Contacting unit for a covered yarn, electrically contactable covered yarn, and method for producing said covered yarn

Abstract

The invention relates to a contacting unit (11) for producing an electrically contactable covered yarn (10) and to a method for producing the covered yarn (10). The covered yarn (10) has a core (12) and at least one electrically conductive covering thread (14) that has been wound or is being wound around the core. The core may consist of one or more electrically non-conductive core filaments (13). The contacting unit (11) has a carrier part (18) which is made of an electrically non-conductive material and which is designed to be attached, preferably exclusively frictionally and / or interlockingly, to at least the core of the covered yarn. The carrier part (18) is wound by at least one electrically conductive covering thread with a defined number of turns. At least one electrically conductive contact part (20) is provided on the carrier part or can be attached thereto. The at least one contact part is designed to be electrically connected to an associated covering thread (14), either by means of a galvanic connection or inductive coupling. The at least one contact part can be or comprise a contact surface (22).

Description

Contacting unit for a wrapping yarn, electrically contactable wrapping yarn and method for its production

[0001] The invention relates to a contacting unit for a wrapping yarn. The contacting unit is designed to produce an electrically contactable wrapping yarn and, for this purpose, to be connected to at least one thread of the wrapping yarn. The invention also relates to an electrically contactable wrapping yarn and a method for its production.

[0002] Electrically conductive yarns and textiles are known. For example, EP 2 122 923 A2 describes a sensor yarn with a thread core around which two electrically conductive threads are wound.

[0003] It is often difficult to make electrical contact with yarns containing electrically conductive conductors. The conductors of the yarn are very thin compared to the core or the at least one electrically non-conductive thread and have diameters in the micrometer range. When establishing electrical contact by the application of heat or by chemical reactions with adhesives, the non-electrically conductive materials of the yarn can be impaired and at least partially melt or dissolve, thereby negatively influencing the electrical contact and the desired mechanical properties of the yarn. Therefore, numerous attempts have already been made to improve the contacting possibilities of yarns without affecting their processability. in the manufacture of a textile product .

[0004] As part of the program for the promotion of industrial collective research (IGF) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, a final report was published for the IGF project 17819N of the research association Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V. with the title "Innovative wrapping technology for sensory yarns" by the research center German Institutes for Textile and Fiber Research (DITF), Institute for Textile and Process Engineering (ITV). In this research project, attempts were made to incorporate contact aids into the wrapping yarn, but these have not proven successful. For this purpose, an electrically conductive metal part was attached to the core and wrapped with at least one electrically conductive thread.To enlarge the electrical contact area, the metallic element was dimensioned so that a plurality of turns of the electrically conductive thread lie on the metallic element, thus providing sufficient space for creating a soldered connection or other type of contact. This did indeed provide a larger surface area for contacting the electrically conductive thread. However, in the case of winding yarns with several electrically conductive threads, the metallic element caused the problem that short circuits could occur during contact. The high thermal conductivity of the metallic element could also have a detrimental effect on the winding yarn if heat was applied during contact.

[0005] Based on the known state of the art, it can be considered the object of the present invention to create a contacting unit for a wrapping yarn which enables the automated production of the wrapping yarn and thereby enables a simple and secure coupling between at least one electrically conductive thread of the wrapping yarn and an external component.

[0006] This object is achieved by a contacting unit having the features of patent claim 1, an electrically contactable wrapping yarn having the features of patent claim 14, and a method for producing the electrically contactable wrapping yarn having the features of patent claim 16.

[0007] The wrapping yarn has an electrically non-conductive core thread and at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread. In a wrapping yarn, the at least one wrapping thread is wound helically around the core thread. If multiple wrapping threads are present, they can have the same winding or winding direction or different winding directions around the core thread. The number of turns of the at least one wrapping thread per unit length of the core thread can vary and be different for each wrapping thread present.

[0008] In the embodiment according to the invention, the core of the wrapping yarn has no electrically conductive components. The core of the wrapping yarn can be formed exclusively by one or more electrically non-conductive core threads. The mechanical or elastic properties of the wrapping yarn are determined in particular by the core or the exactly one or at least one core thread. The at least one core thread is Example: a plastic thread. The diameter of the core thread can range from 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

[0009] As a modification to this, it is also possible to provide the core of the wrapping yarn with electrically conductive components, which are electrically insulated, in particular in the area of ​​the outer surface of the core, from the at least one wrapping thread of the wrapping yarn.

