Flexible Substrate With Non-Linear Elastic Layer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional flexible substrates face challenges in achieving sufficient stretchability, preventing breakage or disconnection due to stress concentration, maintaining extended states, and ensuring high stretchability without compromising wiring integrity, especially in wearable devices where accurate sensing is required.
Innovation Solution
A flexible substrate design featuring a wiring layer with non-stretchable portions and stretchable strips connected by a non-linear elastic layer that exhibits a low elastic modulus at initial extension and a higher modulus beyond a predetermined value, preventing plastic deformation and maintaining stretchability while avoiding breakage or disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible substrate uses a serpentine structure to achieve stretchability, then the substrate can be extended, but the wiring layer may undergo plastic deformation or breakage due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the non-linear elastic properties of the sheet material. The sheet exhibits a first elastic modulus at low extension levels that allows easy stretching, and a second elastic modulus at high extension levels that prevents excessive deformation. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling stretchability while automatically limiting extension to protect wiring integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the sheet with non-stretchable portions and stretchable strips having different mechanical properties. The sheet serves as a non-stretchable portion that provides structural support, while the stretchable strips provide controlled deformation capability. This composite structure allows the substrate to stretch without causing wiring breakage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible substrate is designed with high stretchability, then the substrate can accommodate body movement, but the substrate may maintain an extended state and fail to return to its original shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes through the non-linear elastic behavior of the sheet. The elastic modulus transitions from a first value at low extension to a second value at high extension, creating a restoring force that becomes stronger as extension increases. This ensures the substrate returns to its original shape after deformation, resolving the shape recovery issue while maintaining stretchability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible substrate uses conventional stretchable structures, then the substrate can be extended, but stress concentration occurs leading to breakage or disconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the non-linear elastic properties of the sheet material. The sheet exhibits a first elastic modulus at low extension levels that allows easy stretching, and a second elastic modulus at high extension levels that prevents excessive deformation. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling stretchability while automatically limiting extension to protect wiring integrity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a flexible substrate uses a non-linear elastic layer with low elastic modulus, then the substrate achieves high stretchability, but the substrate lacks sufficient strength to prevent deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by utilizing the non-linear elastic properties of the sheet material. The sheet exhibits a first elastic modulus at low extension levels that allows easy stretching, and a second elastic modulus at high extension levels that prevents excessive deformation. This dynamic parameter change resolves the contradiction by enabling stretchability while automatically limiting extension to protect wiring integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the sheet with non-stretchable portions and stretchable strips having different mechanical properties. The sheet serves as a non-stretchable portion that provides structural support, while the stretchable strips provide controlled deformation capability. This composite structure allows the substrate to stretch without causing wiring breakage.
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
The substrate achieves high stretchability while preventing plastic deformation and breakage, ensuring reliable operation even after extension, and maintaining accurate sensing capabilities in wearable devices.
Implementation Method 1
a non-linear elastic layer that has a first elastic modulus when an amount of extension of the stretchable flexible substrate is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and has a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus when the amount of extension of the stretchable flexible substrate exceeds the predetermined value
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible substrate is provided with: a stretchable sheet; a member located on the sheet; and a stretchable strip connected to the member, and located on the sheet. When the amount of extension of the sheet is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the sheet has a first elastic modulus, and when the amount of extension of the sheet exceeds the predetermined value, the sheet has a second elastic modulus that is greater than the first elastic modulus and greater than the elastic modulus of the strip.