Fiber sensing line and preparation method thereof, fiber sensor, sensing fabric and intelligent clothing

Abstract

The invention discloses a fiber sensing line and a preparation method thereof, a fiber sensor, a sensing fabric and a smart garment, and relates to the technical field of smart textiles, the fiber sensing line comprises a fiber base material and an elastic sensing layer coating the surface of the fiber base material, the elastic sensing layer is made of a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material, and the conductive material and the elastic material are arranged on the surface of the fiber base material. And the shore hardness of the elastic material is 50A to 80A. According to the technical scheme provided by the invention, the wearing comfort of the intelligent clothing can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of intelligent textiles, and particularly to a fiber sensing wire, a preparation method thereof, a fiber sensor, a sensing fabric, and intelligent clothing. Background Art

[0002] With the development of flexible electronic technology and intelligent textiles, integrating sensors into textiles to achieve real-time monitoring of human physiological signals or movement behaviors has become a research hotspot. However, current intelligent clothing mostly uses rigid sensor modules attached to the fabric surface, and this design often leads to poor wearing comfort of intelligent clothing. Therefore, it is very necessary to provide a flexible sensor to improve the wearing comfort of intelligent clothing. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main object of the present invention is to propose a fiber sensing wire, a preparation method thereof, a fiber sensor, a sensing fabric, and intelligent clothing, aiming to improve the wearing comfort of intelligent clothing.

[0004] To achieve the above object, a fiber sensing wire proposed by the present invention includes a fiber substrate and an elastic sensing layer coated on the surface of the fiber substrate. Among them, the material of the elastic sensing layer includes a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material, and the Shore hardness of the elastic material is 50A - 80A.

[0005] In one embodiment, the mass ratio of the conductive material to the elastic material is (2 - 3):1.

[0006] In one embodiment, the thickness of the elastic sensing layer is 0.1mm - 0.2mm.

[0007] In one embodiment, the conductive material includes at least one of graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, conductive polymers, metal fibers, and conductive carbon black; and / or, the elastic material includes at least one of polyurethane, polydimethylsiloxane, and silicone rubber.

[0008] In one embodiment, the fiber substrate is an elastic fiber substrate or a conductive fiber substrate; and / or, the fiber substrate is cylindrical, and the diameter of the fiber substrate is 0.1mm - 0.3mm.

[0009] In one embodiment, the fiber sensing wire further includes an elastic encapsulation layer, and the elastic encapsulation layer is coated on the outer surface of the elastic sensing layer.

[0010] The present invention also proposes a preparation method of a fiber sensing wire, including the following steps: Mix an elastic material, a conductive material, and a solvent to obtain an elastic conductive paste; An elastic sensing layer is prepared on the surface of the fiber substrate using the elastic conductive paste, and the fiber sensing wire is obtained after drying.

[0011] In one embodiment, the steps of forming an elastic sensing layer on the surface of the fiber substrate using the elastic conductive paste and obtaining the fiber sensing wire after drying include: The elastic conductive paste is coated on the surface of the fiber substrate to form an elastic sensing layer, and after removing the solvent and drying, the fiber sensing wire is obtained.

[0012] In one embodiment, the elastic material is an elastic material dispersion, the conductive material is a conductive material dispersion, and the volume ratio of the elastic material dispersion, the conductive material dispersion, and the solvent is (0.8 - 1.2):(1.9 - 2.3):(0.8 - 1.2).

[0013] In one embodiment, in the steps of forming an elastic sensing layer on the surface of the fiber substrate using the elastic conductive paste and obtaining the fiber sensing wire after drying, it further includes: An elastic encapsulation layer is prepared on the surface of the elastic sensing layer.

[0014] The present invention also provides a fiber sensor, which includes at least one fiber sensing wire as described above, or includes at least one fiber sensing wire prepared by the preparation method of the fiber sensing wire as described above.

[0015] In one embodiment, the fiber sensor is a tensile fiber sensor, the tensile fiber sensor includes one fiber sensing wire, and the fiber substrate in the fiber sensing wire is an elastic fiber substrate; and / or, the fiber sensor is a pressure fiber sensor, the pressure fiber sensor includes two fiber sensing wires, the fiber substrate in the fiber sensing wires is a conductive fiber substrate, the two fiber sensing wires are arranged in cross - contact, and a sensing unit is formed at the cross - contact position of the two fiber sensing wires.

[0016] The present invention also provides a sensing fabric, which includes a fabric matrix and the fiber sensor as described above, and the fiber sensor is embedded in the fabric matrix.

[0017] The present invention also provides a smart clothing, which is made of the sensing fabric as described above.

[0018] In one embodiment, the fiber sensor in the sensing fabric is a tensile fiber sensor, and the fiber sensing wire of the tensile fiber sensor is arranged at the joint part of the smart clothing; and / or, the fiber sensor in the sensing fabric is a pressure fiber sensor, and the fiber sensing wires of the pressure fiber sensor are arranged at the chest, back, and sole parts of the smart clothing.

