Functional braided composite yarn

Abstract

A braided composite yarn comprising one or more functional components, such as a conductor, and one or more structural components, such as a para-aramid fiber, and a method for manufacturing the same. Bundles of at least one functional component and at least one structural component are wound simultaneously in parallel under tension on a single bobbin prior to braiding, thereby reducing the mechanical load force on the functional component of the final yarn. The yarn is designed to have electrical, electronic, electromagnetic, or physical properties for a specific application that enable its use as an electronic component or sensor, and can be attached to or integrated into an active fabric and composite substrate. The yarn can be soldered directly without removing an insulator or other yarn components beforehand. Some yarns, such as those used as inductors, may include a core having desired electrical properties.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] Cross-reference regarding related applications

[0002] This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62 / 780,687 filed on December 17, 2018, the whole of which is incorporated by reference.

[0003] The present invention relates to a braided composite yarn or thread comprising a conductive yarn or thread that can generally be used, for example, in the construction of a textile integrated electronic system (TIES). The braided composite yarn and thread of the present invention enable the integration of typical electrical and electronic elements within a fabric. The braided composite yarn of the present invention is compatible with sewing, embroidery, custom fiber placement, and weaving, and meets or exceeds the operating requirements of both typical and technical fabrics and fabric systems. Background Technology

[0004] It should be noted that the following discussion may refer to various publications and references. The discussion of such publications provided herein is intended to provide a more complete background of the scientific principles and should not be interpreted as an acknowledgment that such publications constitute prior art for the purpose of determining patentability.

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention is a braided composite yarn comprising one or more multi-component fiber bundles, each of which comprises one or more functional components and at least one structural component. At least one of the one or more functional components preferably comprises a conductor, and the conductor is preferably insulated. The conductor preferably comprises a 44AWG copper wire insulated with a laminated polyurethane and / or polyamide insulator. The conductor optionally comprises a material having a sufficiently high resistivity and a sufficiently low resistance temperature coefficient to be suitable for resistive Joule heating. Preferably, at least one of the one or more functional components comprises a material selected from the group consisting of plastics, glass, optical fiber materials, nickel-titanium alloys, nickel-chromium alloys, extruded conductive polymers, conductive yarns, and piezoelectric yarns. The material optionally comprises additives, coatings, or plating to modify electrical, mechanical, optical, surface area, visual, or other properties. Preferably, at least one structural component comprises a material selected from the group consisting of synthetic, natural, bonded para-aramid, meta-aramid, silica, quartz, nylon, polyester, cotton, and wool. The diameter of at least one structural component is preferably at least approximately twice the diameter of one or more functional components. The maximum elongation at break of at least one structural component is preferably less than the elastic limit of one or more functional components, preferably less than approximately 10%. At least one structural component preferably flattens when the braided composite yarn is subjected to tension. One or more multi-component fiber bundles are optionally braided with additional structural components. One or more functional components are preferably accessible on the surface of the braided composite yarn.The braided composite yarn is optionally configured to form at least a part of one or more electronic or electromagnetic devices, each device preferably being an inductor, capacitor, antenna, foldable antenna structure, transmission line, l. 2 It is selected from a group consisting of C (inter-integrated circuit) networks, data networks, serial data buses, Ethernet networks, power networks, active heating elements, power lines, electromagnets, chokes, transformers, sensors, capacitive touch sensors, strain sensors, distributed sensor networks, sensor arrays, and filters. One or more functional components of one or more multi-component fiber bundles optionally include two conductors forming a twisted pair transmission line. The braided composite yarn optionally includes a core, which preferably has one or more properties selected from the group consisting of solid, hollow, conductive, dielectric, insulating, ferromagnetic, superelastic, shape memory, and para-aramid. The core preferably limits the deformation of the braided composite yarn under tension.

