Highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity and a preparation method thereof, relating to the technical field of variable elastic coated yarn preparation. The highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity includes an elastic core layer and an outer wrapping layer wrapped around the periphery of the core layer. During the preparation of this highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity, the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position on the core layer can be changed according to the elasticity requirements at different positions of the core layer, thereby preparing a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with different elasticities at different positions. Compared with existing flexible stretchable textile materials, the precise and controllable preparation of variable elastic coated yarn is achieved, and a coated yarn with a suitable elastic distribution can be precisely and controllably prepared according to the deformation amount of the skin of the human body part where it is ultimately required to be applied, thereby expanding the application of flexible stretchable textile materials in flexible electronic devices.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of variable elasticity coated yarn preparation, in particular to a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the advancement of science and technology, wearable electronic devices are attracting more and more attention. Traditional rigid electronic devices will break under relatively small strains and have poor conformality with human skin, which cannot meet the mechanical flexibility requirements of future wearable flexible electronic devices. Compared with traditional rigid electronic devices, the main advantage of flexible electronic devices is their high flexibility, ability to withstand large strains and good conformality with human skin. Flexible and stretchable textile materials have been widely studied with the important applications of wearable flexible electronic devices in fields such as soft robotics and human health monitoring. However, since the deformation of different parts of the human skin is different, the controllable preparation of flexible and stretchable textile materials with variable elasticity has certain practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity and a preparation method thereof, thereby realizing the precise and controllable preparation of the variable elastic coated yarn.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0005] On the one hand, the present invention provides a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity, comprising: an elastic core layer and an outer wrapping layer, the outer wrapping layer being wound around the periphery of the core layer; the core layer comprising an elastic core layer container and liquid metal with high conductivity; the liquid metal is located in the core layer container; wherein, the pre-stretching multiple of the corresponding position of the core layer is determined according to the elasticity requirements of different positions of the core layer.

[0006] Optionally, the outer wrapping layer includes at least one layer of yarn; and the outer wrapping layer is formed by a single wrapping forming method or a double wrapping forming method.

[0007] Optionally, the yarn is natural fiber yarn, chemical fiber spun yarn, various blended yarns, flame retardant and fireproof yarn, antibacterial yarn, electromagnetic shielding yarn or thermochromic yarn.

[0008] Optionally, the core container is an elastic hose.

[0009] Optionally, the liquid metal is a gallium-indium alloy, a gallium-indium-tin alloy, or a gallium-indium-zinc alloy.

[0010] On the other hand, corresponding to the aforementioned highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity, the present invention also provides a method for preparing the highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity, comprising the following steps:

[0011] The elastic core layer container is filled with liquid metal with high conductivity to obtain an elastic core layer.

[0012] According to the elasticity requirements of different positions in the core layer to be prepared, the pre-draft multiple control instructions at the corresponding positions are determined.

[0013] The core layer is fed into the hollow spindle center tube of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine, and according to the pre-draft multiple control instruction, the outer wrapping layer is wrapped around the outside of the core layer while the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer is changed to obtain a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity.

[0014] Optionally, changing the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer specifically includes: adjusting the surface linear speed of the active feed roller of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine to change the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer.

[0015] Optionally, the outer wrapping layer includes at least one layer of yarn; and the outer wrapping layer is formed by a single wrapping forming method or a double wrapping forming method.

[0016] Optionally, the yarn is natural fiber yarn, chemical fiber spun yarn, various blended yarns, flame retardant and fireproof yarn, antibacterial yarn, electromagnetic shielding yarn or thermochromic yarn.

[0017] Optionally, the liquid metal is a gallium-indium alloy, a gallium-indium-tin alloy, or a gallium-indium-zinc alloy.

[0018] According to the specific embodiments provided by the present invention, the present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0019] The present invention provides a highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with variable elasticity and a method for preparing the yarn. During the preparation process, the pre-draft ratio at corresponding locations on the core layer can be varied based on the elasticity requirements for different locations on the core layer, resulting in highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with varying elasticity at different locations. Compared to existing flexible, stretchable textile materials, this method enables the precise and controllable preparation of variable elasticity coated yarns. This allows for the precise and controllable preparation of coated yarns with a suitable elasticity distribution, tailored to the desired skin deformation on the desired human body part, further expanding the application of flexible, stretchable textile materials in flexible electronic devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of wrapping spinning of a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a single wrapping molding method for a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a double-wrapping molding method for a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method for preparing highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in Example 2 of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity and a preparation method thereof, thereby realizing the precise and controllable preparation of the variable elastic coated yarn.

[0027] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0028] Example 1:

[0029] This embodiment provides a highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with variable elasticity, comprising: an elastic core layer and an outer wrapping layer, the outer wrapping layer being wrapped around the outer periphery of the core layer; the core layer comprising an elastic core container and a highly conductive liquid metal; the liquid metal being located within the core container; wherein the pre-draft ratio at corresponding positions of the core layer is determined based on the elasticity requirements of different positions of the core layer. The pre-draft ratio of the core layer is varied during the manufacturing process based on the elasticity requirements of the core layer; in particular, during the manufacturing process, the pre-draft ratio determines the elasticity of the core layer, which serves as the basis of the coating yarn, and positions with different pre-draft ratios during the manufacturing process have different elasticities.

[0030] In the preparation process of the highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in this embodiment, the core layer is fed into the hollow spindle center tube of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine, and the outer wrapping layer is coated on the outer side of the core layer; Figure 1 In the schematic diagram of wrapping spinning shown, the core layer 2 is fed into the hollow spindle central tube 3 through the active feed roller 1. The hollow spindle 4 is pre-wound with yarn 5. The yarn 5 passes through the yarn guide hook 6 and is unwound from the hollow spindle 4. It is wound around the core layer passing through the hollow spindle central tube 3, and finally a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn 7 with variable elasticity is obtained. Specifically, changing the pre-draft ratio at the corresponding position of the core layer is specifically to adjust the surface linear speed of the active feed roller of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine.

[0031] In practical applications, the outer wrapping layer used to prepare the highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity includes at least one layer of yarn; the yarn is any one of natural fiber yarn, chemical fiber staple yarn, various blended yarns, flame retardant and fireproof yarn, antibacterial yarn, electromagnetic shielding yarn and thermochromic yarn, and can be selected according to the purpose of the final product to which the coated yarn is applied. Similarly, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the outer wrapping layer can be formed using either a single wrapping method or a double wrapping method, depending on the intended use of the final product. When processing the covered yarn using the double wrapping method, two hollow spindles are used in series, with the twist direction of the second hollow spindle being opposite to that of the first hollow spindle. This method will not be further described here.

[0032] In this embodiment, the core container forming the highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn is an elastic hose. It is understood that to facilitate the injection of the highly conductive liquid metal into the elastic hose, the elastic hose is hollow, and after the liquid metal is injected, the opening in the elastic hose should be sealed. Materials for making the elastic hose include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and fluororubber. The inner diameter of the elastic hose ranges from 0.3 mm to 2 mm, and the outer diameter ranges from 0.8 mm to 6 mm.

[0033] To ensure the accurate acquisition of relevant signals, it is also crucial to maintain the conductive stability of the material when it is subjected to large strains. In this embodiment, the liquid metal is any one of a gallium-indium alloy, a gallium-indium-tin alloy, and a gallium-indium-zinc alloy. Their melting points are all lower than the human skin temperature, which satisfies the characteristic of the coated yarn to maintain a liquid flow state when attached to human skin. In addition, it has high conductivity and can maintain good conductive stability when the material is subjected to large strains, thereby ensuring the accurate acquisition of relevant signals. The highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in this embodiment can be used in wearable electronic equipment and all other fields that require the use of stretchable conductor materials.

[0034] This embodiment provides a highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with variable elasticity. During its preparation, the pre-draft ratio at corresponding locations on the core layer can be changed according to the elasticity requirements of different locations on the core layer, resulting in highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with different elasticities at different locations. Compared to existing flexible, stretchable textile materials, this achieves the precise and controllable preparation of variable elasticity coated yarns. Based on the deformation of the skin on the human body part to be ultimately applied, coated yarns with appropriate elasticity distribution can be precisely and controllably prepared, further expanding the application of flexible, stretchable textile materials in flexible electronic devices. Furthermore, the injected liquid metal has high conductivity, maintaining good conductive stability when the material is subjected to large strains, ensuring the accurate acquisition of relevant signals.

