SELF-HEALING ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION PATHS

• US 20100122832A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Mission Systems LLC (Mercury Systems, Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Physical Optics Corporation
• Inventors: Forrester, Thomas, Jannson, Tomasz, Pradhan, Ranjit, Bukshpun, Leonid, Lee, Kang S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,063,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 174/110.R
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector

Abstract

Self-healing electrical garments and self-healing electrical conductors and components for use in electrical garments are provided. A communication medium of various forms is integrated into a garment seam that is used to join two or more portions of a garment. The communication media can be used to provide electrical or other electromagnetic connection for coupling among a plurality of electrical devices associated with the garment. The self-healing electrical conductor may be used as part of a garment portion or may be used as a joining fiber in a variety of techniques to join garment portions together. The self-healing electrical conductor comprises an electrical conductor, a conductive polymer immediately surrounding or adjacent to the electrical conductor, an insulator enclosing the electrical conductor and the conductive polymer.

Claims

1. A self-healing conductor, comprising:

an electrical conductor;

a conductive polymer immediately surrounding the electrical conductor; and

an insulator enclosing the electrical conductor and the conductive polymer.

2. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor is comprised of a conducting material.

3. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor is comprised of a semi-conducting material.

4. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer is self-curing.

5. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer increases in viscosity upon exposure to air.

14. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor, conductive polymer, and curing agent are adjacent to one another but not concentric.

15. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor, conductive polymer, and curing agent are disposed in at least one channel adjacent to the electrical conductor.

18. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer viscosity is selected based on the distance between the conductive polymer and the electrical conductor.

19. The self-healing conductor of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer contains carbon nanotubes.

6. A self-healing conductor, comprising:

an electrical conductor;

a conductive polymer immediately surrounding the electrical conductor;

a curing agent surrounding the conductive polymer; and

an insulator enclosing the electrical conductor and the conductive polymer.

7. The self-healing conductor of claim 6, wherein the electrical conductor is ring-shaped.

8. The self-healing conductor of claim 6, wherein the conductive polymer is disposed in the center of the ring-shaped conductor.

9. The self-healing conductor of claim 6, wherein the conductive polymer is contained in containers distributed within the curing agent.

10. The self-healing conductor of claim 7, wherein the conductive polymer and curing agent are disposed within the ring-shaped conductor.

11. The self-healing conductor of claim 7, wherein the curing agent is disposed within the ring conductor and the conductive polymer is contained within containers distributed within the curing agent.

12. The self-healing conductor of claim 6, wherein the conductive polymer is ring-shaped.

13. The self-healing conductor of claim 12, wherein the ring-shaped conductive polymer contains containers of the curing agent.

16. The self-healing conductor of claim 6, wherein the electrical conductor, conductive polymer, and curing agent are adjacent to one another but not concentric.

17. The self-healing conductor of claim 6, wherein the electrical conductor, conductive polymer, and curing agent are disposed in at least one channel adjacent to the electrical conductor.

20. An electrical garment comprising:

at least one garment portion; and

a self-healing conductor configured as a fiber used to join at least one garment portion.

21. The electrical garment of claim 20, wherein the self-healing conductor is sewn into the electrical garment to create an electrical effect.

22. An electrical garment comprising;

at least one garment portion, wherein the garment portion incorporates self-healing conductors;

redundant communication paths configured as parallel communication paths between at least two nodes on the garment portion; and

fusable links to connect a selected one or more of the redundant communication paths.

23. The electrical garment of claim 22, wherein at least one fusable link connects a selected one or more of the redundant communication paths.