Woven Fabric Substrate Protecting Functional Yarns

Solution Overview

Problem

Incorporating functional yarns with electronic components into textile fabrics often results in damage due to differential stiffness and brittleness, leading to issues like kinking and breakage during the weaving process, which renders the functional yarns non-functional.

Innovation Solution

A fabric substrate design featuring two layers of yarns where the second layer has similar compressive and flexural strength to the functional yarns, acting as a reinforcing layer to prevent damage and maintain dimensional stability, thereby protecting the functional yarns from kinking or breakage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If functional yarns with electronic components are incorporated into textile fabrics, then the fabric gains added functionality (light emission, power generation, wireless communication), but the functional yarns are damaged due to differential stiffness and brittleness during weaving, leading to kinking and breakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadded functionalityVSAvoidfunctional yarn integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a specialized support structure specifically for functional yarns within the fabric. The support yarns are strategically positioned adjacent to functional yarns in the same knit course, providing localized mechanical support where needed during the knitting process, while other parts of the fabric maintain their conventional structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses support yarns as intermediary elements between the functional yarns and the rest of the fabric structure. These support yarns absorb the mechanical stress and deformation during knitting, acting as a buffer that protects the fragile functional yarns from direct damage while still allowing the functional yarns to be incorporated into the fabric.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If conventional textile yarns are used in the fabric, then the fabric maintains normal cover, comfort, and aesthetics, but the functional yarns suffer from differential shrinkage and unwanted textures when incorporated into the same fabric

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefabric comfort and aestheticsVSAvoidfabric dimensional stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a specialized support structure specifically for functional yarns within the fabric. The support yarns are strategically positioned adjacent to functional yarns in the same knit course, providing localized mechanical support where needed during the knitting process, while other parts of the fabric maintain their conventional structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the support structure by using support yarns with specific elastic properties that match or exceed the functional yarns. This parameter matching ensures that the support yarns and functional yarns deform uniformly during knitting, eliminating differential shrinkage and unwanted textures while maintaining overall fabric comfort and aesthetics.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If functional yarns with increased stiffness or brittleness are used to achieve their functional advantage, then the functional performance is enhanced, but the functional yarns become susceptible to kinking, bending, and breakage during the weaving or knitting process

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctional performanceVSAvoidresistance to kinking and breakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a specialized support structure specifically for functional yarns within the fabric. The support yarns are strategically positioned adjacent to functional yarns in the same knit course, providing localized mechanical support where needed during the knitting process, while other parts of the fabric maintain their conventional structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by incorporating support yarns into the fabric structure prior to the knitting process. These support yarns are positioned in advance to provide protective cushioning to the functional yarns during the subsequent knitting operation, preventing kinking and breakage before they can occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS11326280B2Woven fabric substrate for prevention of structural damage to functional yarns contained therein

Publication Date: 2022.05.10 INMAN MILLS

AI summary

A fabric substrate material is provided. The fabric substrate includes at least a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes a first plurality of non-functional fill yarns and at least one functional fill yarn, and the second layer includes a second plurality of fill yarns. The second plurality of fill yarns and the at least one functional fill yarn exhibit substantially the same compressive strength, compressive resistance, or flexural strength. As such, the functional fill yarn in the first layer is protected from shrinkage or expansion and remains undamaged and functional after the fabric substrate is woven and subsequently handled or processed. The aforementioned practice of reinforcement described in the fill direction of the second layer can also be applied in the warp yarn direction, using the same principles described herein.