[0006] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method using the braided composite yarn of claim 1, said method comprising incorporating the braided composite yarn into an active fabric. The method optionally comprises sewing the braided composite yarn into the active fabric. Preferably, the sewing step comprises attaching the braided composite yarn to the active fabric using straight sewn stitches of an upper yarn, preferably comprising spun yarn or multifilament yarn, preferably meta-aramid yarn. The stitches are preferably periodic, thereby forming mechanically separated sub-regions of the yarn. Adjacent stitches are preferably spaced approximately between 1 mm and 2 mm apart. The braided composite yarn is preferably loaded onto a bobbin of a sewing machine or embroidery machine. Alternatively, the method comprises weaving the yarn into the warp or weft of the active fabric. The method optionally comprises soldering the braided composite yarn directly into an electronic component or a through-hole of a printed circuit board attached to the active fabric, wherein the insulator is preferably removed from at least one of one or more functional components using heat from a soldering device without the need to strip the insulator prior to soldering. At least one structural component preferably has a decomposition temperature higher than the soldering temperature. The method preferably involves directly encapsulating electronic components in an active fabric using an epoxy potting compound, and preferably involves routing braided composite yarns using computer-aided design (CAD), and the incorporation step thereby involves using CNC embroidery, custom fiber placement, or a CNC machine.

[0007] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a braided composite yarn, the method comprising the steps of: winding one or more functional components and at least one structural component in parallel to form a first multi-component fiber bundle; and braiding the first multi-component fiber bundle with a second multi-component fiber bundle and / or structural component. The winding step preferably comprises winding the multi-component fiber bundle onto a single braiding machine bobbin. The winding step is preferably performed under tension. The braiding step optionally comprises loading a first braiding machine bobbin containing the first multi-component fiber bundle and a second braiding machine bobbin containing the second multi-component fiber bundle or structural component into a braiding machine in a balanced half-carrier arrangement. The braiding step preferably comprises using a braiding machine selected from the group consisting of spin, lace, square, radial, 2-axis, 3-axis, 2-dimensional, and 3-dimensional. The braiding step optionally comprises incorporating a core into the braided composite yarn. The braiding step preferably includes selecting the take-up speed of the braiding machine relative to the rotational speed of the braiding machine bobbin carrier and using one or more guide rings.

[0008] The objects, advantages, novel features, and additional scope of application of the present invention will be described in part in the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following review or will be known through the practice of the present invention. The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and achieved by means and combinations specifically indicated in the appended claims. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0009] The attached drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of the specification, illustrate the practice of embodiments of the invention and serve to explain the principles of the invention together with the description of the invention. The drawings are intended only to illustrate specific embodiments of the invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the invention. FIG. 1a is a drawing illustrating a method for simultaneous parallel winding of multi-component fiber bundles according to the present invention. Figure 1b is an enlarged view of the multi-component fiber bundle of Figure 1a wound onto a knitting machine bobbin. FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a method of braiding a braided composite yarn according to the present invention. FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view of the braided composite yarn of the present invention. Fig. 3b is a plan view of the braided composite yarn of Fig. 3a. FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view of the braided composite yarn of the present invention. Fig. 4b is a plan view of the braided composite yarn of Fig. 4a. Figure 5 is a photograph of the braided composite yarn of the present invention routed and sewn onto a TIES fabric. Figure 6 is a close-up photograph of Figure 5 showing in detail the attachment of the braided composite yarn to the TIES fabric. Figure 7 is a photograph showing a printed circuit board (PCB) directly encapsulated on a fabric substrate using an epoxy potting compound. FIG. 8 is a photograph showing a woven fabric comprising three braided composite yarns of the present invention, woven as the weft of the fabric to form data, power, and ground lines for interconnection to individual addressable light-emitting diodes (LEDs). FIG. 9 is a drawing illustrating a braided composite yarn of the present invention configured to form an inductor. Figure 10 is a photograph showing the braided composite yarn of the present invention woven into a fabric. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0010] One or more embodiments of the present invention are braided composite yarns and yarns and methods for manufacturing the same, preferably comprising simultaneously winding one or more conductors and at least one structural yarn onto one or more bobbins in parallel and loading said bobbins onto a braiding machine to create a coreless yarn structure having mechanically captured conductors. Advantages of some embodiments of the present invention are: the high conductor content of the yarn or yarn by volume eliminates the need for direct manipulation of individual conductors, which enables direct soldering and the formation of mechanically and electrically sound solder joints; localized removal of conductor insulation can be achieved by the application of heat during the soldering process, thereby enabling the construction of a fabric-integrated electronic system with fully encapsulated routing; compatibility with both flexible and rigid PCBs through-hole attachment; high mechanical and electrical reliability during high-speed manufacturing operations and use; and compatibility with integrated electromagnetic structures including twisted-pair transmission lines, air and ferromagnetic core inductors, capacitors, and antennas.

