Smart yarn and method for manufacturing a yarn containing an electronic device

Inventors

Fu, Jie • Ma, Ran • Scholten, Henk Jan

Assignees

Siren Care Inc

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 producing smart yarn for smart textiles by feeding a plurality of sensing elements into a wrapping field and encasing each sensing element with a set of wrapping fibers. Each sensing element comprises a sensor with a first sensor side coupled to a first conductive lead and a second sensor side coupled to a second conductive lead. The resulting smart yarn includes a marker that indicates the location of at least one sensor in the smart yarn.

In multiple embodiments, location indication is implemented so that the sensor location in the yarn is visually trackable, including embodiments with a light element such as an LED positioned at a component site and illuminated to indicate a sensor/component location. Other embodiments describe marker/visual location indication using ink/chalk/paint and/or UV/fluorescent ink. The invention further describes smart-garment examples produced by weaving/knitting, including temperature-sensing sock examples described for diabetic foot monitoring.

The invention also describes manufacturable approaches to producing long smart yarn with many sensors, including feeding discrete sensing elements into a wrapping field in series along a longitudinal axis with longitudinal offsets so that the fibers wrap around each sensing element in series. Another approach describes continuous-wire assembly where two laterally offset insulated wires are advanced through an assembly field, solder paste is deposited at sensor sites, sensors are placed and reflowed, and then wrapping fibers are formed around the sensors to create smart yarn with sensors arranged electrically for series/parallel operation before segmentation and garment integration. The disclosed approaches emphasize forming sensor-encasing wrapping-fiber yarn and providing sensor location indication through a marker.

Claims Coverage

The document provides coverage for two independent claims, one directed to a method for producing smart yarn and one directed to a smart yarn article. Across the independent claims, the core inventive structure includes feeding or including sensing elements with conductive leads, encasing them with wrapping fibers, and indicating sensor location with a marker, supported by additional dependent refinements.

Overall claim coverage centers on smart yarn where sensors with first and second conductive leads are encased by wrapping fibers, and sensor location is made identifiable via at least one marker. Dependent coverage narrows sensor coating to non-conductive material such as epoxy, constrains sensing-element arrangement including series along a longitudinal axis and interval spacing tied to a designated garment, and specifies representative sensor types including pressure, moisture, ambient light, or accelerometer.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications