Conductive textile
Conductive textiles with slack fibers that straighten upon stretching address the challenge of maintaining conductivity during deformation, improving their suitability for flexible and wearable devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- HK · HK
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- UPLYFT LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
AI Technical Summary
Existing conductive textiles face challenges in maintaining conductivity while allowing for significant stretching without breaking or deforming the conductive fibers, which limits their applicability in flexible and wearable electronic devices.
Incorporating conductive fibers with slack portions that straighten upon stretching, ensuring the total length of these slack portions is at least half the distance change between stretched portions, thereby minimizing tension on the fibers and maintaining conductivity.
The solution enables conductive textiles to maintain conductivity during substantial stretching, enhancing their suitability for flexible and wearable electronic applications.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Abstract: The conductive textile (6) comprises: a matrix material (14); at least one conductive fiber (12) configured to allow current to flow between a first portion and a second portion of the matrix material; the conductive fiber is coupled to the matrix material and has a slack (18) between the first and second portions to stretch the matrix material while minimizing the tension applied to the conductive fiber. The conductive fiber may include a first conductive fiber and a second conductive fiber, respectively composed of a first conductive material and a second conductive material, the second conductive material being different from the first conductive material. The first conductive fiber may be made of silver-plated nylon. The conductive fiber may be provided with one or more slack portions that straighten upon stretching, wherein when the matrix material is stretched to its maximum extent along an axis bisecting the first and second portions, the total length of the straightened one or more slack portions is at least equivalent to half, or preferably approximately equal to or greater than, the distance change between the first and second portions.
Claims
1. A conductive textile, comprising:a matrix material; andat least one conductive fibre configured to enable electric current to flow 5 between a first part of the matrix material and a second part of the matrix material;wherein the at least one conductive fibre is coupled to the matrix material with slack between the first part and the second part to enable stretching of the conductive textile while minimising tension applied to the at least one conductive fibre, and10 wherein the at least one conductive fibre comprises a first conductive fibreand a second conductive fibre, respectively comprising a first conductive material and a second conductive material that is different from the first conductive material.
2. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the first conductive fibre 15 comprises silver-plated nylon.
3. The conductive textile of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the second conductive fibre comprises one or more copper fibres, preferably wherein the one or more copper fibres are tin-plated.
4. The conductive textile of claim 3, wherein each of the one or more copper 20 fibres have a thickness of less than 0.15 mm, preferably, less than 0.1 mm, more preferably less than 0.8 mm, most preferably of 0.05 mm or less.
5. The conductive textile of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first conductive fibre and the second conductive fibre are arranged adjacently in the matrix material, preferably wherein the first conductive fibre and the second conductive25 fibre are arranged twisted about one another.
6. The conductive textile of any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one conductive fibre is arranged with one or more slack portions configured to straighten when pulled, wherein the one or more slack portions are configured to straighten by a combined length corresponding to at least half of, or preferably23 05 25about equal to or greater than, a change in distance between the first part and the second part when the matrix material is maximally stretched along an axis bisecting the first part and the second part.
7. The conductive textile of any of the preceding claims, wherein the matrix 5 material and the at least one conductive fibre are arranged to form a knitted structure.
8. The conductive textile of claim 7, wherein the matrix material comprises an elastic yarn that is more elastically deformable than the at least one conductive fibre.10 9. The conductive textile of claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the matrix materialand the at least one conductive fibre are arranged in alternating interlocking rows.
10. The conductive textile of any of claims 7 to 9, wherein the at least one conductive fibre interlocks with the matrix material in a plurality of first loops and a plurality of second loops, wherein the second loops are less confined than the 15 first loops to provide slack.
11. The conductive textile of claim 10, wherein the knitted structure is configured to enable the matrix material to elongate when the conductive textile is stretched along a first axis and to enable the second loops to straighten when the conductive textile is stretched along a second axis that is different to the first axis.20 12. The conductive textile of claim 10 or claim 11, wherein each of the firstloops are positioned between second loops such that the first loops and the second loops form an alternating pattern.
13. The conductive textile of any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the second loops are tuck loops.25 14. The conductive textile of any of claims 10 to 13, wherein each of the firstloops are adjacently surrounded by loops of the matrix material.23 05 2515. The conductive textile of any of claims 7 to 14, wherein the at least one conductive fibre is arranged in a plurality of discontinuous parallel rows.
16. The conductive textile of any of the preceding claims, wherein the conductive textile comprises a polymer layer configured to provide electrical 5 insulation to the at least one conductive fibre.
17. The conductive textile of claim 16, wherein the polymer layer is arrangedon both sides of the conductive textile.
18. The conductive textile of claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the polymer layer is more thermally conductive than the matrix material.10 19. The conductive textile of any of the preceding claims, wherein theconductive textile comprises conductive epoxy configured to provide a terminal connection.
20. A garment, comprising the conductive textile of any of the preceding claims.15 21. The garment of claim 20, further comprising:a first terminal connector and a second terminal connector;wherein the at least one conductive fibre electrically connects the first terminal connector to the second terminal connector to enable current flow therebetween.20 22. The garment of claim 21, wherein the conductive textile comprises aplurality of discontinuous rows of the at least one conductive fibre, wherein each of the plurality of discontinuous rows are connected across the first terminal connector and the second terminal connector to form a plurality of electrically parallel connections.25 23. The garment of claim 21 or claim 22, further comprising an electronicdevice attached to the first terminal connector.
24. A method of manufacturing a conductive textile, comprising:forming a conductive yarn by combining two or more conductive fibres; andcoupling the conductive yarn to a matrix material, wherein the conductive yarn is coupled to the matrix material with slack between a first part of the matrix5 material and a second part of the matrix material to enable stretching of the conductive textile while minimising tension applied to the conductive yarn, and wherein the two or more conductive fibres comprise different materials.23 05 25