Pressure activated interface

• US 20060157334A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Marmaropoulos, George, Vu, Giang, Pulford, Katharine
• Application Number:
  US10/560,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/514
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1281 with incorporated means for medical monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/00 Materials specially adapted for outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/703 characterised by spacers between contact carrying layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/0085 Layered switches integrated into garment, clothes or textile
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/01 Woven wire screen
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2211/002 Fluid or inflatable keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2229/038 Folding of flexible printed circuit

Abstract

There is provided a flexible, lightweight high-performance pressure activated interface (1) that can cooperate with a variety of different textiles as well as with any of a variety of different electronic devices/systems without compromising characteristics of the different textiles. The interface (1) having a textile construction with one or more collapsible cavities (10). The collapsible cavities (10) having one or more conductive contact areas (30) associated with one or more leads (20) and situated such that at least two of the one or more conductive contact areas (30) can electrically communicate via a mechanical interaction. The at least two of the one or more conductive contact areas (30) being elevated relative to the one or more leads (20).

Claims

1. A pressure activated interface 1, comprising:

a textile construction having one or more collapsible cavities (10) and one or more conductive contact areas (30) associated with one or more leads (20),

wherein at least two of said one or more conductive contact areas (30) are in said one or more collapsible cavities (10) and are elevated relative to said one or more leads (20).

2. The interface (1) of claim 1, wherein the at least two of said one or more conductive areas (30) in said one or more collapsible cavities (10) are biased apart.

3. The interface (1) of claim 2, wherein said bias can be overcome a mechanical interaction.

4. The interface (1) of claim 3, wherein said mechanical interaction causes said one or more collapsible cavities (10) to be collapsed and said at least two of said one or more conductive contact areas (30) to be connected or in conductive communication to close a switch (5).

5. The interface (1) of claim 4, wherein said switch (5) is cooperative with any of a variety of electronic devices and/or is incorporable in a garment or upholstery (60).

6. The interface 1 of claim 1, further comprising one or more interface graphics (25) associated with the one or more collapsible cavities (10).

7. The interface (1) of claim 1, wherein said one or more collapsible cavities (10) are fashioned a relatively rigid material.

8. The interface (1) of claim 1, wherein said one or more collapsible cavities (10) are reinforced via a support element (13).

9. The interface (1) of claim 8, wherein said support element (13) is injection molded to provide support to said one or more collapsible cavities (10).

10. The interface (1) of claim 1, wherein the interface (1) is formed using any conventional textile fabrication method.

11. The interface (1) of claim 1, wherein said one or more conductive contact areas (30) are fashioned from said one or more leads (20).

12. The interface (1) of claim 11, wherein said one or more leads (20) are integral with said one or more collapsible cavities (10).

13. The interface (1) of claim 1, further comprising one or more securing mechanisms (55) for selectively holding said one or more collapsible cavities (10) closed.

14. A method for forming a pressure activated interface (1) comprising the steps of:

fashioning a textile construction (1) having one or more user intuitive interface graphics (25) patterned thereon;

simultaneously or subsequently fashioning one or more collapsible cavities 10 with one or more conductive contact areas (30) therein; and

simultaneously or subsequently providing said one or more collapsible cavities (10) with reinforcement.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said one or more collapsible cavities (10) and said one or more conductive contact areas (30) are raised to accommodate a mechanical interaction.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said one or more conductive contact areas (30) are associated with one or more leads (20), which in turn are operatively connectable with any of a variety of electronic devices and/or systems.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of incorporating said interface (1) into a garment (60).

18. A flexible interface (1) comprising:

a textile construction with one or more collapsible cavities (10) along an edge or perimeter (17) thereof;

a conductive plane (31) in said one or more raised collapsible cavities (10); and

one or more leads (20) with one or more conductive contact areas (30) conductively cooperative with said conductive plane (31) in response to a mechanical interaction.

19. The interface (1) of claim 18, wherein said mechanical interaction causes the collapse of said collapsible cavities (10) thereby bringing said conductive plane (31) and said one or more conductive contact areas (30) into conductive communication to close a switch (5), said switch (5) being cooperative with any of a variety of electronic devices and/or is incorporable in a garment or upholstery (60).