[0035] Example 2:

[0036] In addition, the highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity of embodiment 1 of the present invention can also be realized by means of the preparation method of the highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity provided in embodiment 2, such as Figure 4 As shown in the flow chart, the preparation method of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0037] A1. Filling an elastic core layer container with highly conductive liquid metal to obtain an elastic core layer. In this embodiment, the core layer container, which serves as the basis for forming the highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn, is an elastic hose. It is understood that to facilitate the injection of the highly conductive liquid metal into the elastic hose, the elastic hose has a hollow structure, and after the liquid metal is injected, the opening in the elastic hose should be sealed. The material used to prepare the elastic hose includes, but is not limited to, one of silicone rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, and fluororubber. The inner diameter of the elastic hose ranges from 0.3 mm to 2 mm, and the outer diameter of the elastic hose ranges from 0.8 mm to 6 mm.

[0038] A2. According to the elasticity requirements of different positions in the core layer to be prepared, determine the pre-draft multiple control instructions at the corresponding positions.

[0039] A3. Feed the core layer into the hollow spindle center tube of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine, and according to the pre-draft multiple control instruction, while wrapping the outer wrapping layer on the outside of the core layer, change the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer to obtain a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity. Figure 1As shown in the schematic diagram, the core layer 2 is fed into the central tube 3 of the hollow spindle by the active feeding roller 1, and the hollow spindle 4 is pre-wound with a yarn 5. The yarn 5 passes through the yarn guide hook 6 and is unwound from the hollow spindle 4, and is wound on the core layer passing through the central tube 3 of the hollow spindle, and finally a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn 7 with variable elasticity can be obtained. In the above process, the pre-drafting multiples of the corresponding positions of the core layer are changed according to the elastic requirements of different positions in the core layer. In practical applications, the outer wrapping layer for preparing highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity includes at least one layer of yarn; the yarn is any one of natural fiber yarn, chemical fiber staple yarn, various blended yarns, flame retardant and fireproof yarn, antibacterial yarn, electromagnetic shielding yarn and thermochromic yarn, and can be selected according to the purpose of the final product of the coated yarn. Similarly, if Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the outer wrapping layer can be formed using either a single wrapping method or a double wrapping method, which can be selected based on the intended use of the final product. When processing the covered yarn using the double wrapping method, two hollow spindles are connected in series, with the second hollow spindle twisting in the opposite direction to the first hollow spindle. This method will not be further described here.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, changing the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer specifically includes: adjusting the surface linear velocity of the active feed roller of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine to change the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer. Furthermore, on the basis of adjusting the surface linear velocity of the active feed roller of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine to change the elasticity of the corresponding position of the core layer, it is also possible to precisely control the running time (equal period interval duration, unequal period interval duration, random interval duration) of the pre-draft multiple at each position of the core layer during step A2, so as to achieve equal periodic, variable periodic or random changes in the elasticity of the core layer, thereby achieving precise control of the elasticity of different covered yarn segments.

[0041] To ensure accurate signal acquisition, maintaining the material's conductive stability when subjected to significant strain is crucial. In this embodiment, the liquid metal is any one of a gallium-indium alloy, a gallium-indium-tin alloy, and a gallium-indium-zinc alloy. These alloys have melting points below the human skin temperature, ensuring the coated yarn remains fluid when attached to the skin. Furthermore, their high electrical conductivity ensures excellent conductive stability even under significant strain, ensuring accurate signal acquisition.