[0010] The wrapping yarn has at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread. All of the wrapping threads present or just a subset of the wrapping threads used can be electrically conductive. For example, there can be a single electrically conductive wrapping thread or two electrically conductive wrapping threads or, alternatively, more than two electrically conductive wrapping threads. Each electrically conductive wrapping thread present can be electrically insulated by a varnish or other coating on its outer surface from the electrical voltages and / or currents for which the wrapping thread is intended during fault-free normal operation.

[0011] Any existing electrically conductive wrapping thread can be a thread or wire made of electrically conductive material (e.g. metallic material), which can optionally be electrically insulated on the sheath surface.

[0012] The contacting unit has a carrier part . The carrier part has a length in a longitudinal direction which is preferably greater than a width in a transverse direction and than a thickness in a depth direction . The longitudinal direction, the transverse direction and the depth direction together form a Cartesian coordinate system and are therefore aligned at right angles to each other. The support part can be thin, plate-shaped. The aspect ratio of the length and / or width of the support part to the thickness in the depth direction can, for example, be at least 5 or at least 10.

[0013] The at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread can have a diameter in the micrometer range and, for example, a maximum diameter of 100 pm. In preferred embodiments, the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread has a diameter in the range from 12 pm to 80 pm.

[0014] The carrier part consists of an electrically non-conductive material and is designed to be attached to the core or the at least one core thread. The carrier part can also be attached to the at least one core thread and at least one of the existing wrapping threads if the at least one core thread is already wrapped by a wrapping thread before the carrier part is attached.

[0015] The carrier part is also designed to be wrapped by at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread. Therefore, in the region of the carrier part, the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread is not arranged directly on the at least one core thread, but is wound around the carrier part. In this way, a spatial separation of the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread from at least one core thread is achieved.

[0016] By attaching the carrier part to at least one core thread of the wrapping yarn, a Strain relief is achieved. Tensile forces acting on the at least one core thread are at least partially absorbed by the carrier part, which does not deform elastically when the at least one core thread is elastically stretched. Compared to the tensile forces usually occurring on the core thread, the carrier part is neither elastically nor plastically deformable. As a result, the carrier part simultaneously acts as a strain relief element for tensile forces. The section of the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread that is wound around the carrier part remains essentially free of tensile forces. Any electrical contact or coupling present there is thus protected against impairments or damage that could be caused by tensile forces.

[0017] Preferably, there is exclusively a force-fitting and / or form-fitting connection between the carrier part and the at least one core thread. A material-fitting connection can be present alternatively or additionally, but is omitted in the preferred exemplary embodiment. It is particularly preferred if the connection between the at least one core thread and the carrier part is produced in that the core thread engages and / or wraps around the carrier part. The core thread rests in sections on an upper side of the carrier part and in sections on an underside of the carrier part opposite the upper side, and in a preferred exemplary embodiment can be accessible from the outside there.

[0018] The contacting unit also has at least one contact part made of an electrically conductive material. The at least one contact part can be permanently attached to the carrier part, for example, materially bonded to The contact part can be connected to the carrier part, or can be designed to be detachably or permanently attached to the carrier part. In preferred embodiments, the at least one contact part is designed to be galvanically connected to the at least one electrically conductive wrapping yarn, thereby establishing an electrical connection.

[0019] As an alternative to a galvanic coupling, it is also possible for the at least one contact part to be configured for inductive or electromagnetic coupling with the at least one wrapping thread. In this configuration, either the at least one contact part can have a coil and / or the at least one wrapping thread can form a coil by wrapping the carrier part.

[0020] The at least one contact part is a connection element or has a connection element for electrical or galvanic connection and optionally also for mechanical attachment of an electrical component. The connection element can be, for example, a soldering surface and / or an adhesive surface and / or a plug socket. The electrical component can be, for example, an electrical cable, a plug, or other electrical components with connections.

[0021] The longitudinal length of the carrier part is particularly adapted to an automatic winding process during the production of the wrapping yarn. As a result, a defined number of turns of the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread are located on the carrier part. The length of the carrier part is defined depending on one or more of the following parameters: A feed speed of the at least one core thread at the point at which the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread is wound; a rotational speed of a hollow spindle, by means of which the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread is wound onto the at least one core thread; an elastic elongation of the at least one core thread at the point at which the at least one core thread is wound by the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread.