[0019] The fiber sensing line provided by the present invention includes a fiber substrate and an elastic sensing layer coated on the surface of the fiber substrate. The material of the elastic sensing layer includes a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material. The fiber substrate has good flexibility, and the elastic sensing layer has good electrical conductivity, elasticity and stretchability. When the fiber sensing line composed of the fiber substrate and the elastic sensing layer is used as a fiber sensor in the sensing fabric of smart clothing, the smart clothing can fit well on the human body surface, significantly improving the wearing comfort of the smart clothing. At the same time, the fiber sensing line can freely stretch and contract with the movement of the human body, adapting to dynamic scenarios such as limb bending and stretching, without affecting the wearing comfort and freedom of movement of the smart clothing, and having good durability. Further, the Shore hardness of the elastic material is defined as 50A - 80A, which can well adapt to the deformation ability of human movement and improve the fatigue resistance of the fiber sensing line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the fiber sensing line provided by the present invention; Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the fiber sensing line provided by the present invention being embedded in a fabric matrix as a tensile fiber sensor; Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the fiber sensor provided by the present invention as a pressure fiber sensor; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the fiber sensor provided by the present invention being embedded in a fabric matrix as a pressure fiber sensor; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the preparation process of an embodiment of the fiber sensing line provided by the present invention; Figure 6 It is a schematic comparison diagram of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterization of the fiber sensing lines obtained in Examples 1 - 3 of the present invention; Figure 7 It is a schematic comparison diagram of the mechanical properties and sensing properties of the fiber sensing lines obtained in Examples 1 - 3 of the present invention; Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the test results of the response performance of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 1 of the present invention; Figure 9Schematic diagram of the sensitivity test results of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 1 of the present invention as a tensile fiber sensor; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the water-wash resistance test results of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 1 of the present invention as a tensile fiber sensor; Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the fatigue durability test results of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 1 of the present invention as a tensile fiber sensor; Figure 12 Schematic diagram of the sensitivity test results of the pressure fiber sensor made of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 4 of the present invention; Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the water-wash resistance test results of the pressure fiber sensor made of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 4 of the present invention; Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the fatigue durability test results of the pressure fiber sensor made of the fiber sensing line obtained in Example 4 of the present invention; Figure 15 Schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the intelligent clothing provided by the present invention from different perspectives.

[0022] Explanation of the reference numerals in the drawings: 1. Fiber sensing line; 11. Fiber substrate; 12. Elastic sensing layer; 13. Sensing unit; 2. Conductive yarn; 3. Fabric matrix; 4. Unwinding reel; 5. Raw material container; 6. Cleaning container; 7. Traction roller; 8. Rewinding reel.

[0023] The realization, functional features and advantages of the object of the present invention will be further described with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Detailed embodiments

[0024] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0025] It should be noted that if there are directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) involved in the embodiments of the present invention, the directional indications are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement conditions between components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0026] In addition, if the embodiments of the present invention involve descriptions such as "first", "second", etc., the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are for descriptive purposes only, and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In addition, if "and / or" or "and / or" appears throughout the text, its meaning includes three parallel scenarios. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes Scenario A, or Scenario B, or the scenario where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on what can be achieved by those of ordinary skill in the art. When the combination of technical solutions results in contradictions or cannot be achieved, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0027] Currently, most smart clothing uses rigid sensor modules attached to the fabric surface, and this design often leads to poor wearing comfort of smart clothing.

[0028] To address the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a fiber sensing wire, a fiber sensor applied to the sensing fabric of smart clothing, aiming to improve the wearing comfort of smart clothing.

[0029] Please refer to Figure 1 , in an embodiment of the present invention, the fiber sensing wire 1 includes a fiber substrate 11 and an elastic sensing layer 12 coated on the surface of the fiber substrate 11. Among them, the material of the elastic sensing layer 12 includes a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material.

[0030] The fiber substrate 11 serves as the basic support of the fiber sensing wire 1 and has good elasticity and flexibility. The fiber substrate 11 includes, but is not limited to, polyester fiber, nylon fiber, spandex fiber, conductive fiber, etc. The elastic sensing layer 12 is made of a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material and has good elasticity and conductivity. It should be noted that the composite material of the conductive material and the elastic material refers to a composite material obtained by physically mixing the conductive material and the elastic material. Among them, the conductive material includes, but is not limited to, carbon nanotubes, metal fibers (such as silver nanowires), metal nanoparticles, etc., and the elastic material includes, but is not limited to, polyurethane, polydimethylsiloxane, silicone rubber, etc.

[0031] The fiber sensing line 1 provided by the present invention comprises a fiber substrate 11 and an elastic sensing layer 12 coated on the surface of the fiber substrate 11, wherein the material of the elastic sensing layer 12 comprises a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material. The fiber substrate 11 has good flexibility, and the elastic sensing layer 12 has good conductivity, elasticity and stretchability. When the fiber sensing line 1 composed of the fiber substrate 11 and the elastic sensing layer 12 is used as a fiber sensor for the sensing fabric of smart clothing, the smart clothing can be well fitted to the surface of the human body, and the wearing comfort of the smart clothing can be significantly improved. At the same time, the fiber sensing line 1 can also freely expand and contract with the movement of the human body, adapt to dynamic scenes such as limb bending and stretching, and will not affect the wearing comfort and freedom of movement of the smart clothing, and has good durability.

[0032] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the mass ratio of the conductive material to the elastic material is (2-3):1, for example, the mass ratio of the two is 2:1, 2.2:1, 2.5:1, 2.8:1, 3:1 and any interval value between the two end points. The above ratio can ensure that the elastic sensing layer 12 can maintain stable conductive sensing performance under deformation such as stretching and bending, and adapt to human motion scenes. If the above ratio is too low, it will affect the conductive performance and thus affect signal transmission; if the above ratio is too high, the elasticity is insufficient, the mechanical strength is reduced, and it cannot adapt to human motion scenes.

