Method of manufacturing textile with conductive yarns and integrated electronics
AssigneeMyant Inc.
InventorsTony Chahine, Godfried Gysbrecht Edelman, Sahar Golmohammadi Rostami, Christopher Robin Leiphart
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Abstract
Methods for manufacturing a textile article having conductive yarn and an integrated electronic device are disclosed. An embodiment of the method includes receiving computer-readable instruction indicative of a knitting pattern of the textile article. Based on the instructions, a textile is formed by knitting conductive yarn and non-conductive yarn. A weld is applied at a junction where two or more conductive paths meet to create a bond between the two or more conductive paths.
Claims20
A computer-aided method for manufacturing a textile article having electrically conductive yarn and an integrated electronic device, the method comprising:
- receiving computer-readable instructions indicative of a knitting pattern of the textile article, the knitting pattern defining:
- an arrangement of conductive yarn and non-conductive yarn in the textile article, the conductive yarn arranged to provide a plurality of conductive paths;
- a location of a junction where two or more of the plurality of conductive paths meet;
- and
- a location of an end of a given one of the conductive paths;
- and
- processing the computer-readable instructions and in accordance with the instructions:
- form the textile article by knitting the conductive yarn and the non-conductive yarn;
- apply a weld at the junction to create a bond between the conductive paths that meet at the junction;
- place the electronic device on the textile article at a location where a terminal of the electronic device is proximate the end of the given conductive path;
- and
- apply a weld at the end of the given conductive path to create a bond between the end of given conductive path and the terminal of the electronic device.
A system for manufacturing a textile article having conductive yarn and an integrated electronic device, the system comprising:
- a knitting machine;
- at least one ultrasonic welding machine;
- a material handling robot;
- one or more processors;
- non-transitory machine-readable memory storing instructions executable by the one or more computer processors and configured to cause the one or more computer processors to:
- receive manufacturing instructions indicative of a knitting pattern of the textile article, the knitting pattern defining:
- an arrangement of conductive yarn and non-conductive yarn in the textile article, the conductive yarn arranged to provide a plurality of conductive paths;
- a location of a junction where two or more of the plurality of conductive paths meet;
- and
- a location of an end of a given one of the conductive paths;
- and
- process the manufacturing instructions and in accordance with the manufacturing instructions:
- determine first operating parameters for the knitting machine, second operating parameters for the at least one welding machine, third operating parameters for the material handling robot, and fourth operating parameters for the at least one welding machine;
- configure the knitting machine to form the textile article by knitting the conducting yarn and the non-conductive yarn when operating under the first operating parameters;
- configure the at least one welding machine to apply high-frequency ultrasonic acoustic vibration at the junction when operating under the second operating parameters;
- configure the material handling robot to place the electronic device on the textile article at a location where a terminal of the electronic device is proximate the end of a given one of the conductive paths when operating under the third operating parameters;
- and
- configure the at least one welding machine to apply a weld at the junction to create a bond between the terminal of the electronic device and the given one of the conductive paths when operating under the fourth operating parameters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.