[0022] Preferably, at least two turns and / or a maximum of 5-7 turns of the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread are located on the carrier part.

[0023] It is advantageous if the at least one contact part has or is an electrically conductive contact surface, which is preferably arranged on the carrier part in a manner accessible from the outside, for example on the top and / or bottom of the carrier part. In this embodiment, the at least one electrically conductive contact surface can form a connection element in order to electrically connect an external electrical component to the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread, as described above.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, several contact parts can also be present. The contact parts are not directly electrically connected to one another, but are electrically insulated from one another on the carrier part or on the carrier part. The contact parts can therefore assume different electrical potentials. In this case, it is possible, for example, to electrically connect or couple separate contact parts with separate electrically conductive wrapping threads. For example, It is possible to provide a separate contact part for each electrically conductive wrapping thread of the wrapping yarn.

[0025] If multiple contact parts are present, visually perceptible markings, for example color markings, can be present on the carrier part and / or the contact part, so that the contact parts and the assignment to the respective electrically conductive wrapping thread for the electrical connection or coupling is simplified. Such markings can also be present if multiple contacting units, each with one or more contact parts, are present on the wrapping yarn. In addition to or alternatively to color markings, other suitable detectable codes for distinguishing contact parts and / or contacting units from one another can also be present.

[0026] It is preferred if at least one of the contact parts is arranged on an upper side of the carrier part and at least one further contact part is arranged on an underside of the carrier part opposite the upper side. This spatial separation simplifies the assignment of the contact parts to the respectively assigned electrically conductive wrapping thread and simplifies the electrical connection or contacting.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that at least one of the contact parts is arranged centrally or centrally on the carrier part in the longitudinal direction or is designed to be arranged centrally or centrally on the carrier part. This is particularly advantageous if at least one contact part is or has an electrically conductive contact surface. It is preferred if the carrier part has a has a larger transverse dimension than in the areas adjoining it in the longitudinal direction.

[0028] In preferred embodiments, the carrier part has two fastening recesses arranged at a distance from one another in a longitudinal direction for attachment to at least one core thread. This can improve the frictional and / or positive connection between the at least one core thread and the carrier part.

[0029] The fastening recesses can preferably completely penetrate the support part in a depth direction oriented at right angles to the longitudinal direction.

[0030] The fastening recesses are preferably arranged on a transversely facing edge of the carrier part and in particular are not completely bordered and can be open in particular on sides facing away from one another. They can be open in the transverse direction, for example. In this way, the at least one core thread can be inserted into the fastening recess from the open side. Unlike with a closed eye, it is not necessary to push the at least one core thread through the fastening recess. The carrier part can therefore be hooked onto the at least one core thread in such a way that the at least one core thread, starting from the point at which it is located in the fastening recess, changes from the top side of the carrier part to the underside of the carrier part or vice versa. This enables simple mechanical attachment of the carrier part to the at least one core thread.

[0031] Preferably, the Mounting recess the support part completely in the depth direction.

[0032] A fastening recess reduces the width of the support part in particular in the transverse direction.

[0033] It is preferred if the fastening recesses are open on opposite sides, for example on transversely opposite edges of the support part.

[0034] In one embodiment, the carrier part can be wider in a central region, in which preferably the at least one contact part is located or in which preferably at least one of the existing contact parts is located, than in the adjoining regions in the longitudinal direction. The increase in width can be achieved, for example, by two projections projecting away from one another at right angles or obliquely to the longitudinal direction. The carrier part therefore has a cross-shaped configuration in a plan view of its upper side or its lower side. The projections can, for example, extend in a plane spanned by the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction.

[0035] Using any embodiment of the contacting unit described above, an electrically contactable wrapping yarn can be produced. The electrically contactable wrapping yarn has at least one contacting unit arranged on the at least one core thread and is wound by at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread. The electrically contactable wrapping yarn can have along its extent several spaced-apart Have contacting units which are arranged, for example, at defined intervals. The distances between two immediately adjacent contacting units can each be the same. The electrical connection or electrical coupling between the at least one electrically conductive wrapping yarn and the associated contact part of the contacting unit can be established or only established later during the processing of the electrically contactable wrapping yarn or a textile product made therefrom. Preferably, the same wrapping thread can always be electrically connected to at least one or all contact parts of each contacting unit.

