Electroadhesives system isolation in apparel
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsSteven H. Walker, Daniel Stuart, Eun Kyung Lee, Christopher Andon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrode device for an electroadhesive clutch can include a planar conductive member and a housing that encloses at least a portion of the conductive member. In an example, the housing can include a flexible polymeric substrate provided adjacent to at least a first surface of the conductive member, and a dielectric member comprising a first portion provided adjacent to an opposite second surface of the conductive member, and a second portion provided adjacent to a first side edge of the conducive member and coupled to the flexible polymeric substrate.
Claims20
A wearable article, comprising:
- a material formed to be worn on a body of a wearer;
- an electrode device, positioned on the material such that a portion of the electroadhesive device may contact a body part of a wearer of the wearable article, the electrode device configured to operate as part of an electroadhesive clutch, the electrode device comprising:
- a planar conductive member configured to electrically engage with a remote conductive member of the electroadhesive clutch to permit or inhibit a first portion of the material to move relative to a second portion of the material;
- and
- a housing that encloses at least a portion of the conductive member and provides electrical isolation between the planar conductive member and the body part of the wearer, wherein the housing includes:
- a flexible polymeric substrate provided adjacent to at least a first surface of the conductive member;
- and
- a dielectric member comprising a first portion provided adjacent to an opposite second surface of the conductive member, and a second portion provided adjacent to a first side edge of the conductive member and coupled to the flexible polymeric substrate.
A wearable article, comprising:
- a material formed to be worn on a body of a wearer;
- and
- an electrode device, positioned on the material such that a portion of the electroadhesive device may contact a body part of a wearer of the wearable article, the electrode device configured to operate as part of an electroadhesive clutch, the electrode device comprising:
- a flexible substrate;
- an electrically-conductive first trace disposed on the flexible substrate and configured to electrically engage with a remote conductive member of the electroadhesive clutch to permit or inhibit a first portion of the material to move relative to a second portion of the material, the first trace having a height, a width, and a length;
- and
- a dielectric member disposed on the conductive trace opposite the flexible substrate, wherein at least a portion of the dielectric member extends over a side edge of the first trace and is coupled with the flexible substrate and provides electrical isolation between the first trace and the body part of the wearer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.