[0011] As used throughout the specification and claims, the term “yarn” means yarn or thread. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term “structural,” referring to the component fibers of the yarn, means bearing load and providing mechanical structure and stability. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term “functional,” referring to the component fibers of the yarn, means providing electrical, electronic, optical, electromagnetic, sensing, heating, actuation, chemical, or physical functions, etc. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term “composite” means including both structural and functional components. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term “multicomponent fiber bundle” means one or more functional components and at least one structural component that are jointly wound together in parallel on a bobbin prior to braiding. As used throughout the specification and claims, the term “active fabric” means electrically active fabric, electrically functional fabric, electronic fabric, smart fabric, textile integrated electronic system (TIES), soft system, functionalized soft system, composite system, structure-integrated system, smart textile, clothing, etc.

[0012] The braided composite yarns of the present invention allow for the selective placement and interconnection of electronic devices across the surface area of ​​the fabric, thereby enabling the development of functionalized soft and composite systems, such as smart fabrics, composites with integrated structural state monitoring, or structures of materials typically used for mechanical applications, by directly integrating typical electrical, electronic, and electromagnetic capabilities suitable for mission-critical tasks. By minimizing the fabric integration costs and the degradation of related capabilities resulting from the addition of electronic capabilities, the braided composite yarns enable the exploration and development of widely distributed soft and structurally integrated systems. Promising capabilities enabled by these braided composite yarns include distributed sensor networks, foldable antenna structures, structurally integrated data and power networks, structurally integrated active heating, and wide-area conformal sensor arrays.

[0013] The braided composite yarns of the present invention are preferably designed to strike a balance between the heterogeneous requirements of the textile and electronic systems without adversely affecting the textile or electrical performance characteristics of the system. They are preferably compatible with existing textile and electronic manufacturing methods and machinery and can be applied on a large scale.

[0014] As illustrated in FIG. 1a, an example of a multi-component fiber bundle of the present invention is manufactured as follows: A functional component, e.g., an insulated copper wire (preferably 44AWG), is wound on a spool (120, 160). A structural component, e.g., a combined Tex 21 para-aramid (Kevlar®) yarn, is wound on a central spool (140). The functional component from the spool (120, 160) and the structural component from the spool (140) are preferably wound together in parallel on a single braiding bobbin (180) using a parallel winding machine to form a continuous multi-component fiber bundle (130), as shown in FIG. 1b, enlarged from the braiding bobbin (180). Co-winding in parallel is preferably performed under tension, and since the multi-component fiber bundle (130) maintains tension on the braiding machine bobbin (180), the functional components of the multi-component fiber bundle are not separated from the structural components in subsequent manufacturing steps. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1a-1b, the multi-component fiber bundle (130) comprises two functional components (170) and one structural component (150). However, the multi-component fiber bundle may comprise any number of functional components and any number of structural components. Multiple individual conductors provide redundancy to increase system stability and current carrying capacity. The simultaneous parallel winding of conductors and para-aramid yarns to form the multi-component fiber bundle before the braiding process reduces torsion and resulting stress on the conductors exposed during and after manufacturing.

[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 2, in one embodiment, four knitting bobbins (210, 220, 230, 240) are prepared in a similar manner and then loaded into a maypole knitting machine in a balanced quarter-carrier arrangement, preferably such that in the yarn movement, the bobbins (210, 220) move clockwise and the bobbins (230, 240) move counterclockwise. The knitting machine then forms a spirally intertwined yarn structure with mechanically captured functional components, preferably without using a core or mandrel, and having minimal twist and a small braid angle. Any number of knitting bobbins may be used, and the knitting bobbins may contain identical or different multi-component fiber bundles. When necessary to knit yarn having the desired yarn size and structure, one or more other optional bobbins containing only structural material may be optionally additionally loaded into the knitting machine. Although this arrangement type produces a 2-axis or 2-dimensional (2D) braid, embodiments of the present invention can be manufactured on a 3-axis or 3-dimensional (3D) braiding machine.