[0036] Using multiple contact units, it is possible to electrically contact or connect the electrically conductive wrapping thread in multiple ways, for example, with other electrically conductive structures, such as electrically conductive yarns in textiles. This makes it very easy to construct electrical circuits in textiles. Intersections in fabrics, for example, are suitable for electrical connections.

[0037] An electrically contactable wrapping yarn is produced using any embodiment of at least one contacting unit as follows:

[0038] At least one core thread of the wrapping yarn is fed in. The carrier part of any embodiment of the contacting unit as described above is attached to at least the at least one core thread. Optionally, before attaching the carrier part, the at least one core thread of the wrapping yarn can be wrapped by one or more electrically conductive wrapping threads. have been .

[0039] After the support part has been attached, the at least one core thread is wound around the support part by at least one further electrically conductive wrapping thread. For this purpose, the at least one core thread with the support part is moved through a rotating hollow spindle, and the electrically conductive wrapping thread is unwound from the rotating hollow spindle in such a way that it wraps around the at least one core thread and the support part.

[0040] Optionally, an electrical connection can then be established between the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread and the contact part or one of the existing contact parts.

[0041] Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent patent claims, the description, and the drawing. Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows:

[0042] Figures 1-4 each show a schematic diagram of a section of an electrically contactable wrapping yarn having different embodiments of a contacting unit and

[0043] Figures 5-7 each show a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a method for producing an electrically contactable wrapping yarn.

[0044] In Figures 1-4, different embodiments of sections of an electrically contactable wrapping yarn 10 are shown schematically, each In this section, each winding yarn 10 for contacting has an exemplary embodiment of a contacting unit 11 according to the invention. Several contacting units 11 can be arranged on an electrically contactable winding yarn 10, each spaced apart from one another in the direction of extension. The distances between two immediately adjacent contacting units 11 are defined and can, for example, be the same size.

[0045] The wrapping yarn 10 has a core 12. In the exemplary embodiment, the core 12 is formed by precisely one or more core threads 13. The at least one core thread 13 is electrically non-conductive in the exemplary embodiment and preferably consists of a plastic material. The mechanical properties of the wrapping yarn, such as its elastic extensibility, can be defined by means of the at least one core thread 13.

[0046] Preferably, no electrically conductive components are present in the core 12. In a modification of the preferred embodiment, it is also possible to provide electrically conductive components in the core 12, wherein these are electrically insulated, in particular, on the peripheral surface of the core 12.

[0047] The wrapping yarn 10 also has at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread 14. The wrapping thread 14 is wound around the core 12 or the at least one core thread 13 in the manner of a helix.

[0048] When the term "wrapping thread" is used below, it always refers to at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread 14. In addition to the electrically conductive wrapping thread 14, one or more electrically non-conductive wrapping threads may optionally be present.

[0049] The core 12 can have a diameter of a few tenths of a millimeter and, in the exemplary embodiment, has a diameter of 0.1 mm. The at least one wrapping thread 14 has, in the exemplary embodiment, a diameter of less than 100 μm and, for example, a diameter in the range of 12 μm to 80 μm.

[0050] The contacting unit 11 has a support part 18. The support part 18 is made entirely of electrically non-conductive material, in particular plastic, for example. At least the externally accessible surface of the support part 18 is made entirely of an electrically non-conductive material.

[0051] The support part 18 can be plate-shaped. It has a maximum length a in a longitudinal direction L and a maximum width b in a transverse direction Q. In a depth direction T, the support part has a thickness which is smaller than the maximum length a and the maximum width b. The thickness in the depth direction T is, for example, constant. The aspect ratio of maximum length a to thickness can, for example, be 5-10. The aspect ratio of maximum width b to thickness can be smaller than the aspect ratio of length to thickness and is, for example, at least 3-5.

[0052] The support part 18 has, viewed in the depth direction T, an upper side 18a and a lower side 18b opposite the upper side 18a, which is facing away from the viewer in Figures 1-4.

