Elastic fabric with sinusoidally disposed wires

• US 20060124193A1
• Filed: 09/26/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woven Electronics LLC (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Woven Electronics LLC (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Weeks, Bob, Beaman, Helen, Orr, Lawrence William, Lozynski, Lynn, Hammett, Katie Richards, Grandison, Gloria, Barnett, Connie
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 139/421
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6804 Garments; Clothes
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 13/00 Woven fabrics characterised by the special disposition of the warp or weft threads, e.g. with curved weft threads, with discontinuous warp threads, with diagonal warp or weft
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 13/004 with weave pattern being non-standard or providing special effects
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 15/56 elastic
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0283 Stretchable printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0281 Conductive fibers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/029 Woven fibrous reinforcement or textile textile substrates H05K1/038
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/905 Electric

Abstract

A fabric for use with a system for monitoring prescribed body functions comprising an elastic fabric, adapted to be carried by a torso, which is stretchable in its longitudinal direction so as to expand and contract in response to body movement and size. The carrier includes at least one conductive and inelastic yarn arranged longitudinally of and located between upper and lower surfaces. The conductive yarn is arranged in sinusoidal configurations longitudinally of the fabric. The conductive yarn forms a breakout through one of the outer surfaces, at selected locations along the length of the fabric, forming opposed exposed ends above the surface. A monitoring unit, which includes a connector and a sensor, is secured with the one surface at the breakout with the connector being united with the exposed ends of the conductive yarn. The fabric acts to maintain the monitoring unit in a desired stationary position allowing the sensor to sense signals emitted from the torso and transmit these senses signals.

Claims

1. An elastic multi-ply woven fabric stretchable from a retracted position into a plurality of elongated positions for use in a physiological sensing system comprising:

a plurality of upper and lower elastic warp yarns arranged in vertically spaced positions forming a plurality of longitudinally extending groups of laterally spaced warp yarns;

a plurality of picks of inelastic weft yarn, first ones of said picks weaving with said upper and lower warp yarns forming upper and lower outer surfaces of cells;

a conductive warp yarn extending longitudinally of said fabric in controlled sinusoidal configurations in each of said cells;

second ones of said picks weaving with said conductive warp yarns between said upper and lower outer surfaces positioning each said conductive yarn in a sinusoidal configuration of said controlled sinusoidal configurations;

wherein,

said fabric may be extended longitudinally by about 25% from its said retracted position into various of said elongated positions causing said controlled sinusoidal configurations of said conductive yarns to be altered consistent with the degree of said extension.

2. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said elastic warp yarns comprise a spandex core wrapped with an inelastic textured polyester cover.

3. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 2 wherein said core comprises a spandex monofilament of about 420 denier.

4. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 2 wherein said elastic wrap yarns comprises a plurality of multi-filament yarns wrapped about said core.

5. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 further including a plurality of breakout points where said conductive warp yarns are caused to extend through, over and back through one of said outer surfaces to individually form connector loops over a selected length of at least one of said outer surfaces.

6. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 5 wherein each of said connector loops are arranged in transverse rows across said at least one outer surface.

7. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 5 wherein each of said connector loops are arranged on a single of said outer surfaces.

8. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 5 wherein each of said break-out points are arranged at selected longitudinally spaced positions along said at least one outer surface.

9. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said fabric is woven in a twelve pick repeating pattern.

10. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 wherein there are at least two conductive warp yarns.

11. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 wherein a single conductive yarn is located in each of said cells.

12. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said conductive warp yarn comprises a wire filament core encased with wrapped textured synthetic yarns.

13. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 12 wherein said textured yarn comprises first and second textured synthetic yarns wound in opposite directions about said wire filament.

14. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 including a plurality of elastic edge warp yarns, said second ones of said picks weaving with said conductive warp yarns weaving also with said edge warp yarn, said second ones of said picks and said edge warp yarns acting to laterally stabilize said conductive warp yarns.

15. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 including elastic binder warp yarns, said binder warp yarns being arranged between adjacent of said cells and weaving with said plurality of picks to separate said cells longitudinally.

16. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 wherein said second ones of said picks weaving with said conductive yarns bend said conductive yarns in vertical directions creating first ones of said controlled sinusoidal configurations extending along a single plane.