[0033] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the elastic sensing layer 12 is 0.1 mm-0.2 mm (such as 0.1 mm, 0.11 mm, 0.13 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.18 mm, 0.2 mm and any interval between the two end points).

[0034] The embodiment of the present invention uses the elastic sensing layer 12 in the above-mentioned thickness range, so that the elastic sensing layer 12 has sufficient flexibility to adapt to the bending characteristics of the fiber substrate 11. In addition, the thickness is relatively small. When the fiber sensing line 1 is applied to the sensing fabric of smart clothing, the conformability is good, which significantly improves the wearing comfort of the smart clothing. At the same time, the elastic sensing layer 12 with a smaller thickness is selected, and its ion / electron transmission path is shorter and the response time is shorter, which meets the real-time interaction requirements.

[0035] In an optional embodiment of the present invention, the Shore hardness of the elastic material is 50A-80A (such as 50A, 60A, 70A, 80A and interval values between any two end point values).

[0036] In the embodiments of the present invention, an elastic material within the above-mentioned Shore hardness range is selected, which can well adapt to the deformation ability of human movement and improve the anti-fatigue performance. Moreover, the higher the Shore hardness of the elastic material, the greater its modulus, which means that the anti-deformation ability of the material is enhanced, thus ensuring that the fiber sensing line 1 is not easily damaged under mechanical stresses such as stretching, bending, and friction, and is suitable for long-term repeated use; at the same time, the surface roughness increases, increasing the adhesion between the elastic sensing layer 12 and the fiber substrate 11, improving the structural stability of the fiber sensing line 1, and further ensuring that the sensing signal has high sensitivity and stability.

[0037] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the conductive material includes at least one of graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, conductive polymers, metal fibers, and conductive carbon black.

[0038] These conductive materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, conductive polymers, metal fibers, and conductive carbon black all have good electrical conductivity. When preparing the elastic sensing layer 12 of the fiber sensing line 1, one or a mixture of the above conductive materials can be selected.

[0039] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the elastic material includes at least one of polyurethane, polydimethylsiloxane, and silicone rubber.

[0040] These elastic materials such as polyurethane, polydimethylsiloxane, and silicone rubber all have good elasticity. When preparing the elastic sensing layer 12 of the fiber sensing line 1, one or a mixture of the above elastic materials can be selected.

[0041] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the composite material of the conductive material and the elastic material can be one of the composite materials of polyurethane / carbon nanotubes, polyurethane / silver nanowires, and polyurethane / carbon nanotubes / silver nanowires.

[0042] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the fiber substrate 11 is an elastic fiber substrate or a conductive fiber substrate.

[0043] When the fiber sensing line 1 is applied to a tensile fiber sensor, the fiber substrate 11 is selected as an elastic fiber substrate, and the elastic fiber substrate includes but is not limited to at least one of polyamide fiber, spandex fiber, polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, polyvinyl alcohol fiber, and aramid fiber. When the fiber sensing line 1 is applied to a pressure fiber sensor, the fiber substrate 11 is selected as a conductive fiber substrate, and the conductive fiber substrate serves as an electrode layer, where the conductive fiber substrate includes but is not limited to metal-coated fibers, such as silver-coated aramid fibers and silver-coated nylon fibers.

[0044] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the fiber substrate 11 is cylindrical, and the diameter of the fiber substrate 11 is 0.1 mm - 0.3 mm (such as 0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, and the interval values between any two end points).

[0045] In the embodiment of the present invention, the fiber substrate 11 with the above diameter range is selected, which can ensure that the fiber substrate 11 has both good flexibility and structural strength, thereby improving the wearing comfort and durability.

[0046] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the fiber sensing wire 1 further includes an elastic encapsulation layer, and the elastic encapsulation layer covers the outer surface of the elastic sensing layer 12.

[0047] In the embodiment of the present invention, the elastic encapsulation layer is provided, which can play a role in physical protection, improve the overall structural stability and durability of the fiber sensing wire 1. Moreover, the elastic encapsulation layer has good elasticity, can well adapt to the human body movement scenario, and improve the wearing comfort. Among them, when the fiber sensing wire 1 is used as a capacitive or piezoresistive sensing wire, the elastic encapsulation layer serves as a dielectric layer or an insulating layer, and the capacitance value or impedance characteristic of the fiber sensing wire 1 can be adjusted by controlling the thickness and dielectric constant of the elastic encapsulation layer itself, thereby optimizing the signal sensitivity.

[0048] In an alternative embodiment, the material of the elastic encapsulation layer is an elastic insulating material, including but not limited to at least one of polyurethane, polydimethylsiloxane, and silicone rubber.

[0049] The present invention also provides a preparation method of the fiber sensing wire 1 for preparing the above-mentioned fiber sensing wire 1.

[0050] In an embodiment of the present invention, the preparation method of the fiber sensing wire 1 includes the following steps: Step S1, mixing an elastic material, a conductive material, and a solvent to obtain an elastic conductive paste.

[0051] In step S1, the specific types of the elastic material and the conductive material can be selected with reference to the above embodiments, and will not be elaborated here one by one. Among them, the elastic material can be in a solid state (such as particles or powder), or in a liquid state (such as a dispersion), and the conductive material can be in a solid state (such as particles or powder), or in a liquid state (such as a dispersion), which is not limited here. The solvent can be selected as deionized water and / or an organic solvent. To ensure a uniformly dispersed elastic conductive paste, if at least one of the elastic material and the conductive material is in a solid state, the solvent can be selected as an organic solvent; if both the elastic material and the conductive material are in a liquid state (such as a dispersion), the solvent can be selected as deionized water.