[0016] The resulting braided composite yarn provides inherent strain relief to the embedded functional components by limiting the range of motion within the yarn structure. This braiding motion of the yarn reduces its diameter when subjected to tension, applying a compressive force perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the multi-component fiber bundle. This contributes to the structural components acting as the primary load-bearing components, protecting the functional components from unwanted loads and damage. The functional material is preferably captured and retained within the structural members, enabling a mechanically consistent and stable structure during the fabric manufacturing process and use. The ratio of structural components to functional components can be adjusted to suit the mechanical or electrical properties of the yarn as required for the intended application.

[0017] In addition, contributing to the mechanical protection of the functional material contained within the braided composite yarn of the present invention is the selection of a structural component preferably having a diameter at least twice that of the integrated functional component. This helps protect the functional component from wear and bending radii that could lead to breakage. The maximum elongation of the structural component prior to breakage is preferably below the elastic limit of the functional component, ensuring that the braided composite yarn does not break due to deformation or fatigue and subsequent deterioration of the functional component. Thus, the structural component acts as the primary load-bearing component of the yarn and protects the conductor or other functional component from unwanted stress and damage. These characteristics, combined with the kinematics of the braided structure, ensure that the functional material does not experience plastic deformation or breakage while the braided composite yarn is under tension. These features preferably enable a mechanically consistent and stable structure during operation, as well as during fabric manufacturing processes including sewing, embroidery, and weaving.

[0018] Where possible, a yarn or bonding yarn composed of multiple continuous filaments is preferred for use as a structural component of the braided composite yarn of the present invention. However, the structural component may comprise any material necessary to achieve the desired mechanical properties in the application of interest. Most of these materials, such as para-aramid, have an elongation at break of less than 10% due to their molecular crystallinity and structural continuity. A binder applied to the surface of the twisted continuous filaments within the structural component ensures that the structural component maintains a uniform shape during manufacturing. This does not significantly limit the material's ability to flatten or deform when the braided composite yarn is subjected to tension, which contributes to the structural component's ability to limit the movement of the functional component without applying pressure to it. This effect is also aided by the parallel integration of the functional material along the length of the structural material within each multi-component fiber bundle.

[0019] The braided composite yarn of the present invention preferably has no core to reduce the diameter and enables applications that cannot be solved with conventional conductive yarns. In addition, unlike conventional yarns in which the conductor is in the core, the braided composite yarn of the present invention enables direct access to functional materials, such as conductors, for interconnection from the outside of the yarn.

[0020] The braided composite yarn of the present invention can be designed for various applications by varying the selection of functional and structural materials and the ratio of material content. For example, some embodiments of the present invention are designed for the transmission and reception of data and power, and enable the construction of fiber-integrated electrical systems. For such applications, the yarn preferably comprises individual 44AWG copper, copper alloys, or copper-plated conductors equipped with laminated polyurethane and polyamide insulators, and combined Tex 21 para-aramid yarn. In addition to fiber-integrated data and power networks, the yarn can be used for heating, operation, and sensing applications by using other functional materials and structures, such as alloys designed to exhibit a low temperature resistance coefficient (e.g., nichrome) or superelasticity (e.g., nitinol). Different structural materials may be selected to achieve the target mechanical properties of the yarn to be manufactured.

[0021] The braided composite yarn of the present invention preferably functions as a continuous yarn and can be optionally incorporated directly into the warp or weft of a woven fabric during construction. Such functionalized woven fabrics can be used in the construction of clothing, rigid composites, flexible composites, or other systems that incorporate woven fabrics and provide additional electrical, electronic, or electromagnetic capabilities. Similarly, the braided composite yarn can be incorporated as a member of a more extensively braided structure for use in the structure of flexible and rigid composite materials.

[0022] The braided composite yarn can be designed to incorporate electromagnetic and electronic structures by optionally incorporating functional material fiber processing paths within the braid. The geometry of these fiber paths can be modified by adjusting the diameter of the integrated core material (if used), the diameter and amount of the structural component, the take-up speed of the braiding machine relative to the carrier rotation speed, the use, quantity, diameter, and position of guide rings, and the entanglement angle of the braided multi-component fibers. Then, by selecting the amount and type of functional material, the braided composite yarn designed with electromagnetic and electronic structures, including inductors, capacitors, antennas, and transmission lines, can be produced. The braided composite yarn of the present invention may also be electrically connected in parallel to further distribute and increase the current carrying capacity of the integrated fabric circuit by utilizing the surface area of ​​the fabric.