[0042] The present embodiment provides a method for preparing a highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with variable elasticity. After obtaining an elastic core layer, the pre-draft multiple at the corresponding position on the core layer can be changed according to the elasticity requirements of each position on the core layer, thereby preparing a highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with different elasticity at different positions. Compared with existing flexible stretchable textile materials, the method achieves precise and controllable preparation of variable elasticity coated yarns. According to the deformation amount of the skin of the human body part to be ultimately applied, a coated yarn with a suitable elastic distribution can be accurately and controllably prepared. The method can be widely used in wearable electronic equipment and all other equipment that requires stretchable conductive materials. The yarn required for parts with inconsistent elasticity requirements can be precisely designed, further expanding the application of flexible stretchable textile materials in flexible electronic devices. The injected liquid metal has high conductivity and can maintain good conductive stability when the material is subjected to large strain, ensuring the accurate acquisition of relevant signals.

[0043] The highly conductive liquid metal-coated yarn with variable elasticity prepared by the preparation method provided in this embodiment can be used in wearable electronic equipment and all other fields that require equipment with stretchable conductive materials.

[0044] Specific examples are used herein, but the above descriptions are merely illustrative of the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are intended only to help understand the methods and core concepts of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the modules or steps of the present invention described above can be implemented using a general-purpose computer device. Alternatively, they can be implemented using program code executable by a computing device, thereby storing them in a storage device and executing them by the computing device, or making them into separate integrated circuit modules, or making multiple modules or steps into a single integrated circuit module for implementation. The present invention is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0045] At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the concept of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity, characterized in that: include: The invention comprises an elastic core layer and an outer wrapping layer, wherein the outer wrapping layer is wound around the periphery of the core layer; the core layer comprises an elastic core layer container and a liquid metal with high conductivity; the core layer container is an elastic hose, the material of the elastic hose is selected from silicone rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber or fluororubber, the inner diameter range of the elastic hose is 0.3mm-2mm, and the outer diameter range is 0.8mm-6mm; the liquid metal is located in the core layer container, and the liquid metal is a gallium-indium alloy, a gallium-indium-tin alloy or a gallium-indium-zinc alloy; wherein, according to the elastic requirements of different positions of the core layer, the pre-draft multiple of the corresponding position of the core layer is determined, the pre-draft multiple is changed by adjusting the surface linear speed of the active feeding roller of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine, and the elastic distribution of different positions of the core layer is adapted to the deformation of the skin of the human body part in the final application.

2. The highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wrapping layer includes at least one layer of yarn; the outer wrapping layer is formed by a single wrapping forming method or a double wrapping forming method.

3. The highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity according to claim 2, characterized in that: The yarn is natural fiber yarn, chemical fiber spun yarn, various blended yarns, flame retardant and fireproof yarn, antibacterial yarn, electromagnetic shielding yarn or thermochromic yarn.

4. A method for preparing a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: include: Filling a highly conductive liquid metal into an elastic core layer container to obtain an elastic core layer; The liquid metal is a gallium-indium alloy, a gallium-indium-tin alloy, or a gallium-indium-zinc alloy; the core layer container is an elastic hose, the material of which is selected from silicone rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber, or fluororubber, and the inner diameter of the elastic hose is in the range of 0.3 mm to 2 mm, and the outer diameter is in the range of 0.8 mm to 6 mm; According to the elasticity requirements of different positions in the core layer to be prepared, the pre-draft multiple control instructions at the corresponding positions are determined; The core layer is fed into the hollow spindle center tube of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine, and according to the pre-drafting multiple control instruction, while the outer wrapping layer is wrapped around the outside of the core layer, the pre-drafting multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer is changed to obtain a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity; the pre-drafting multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer is changed, specifically: the surface linear speed of the active feeding roller of the hollow spindle wrapping spinning machine is adjusted to change the pre-drafting multiple at the corresponding position of the core layer.

5. The method for preparing a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity according to claim 4, characterized in that: The outer wrapping layer includes at least one layer of yarn; the outer wrapping layer is formed by a single wrapping forming method or a double wrapping forming method.

6. The method for preparing a highly conductive liquid metal coated yarn with variable elasticity according to claim 5, characterized in that: The yarn is natural fiber yarn, chemical fiber spun yarn, various blended yarns, flame retardant and fireproof yarn, antibacterial yarn, electromagnetic shielding yarn or thermochromic yarn.

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