[0052] Step S2, using the elastic conductive paste to prepare the elastic sensing layer 12 on the surface of the fiber substrate 11, and drying to obtain the fiber sensing wire 1.

[0053] In step S2, electroless plating, electroplating, coating or other reasonable methods can be used to coat the surface of the fiber substrate 11 with the elastic conductive paste to form the elastic sensing layer 12. After drying, the fiber sensing wire 1 can be obtained.

[0054] The preparation method of the fiber sensing wire 1 provided by the present invention is relatively simple in operation and suitable for mass production.

[0055] In an embodiment of the present invention, step S2, the step of forming the elastic sensing layer 12 on the surface of the fiber substrate 11 with the elastic conductive paste and obtaining the fiber sensing wire 1 after drying includes: Step S21, coat the surface of the fiber substrate 11 with the elastic conductive paste to form the elastic sensing layer 12. After removing the solvent and drying, the fiber sensing wire 1 is obtained.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, the method of coating is used to form the elastic sensing layer 12, which is simpler in operation and lower in manufacturing cost. Specifically, referring to Figure 5 , the wet coating technology is adopted to coat the surface of the fiber substrate 11 with the elastic conductive paste to form the elastic sensing layer 12. The specific operation of the wet coating is as follows: Install the fiber substrate 11 on the unwinding reel 4 and start unwinding. The fiber substrate 11 is unwound from the unwinding reel 4 and enters the container filled with the elastic conductive paste (i.e., the raw material container 5) at a certain unwinding rate, so that the fiber substrate 11 is immersed in the elastic conductive paste to ensure that a coated elastic sensing layer 12 is formed on the surface of the fiber substrate 11. Then, the dip-coated fiber substrate 11 is led out from the raw material container 5 and enters the container filled with deionized water (i.e., the cleaning container 6), so that the dip-coated fiber substrate 11 is immersed in the deionized water. Under the action of the deionized water, the fiber substrate 11 is driven to move by means of a traction roller 7 and other devices to remove the excess solution components on the surface of the fiber substrate 11 to ensure that the formed elastic sensing layer 12 is more uniform and stable. Then, the cleaned fiber substrate 11 is dried in a high-temperature drying tunnel. Finally, the dried fiber substrate 11 is wound by the winding reel 8 at a certain winding rate, and thus the production of the fiber sensing wire 1 can be completed.

[0057] Among them, the unwinding speed can be selected from 5 cm / s to 6 cm / s (such as 5 cm / s, 5.2 cm / s, 5.4 cm / s, 5.6 cm / s, 5.8 cm / s, 6 cm / s, and the interval values between any two endpoint values), and the winding speed can be selected as 12 - 13 cm / s (such as 12 cm / s, 12.2 cm / s, 12.4 cm / s, 12.6 cm / s, 12.8 cm / s, 13 cm / s, and the interval values between any two endpoint values). By controlling the unwinding speed and the winding speed, the infiltration time of the fiber substrate 11 in the elastic conductive paste can be determined, and then an elastic sensing layer 12 with an appropriate thickness can be obtained. The temperature of the drying oven can be selected from 100 °C to 115 °C (such as 100 °C, 105 °C, 110 °C, 115 °C, and the interval values between any two endpoint values). Selecting the temperature in this range in combination with the above-mentioned unwinding speed and winding speed can ensure a better drying effect.

[0058] In some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic material is an elastic material dispersion, the conductive material is a conductive material dispersion, and the volume ratio of the elastic material dispersion, the conductive material dispersion, and the solvent is (0.8 - 1.2):(1.9 - 2.3):(0.8 - 1.2).

[0059] In the embodiments of the present invention, the elastic material dispersion is an aqueous polyurethane dispersion, and the conductive material dispersion can be selected from an aqueous carbon nanotube dispersion and a silver nanowire dispersion. Among them, the dispersion solvents are all polyethylene glycol or other alcohol solvents, and the solvent is deionized water. In this way, a uniformly dispersed elastic conductive paste can be obtained. When preparing the elastic conductive paste, control the volume ratio of the elastic material dispersion, the conductive material dispersion, and the solvent to be (0.8 - 1.2):(1.9 - 2.3):(0.8 - 1.2), so as to facilitate obtaining an elastic sensing layer 12 with both good conductivity and elasticity.

[0060] In step S2, in the step of forming the elastic sensing layer 12 on the surface of the fiber substrate 11 with the elastic conductive paste and drying to obtain the fiber sensing wire 1, it further includes: Preparing an elastic encapsulation layer on the surface of the elastic sensing layer 12.

[0061] Specifically, after the washed fiber substrate 11 is dried in a high-temperature drying oven and before the winding operation, it further includes: passing the dried wire through a fixed-size mold to ensure that the wire is in the center position in the mold, filling the elastic material into the gap between the mold and the wire, performing a scraping operation to form an elastic encapsulation layer, and then passing through the high-temperature drying oven (temperature 100 °C - 115 °C) again for drying to obtain the fiber sensing wire 1.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3, the present invention also provides a fiber sensor, which includes at least one fiber sensing line 1. The specific structure of the fiber sensing line 1 refers to the above-mentioned embodiments. Since this fiber sensor adopts all the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be elaborated here one by one.

[0063] In some embodiments of the present invention, as Figure 1 shown, the fiber sensor is a tensile fiber sensor. The tensile fiber sensor includes a fiber sensing line 1, and the fiber substrate 11 in the fiber sensing line 1 is an elastic fiber substrate.

