Stretchable Electrical Connector for Textile Conductive Yarns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for electrically connecting conductive threads in textiles suffer from poor mechanical strength and reliability, especially in elastic or stretchable fabrics, leading to damage upon stretching and compromising the textile's properties and appearance.
Innovation Solution
The use of a textile fabric with offset contact pads and stretchable interconnections between conductive threads, supported by a patterned metal layer and flexible layer, which provides mechanical robustness and maintains textile flexibility, and an encapsulation layer for protection against external influences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If soldering or welding is used to connect conductive threads at crossover points, then electrical connection is achieved, but mechanical strength and reliability are limited and connections may be damaged when fabric is stretched
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection is divided into multiple segments: contact pads that attach to conductive threads, stretchable interconnections that bridge the pads, and an encapsulation layer that protects the structure. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in one function, with the stretchable interconnection specifically designed to handle mechanical deformation while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs flexible and stretchable materials throughout the connection structure, including elastic substrates for the contact pads, stretchable interconnection elements that can deform with fabric stretching, and flexible encapsulation layers. These flexible components maintain electrical connectivity during mechanical deformation, resolving the contradiction between mechanical strength and reliability.
2Reliability
If epoxy resin is deposited on connection to add mechanical and electrical protection, then mechanical reliability improves, but textile properties such as stretchability are locally affected and visual appearance is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of rigid epoxy resin, the patent uses flexible and stretchable encapsulation layers that conform to the underlying connection structure. These thin film encapsulations provide mechanical and electrical protection while maintaining fabric stretchability and visual appearance, as they can deform with the fabric without cracking or creating visible defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation material properties are changed from rigid (epoxy) to flexible and stretchable, allowing the protection layer to adapt to fabric deformation. This parameter change enables the encapsulation to provide protection while maintaining textile properties like stretchability and aesthetics.
Data Source
AI summary
A textile fabric containing a first electrically conductive thread and a second electrically conductive thread is disclosed. In one aspect, the first electrically conductive thread and the second electrically conductive thread cross at a first crossover point, wherein the textile fabric further contains an electrical connector establishing an electrical connection between the first electrically conductive thread and the second electrically conductive thread. The electrical connector contains a first contact pad in electrical contact with the first electrically conductive thread, a second contact pad in electrical contact with the second electrically conductive thread, and a first stretchable electrical interconnection connecting the first contact pad with the second contact pad. The first contact pad and the second contact pad are provided at a location different from the location of the first crossover point. Methods for electrically interconnecting crossing electrically conductive threads of textile fabrics are also disclosed.