Flexible Circuit Layout for Uniform Heating in Heated Clothing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complex network of electronic wires in wearable heated clothing leads to uneven heating and discomfort due to excessive wire length and impedance, resulting in temperature differences between heating elements.
Innovation Solution
A structure featuring a flexible circuit board and a micro-control unit that reduces the number of wires by connecting multiple heating pieces to a main heating piece via a flexible circuit board, ensuring uniform current distribution and reducing wire complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heating pieces are connected to the temperature controller through separate electronic wires, then each heating piece can be controlled individually, but the quantity of wires and connection points increases, resulting in complex wiring and increased impedance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate electronic wire connections into a single flexible circuit board that distributes power to all heating pieces. The flexible circuit board acts as an integrated connection medium that consolidates multiple wire functions into one component, reducing wiring complexity while maintaining individual heating piece control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a power distribution network, a structural support element, and a flexible connection medium. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate wires for each heating piece, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the temperature controller is positioned at the left chest area, then it is closest to the left chest heating piece, but it is far from other heating pieces, requiring excessively long connection wires
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a point-to-point wire connection model to a distributed network model using a flexible circuit board. This dimensional change in connection architecture allows the controller to be positioned at the left chest while the flexible circuit board distributes power across all heating pieces through its extended surface area, effectively reducing the need for excessively long wires.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board serves as an intermediary between the temperature controller and multiple heating pieces. It receives power from the controller at the left chest position and distributes it to heating pieces across the entire garment, mediating the distance issue by providing a distributed power delivery network.
3Adaptability or versatility
If long connection wires are used to connect heating pieces, then the temperature controller can reach distant heating pieces, but the impedance of the wires increases, reducing current transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple long wire connections into a single flexible circuit board with distributed traces. This integration reduces total impedance by providing multiple parallel current paths and shorter trace lengths compared to equivalent wire connections, thereby improving current transmission efficiency while maintaining controller reach.
4Adaptability or versatility
If excessive wire length is used, then all heating pieces can be connected, but the impedance increases causing non-uniform heating and temperature differences between heating pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate wire connections into an integrated flexible circuit board that provides uniform impedance characteristics across all heating piece connections. This ensures consistent current distribution and uniform heating performance across the entire garment.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board provides homogeneous electrical characteristics to all heating piece connections through its uniform trace design and material properties. This homogeneity ensures that all heating pieces receive consistent current and heat uniformly, eliminating temperature differences caused by varying wire impedances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution achieves more uniform heating and improves user comfort by minimizing wire complexity and impedance, ensuring consistent temperature across heating elements.
Implementation Method 1
heating pieces (1) heat under control of the temperature controller (3)
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a structure for reducing a current of a wire of a temperature controller for wearable heated clothing. The structure includes a main heating piece, and a slave heating piece that are implanted in a clothing layer body. The flexible circuit board is fastened on the main heating piece. The main heating piece and the slave heating piece are electrically connected to the flexible circuit board through the electronic wire separately. Two ends of the battery wire are electrically connected to the flexible circuit board and the battery wire connector. One end of the current transmission wire is electrically connected to the flexible circuit board, and the other end of the current transmission wire is electrically connected to the micro-control unit. In a specific implementation, power is supplied to the flexible circuit board through the battery wire connector and the battery wire, and synchronously supplied to the micro-control unit, and the micro-control unit transmits the current to the flexible circuit board. After the flexible circuit board receives a current, the flexible circuit board transmits the current to the heating piece through the electronic wire or stops transmitting the current to the heating piece. According to the present disclosure, the heated clothing can be more uniformly heated. In addition, a quantity and complexity of the electronic wire are reduced, so that wearing experience of a user is improved.