[0023] The paths taken by the knitted composite yarn in the fabric may, for example, form an integrated fabric data and power network, and the interconnection locations on the fabric may be designed using computer-aided design (CAD). Then, this design is preferably introduced into digitization software, where stitches and sequences are formed for each path and converted into a file format used in CNC embroidery, custom fabric placement, or CMC machines. Preferably, only traditional straight stitches are employed to generate these paths, and commercially available large-scale CNC sewing and quilting machines may be used to construct the paths. Additionally, the knitted composite yarn of the present invention is secured using preferably only traditional straight sewing stitches without the need to generate three-dimensional stitches. The sewn stitch structure used also preferably aids in mechanical stitch-to-stitch separation by forming mechanical sub-regions along the length of the integrated knitted composite yarn. These advantages are also confirmed when the knitted composite yarn is integrated into a woven fabric.

[0024] Soldering is the preferred method for forming reliable and permanent electromechanical interconnections. The braided composite of the present invention can be directly soldered to electronic components using both typical and specific application interconnection methods. This is preferably made possible by the conductor content of the yarn, the high decomposition temperature of structural materials such as para-aramid, and the polymer insulation of the conductor, which can be removed by applying heat, thereby eliminating the need for secondary mechanical and chemical stripping processes to access the conductor. Unlike conventional solderable conductive yarns that incorporate the conductor under a core or a layer requiring removal, the structure of the braided composite allows external access to the conductor for a stable interconnection with a small gap between the conductor and the electronic component to be soldered. Due to the high wetting ability and low surface tension of conventional solder, the solder can flow and align with the conductor incorporated into the braided composite.

[0025] A braided composite can be soldered directly into a typical PCB through-hole to form a solder joint with integrated mechanical strain relief. While many different methods can be used for this soldering, in one embodiment, a loop of the braided composite is formed at the desired connection location via stitching or other mechanical means. This loop is inserted into the PCB through the hole where the yarn is connected. A piece of solderable material, such as tinned copper wire or a copper bried, passes through the loop and is preferably connected to the loop to assist in heat transfer to all conductors contained within the braided composite. The remaining slack is preferably removed from the loop to restrict its movement. The materials to be interconnected are then heated to the solder melting point, which is typically 378 degrees Celsius. Solder flows from the joint to create a localized solder bath, preferably in contact with all conductors at the interconnect location. Finally, the heat source is removed, and the joint is cooled and solidified before being moved.

[0026] The methods used to design and produce systems using the braided composite yarn of the present invention enable the selective placement and interconnection of electronic devices across the surface area of ​​the TIES fabric, and enable the development of functionalized soft systems suitable for mission operations. By minimizing the associated functional degradation resulting from fiber integration costs and the addition of electronic capabilities, these methods can explore and develop a wide range of distributed soft systems, such as clothing and structural integrated distributed sensor networks, physiological monitoring systems, actuator networks, foldable antenna structures, data and power networks, active heating, and wide-area conformal sensor arrays. All yarns and threads are preferably constructed using domestically manufactured materials and preferably fully compliant with Berry.

[0027] The braided composite yarn of the present invention can integrate typical electrical, electronic, and electromagnetic elements into a fabric using methods and materials that have minimal impact on the operational performance and maintainability of the fabric substrate, can be used in fabric-integrated power distribution networks, can form interconnects directly soldered to typical electronic components without mechanical degradation or secondary processing, and fiber integration for inter-device communication (demonstrated at up to 50' using a single thread). 2 It can be used as a C (inter-integrated circuit), SPI and USB 2.0 (or higher) serial data bus and Ethernet network, can be used for fiber-based capacitive touch input, can form a fiber-integrated antenna structure for wireless power and data transmission, can provide thread-based capacitance and strain sensing, can form a fiber-integrated heating network, enables shielding and concealment of yarn using seam, tape, and lamination techniques, is compatible with fiber attachment local encapsulation of rigid components, can integrate typical electronic components in a distributed and scalable manner into a flexible fiber system, and is preferably designed for use with typical fiber and electronic manufacturing and integration methods.