[0053] The carrier part 18 is designed to be fastened at least to the core 12 and, for example, to the at least one core thread 13. In a modification of the exemplary embodiments shown in Figures 1-4, the core 12 can already be wound with at least one wrapping thread 14 before the carrier part 18 is attached. In this case, the carrier part 18 is attached not only to the core 12, but also to the already present wrapping thread 14. In connection with the description of the exemplary embodiments in Figures 1-4, reference is made to attaching the carrier part 18 to the core 12, wherein - as described - a wrapping thread 14 can already be present on the core 12.

[0054] To attach the carrier part 18 to the core 12, preferably only a force-fitting connection and optionally also a form-fitting connection is established. In a modification of the illustrated embodiments, a material-fitting connection, for example an adhesive connection, can also be established between the carrier part 18 and the core 12.

[0055] To produce the mechanical connection with the core 12, the carrier part 18 has a plurality of, for example, exactly two, fastening recesses 19. The fastening recesses 19 are arranged at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction L. The fastening recesses 19 are introduced into the carrier part 18 in such a way that they are not completely enclosed or bordered by the carrier part 18. The carrier part 18 does not completely delimit the fastening recesses 19 in a plane which is oriented at right angles to the depth direction T, but only partially, for example similar to a hook. An angular range in this plane, along which the The radius of the support part 18 which surrounds the fastening recess 19 is therefore smaller than 360° and in the exemplary embodiment is at least 180°.

[0056] In the embodiments illustrated here, the fastening recesses are provided on each edge of the support part 18 and extend completely through the support part 18 in the depth direction T. In the area of ​​the fastening recesses 19, the width of the support part 18 is reduced compared to the maximum width b.

[0057] As is shown schematically in Figures 1-4, the fastening recesses 19 are open in the transverse direction Q, so that the support part 18 can be suspended from this open side into the core 12 and thereby fastened to the core 12. As can be seen in Figures 1-4, the core 12 passes through each fastening recess 19 and, viewed in the longitudinal direction L, runs after the fastening recess 19 with one adjoining section along the top side 18a and with the other adjoining section along the bottom side 18b. When attached, the core 12 therefore changes in the area of ​​each fastening recess 19 from the top side 18a to the bottom side 18b or vice versa.

[0058] The contacting unit 11 also has at least one contact part 20. The at least one contact part 20 can be arranged non-detachably on the carrier part 18 (Figures 1-3). Alternatively, the at least one contact part 20 can be present on a separate contact component 21 or can be a separate contact component 21 that is designed to be mechanically attached detachably or non-detachably to the carrier part 18 (Figure 4). The connection between the contact component 21 and the carrier part 18 can be realized with force fit and / or form fit and / or material fit.

[0059] Each contact part 20 can be a continuous, electrically conductive contact surface 22. In the exemplary embodiments according to Figures 1-3, the contact surface 22 is arranged on the carrier part 18 in such a way that it is accessible from the outside. The contact surface 22 is arranged on the carrier part 18 in such a way that a section of the winding thread 14 extends over the contact surface 22, wherein it can lie directly against the contact surface 22 or can be arranged at such a small distance above the contact surface 22 that a material-to-material, electrically conductive connection to the contact surface can be established.

[0060] In this way, an electrically conductive connection can be established very easily between the contact surface 22 or the contact part 20 and the electrically conductive wrapping thread 14. For example, at least a portion of the contact surface 22 can serve as a solder pad, to which the immediately adjacent or adjacent portion of the wrapping thread 14 is electrically connected by a solder connection. Other electrically conductive connection types are also possible here, for example, an electrically conductive adhesive connection, a welded connection, in particular a laser-welded connection, etc.

[0061] The contact surface 22 can have any desired contours, for example a round, oval, elliptical contour or a polygonal contour or combinations thereof. The contact surface 20 can also have several surface sections intended for contacting, which are connected to one another via one or more conductor tracks, as shown schematically in Figure 2. The design of the contact surface 22 depends essentially on the manner in which the winding thread 14 is to be connected to an external electrical component or connection and can be dimensioned or defined in its geometric shape to suit the application.

[0062] The contact surface 22 can therefore itself serve as a connection element for establishing a galvanic electrical connection with an external component, for example, as a surface for establishing a soldered connection or another materially bonded, electrically conductive connection. Such configurations are illustrated schematically in Figures 1-3.