[0064] In the embodiment of the present invention, the tensile fiber sensor has a structure of a single fiber sensing line 1 (i.e., a tensile fiber sensing line), with a simple structure. Among them, the fiber substrate 11 is an elastic fiber substrate, having good elasticity and stretchability. The elastic sensing layer 12 has good electrical conductivity, elasticity and stretchability. Therefore, when the tensile fiber sensor is applied to the sensing fabric of smart clothing, the smart clothing can fit well on the human body surface, significantly improving the wearing comfort of the smart clothing. At the same time, the fiber sensing line 1 can also freely expand and contract with the movement of the human body, adapting to dynamic scenarios such as limb bending and stretching, without affecting the wearing comfort and freedom of movement of the smart clothing, and having good durability.

[0065] In some other embodiments of the present invention, as Figure 3 shown, the fiber sensor is a pressure fiber sensor. The pressure fiber sensor includes two fiber sensing lines 1 (i.e., pressure fiber sensing lines). The fiber substrate 11 in the fiber sensing line 1 is a conductive fiber substrate. The two fiber sensing lines 1 are arranged in cross-contact, and a sensing unit 13 is formed at the cross-contact position of the two fiber sensing lines 1.

[0066] The pressure fiber sensor in the embodiment of the present invention senses pressure by the change of the contact resistance or capacitance of the sensing unit 13 under the action of pressure. The structure is relatively simple and has high sensitivity. Among them, the fiber substrate 11 is a conductive fiber substrate, having good flexibility and electrical conductivity. The elastic sensing layer 12 has good electrical conductivity, elasticity and stretchability. Therefore, when the pressure fiber sensor is applied to the sensing fabric of smart clothing, the smart clothing can fit well on the human body surface, significantly improving the wearing comfort of the smart clothing. At the same time, the fiber sensing line 1 can also freely expand and contract with the movement of the human body, adapting to dynamic scenarios such as limb bending and stretching, without affecting the wearing comfort and freedom of movement of the smart clothing, and having good durability.

[0067] The following provides a detailed description of the fiber sensing line and its preparation method of the present invention through specific embodiments. The embodiments described below are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. For those without specific techniques or conditions noted in the embodiments, the techniques or conditions described in the literature in this field or according to the product specifications are followed. For raw materials without indicating the manufacturer, they are all conventional products that can be obtained through commercial purchase.

[0068] Example 1 In the fiber sensing line 1 provided in this embodiment, the fiber substrate 11 is spandex fiber with a diameter of 0.256 mm. The elastic sensing layer 12 includes polyurethane (Shore hardness 60A), carbon nanotubes, and silver nanowires with a mass ratio of 0.55:0.2:1. The thickness of the elastic sensing layer 12 is 0.132 mm, and the diameter of the obtained fiber sensing line 1 is 0.52 mm.

[0069] The preparation method of the fiber sensing line 1 provided in this embodiment includes the following steps: (1) Prepare the elastic conductive paste: Mix the aqueous polyurethane dispersion (solid content 55%), aqueous carbon nanotube dispersion (solid content 10%), silver nanowire dispersion (solid content 10 mg / mL), and deionized water in a volume ratio of 1:2:0.1:1, and stir to obtain a uniform elastic conductive paste.

[0070] (2) Use the wet coating technique to coat the elastic conductive paste on the surface of spandex fiber (diameter 0.256 mm) to form an elastic sensing layer 12 with a thickness of 0.132 mm, and dry to obtain the fiber sensing line 1.

[0071] Example 2 The difference from Example 1 is that the Shore hardness of the polyurethane is 70A, and the others are the same as in Example 1.

[0072] Example 3 The difference from Example 1 is that the Shore hardness of the polyurethane is 80A, and the others are the same as in Example 1.

[0073] The elastic sensing layers formed by polyurethanes with different Shore hardnesses in Examples 1 - 3 were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the schematic comparison diagram of the characterization is as Figure 6 shown.

[0074] As can be seen from Figure 6 , the surfaces of the elastic sensing layers formed by polyurethanes with different Shore hardnesses in Examples 1 - 3 all show a micro - convex structure. And with the increase of the Shore hardness, that is, the increase of the modulus, the roughness of the elastic sensing layer increases, and the texture of the convex structure gradually increases.

[0075] Furthermore, the mechanical properties and sensing properties of the fiber sensing wires 1 obtained in Examples 1-3 were tested, and the test results are as follows Figure 7 shown, where Figure 7 (a) is a schematic diagram comparing the stress-strain curves of the fiber sensing wires 1 obtained in Examples 1-3, reflecting the response of the fiber sensing wire 1 during the force application process. Figure 7 (b) is a schematic diagram comparing the resistance change rate (∆R / R0)-strain curves of the fiber sensing wires 1 obtained in Examples 1-3, reflecting the change of the resistance change rate of the fiber sensing wire 1 with strain and embodying its sensing sensitivity. Among them, GF is the sensitivity coefficient, representing the ratio of the resistance change rate to the strain, which embodies the sensing sensitivity. Figure 7 (c) is a schematic diagram comparing the sensitivity coefficients of the fiber sensing wires 1 obtained in Examples 1-3.