[0028] The system of the present invention preferably has one or more of the following advantages: direct manipulation of individual conductors is unnecessary due to the volume-based conductor content that enables direct soldering (when a single thread is used as a transmission line, the conductors are preferably grouped into pairs and terminated); the solder joint is mechanically and electrically intact due to strain relief provided by the structural components of the yarn and the high conductor content; local removal of conductor insulation is achieved through the application of heat during the soldering process, allowing for a fully encapsulated path; compatibility with both flexible and rigid PCBs through through-hole attachment; conductor mechanical load is minimized through the twisted structure, low elongation of the structural material, and the relationship between the diameters of the functional material and the structural material; it enables the manufacture of designed electromagnetic structures including twisted pair transmission lines, air and ferromagnetic core inductors, capacitors (similar to "gimmick" capacitors, incorporating a twisted core of fine PTFE-insulated wire), and antennas.

[0029] TIES can be used to construct rapidly deployable functional structures, distributed conformal sensor networks, and functionalized composite materials. Using custom roll-to-roll CMC sewing machines, these systems can be configured in continuous lengths for various applications. Beyond where fabrics are typically used, TIES can add new capabilities to systems requiring mechanical strength, durability, and continuous flexibility, as well as systems demanding the ability to pack into small volumes and rapidly and iteratively change shape and volume.

[0030] Examples

[0031] Example 1

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the braided composite yarn (300) of the present invention is braided from three multi-component fiber bundles (310, 340, 370), each comprising two 44AWG copper conductors (330, 360, 390) as functional components and one Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarn (320, 350, 380) as a structural component, each of which is individually insulated with layered polyurethane and polyamide insulators.

[0033] Example 2

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the braided composite yarn (400) of the present invention is braided from four multi-component fiber bundles (410, 430, 450, 470), each comprising two 44AWG copper conductors (420, 440, 460, 480) as functional components and one Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarn (415, 435, 455, 475) as a structural component, each of which is individually insulated with layered polyurethane and polyamide insulators. This arrangement forms two pairs of multi-conductor twisted pairs that can be used for differential signal applications such as RS422 and Ethernet, or to form power and signal pairs in a single braided composite yarn. This arrangement was able to transmit 10 Mbps over 50 ft and 100 Mbps over 6 ft using a single yarn.

[0035] Example 3

[0036] Figure 5 shows the path of the straight-stitch braided composite yarn of Example 2 applied to a 1000 denier Nylon Cordura® woven fabric of the TIES prototype using a CNC embroidery machine. Tex 27 spun Nomex © meta-aramid yarn was used as the top yarn for its mechanical structure and performance. The spun structure allows the yarn to be flattened when capturing the composite braid, distributes tension over a wider surface area than combined or monofilament yarns, and thus prevents excessive stress on the conductor in the composite braid. The braided composite yarn is loaded exclusively into the embroidery machine's bobbin mechanism to form a series of loops that intertwine with the top yarn, ensuring that the yarn undergoes minimal deformation during the manufacturing process. While the top yarn undergoes a compression period when the needle reverses direction, the braided composite yarn on the bobbin remains under tension at all times, ensuring the formation of a reliable stitch without undesirable deformation of the functional components of the braided composite yarn. The braided composite yarn has a DC power line (610) and I between two PCBs (630, 640). 2 It was used to form a C data network (620). This yarn was used as a capacitive touch sensor (650) and was also used to drive a vibration motor (660), a speaker (670), and an LED (680). When the PCB (640) was connected to an external 5VDC power supply, the battery (690) was also charged using the power line (610). Activation of each capacitive touch sensor operated the output device above the corresponding sensor during the touch period for each of the two left capacitive touch sensors (650), the vibration motor (660), and the speaker (670). Activation of the far right capacitive touch sensor (650) below the LED (680) cycled through the sequential activation of the one, two, three, and zero LEDs (680). All electronic components were soldered directly to the braided composite yarn. Fig. 6 shows details of the braided composite yarn sewn onto the fabric substrate of the TIES prototype using Tex 27 spun Nomex® yarn.

[0037] Example 4

[0038] Environmental and physical protection of exposed electronic components and conductors is important for reliable fielding of the system. This can be achieved using conformal encapsulating agents such as epoxy potting compounds. Environmentally reinforced enclosures may also be developed where access to the underlying electronic devices is valuable for mission tasks. Fig. 7 illustrates a PCB directly encapsulated in a fabric substrate using an epoxy potting compound.

