Smart yarn and method for manufacturing a yarn containing an electronic device
Inventors
Fu, Jie • Ma, Ran • Scholten, Henk Jan
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10557220-B2
Publication Date
2020-02-11
Expiration Date
Abstract
One variation of a method for producing a smart yarn includes: aligning a set of sensing elements offset along a lateral axis in a magazine, wherein each sensing element in the set of sensing elements includes a sensor, a first conductive lead extending from a first side of the sensor along a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the lateral axis, and a second conductive lead extending from a second side of the sensor opposite the first side and along the longitudinal axis; wrapping a set of fibers into a yarn within a wrapping field; feeding a leading end of a first sensing element, in the set of sensing elements, from the magazine into the wrapping field; releasing the first sensing element from the magazine into the wrapping field; encasing the first sensing element between the set of fibers within the yarn; and repeating this process for the set of sensing elements.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to methods for producing a smart yarn from a set of sensing elements and a set of fibers. Each sensing element includes a sensor module and a conductive lead extending along a longitudinal axis. The method wraps the set of fibers into a yarn within a wrapping field while feeding a first sensing element into the wrapping field, releasing it, and encasing it between the set of fibers.
After the first sensing element is released and encased, the method feeds a leading end of a second sensing element into the wrapping field, releases the second sensing element, and encases the second sensing element between the set of fibers. The second sensing element is positioned longitudinally behind the first sensing element within the yarn. The sensing elements are thus sequentially incorporated into a continuous yarn structure under a wrapping field.
The disclosure also describes smart-yarn production approaches that integrate flexible conductive traces or wire- and circuit-form sensing elements with fiber wrapping and downstream garment integration. In these approaches, sensing elements with conductive leads are processed into flexible serpentine circuits or sensor assemblies and then fed into a wrapping field for encasing between fibers, with subsequent cutting into segments and weaving or knitting into garments.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes two independent claims, both directed to methods for producing a smart yarn by sequentially feeding sensing elements into a wrapping field and encasing them between wrapped fibers with the second sensing element longitudinally behind the first.
Sequential encasing with longitudinal offset sensing elements
providing a set of sensing elements comprising a first sensing element and a second sensing element, each sensing element comprising a sensor module and a conductive lead extending along a longitudinal axis, wrapping a set of fibers into a yarn within a wrapping field, feeding and releasing the first sensing element into the wrapping field and encasing it between the set of fibers, then feeding and releasing the second sensing element and encasing it between the set of fibers and longitudinally behind the first sensing element within the yarn.
Wrapping to continue yarn with second sensing element behind first
providing a set of sensing elements comprising a first sensing element and a second sensing element, each sensing element comprising a sensor module and a conductive lead extending along a longitudinal axis, feeding a leading end of the first sensing element toward a wrapping site and wrapping a set of fibers around the first sensing element to form a yarn, then feeding a leading end of the second sensing element toward the wrapping site and wrapping the set of fibers around the second sensing element to continue the yarn, with the leading end of the second sensing element longitudinally behind the first sensing element within the yarn.
Across both independent claims, the core claim coverage centers on sequentially feeding and wrapping/encasing a first sensing element and a second sensing element into a yarn within a wrapping field/site, where the second sensing element is longitudinally behind the first within the yarn while each sensing element includes a sensor module and a conductive lead along a longitudinal axis.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Not explicitly described in patent.
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