Conductive pressure sensitive textile
AssigneeIntelligent Textiles Limited
InventorsStaley Shigezo Swallow, Acha Peta-Thomson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fabric including within its construction a first elongated electrical conductor crossed by a second elongated electrical conductor, the conductors being normally biased apart at a crossover point of said fibres with an air gap between them, whereby application of pressure in a direction substantially normal to a plane of the fabric causes the conductors to make contact. The fabric may be woven, knitted, non-woven or plaited. The fabric can be used as a pressure sensor, switch or other sensor.
Claims16
A fabric provided with a single layer including warp and weft filaments within said single layer, wherein the warp filaments include at least one first elongated electrical conductor and the weft filaments include at least one second elongated electrical conductor, said first conductor or conductors being crossed by said second conductor or conductors, said conductors being normally biased apart at a crossover point of said conductors with an air gap between them resulting from insulating fibres or filaments which bias the first and second conductors apart at the crossover point, whereby application of pressure in a direction substantially normal to a plane of the fabric causes the conductors to make contact.
A fabric according to any preceding claim, wherein said biasing apart is effected by locating an electrical conductor of relatively smaller cross-section between insulating filaments or fibres of relatively larger cross-section.
A fabric according to any preceding claim, wherein the electrical conductors have an electrical property which is proportional to the length of the conductor, whereby the length of a conductor or plurality of connecting conductors can be determined from measurement of that property.
A fabric according to any preceding claim, including at least one set of spaced electrical conductors, at least some of said set being electrically connected together to form at least one bus bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.