17. The multi-ply woven fabric of claim 1 including elastic stuffer yarns extending longitudinally of said fabric within each of said cells, on opposite sides of each of said conductive yarns, said stuffer yarns acting to stabilize said conductive yarns.

18. A method of forming a length of multi-ply elastic fabric for use in a sensing system comprising:

causing a plurality of elastic warp yarns to be elongated along first and second vertically spaced planes in a plurality of laterally spaced positions and weaving selected picks of a plurality of picks with said selected warp yarns forming upper and lower surfaces for a plurality of cells;

causing a plurality of conductive yarns to extend along said cells between said upper and lower surfaces;

weaving selected other picks of said plurality of picks with said conductive warp yarns shaping said conductive warp yarns into controlled sinusoidal configurations within said cells; and

causing said elongated elastic warp yarns to contract reducing said fabric length, causing said sinusoidal configurations of said conductive warp yarns to assume enlarged controlled sinusoidal shapes between said upper and lower surfaces;

wherein

said upper and lower surfaces formed of said elastic warp yarns maintain said controlled sinusoidal shapes of said conductive warp yarns within said cells while said fabric is positioned in numerous extended and retracted positions.

19. The method of claim 18 including causing said conductive yarns to extend through at least one of said upper and lower surfaces at selected points longitudinally of said fabric length forming loops over said outer surface.

20. A multi-ply carrier fabric for use in a physiological sensing system comprising:

first, second and third elastic warp yarn groups each interwoven with selected ones of a plurality of picks of weft yarn through a weave pattern forming said fabric with a plurality of longitudinally extending individual cells;

said first warp yarn group weaving with first ones of said picks forming an upper layer of said cells;

said second warp yarn group, having less warp yarns than said first warp yarn group, weaving with second ones of said picks forming a lower layer of said cells;

said third warp yarn group being arranged between said first and second warp yarn groups and weaving with each said pick of said plurality of picks binding said upper and lower layers together forming said cells; and

,

an inelastic conductive yarn extending within each said cell along a sinusoidal path;

wherein

said fabric, when moved between a retracted and various extended positions, allows said conductive yarns to move between varying sinusoidal shapes while being retained within said cells.

21. The fabric of claim 20 wherein said weft yarn is inelastic.

22. The fabric of claim 20 wherein at least certain of said first warp yarns are textured providing said upper layer with a plush feel.

23. The fabric of claim 20 wherein said fabric includes break-out points at selected locations longitudinally where said conductive yarns are brought above said upper layer and float for selected distances before being returned into said cells.

24. The fabric of claim 20 wherein selected of said picks of said weft yarn weave with said conductive yarns within said cells shaping said conductive yarns into fist ones of said sinusoidal shapes.

25. The fabric of claim 24 wherein said selected of said picks float through said cells at breakout points where said conductive yarns float above said upper layer.

26. The fabric of claim 20 wherein said groups of warp yarns include at least one of spandex and rubber components.

27. The fabric of claim 20 wherein said weft yarn is synthetic.

28. The fabric of claim 20 wherein said conductive yarns comprise coated wire strands.

29. The fabric of claim 28 wherein said wire strands are 28 gauge.

30. The fabric of claim 20 including stiffer warp within each cell.

31. A system for monitoring prescribed body functions comprising:

a carrier worn over a portion of a torso, said carrier comprising a composite elastic fabric stretchable in its longitudinal direction so as to expand and contract in response to body movement and size;

said carrier including at least one conductive and inelastic yarn located between upper and lower surfaces and positioned in sinusoidal configurations longitudinally of said fabric;

a breakout of said conductive yarn through one of said upper and lower surfaces forming opposed exposed ends of said conductive yarns above said one surface;

a monitoring unit, including a connector and a sensor secured with said one surface at said breakout, said connector being united said exposed ends of said conductive yarn at said breakout;

whereby,

said fabric maintains said monitoring unit in a desired stationary position about said portion of said torso to sense signals emitted from said torso and to transmit said sensed signals.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said monitoring unit includes a PC board secured adjacent said one surface of said fabric, said PC board having exposed contacts adapted to secure with said exposed ends of said conductive yarns.

33. The system of claim 32 including an insulating pad positioned between said outer surface and said PC board.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said monitoring unit includes a mounting cap adapted to releasably support said monitor, said mounting cap having engaging members adapted to secure with said elastic fabric locking said mounting cap in position adjacent an outer surface of said elastic fabric.