable extending from a male connector to the junction, and a second media cable extending from a male connector to the junction and operably coupled to the male connector of the media cable and to the male connector of the junction. The junction is disposed proximate the neckline of the garment, the media cable extends along the neckline of the garment, and the male connector thereof and the male connector of the junction are substantially equidistant from a centerline of the garment, and the second media cable extends downwardly from the junction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual views of any particular wiring harness, earphones or garment, but are merely idealized representations that are employed to describe embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout this specification, like reference numbers refer to like elements.

As used herein, the terms “headphone,” “earphone” and “earbud” mean and include a sound delivery element to be placed over, on, in, or in direct proximity to a user's ear.

As used herein the term “media” means and includes, without limitation, audio media stored in machine-readable form, including, without limitation, music and audio books. Headphones, earphones and earbuds may be characterized herein as media output elements.

Referring now toFIGS. 1A and 1Bof the drawings, a garment G comprising a body10including front portion10f(FIG. 1A) and back portion10b(FIG. 1B), and having sleeves12, a hood14and one or more pockets16is depicted.FIG. 1Ashows garment G with the front portion10fthereof in a closed mode, such as when worn by a user and closed using a closure device20such as a zipper, hook-and-loop fabric, snaps, buttons, hooks, etc.FIG. 1Bshows garment G in an open mode, depicting the back portion10band the left-hand side of the garment G (sleeve12omitted for clarity) to reveal a wiring harness100with headphones in the form of earbuds200a,200boperably coupled to the wiring harness100. A portable media device300is shown inFIG. 1Bin broken lines in pocket16of garment G, the pocket16being hidden from view inFIG. 1B. The term “pocket” as used herein is to be interpreted broadly, and not limited to a pocket in which a hand of the wearer of garment G may be placed, but rather to encompass a receptacle in or on garment G in which a portable media device300may be received.

FIG. 2is an enlarged elevation view of the wiring harness100and earbuds200a,200bsecured within the garment G, andFIG. 3is an enlarged elevation view of wiring harness100separate from the garment G. As shown inFIGS. 1B and 2, the wiring harness100has an asymmetric configuration, and comprises a media input cable102that terminates at one end in a male media input connector104, which may be removably disposed in, for example, a pocket16for connection to the portable media device300when the wiring harness100is secured within the garment G. An opposing end of the media input cable102terminates at a T-junction106(located within the encircled area inFIGS. 1B and 2). As shown inFIG. 3, a male media output connector108aextends from one side of the head of the T-junction106and a media output cable110extends from an opposing side of the head of the T-junction106. The media output cable110terminates in a male media output connector108b. The media input cable102is operably coupled to the male media output connector108aand to the media output cable110at the T-junction106. The wiring harness100is asymmetric in that the male media output connector108ais integrally formed with the body of the T-junction106, whereas the male media output connector108bon an opposing side of the T-junction106is not integrally formed with the body of the T-junction106, but rather connected to the body of the T-junction106by the media output cable110. In this configuration, the male media output connector108bmay be positioned a further distance from the T-junction106than the male media output connector108b, which is integral to the body of the T-junction106.

Returning toFIG. 2, the wiring harness100may be secured to the garment G via a series of channels, which may also be characterized as wiring guides, which are integrally sewn or otherwise incorporated into the garment G. In one embodiment, the channels may comprise fabric material exhibiting enhanced elasticity, including, for example, and without limitation, fabrics incorporating polyurethane-polyurea fibers generically termed variously as “spandex” and “elastane” and sold under the brand names LYCRA®, ELASPAN®, CREORA®, ROICA®, ACEPORA®, DORLASTAN®, LINEL®, ESPA and others. Spandex fibers exhibit unusual elasticity in comparison to conventional textile fibers, and exhibit both greater tear resistance and durability, and a tension capacity two to three times greater, at one-third of the weight of rubber. Spandex fibers may be stretched under applied tension from three to seven times their initial, unstressed length and revert to the initial length when the applied tension is released. Moreover, spandex fibers are relatively insensitive to transpiration, cosmetics, sun cream and salt water. Spandex fibers provide a greater or lesser desired degree of elasticity to fabrics in which they are incorporated, depending largely upon the knit or weave of the fabric and the amount of spandex fibers employed. The spandex-enhanced fabric is folded over and sewn or otherwise incorporated into or attached to a seam of the garment G to form the channel. In one embodiment, the fabric may have a width of about one-half inch (½″) when oriented flat against the garment G to accommodate the cable segments of the wiring harness100. Specifically, the media input cable102extends from the media input connector104through a third channel22attached to a side seam24of garment G, through a second channel26attached to a rear arm seam28, and through a first channel30attached to a shoulder seam32, and terminates at the T-junction106adjacent back neck tape34extending laterally and proximate a neckline of garment G. Two other, short channels36and38, which may also be characterized as loops in the embodiment ofFIG. 2, may be disposed adjacent the T-junction106. The short channels36,38may be sewn into or otherwise attached to a lower seam of back neck tape34at a location disposed outward of a shoulder seam32. A further upper channel40, sewn to the lower seam of back neck tape34, extends substantially across the back of the neck of garment G between opposing shoulder seams32and terminates at shoulder seams32. The media output cable110extends through upper channel40and terminates at the male media output connector108bdisposed proximate the shoulder seam32opposite the shoulder seam proximate which T-junction106is located. While the upper channel40is shown as extending continuously between shoulder seam32across the width of the garment G, it should be understood that the upper channel is not limited to a continuous element, and instead may be comprised of multiple channels or the like provided that the media output cable110is sufficiently restrained against the garment G to prevent unwanted migration of the output cable110while the garment G is being worn by a user.

