Interactive Textile Touch Sensor Fabric Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Producing touch sensors that are light, flexible, and adaptive is complicated and expensive, as conventional touch pads are non-flexible and costly to integrate into objects.
Innovation Solution
Interactive textiles with conductive thread woven into them are used to form capacitive touch sensors, allowing for the attachment of electronic components via a fabric stripping process that exposes conductive wires, enabling flexible integration into various objects without pre-designing specific connection points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional touch pads are used, then touch sensing function is achieved, but flexibility and ease of integration are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible printed circuit boards (FPC) as the substrate for the touch sensor, replacing conventional rigid touch pads. This allows the touch sensor to be bent and integrated into flexible objects while maintaining electrical connectivity and touch sensing functionality. The FPC serves as both the structural support and the electrical interconnection medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal touch sensor platform that can be integrated into various flexible objects such as clothing, bags, and furniture. The standardized FPC-based design with conductive thread interconnections allows the same touch sensor technology to be applied across different applications and objects, enhancing versatility while simplifying the integration process for each specific application.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional touch pads are used, then touch sensing function is achieved, but production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs conductive thread woven into fabric as a cost-effective alternative to expensive conventional touch pad materials. The conductive thread can be integrated during the fabric manufacturing process, reducing material costs and simplifying production. While the fabric-based touch sensor may have different durability characteristics, it provides an economical solution for flexible applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the touch sensor functionality with the fabric structure itself by weaving conductive threads into the material. This integration eliminates the need for separate rigid touch pad components and their associated mounting hardware, reducing overall production costs while maintaining flexibility. The conductive thread serves dual purposes as both structural element and electrical conductor.
3Ease of manufacture
If fabric is stripped to expose conductive wires, then electronic component attachment is enabled, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the fabric stripping action at predetermined locations during the manufacturing process before final assembly. By pre-exposing the conductive threads at specific points where electronic components need to be attached, the subsequent component mounting becomes simpler and more reliable. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time alignment and attachment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the fabric stripping process as an intermediary step that creates accessible contact points for electronic component attachment. By selectively removing fabric at specific locations, exposed conductive threads serve as intermediate connection points between the flexible fabric substrate and rigid electronic components, enabling reliable electrical connection while maintaining the overall flexible structure.
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
Enables the creation of flexible touch sensors that can be easily integrated into objects like clothing and furniture, allowing users to control remote devices through touch inputs, enhancing usability and reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
the fabric stripping process applies a laser beam to the interactive textile to ablate the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads in the window of the interactive textile
Implementation Method 2
An absorption of the laser is low to cause the laser beam to ablate the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads without ablating the conductive wire
Implementation Method 3
the fabric stripping process may apply a heating element to the interactive textile to burn or melt the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads in the window of the interactive textile
Implementation Method 4
a temperature of the heating element is configured to melt or burn the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible thread without melting or burning the conductive wire
Implementation Method 5
heat is applied to cause the electronic plates of the electronic component to connect to the exposed conductive wire
Data Source
AI summary
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for attaching electronic components to interactive textiles. In various implementations, an interactive textile that includes conductive thread woven into the interactive textile is received. The conductive thread includes a conductive wire (e.g., a copper wire) that that is twisted, braided, or wrapped with one or more flexible threads (e.g., polyester or cotton threads). A fabric stripping process is applied to the interactive textile to strip away fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads to expose the conductive wire in a window of the interactive textile. After exposing the conductive wires in the window of the interactive textile, an electronic component (e.g., a flexible circuit board) is attached to the exposed conductive wire of the conductive thread in the window of the interactive textile.