[0076] From Figure 7 (a), it can be seen that for the polyurethanes with different Shore hardnesses, as the strain increases, their stresses all show a gradually increasing trend, indicating that when the fiber sensing wires 1 obtained in Examples 1-3 are subjected to tension, an increasing external force is required to further deform them, that is, their resistance to deformation is relatively good. Moreover, by comparing the three curves, it can be seen that for the polyurethanes with different Shore hardnesses, the stress values are different under the same strain, but the difference is not significant, that is, it shows that the differences in the resistance to deformation of the fiber sensing wires 1 obtained in Examples 1-3 are not significant.

[0077] From Figure 7 (b) and Figure 7 (c), it can be seen that in Example 1, for the polyurethane with a Shore hardness of 60A, the GF value of the obtained fiber sensing wire 1 is 6.33, and the sensing sensitivity is relatively high; in Example 2, for the polyurethane with a Shore hardness of 70A, the GF value of the obtained fiber sensing wire 1 is 4.86, and the sensing sensitivity decreases; in Example 3, for the polyurethane with a Shore hardness of 80A, the GF value of the obtained fiber sensing wire 1 is 0.95, and the sensing sensitivity is even lower.

[0078] Based on the above tests, the polyurethane with a Shore hardness of 60A is selected, and the obtained fiber sensing wire 1 (that is, the fiber sensing wire 1 of Example 1) has both good mechanical properties and sensing properties.

[0079] Furthermore, the response performance of the fiber sensing wire 1 obtained in Example 1 was also tested, and the schematic diagram of the test results is as follows Figure 8 shown, where Figure 8 (a) is a schematic diagram comparing the response test results of the fiber sensing wire 1 obtained in Example 1 at different stretching rates. Figure 8 (b) is a schematic diagram of the test results of the response time and recovery time of the fiber sensing wire 1 obtained in Example 1. Figure 8(c)Schematic diagram of the cyclic response stability test results of the fiber sensing line 1 obtained in Example 1.

[0080] As can be seen from Figure 8 Figure (a), under different tensile rate tests, the resistance response laws of the fiber sensing line 1 are similar, indicating good stability; as can be seen from Figure 8 Figure (b), the response time and recovery time of the fiber sensing line 1 are 0.6 s and 0.35 s respectively, and the response time and recovery time are short; as can be seen from Figure 8 Figure (c), after 2000 cyclic tests on the fiber sensing line 1, the resistance response law of the fiber sensing line 1 basically remains unchanged, indicating that its resistance output is relatively stable.

[0081] Based on the above tests, the polyurethane with a Shore hardness of 60A is selected in the present invention, and various performances of the obtained fiber sensing line 1 (i.e., the fiber sensing line 1 of Example 1) are good, and it can be used to prepare a fiber sensor and then applied to the sensing fabric of smart clothing.

[0082] Taking the fiber sensing line 1 of Example 1 as a tensile fiber sensor, tensile sensitivity test, washing resistance performance test and fatigue durability test are carried out respectively, and the test results are as shown in Figures 9 to 11 respectively, where Figure 9 Figure (a) is a schematic diagram of the resistance change rate (∆R / R0)-strain curve of the tensile fiber sensor, Figure 9 Figure (b) is a schematic diagram of the resistance change rate (∆R / R0)-time curve of the tensile fiber sensor; Figure 10 Figure (a) is a schematic diagram of the comparison of the resistance change rate (∆R / R0)-strain curves of the tensile fiber sensor before and after washing, Figure 10 Figure (b) is a schematic diagram of the change of the resistance of the tensile fiber sensor with time after washing; Figure 11 Figure (a) is a schematic diagram of the comparison of the friction-strain curves of the tensile fiber sensor under different cycle numbers, Figure 11 Figure (b) is a schematic diagram of the comparison of the resistance change rate (∆R / R0)-strain curves of the tensile fiber sensor under different cycle numbers.

[0083] As can be seen from Figure 9 Figure (a), as the strain increases, the resistance change rate of the tensile fiber sensor shows an upward curve. By calculating the slope of the fitting line, it can be obtained that when the strain is less than 25%, the average tensile sensitivity of the tensile fiber sensor is 8.09, and when the strain is greater than 25% and less than 60%, the average tensile sensitivity of the tensile fiber sensor is 5.336. At the same time, as can be seen from Figure 9(b) It can be seen that during the tensile sensitivity test, the tensile fiber sensor is subjected to periodic tensile forces, and the rate of change of its resistance shows periodic regular changes with little difference in the change patterns, indicating that the tensile fiber sensor has good repeatability.

[0084] From Figure 10 (a) It can be seen that as the strain increases, before and after washing, the rate of change of the resistance of the tensile fiber sensor both show upward curves. Among them, as the strain increases, at the same strain, the rate of change of the resistance of the tensile fiber sensor after washing slightly decreases, but the overall change trend remains unchanged, indicating that after washing, the tensile fiber sensor can still exhibit good tensile sensing performance. At the same time, from Figure 10 (b) It can be seen that at different times, the resistance value is relatively stable with small fluctuations, indicating that after washing, the resistance of the tensile fiber sensor does not change significantly and maintains good stability. This shows that the tensile fiber sensor of the embodiment of the present invention has good water-wash resistance.

[0085] From Figure 11 (a) It can be seen that at different numbers of cycles, as the strain increases, the friction force of the tensile fiber sensor all shows an upward trend, indicating that as the number of cycles increases, although its friction force slightly decreases, the overall upward trend remains unchanged, indicating that the tensile fiber sensor has good fatigue durability. At the same time, from Figure 11 (b) It can be seen that at different numbers of cycles, as the strain increases, the rate of change of the resistance of the tensile fiber sensor also all shows an upward trend. Although in the high-strain region, as the number of cycles increases, the resistance change rate curve shows differences, but the overall upward trend remains unchanged, which also indicates that the tensile fiber sensor has good fatigue durability.

