Functional Leather Glove Sandwich Structure for Capacitive Touch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Leather gloves are unable to operate capacitive devices due to their insulating nature, and existing solutions like conductive yarns or chemical treatments suffer from wear, tear, reduced tactility, and limited color options, while chemically treated leathers have poor mechanical properties and visual quality.
Innovation Solution
A functional leather product with a sandwich structure of split leather layers, incorporating a conductive sheet between two split leather layers, ensuring even thickness and maintaining the appearance and mechanical integrity of the glove.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conductive yarn is sewn through the glove shell, then capacitive device operation is enabled, but thermal insulation property deteriorates and tactility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive intermediate layer is introduced between the user's skin and the capacitive device, eliminating the need to compromise the glove's insulating layers. This intermediate layer serves as a mediator that provides capacitive functionality while allowing the glove's thermal insulation structure to remain intact.
Solution Approach 2:
The glove is divided into functionally distinct layers: insulating layers for thermal protection and a separate conductive layer for capacitive interaction. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other, with the conductive layer being thin enough not to significantly impact thermal insulation.
2Ease of operation
If chemical mixtures are impregnated throughout the leather cross-section, then capacitive function is achieved, but mechanical strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Conductivity is localized to a specific intermediate layer rather than being distributed throughout the entire leather cross-section. This localized approach provides sufficient capacitive function while preserving the mechanical strength of the bulk leather material, which remains structurally intact.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated conductive intermediate layer acts as a mediator between the insulating leather and the capacitive device. This separates the capacitive function from the structural leather material, allowing the leather to maintain its mechanical integrity while the thin conductive layer provides the necessary electrical properties.
3Temperature
If the glove shell is made thicker to improve insulation, then thermal protection is enhanced, but capacitive device operation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The glove structure is segmented into thick insulating layers for thermal protection and a separate thin conductive layer for capacitive interaction. This segmentation allows the insulating layers to be sufficiently thick for thermal protection while the conductive layer remains thin enough to effectively interact with capacitive devices.
Solution Approach 2:
A thin conductive intermediate layer is positioned between the thick insulating leather and the capacitive device. This intermediate layer overcomes the limitation of thick insulation by providing a direct capacitive interface, allowing thermal protection and capacitive operation to coexist effectively.
4Ease of operation
If conductive particulate is used to enable touchscreen operation, then capacitive function is achieved, but color options and visual quality are limited
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive intermediate layer serves as a mediator that provides capacitive functionality without needing to be integrated into the visible leather surface. This allows the leather to be dyed or finished with any color or aesthetic treatment without the conductive additives interfering with color options or visual quality.
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 solution enables reliable operation of capacitive devices without altering the glove's thickness or appearance, while maintaining durability and color options, and can be produced with various leather types, offering enhanced protection and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a conductive sheet between two split leather layers
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a functional leather product, preferably for a glove or a shell of a glove having a capacitive, near field communication enabling perceptible and/or protective function, and a method for producing said leather product. The leather product comprises leather in form of a cut piece comprising at least in part a sandwich structure of at least two layers, wherein said sandwich structure comprises a first layer, which comprises an upper split leather obtained by at least partially splitting said cut piece of leather parallel to its upper surface at a predetermined cross-sectional depth of maximum about 4.95 mm, preferably 2.5 mm and a second layer comprising a functional layer, wherein the functional layer is attached at least in part to the first layer.