Fabric Electrical Component Integration via Adaptive Interlacing

Solution Overview

Problem

Incorporating electrical components into fabric items is challenging due to the flexibility of fabric, which can damage signal paths or dislodge components when bent or stretched, requiring improved techniques for mounting structures to fabric.

Innovation Solution

Providing interlacing equipment with individually adjustable components and a component detector to automatically adjust operations when detecting electrical components, forming specialized regions in the fabric for secure integration of conductive strands and components during the fabric formation process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If electrical components are mounted to fabric, then enhanced functionality is provided, but the fabric flexibility may damage signal paths or dislodge components when bent or stretched

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidsignal path integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by forming protective encapsulant structures around electrical components and signal paths before the fabric is bent or stretched during use. The encapsulant is applied in advance to create a protective environment that prevents damage to delicate electrical connections when the flexible fabric undergoes deformation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses flexible encapsulant materials that conform to the flexible nature of the fabric substrate. These thin film encapsulants provide protection to electrical components and signal paths while allowing the overall structure to remain flexible and bendable, resolving the contradiction between protection and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Adaptability or versatility

If electrical components are mounted to fabric, then enhanced functionality is provided, but components may become dislodged as fabric is bent and stretched

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidcomponent position

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by forming protective encapsulant structures around electrical components and signal paths before the fabric is bent or stretched during use. The encapsulant is applied in advance to create a protective environment that prevents damage to delicate electrical connections when the flexible fabric undergoes deformation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses flexible encapsulant materials that conform to the flexible nature of the fabric substrate. These thin film encapsulants provide protection to electrical components and signal paths while allowing the overall structure to remain flexible and bendable, resolving the contradiction between protection and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

3Ease of operation

If fabric is made flexible for comfort and wearability, then ease of operation is improved, but signal paths may be damaged when bent or stretched

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovewearabilityVSAvoidsignal path integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses flexible encapsulant materials that conform to the flexible nature of the fabric substrate. These thin film encapsulants provide protection to electrical components and signal paths while allowing the overall structure to remain flexible and bendable, resolving the contradiction between protection and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite structure combining fabric, electrical components, and encapsulant materials. This composite construction integrates the flexibility of fabric with the protective properties of the encapsulant, allowing the signal paths to remain intact while the fabric maintains its wearability and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS20240417895A1Fabric with Electrical Components

Publication Date: 2024.12.19 APPLE INC

AI summary

Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric. A component detector may be used to feed strands such as a conductive strand to the interlacing equipment. One or more electrical components may be mounted to the conductive strand. The component detector may have a sensor configured to detect the presence of the electrical component as the conductive strand is fed to the interlacing equipment through the component detector. In response to detecting the component with the sensor, the interlacing equipment may automatically adjust interlacing operations in preparation for receiving the electrical component. For example, needles may be lowered in a knitting system, select warp strands may be raised and lowered in a weaving system, or a carrier may follow a modified path in a braiding system in response to detecting the electrical component. The fabric may have a different construction in regions where the electrical component is received.