[0063] Figure 4 shows an embodiment in which the contact part 20, in addition to a contact surface 22, has a separate connection element in the form of a plug pin 23 which is electrically connected to the contact surface 22. In addition to or as an alternative to the plug pin 23, at least one plug socket and / or at least one other desired electrical connection element could also be present. Such a connection element, present in addition to the contact surface 22, can be present in all embodiments of the contacting unit 11. Furthermore, it is also possible, when implementing the contact part 20 as a separate contact component 21, to omit the separate connection element 23 and to form the at least one contact part 20 by a contact surface 22 which is mechanically arranged on the carrier part 18.

[0064] As schematically illustrated in Figures 1-4, at least one wrapping thread 14 is wound around the Carrier part 18 is wound. The number of turns that surround the carrier part 18 is defined and the length a is adjusted accordingly. The length a is selected such that when the wrapping yarn 10 is produced, the desired number of turns is wound around the carrier part 18 without changing the process parameters. The number of turns wound around the carrier part 18 can, but does not have to, be an integer. Preferably, at least one complete turn of the wrapping thread 14 is wound around the carrier part 18. For example, at least 2-3 turns can be wound around the carrier part 18. Preferably, a maximum of 5-7 turns are wound around the carrier part 18.

[0065] It is also possible to wind several separate winding threads 14 around the carrier part 18. In this case, the turns of the separate winding threads 14 can be offset from one another in the longitudinal direction L and have the same winding sense or the same winding direction. Alternatively, the turns of the two winding threads 14 can also have an opposite winding sense, so that the turns of the separate winding threads 14 that surround the core 12 or the carrier part 18 cross. In both cases, the winding threads can be differentiated and separately contacted on the carrier part 18 using an associated contact part 20.

[0066] In one embodiment, the number of contact parts 20 of the contacting unit 11 can correspond to the number of winding threads 14 to be contacted. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible to arrange separate contacting units 11 on the core 12 for separate winding threads 14.

[0067] A visually detectable marking, for example a color marking, can be present on the carrier part 18 and / or on the contact part 20, so that, in the case of multiple contact parts 20 and / or multiple contact units 11 of a wrapping yarn 10, it is easier to distinguish which wrapping thread 14 is to be electrically connected to which contact part 20 or to which contact unit 11. In addition to or as an alternative to such a color marking, any other coding can also be used, for example, different geometric designs of the carrier part 18 and / or the contact part 20.

[0068] 2 and 3, the support part 18 has its maximum width b in a central region 27. The at least one contact part 20 and, for example, the at least one contact surface 22 are arranged in this central region 27. The larger dimension in the transverse direction Q in the central region 27 compared to the adjoining sections of the support part 18 in the longitudinal direction L is achieved in the embodiments illustrated here in that the support part 18 has at least one projection 28 in the central region 27 which projects obliquely or at right angles to the longitudinal direction L and at right angles to the depth direction T. In the exemplary embodiment, the support part 18 has two projections 28 in each case in the central region 27 which project at least approximately in opposite directions, so that the support part 18 thereby takes on a cross-shaped configuration.

[0069] Figures 5-7 show schematic diagrams of embodiments of a manufacturing method for producing an electrically contactable Illustrated is a view of a wrapping yarn 10 comprising at least one contacting unit 11. To produce the wrapping yarn 10, a wrapping device 35 having at least one hollow spindle 36 is used. The hollow spindle 36 can rotate about its longitudinal axis, for example, at 20,000 to 25,000 revolutions per second. The wrapping thread 14 to be wrapped is stored on the hollow spindle 36 and unwinds as the hollow spindle 36 rotates.

[0070] The unwinding of the winding thread 14 and the winding of the core 12 or the carrier part 18 takes place by the centrifugal forces acting on the winding thread 14, which is stored on the hollow spindle 36, during the rotation of the hollow spindle 36.

[0071] The core 14 to be wound is conveyed through the hollow spindle 36. The core 14 is conveyed through the at least one hollow spindle 36 by a conveying device 37 of the winding device 35 under a defined elastic tension and at a defined feed rate. The conveying device 37 can have controllable drums 38, 39, wherein the core 12 is unwound or pulled off from a first controllable drum 38 and the finished electrically contactable winding yarn 10 is wound onto a second controllable drum 39. One or more deflection rollers 40 can be present between the first drum 38 and the second drum 39.