[0086] Example 4 The difference from Example 1 is that the fiber substrate 11 is made of silver-plated aramid fiber with a diameter of 0.162 mm, the thickness of the elastic sensing layer 12 is 0.132 mm, and the diameter of the obtained fiber sensing wire 1 is 0.426 mm, and the others are the same as in Example 1.

[0087] Two fiber sensing wires 1 of Example 4 are arranged in a cross-contact manner to obtain a pressure fiber sensor, and the pressure fiber sensor is respectively subjected to pressure sensitivity test, water-wash resistance test and fatigue durability test, and the test results are respectively as Figures 12 to 14 shown, where Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the current change rate (∆I / I0)-pressure curve of the pressure fiber sensor; Figure 13 (a) is a schematic diagram for comparing the current change rate (∆I / I0)-pressure curves of the pressure fiber sensor before and after washing, Figure 13 (b) is a schematic diagram of the change of the resistance of the pressure fiber sensor with time after washing;Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the comparison of the current change rate (∆I / I0)-pressure curves of the pressure fiber sensor at different numbers of cycles.

[0088] As can be seen from Figure 12 it, as the pressure increases, the resistance change rate of the pressure fiber sensor shows an upward curve. By calculating the slope of the fitted line, it can be obtained that when the strain is less than 20%, the average tensile sensitivity of the pressure fiber sensor is 2.290 kPa -1 , and when the strain is greater than 20% and less than 80%, the average tensile sensitivity of the pressure fiber sensor is 0.606 kPa -1 .

[0089] As can be seen from Figure 13 Figure (a), as the pressure increases, the current change rate (∆I / I0) of the pressure fiber sensor before and after water washing both shows an upward curve. Among them, as the pressure increases, at the same pressure, the current change rate (∆I / I0) of the pressure fiber sensor after water washing has a slight difference, but the overall change trend remains unchanged, indicating that after water washing, the pressure fiber sensor can still exhibit good pressure sensing performance. At the same time, as can be seen from Figure (b), at different times, the resistance value is relatively stable and the fluctuation is small, indicating that after water washing, the resistance of the pressure fiber sensor does not change significantly and maintains good stability. This shows that the pressure fiber sensor of the embodiment of the present invention has good water washing resistance.

[0090] As can be seen from Figure 14 it, at different numbers of cycles, as the pressure increases, the current change rate (∆I / I0) of the pressure fiber sensor all shows an upward trend, indicating that as the number of cycles increases, although the current change rate curves are different, the overall upward trend remains unchanged, indicating that the pressure fiber sensor has good fatigue durability.

[0091] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 , the present invention also proposes a sensing fabric, which includes a fabric matrix 3 and a fiber sensor. The specific structure of the fiber sensor refers to the above embodiment. Since this sensing fabric adopts all the technical solutions of the above all embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated here one by one. Among them, the fiber sensor is embedded in the fabric matrix 3.

[0092] The fabric matrix 3 is made of elastic yarn, and the specific yarn material is not limited here. The fiber sensor can be woven into the fabric matrix 3 by knitting, and the specific knitting method is not limited here. Embedding the fiber sensor into the fabric matrix 3 by knitting can effectively reduce the thickness of the sensing fabric, significantly improve the wearing comfort, and at the same time have high integration and good durability.

[0093] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the fiber sensor is a tensile fiber sensor, and the tensile fiber sensor is composed of a fiber sensing line 1 (i.e., a tensile fiber sensing line), and the tensile fiber sensing line is woven into the fabric substrate 3 by knitting.

[0094] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the fiber sensor is a pressure fiber sensor, and the pressure fiber sensor is composed of two fiber sensing lines 1 (i.e., pressure fiber sensing lines), and the two pressure fiber sensing lines are in a cross-contact manner and are woven into the fabric substrate 3 by knitting.

[0095] In addition, referring to Figure 15 , the sensing fabric further includes conductive yarn 2, and the conductive yarn 2 is embedded in the fabric substrate 3 by knitting, and the fiber sensing line 1 is intertwined and in electrical contact with the conductive yarn 2. In the present invention, the conductive yarn 2 and the fiber sensing line 1 can be intertwined and in electrical contact by knitting to achieve electrical conduction, construct an electrical signal transmission path, and realize the integration of conductive and sensing functions. Adopting this connection method helps to stably and efficiently conduct electrical signals in the fabric substrate 3 and meet the sensing functional requirements of the sensing fabric. Among them, the knitting method of the conductive yarn 2 is not limited herein.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present invention, the connection between the fiber sensing line 1 and the conductive yarn 2 is sealed, and a coating material with excellent water resistance and fatigue resistance is used to coat the connection to ensure the long-term usability of the smart clothing. Among them, the coating material includes but is not limited to silicone coating material, polyurethane coating material, polytetrafluoroethylene coating material, and acrylate coating material.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 15 , the present invention also provides a smart clothing, which includes a sensing fabric, and the specific structure of the sensing fabric refers to the above embodiments. Since this smart clothing adopts all the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be elaborated herein one by one. Among them, the smart clothing includes but is not limited to upper clothes and lower clothes.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present invention, the smart clothing further includes a data processing module, and the data processing module is electrically connected to the sensing fabric, and is used to collect the sensing signals detected by the fiber sensors in the sensing fabric, or transmit the sensing signals detected by the fiber sensors to an external device to realize personalized health management, sports assessment, and rehabilitation cycle guidance.

