Seam Jump Connector for Textile Interconnects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Providing reliable electrical connectivity across irregular areas, such as seams, in flexible electronic textiles is challenging due to the discontinuity of conductive interconnects, which affects the durability and flexibility of wearable electronics.
Innovation Solution
A seam jump connector with a flexible and/or stretchable substrate having conductive interconnects is used to bridge the irregular area, aligning and stacking over existing conductive interconnects on either side of the seam to form an electrical connection, which can be permanently or removably attached to the textile base structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conductive interconnects are made continuous across seams in textile, then electrical connectivity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive interconnect system is divided into separate segments on each textile piece, with each segment ending at the seam. The seam jump connector acts as an independent bridging element that connects these segments, allowing each component to be manufactured separately and assembled together, thus maintaining electrical connectivity without requiring a single continuous complex interconnect structure
Solution Approach 2:
The seam jump connector serves as an intermediary element that bridges the gap created by the seam between two textile pieces. It provides the necessary electrical connection across the discontinuity without requiring the main textile interconnects to extend directly across the seam, thereby simplifying the overall interconnect design while ensuring reliable electrical connectivity
2Strength
If seam jump connector is permanently attached to textile base structure, then mechanical integrity is improved, but ease of repair and component replacement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism of the seam jump connector is designed to be dynamic rather than fixed, allowing it to adapt between providing strong mechanical attachment during normal use and enabling easy detachment when repair or replacement is needed. This could involve reversible bonding mechanisms, snap-fit connections, or other dynamic attachment methods that provide strength when engaged but allow controlled disengagement
3Ease of manufacture
If conductive interconnects are positioned directly on textile surface, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability across irregular areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The seam jump connector acts as an intermediary component that bridges the reliability gap created by positioning conductive interconnects directly on the textile surface across seams. It provides a dedicated connection path that overcomes the irregularities and discontinuities inherent in direct surface mounting across seam joints
Data Source
AI summary
A seam jump connector provides connectivity over an irregular area, such as seam, in a textile. The textile is part of a textile base structure that includes one or more electrically conductive interconnects formed either directly on the textile or on intermediate substrates that are attached to the textile. The intermediate substrates can be TPU sheets having conductive interconnects printed on a surface. The conductive interconnects of the textile base structure are discontinuous at an irregular area on the textile, and the seam jump connector includes a flexible and/or stretchable substrate with conductive interconnects. The seam jump connector is aligned with and stacked onto the conductive interconnects so as to provide electrical connectivity across the irregular area. The seam jump connectors can be configured to be permanently or removably attached to the textile base structure.