[0039] Example 5

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the woven fabric is constructed by including three braided composite yarns of Example 1 woven into the weft of the fabric. Terminating on the left side of the electronic device enclosure (800) of the system are three braided composite yarns forming data, power, and ground lines for interconnecting to separate addressable RGB (red green blue) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (810). The braided composite yarn terminating on the right side of the electronic enclosure (800) acts as a capacitive touch sensor, stepping the LEDs (810) through a color sequence programmed with each touch. The upper and lower braided composite yarns woven into the weft that were originally on the right side of the electronic device enclosure (800) were cut and removed.

[0041] Example 6

[0042] FIG. 9 illustrates a braided composite yarn of the present invention configured to form an inductor. The braided composite yarn (900) is braided with two Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarns (950, 960) and two multi-component fiber bundles (915, 935), each multi-component fiber bundle comprising two 44AWG copper conductors (920, 940) as functional components individually insulated by layered polyurethane and polyamide insulators, and one Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarn (910, 930) as a structural component braided over a core (not shown). Some of the yarns contained Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarns as the core, and some contained a Permalloy (ferromagnetic) core. The size and material of the core were selected to produce the desired electromagnetic properties of the inductor and to achieve the desired braid diameter. During the manufacturing process, the two braiding bobbins receiving the multi-component fiber bundles (915, 935) moved clockwise, while the two braiding bobbins receiving the Kevlar® yarns (950, 960) moved counterclockwise. The braiding angle in this example is larger than that in Examples 1 and 2 to form tighter coils, which increases the inductance by increasing the number of turns per conductor length. The core helped stabilize the yarns with large braiding angles, otherwise the shape would change significantly due to tension.

[0043] Example 7

[0044] FIG. 10 illustrates a woven fabric having three horizontally braided composite yarns that are optionally woven as wefts to be used as data, power, and ground lines in the formation of a fabric integrated circuit.

[0045] Example 8

[0046] A multifunctional multimaterial braided composite yarn was fabricated for applications requiring both resistive Joule heating and capacitive proximity sensing. The braided composite yarn was fabricated using three multi-component bundles, where two bundles each contained one Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarn and one insulated 44AWG Cu55Ni45 alloy wire. The remaining multi-component bundle contained one Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarn and one insulated 44AWG copper conductor. The 44AWG Cu55Ni45 alloy wire contained flux and Sn 96.5 Ag 3.5 One end of the braided composite is soldered together with solder, and the other end is connected to a suitable circuit for resistance Joule heating, forming a complete electrical circuit. The remaining 44AWG copper conductor is terminated at the same end of the braided composite into a suitable circuit to be used as a capacitive sensor for switching or other applications.

[0047] Example 9

[0048] To form a strain sensor, a braided composite yarn with a 0.003" diameter superelastic nitinol core was fabricated. The yarn contained one multi-component bundle comprising three Tex 21 Kevlar® yarns, one Tex 21 bonded Kevlar® yarn braided together around the nitinol core, and one 44AVVG insulating conductor. The nitinol core consisted of flux and Sn 96.5 Ag 3.5One end of the braided composite was soldered to a 44AWG conductor using solder. The electrical resistance between the remaining end of the nitinol core and the 44AWG insulating conductor was measured using an appropriate circuit. To ensure a consistent strain-resistance sensing response of the nitinol core over its lifetime, Tex 21 Kevlar® structural components and a braiding angle were selected so that the maximum elongation of the braided composite was 8% or less. Since the braided composite is stretched to the mechanical limit of 8%, it exhibits a predictable change in electrical resistance and thus demonstrates its suitability for use as a strain sensor.

[0049] In the specification and claims, "about" or "approximately" means within twenty percent (20%) of the stated figures. The singular indefinite articles "a" and "an" and the definite article "the" used herein include multiple referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to "functional group" refers to one or more functional groups, and a reference to "method" includes references to equivalent steps and methods, etc., as understood and recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0050] Although the present invention has been described in detail with particular reference to the disclosed embodiments, other embodiments may achieve the same results. Variations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and are intended to include all such modifications and equivalents. The full disclosure of all patents and publications cited above is incorporated by reference.