[0072] In the embodiment of the winding device 35 shown in Figure 5, a single hollow spindle 36 is provided and the core 12 is wound with a single winding thread 14. Before feeding the core 12 to the hollow spindle 36, in a station 41 the at least A contacting unit 11 is attached to the core 12, as explained above in connection with Figures 1-4. In particular, the contacting unit 11 is hooked into the core 12 in a force-fitting manner using the fastening recesses 19. By means of the station 41, the at least one contacting unit 11 is arranged on the core 12, in particular in an automated manner. A plurality of contacting units 11 can be attached to the core 12 at defined intervals.

[0073] Following station 41, the core 12, together with the attached contacting unit 11, is guided through the hollow spindle 36 and, due to the rotation of the hollow spindle 36 and the defined feed rate of the core 12 through the hollow spindle 36, is wound with a defined number of turns per unit length. Due to the length a of the carrier part 18 being adapted to the process parameters, the carrier part 18 is wound with the wrapping thread 40 with a predetermined number of turns.

[0074] In Figures 6 and 7, modifications of the production method and of the wrapping device 35 are illustrated, wherein the produced wrapping yarn 10 is wrapped by means of two wrapping threads 14, unlike in the embodiment according to Figure 5. For this reason, the wrapping device 35 according to Figures 6 and 7 has two hollow spindles arranged one behind the other in the conveying direction of the core 12, namely a first hollow spindle 36a and a second hollow spindle 36b. The core 12 is first conveyed through the first hollow spindle 36a and there wrapped with a first wrapping thread 14a. Subsequently, the core 12 already wrapped with the first wrapping thread 14a is wrapped with a second Wrapping thread 14b wrapped.

[0075] In the example illustrated in Figure 6, the station 41 is located between the first hollow spindle 36a and the second hollow spindle 36b. The at least one contacting unit 11 is therefore attached to the core 12, which has already been wound with the first winding thread 14a, and is then wound with the second winding thread 14b. In this way, the two winding threads 14a and 14b can be spatially separated by the contacting unit 11, since the first winding thread 14a is wound helically around the core 12 and the second winding thread 14b is wound around the carrier part 18 at the contacting unit 11. In this way, separation and separate electrical contact are possible.

[0076] In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, the hollow spindles 36a, 36b can have the same direction of rotation, for example, clockwise or counterclockwise. Alternatively, it is also possible to operate the two hollow spindles 36a, 36b in opposite directions of rotation.

[0077] In contrast to the embodiment according to Figure 6, the station 41 in the embodiment according to Figure 7 is located in front of the first hollow spindle 36a. The at least one contacting unit 11 is therefore attached to the core 12 and only then wound with the two winding threads 14a and 14b. In this embodiment, the hollow spindles 36a, 36b preferably have opposite winding directions. As a result, the turns of the first winding thread 14a and the second winding thread 14b, which wrap around the carrier part 18, cross each other. This also enables separation and separate contacting by means of the Contacting unit 11 possible.

[0078] In a modification of the embodiment according to Figure 7, the two hollow spindles 36a, 36b could also rotate in the same direction of rotation, provided that the turns of the first wrapping thread 14 are wound around the carrier part 18 offset from one another in the longitudinal direction relative to the turns of the second wrapping thread 14b.

[0079] In the exemplary embodiments described so far, a galvanic connection, for example an adhesive connection, soldered connection, or welded connection, was implemented to establish the electrical connection between the at least one contact part and the associated wrapping thread 14. Alternatively, the at least one contact part 20 can also be configured to be inductively coupled to the at least one wrapping thread 14. For this purpose, the at least one contact part 20 can, for example, have a coupling coil.

[0080] In all embodiments of the contacting unit 11 or the electrically contactable wrapping yarn 10, at least one further electrical and / or electronic component can be arranged on the carrier part 18 in addition to the at least one contact part 20, which is electrically connected to the contact part 20 or to one of the existing contact parts 20. Such a component can be, for example, a sensor, a light-emitting diode, a switch, a solar cell, or any other component. The type and number of components can vary.

