US 10,612,172 B2 · Anisotropic conductive treads for electrical connections in soft electronics

Abstract

An embroidery machine with on-board electronics executing layout and alignment software provides for automated thread installation to establish textile-to-pad contact through the use of anisotropic conductive threads characterized by electrically conductive segments alternating with electrically insulating segments. Present embodiments provide for garments or other fabrics and textiles having flexible circuits integrated on a flexible substrate that bends and moves with the garment in a way not seen with stiff printed circuit boards, which may include multiple textile circuits attached to fabric to impart desired electronic features including connectivity to a printed circuit board external to a garment formed according to the present embodiments, as well as imparting electrical conductivity across seams of a garment sewn together from fabric, while maintaining electrical integrity of neighboring circuits on the same garment.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method that uses a needle-directing machine having at least a needle, a needle bar, a head, an arm, and a processor that executes computer readable program instructions, the method being for attaching to a fabric having a thickness an electronic circuit arranged on a patch, the method comprising:

stitching a circuit to the fabric with anisotropic conductive thread having electrically conductive segments and electrically insulating segments;
wherein stitching the circuit to the fabric proceeds according to a predetermined path representing a pattern the anisotropic conductive thread travels through the fabric thickness to attach the patch to the fabric, and laterally across the fabric;
and
further comprising, before the step of stitching the circuit to the fabric, storing, on a computer readable medium, program instructions that when executed by the processor configure the predetermined path for stitching the anisotropic conductive thread into the fabric such that at least one electrically conductive segments of anisotropic conductive thread travels through the fabric thickness where the patch is attached to the fabric.

1 more element

A method that uses a needle-directing machine having at least a needle, a needle bar, a head, an arm, and a processor that executes computer readable program instructions, the method being for attaching to a fabric having a thickness a plurality of electronic circuits each being arranged on a patch, the method comprising:

stitching two or more circuits to the fabric with anisotropic conductive thread having electrically conductive segments and electrically insulating segments;
wherein stitching the circuits to the fabric proceeds according to a predetermined path representing a pattern the anisotropic conductive thread travels through the fabric thickness to attach each patch to the fabric, and laterally across the fabric;
wherein the electrically insulating segments are arranged such that an electrical connection is not formed between any two circuits;
and
further comprising, before the step of stitching the circuit to the fabric, storing, on a computer readable medium, program instructions that when executed by the processor configures the predetermined path for stitching the anisotropic conductive thread into the fabric such that (i) at least one electrically conductive segments of anisotropic conductive thread travels through the fabric thickness where each patch is attached to the fabric, and (ii) at least one electrically insulating segment travels across the fabric between any two patches.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Anisotropic conductive treads for electrical connections in soft electronics

Life of this patent

Anisotropic conductive treads for electrical connections in soft electronics

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15