Claims

Claim 1 A braided composite yarn comprising one or more multi-component fiber bundles, wherein the multi-component fiber bundles are jointly wound in parallel on a bobbin prior to braiding with one or more functional components and at least one structural component, and each of the one or more multi-component fiber bundles comprises one or more functional components and at least one structural component, and wherein at least one of the one or more functional components comprises an insulated conductor. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 A braided composite yarn according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more functional components comprises a first material selected from the group consisting of plastic, glass, optical fiber material, nickel-titanium alloy, nickel-chromium alloy, conductive yarn, and piezoelectric yarn, and at least one structural component comprises a second material selected from the group consisting of para-aramid, meta-aramid, silica, quartz, nylon, polyester, cotton, and wool. Claim 4 A braided composite yarn according to paragraph 3, characterized in that the first material comprises an additive, coating, or plating for altering electrical, mechanical, optical, surface area, visual, or other properties. Claim 5 A braided composite yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that the maximum elongation at break of at least one structural component is smaller than the elastic limit of one or more functional components. Claim 6 A knitted composite yarn according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more multi-component fiber bundles are knitted together with additional structural components. Claim 7 A braided composite yarn characterized in that, in claim 1, it is configured to form at least a part of one or more electronic or electromagnetic devices. Claim 8 In paragraph 7, each of the above devices is an inductor, capacitor, antenna, transmission line, l 2 A braided composite yarn characterized by being selected from a group consisting of a C (inter-integrated circuit) network, a data network, a serial data bus, an Ethernet network, a power network, an active heating element, a resistive Joule heater, a power line, an electromagnet, a choke, a transformer, a sensor, a distributed sensor network, a sensor array, and a filter. Claim 9 A braided composite yarn characterized by including a core in claim 1. Claim 10 A braided composite yarn according to claim 9, characterized in that the core has one or more properties selected from the group consisting of conductivity, dielectric, insulation, ferromagnetism, superelasticity, and shape memory properties. Claim 11 In claim 9, the above-mentioned core is characterized by limiting the deformation of the braided composite yarn under tension. Claim 12 A method for using the knitted composite yarn of claim 1, wherein the method comprises the step of incorporating the knitted composite yarn into an active fabric. Claim 13 A method according to claim 12, characterized by including the step of sewing a knitted composite yarn onto an active fabric, the step of weaving the knitted composite yarn into the warp or weft of an active fabric, CNC embroidery, or custom fiber arrangement, or the step of using a CNC machine. Claim 14 A method according to claim 13, characterized in that the braided composite yarn is routed using CAD (computer aided design). Claim 15 A method according to claim 13, wherein the sewing step comprises attaching the knitted composite yarn to the active fabric using a straight sewn stitch created using an upper thread together with the knitted composite yarn loaded in the bobbin mechanism of a sewing machine or embroidery machine. Claim 16 A method according to claim 15, characterized in that the upper thread is a meta-aramid or para-aramid thread. Claim 17 A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of directly soldering a braided composite yarn into a through-hole of an electronic component or printed circuit board (PCB) attached to an active fabric, wherein the insulation is removed from at least one of one or more insulated functional components using heat from a soldering device so as not to require stripping the insulation from at least one insulated functional component before soldering, and wherein the at least one structural component has a decomposition temperature higher than the soldering temperature. Claim 18 A method for manufacturing a braided composite yarn, wherein the method comprises: a step of winding one or more functional components and at least one structural component in parallel to form a first multi-component fiber bundle; and a step of braiding the first multi-component fiber bundle together with a second multi-component fiber bundle and / or a structural component. Claim 19 A method according to claim 18, characterized in that the winding step includes the step of winding a multi-component fiber bundle onto a single knitting machine bobbin. Claim 20 A method according to claim 18, characterized in that the braiding step includes incorporating a core into the braided composite yarn. Claim 21 A braided composite yarn according to claim 9, characterized in that the core is solid or hollow. Claim 22 delete Claim 23 delete Claim 24 delete Claim 25 delete Claim 26 delete Claim 27 delete Claim 28 delete Claim 29 delete Claim 30 delete Claim 31 delete Claim 32 delete Claim 33 delete Claim 34 delete Claim 35 delete Claim 36 delete Claim 37 delete Claim 38 delete Claim 39 delete Claim 40 delete Claim 41 delete Claim 42 delete Claim 43 delete

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