[0081] The invention relates to a contacting unit 11 for producing an electrically contactable Winding yarn 10 and a method for producing the winding yarn 10. The winding yarn 10 has a core 12 and at least one electrically conductive winding thread 14 which is or will be wound around the core 12. The core 12 can consist of one or more electrically non-conductive core threads 13. The contacting unit 11 has a carrier part 18 made of an electrically non-conductive material which is designed to be attached at least to the core 12 of the winding yarn 10, preferably exclusively in a force-fitting and / or form-fitting manner. The carrier part 18 is wound by at least one electrically conductive winding thread 14 with a defined number of turns. At least one electrically conductive contact part 20 is present on the carrier part 18 or can be attached to it.The at least one contact part 20 is configured to be electrically connected to an associated wrapping thread 14, either by a galvanic connection or an inductive coupling. The at least one contact part 20 can be or have a contact surface 22. Reference symbol list: 10 wrapping yarn 11 Contact unit 12 core 13 core threads 14 wrapping threads 14a first wrapping thread 14b second wrapping thread 18 Support part 18a Top of the support part 18b Underside of the support part 19 Mounting recess 20 contact part 21 Contact component 22 Contact surface 23 connector pin 27 central area 28 lead 35 Winding device 36 hollow spindle 36a first hollow spindle 36b second hollow spindle 37 conveyor system 38 first drum 39 second drum 40 pulley 41 Station a maximum length of the support part b maximum width of the support part L longitudinal direction Q transverse direction T Depth direction

Claims

Patent claims:

1. Contacting unit (11) for a wrapping yarn (10) with a core (12) and at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread (14), comprising - a carrier part (18) extending in a longitudinal direction (L) and made of an electrically non-conductive material, which is designed to be attached at least to the core (12) of the wrapping yarn (10) and to be wound around by the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread (14), - at least one contact part (20) made of an electrically conductive material, which is attached to the carrier part (18) or is designed to be attached to the carrier part (18) and which is designed to be electrically or inductively coupled to the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread (14).

2. Contacting unit according to claim 1, wherein a length (a) of the carrier part (18) in the longitudinal direction (L) is adapted to a manufacturing process of the wrapping yarn (10) such that, after being attached to the core (12), it is wrapped with a defined number of turns of the at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread (14).

3. Contacting unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one contact part (20) has or is an electrically conductive contact surface (22) on the carrier part (18).

4. Contacting unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein several contact parts (20) are present which are not directly electrically connected to one another.

5. Contacting unit according to claim 4, wherein a separate contact part (20) is provided for each electrically conductive wrapping thread (14) of the wrapping yarn (10).

6. Contacting unit according to claim 4 or 5, wherein at least one of the existing contact parts (20) is arranged on an upper side (18a) of the carrier part (18) and at least one further of the existing contact parts (20) is arranged on an underside (18b) of the carrier part (18) opposite the upper side (18a).

7. Contacting unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier part (18) has two fastening recesses (19) arranged at a distance from one another in a longitudinal direction (L) for attachment at least to the core (12).

8. Contacting unit according to claim 7, wherein the fastening recesses (19) are arranged on the edge of the carrier part (18).

9. Contacting unit according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrier part (18) has in a central region (27) two projections (28) projecting away from one another at right angles or obliquely to the longitudinal direction (L).

10. Electrically contactable wrapping yarn (10) comprising at least one contacting unit (11) according to one of the preceding claims, the carrier part (18) of which is attached to at least one core (12) of the wrapping yarn (10) and is wound by at least one electrically conductive wrapping thread (14).

11. Electrically contactable wrapping yarn according to claim 10, comprising a plurality of contacting units (11) which are arranged at regular distances from one another, wherein preferably always the same wrapping thread (14) is electrically connected to at least one or all contact parts (20) of each contacting unit (11).

12. A method for producing an electrically contactable wrapping yarn (10) comprising: - feeding a core (12), - Attaching a carrier part (18) made of an electrically non-conductive material at least to the core (12), - Further transport of the at least one core (12) with the carrier part (18) through a rotating hollow spindle (36) and unwinding an electrically conductive wrapping thread (14) from the rotating hollow spindle (36) so that the wrapping thread (14) is wound around the core (12) and the carrier part (18).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a first wrapping thread (14a) and a second wrapping thread (14b) are wound around the core (12).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first winding thread (14a) is wound around the core (12) before the at least one carrier part (18) of the contacting unit (11) is attached to the core (12) and wherein the second winding thread (14b) is subsequently wound around the core (12) with the at least one carrier part (18) attached thereto.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein firstly the at least one carrier part (18) of the contacting unit (11) is attached to the core (12), then the first The first winding thread (14a) and the second winding thread (14b) are wound around the core (12) and the carrier part (18).

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