Method and apparatus to create electrical junctions for information routing in textile structures

A system that forms a junction between individually electrical conductive fibers or sections of an individually electrical conductive fiber incorporated into a woven fabric, comprising:

• a loom, the loom having harnesses configured to receive and provide fibers in warp and filling directions in the loom and to produce a woven fabric thereby, the fibers including non-conductive fibers and at least one individually conductive fiber, the harnesses configured to form a warp/filling intersection within the woven fabric including non-conductive fibers of sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber or at least two individually conductive fibers,
• the loom including a beater roll and a take up roll and an apparatus positioned between the beater roll and the take up roll, the apparatus configured to bring the at least two of the individually electrical conductive fibers or the at least two sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber into contact with each other at the warp/filling intersection within the woven and configured to form a an electrical conductive bond between the at least two of the individually electrical conductive fibers or the at least two of the sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber at the warp/filling intersection, thereby forming the junction between the at least two of the individually electrical conductive fibers or the at least two sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber,
• the apparatus having components disposed on opposite sides of the woven fabric designed to bring the at least two of the individually electrical conductive fibers or the at least two sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber into contact with each other at the warp/filling intersection,
• means positioned on the loom after the beater roll and before the take up roll for moving at least one of said components across the woven fabric to the warp/filling intersection and for forming the conductive bond at the warp/filling intersection, said means designed to move in at least two of the X, Y and Z directions along the woven fabric and towards and away from the woven fabric, and
• means for forming the conductive bond at the warp/filling intersection causing the junction to be formed at the warp/filling intersection within the woven fabric.

A system that forms junctions between individually electrical conductive fibers or sections of an individually electrical conductive fiber incorporated into a woven fabric, comprising:

• a loom, the loom having harnesses configured to receive and provide fibers in warp and filling directions in the loom and to produce a woven fabric thereby, the fibers including non-conductive fibers and at least one individually conductive fiber, the harnesses configured to form a plurality of warp/filling intersections within the woven fabric including non-conductive fibers of sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber or at least two individually conductive fibers,
• the loom including a beater roll and a take up roll and an apparatus positioned between the beater roll and the take up roll, the apparatus configured to bring at least two of the individually electrical conductive fibers or at least two sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber into contact with each other at a selected plurality of the warp/filling intersections within the woven fabric and configured to form a an electrically conductive bond between the at least two of the individually electrical conductive fibers or the at least two sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber at each of the selected warp/filling intersections, thereby forming the junctions between the individually electrical conductive fibers or the sections of the individually electrical conductive fiber,
• wherein the loom is designed to continuously produce the woven fabric including the junctions within the woven fabric, and wherein the device further comprises at least one of:
• a rail upon which the apparatus is situated, the apparatus configured for movement in at least two of the X, Y, and Z directions along the woven fabric and towards and away from the woven fabric, the rail being disposed to one side of the woven fabric, or a turntable to which the first apparatus is connected.