Fabric Pressure Sensor Manufacturing Process and Tooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional technologies face difficulties in manufacturing fabric pressure sensors due to the challenges of working with flexible materials and the lack of suitable manufacturing tools, resulting in size, weight, and usability issues that limit their application in personal use such as sports clothing and footwear.
Innovation Solution
A process and toolset for manufacturing fabric pressure sensors involving steps like cutting and connecting sensing fabric with wires, using electrical property measuring devices, wire connecting tools, and sensor structural component assembling tools to ensure precise bonding and tensioning, enabling easier and more controlled production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional pressure sensor manufacturing methods are used, then the sensors achieve functional performance, but the sensors become large in size, heavy in weight, and difficult to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from conventional rigid pressure sensor materials to flexible fabric materials. The sensing element is constructed using flexible conductive fabrics and elastic substrates, fundamentally altering the physical state and mechanical properties of the sensor components to achieve wearability while maintaining manufacturing precision through specialized bonding processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining flexible conductive fabrics, elastic substrates, and bonding agents. The sensing element consists of multiple layers including conductive fabric patterns on elastic substrates, bonded together with flexible adhesives, creating a composite structure that is both lightweight and manufacturable with precise control
2Ease of operation
If flexible materials are used for fabric pressure sensors, then the sensors become suitable for personal use, but the materials deform easily during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-tensioning the elastic substrate and pre-positioning the conductive fabric patterns before bonding. The manufacturing process includes preliminary alignment and fixation steps that prevent deformation during subsequent bonding operations, ensuring processing quality while maintaining the flexibility needed for personal use
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses flexible bonding agents as intermediaries between the conductive fabric and elastic substrate. These bonding agents accommodate the flexibility of the materials while providing sufficient adhesion, acting as a mediator that allows easy operation and wearability without sacrificing manufacturing precision
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional manufacturing tools are used, then the production process is simple, but the product yield and manufacturing precision are low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into distinct modular steps: cutting the elastic substrate, patterning the conductive fabric, bonding the layers, and assembling the final sensor. This segmentation maintains manufacturing simplicity through clear process steps while improving product yield by allowing quality control at each stage and reducing defects from complex operations
Data Source
AI summary
A process for manufacturing a fabric pressure sensor comprises cutting a sensing fabric to a pre-determined size, connecting a flexible electric wire with a wire of the sensing fabric by sewing, fixing the sensing fabric by means of a clamping positioner at a pre-determined tension, bonding a lower conversion layer with the sensing fabric by means of a lower conversion layer positioning box, bonding an adjustable column with the sensing fabric by means of an upper conversion layer positioning box, and bonding the upper conversion layer with the adjustable column by means of the upper conversion layer positioning box. A tool for manufacturing the sensor comprises an electrical property measuring device, a wire connecting tool, and a sensor structural component assembling tool. The present invention provides an easy and convenient way of manufacturing a fabric pressure sensor, monitoring the quality of manufacture, and enhancing the manufacturing precision and product yield.