Forming channels of a fabric exhibiting a high degree of elasticity, such as a spandex-enhanced fabric, not only provides flexibility to the channels to accommodate movement by the garment wearer, but also provides a gripping effect to retain the wiring harness100and specifically the media cables thereof, in a relatively fixed position within garment G during such movement. Thus, the positional relationships of media connectors104,108aand108bwithin garment G may be maintained without constraining movement of the garment wearer.

In use, the media output connector108aoperably couples to a first media output assembly proximate the first shoulder seam32. The first media output assembly comprises a media input cable122athat terminates in a female media input connector120aat one end and in an earbud200aat the opposite end. The media output connector108boperably couples to a second media output assembly proximate the opposite shoulder seam32. The second media output assembly comprises a media input cable122bthat terminates in a female media input connector120bat one end and in an earbud200bat the opposite end. The connection between the media output connector108aand the media input connector120a, and the adjacent portion of the media input cable122aare supported and protected by the short channels36and38. The media input connector104connects to a female output connector (not shown) of a portable media device300. The media input cable102may extend through a metal or plastic grommet or other reinforced aperture40(FIG. 1B) in the garment G to the location of media device300in a pocket16.

It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that embodiments of the present disclosure offer numerous advantages over the state of the art. By way of example and without limitation, a garment according to embodiments of the disclosure enables washing of the garment after simply disconnecting earbuds200aand200bfrom male connectors108aand108bof wiring harness100, and disconnecting the connector104from a portable media device300. The use of all male connectors104,108aand108bavoids collection of water in and/or on the connectors104,108aand108bafter immersion in water for washing, as might occur in receptacles of female type connectors. Further, the elasticity of the channels facilitates removal and replacement of wiring harness100should a component thereof become worn or damaged.

In addition, the use of channels of spandex-enhanced fabric lends elasticity to the channels through which the wiring harness cables extend, facilitating ease of movement by the garment wearer. Further, the positioning of the channels along side, arm, and shoulder seams of the garment and along the underside of back neck tape provides support for the wiring harness cables along structurally reinforced areas of the garment and, in combination with elasticity of the spandex-enhanced fabric, isolates the wiring harness cables from stress on the garment. Placement of the channels along the seams and the neck tape also minimizes discomfort to the wearer of the garment by minimizing binding of the cables.

It will also be appreciated that the use of a T-junction106adjacent the back neck seam at the intersection thereof with shoulder seam32reduces interference of the T-junction106with movement of the wearer and, again, places the T-junction106at a reinforced location of the garment to, in combination with the three adjacent channels, isolate it from stress. Further, the use of the T-junction106of an embodiment of the disclosure located adjacent one shoulder seam32and a back neck tape of the garment G, with one integral media output connector108aand a media output cable110leading to a non-integral media output connector108bat an opposing shoulder seam32, enables use of media output assemblies that include earbuds200a,200band respective media input cables122a,122bof substantially the same length, providing interchangeability as well as avoiding the inconvenience and discomfort of two earbud cables joined in a “Y” configuration exhibited by many earbud assembly designs. The design of the wiring harness100allows the media input cables122aand122bof substantially similar length, and their associated earbuds200aand200b, to extend from the garment G from a location in close proximity to the neck of the garment wearer, in an area below the ears of the wearer, while allowing the media input cable102to simultaneously extend along the garment G at a location remote from a centerline of the garment G, such as along the side seam24, the rear arm seam28, and the shoulder seam32to the T-junction106. This is particularly advantageous in embodiments where one or more of the media input cables122aand122bcomprise an in-line microphone124(FIG. 2) to enable voice input for command operation of the media device300and/or verbal communications in the case that the media device300is also a telecommunications device, e.g., a “smart phone.” In such an embodiment, one or both of media input cables122aand122bmay be configured with conductors to provide both output (from microphone124) and input capability (to associated earbud200aor200b), and media input cable102may also be configured with conductors to transmit both input from portable media device300to media input cables122a,122band output from microphone124to portable media device300. In this embodiment, because the media input cables122aand122bare disposed symmetrically relative to the user's head, the in-line microphone124may be placed at the appropriate position relative to the user's mouth to pick up the user's voice. Further, in the case where only one of the media input cables122aor122bcontains a microphone124, the user can selectively attach the media input cable including the microphone on either side according to his/her preference while maintaining the correct microphone position relative to the user's mouth because the media input cables122aand122bare substantially the same length.

While embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated with respect to a hooded garment, often termed a “hoodie,” the disclosure is not so limited. Garments with and without hoods or sleeves, including but not limited to anoraks, jackets, parkas, shells, coats, vests, knit tops such as, by way of non-limiting example, tee shirts, polo shirts, athletic jerseys, tank tops, and one-piece ski, and snowmobiling suits, as well as other garments configured and incorporating a wiring harness according to an embodiment of the disclosure are contemplated.

The embodiments of the disclosure described above do not limit the scope of the invention, since these embodiments are merely examples of embodiments of the invention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Any equivalent embodiments are encompassed within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, such as alternate useful combinations of the described elements of the embodiments, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Such modifications also fall within the scope of the appended claims, including legal equivalents.