[0099] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fiber sensor in the sensing fabric is a tensile fiber sensor, and the fiber sensing line 1 of the tensile fiber sensor is disposed at the joint parts of the smart clothing.

[0100] In the embodiments of the present invention, the fiber sensing line 1 (i.e., the tensile fiber sensor) is integrated at the key parts of the smart clothing (i.e., the joint parts of the sensing fabric). The specific joint parts include but are not limited to the trapezius muscle, shoulders, chest, waist, elbow joints, knee joints, hip joints, and metacarpophalangeal joints and proximal interphalangeal joints of fingers, and are used to monitor the joint angle changes and stretching amplitudes during human movement. Adopting this distribution design can effectively improve the functional adaptability of the tensile fiber sensor and meet the accurate detection requirements in various scenarios.

[0101] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fiber sensor in the sensing fabric is a pressure fiber sensor, and the fiber sensing line 1 of the pressure fiber sensor is disposed at the chest, back, and sole parts of the smart clothing.

[0102] In the embodiments of the present invention, the pressure fiber sensor is integrated at the key parts of the smart clothing (i.e., the chest, back, and sole parts of the smart clothing) for detecting the body posture pressure distribution, breathing frequency, and gait characteristics. This distribution design can effectively improve the functional adaptability of the pressure fiber sensor and meet the accurate detection requirements in various scenarios.

[0103] The above description is only an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformation made under the technical concept of the present invention by using the content of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied to other related technical fields, is included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fiber sensing line, characterized in that, The fiber sensing line includes a fiber substrate and an elastic sensing layer coated on the surface of the fiber substrate. Among them, the material of the elastic sensing layer includes a composite material of a conductive material and an elastic material, and the Shore hardness of the elastic material is 50A - 80A.

2. The fiber optic sensing line according to claim 1, wherein, The mass ratio of the conductive material to the elastic material is (2 - 3):

1.

3. The fiber optic sensing line according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the elastic sensing layer is 0.1mm - 0.2mm.

4. The fiber optic sensing line according to claim 1, characterized in that The conductive material includes at least one of graphene, carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, conductive polymers, metal fibers, and conductive carbon black; and / or, The elastic material includes at least one of polyurethane, polydimethylsiloxane, and silicone rubber.

5. The fiber optic sensing line according to claim 1, characterized in that The fiber substrate is an elastic fiber substrate or a conductive fiber substrate; and / or, The fiber substrate is cylindrical, and the diameter of the fiber substrate is 0.1mm - 0.3mm.

6. The fiber optic sensing line according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The fiber sensing line further includes an elastic encapsulation layer, and the elastic encapsulation layer is coated on the outer surface of the elastic sensing layer.

7. A preparation method of a fiber sensing line, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Mix the elastic material, conductive material, and solvent to obtain an elastic conductive paste. Use the elastic conductive paste to prepare an elastic sensing layer on the surface of the fiber substrate, and obtain the fiber sensing line after drying.

8. The method for preparing the fiber sensing line according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of using the elastic conductive paste to form an elastic sensing layer on the surface of the fiber substrate and obtaining the fiber sensing line after drying includes: Coat the elastic conductive paste on the surface of the fiber substrate to form an elastic sensing layer, remove the solvent and dry it to obtain the fiber sensing line.

9. The method for preparing a fiber sensing line according to claim 7, wherein The elastic material is an elastic material dispersion, the conductive material is a conductive material dispersion, and the volume ratio of the elastic material dispersion, the conductive material dispersion, and the solvent is (0.8 - 1.2):(1.9 - 2.3):(0.8 - 1.2).

10. The method for preparing a fiber sensing line according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that, In the step of using the elastic conductive paste to form an elastic sensing layer on the surface of the fiber substrate and obtaining the fiber sensing line after drying, it further includes: Prepare an elastic encapsulation layer on the surface of the elastic sensing layer.

11. A fiber sensor, characterized in that, The fiber sensor includes at least one fiber sensing line according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or includes at least one fiber sensing line prepared by the preparation method of the fiber sensing line according to any one of claims 7 to 10.

12. The fiber sensor according to claim 11, wherein, The fiber sensor is a tensile fiber sensor. The tensile fiber sensor includes one fiber sensing line, and the fiber substrate in the fiber sensing line is an elastic fiber substrate; and / or, The fiber sensor is a pressure fiber sensor. The pressure fiber sensor includes two fiber sensing lines. The fiber substrate in the fiber sensing line is a conductive fiber substrate. The two fiber sensing lines are arranged in cross - contact, and a sensing unit is formed at the cross - contact position of the two fiber sensing lines.

13. A sensing fabric, characterized in that, The sensing fabric includes a fabric matrix and the fiber sensor according to claim 11 or 12, and the fiber sensor is embedded in the fabric matrix.

14. An intelligent garment, characterized in that, The smart clothing is made of the sensing fabric according to claim 13.

15. The intelligent clothing according to claim 14, characterized in that, The fiber sensor in the sensing fabric is a tensile fiber sensor, and the fiber sensing line of the tensile fiber sensor is arranged at the joint part of the smart clothing; and / or, The fiber sensor in the sensing fabric is a pressure fiber sensor, and the fiber sensing lines of the pressure fiber sensor are arranged at the chest, back and soles of the intelligent clothing.

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