Electrorheological fluid structure with attached conductor and method of fabrication
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsSteven H. Walker, Chin-yuan Cheng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming an electrorheological fluid structure with attached conductor and method of fabrication. A polymeric housing may have a channel defined therein. A first conductive trace may at least partially coincide with the channel. A first wire may have a first conductor surrounded by a first insulating jacket. The first conductor may be in electrical communication with the first conductive trace. A jacket bonding region of the first jacket may be welded to a housing bonding region of the housing. The jacket bonding region and the housing bonding region may be formed from a common type of polymer.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- placing a first conductor of a first wire into electrical communication with a first conductive trace, wherein
- the first conductor is surrounded by a first insulating jacket,
- the first conductive trace is located within a polymeric housing having a fluid transfer channel defined therein, the first conductive trace at least partially coinciding with the fluid transfer channel, and
- a jacket bonding region of the first insulating jacket and a housing bonding region of the housing are formed from a polymer;
- the polymeric housing comprises a first access passage containing the first wire;
- the first conductive trace comprises a first electrode that follows a path of the fluid transfer channel and a first extension that branches away from the path of the fluid transfer channel through the first access passage,
- attaching the first conductor to a portion of the first extension branching from the fluid transfer channel;
- and
- welding the jacket bonding region and the housing bonding region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.