CONFORMAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120199056A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John L. Volakis, Lanlin Zhang, Yakup Bayram, Zheyu Wang
• Original Assignee: John L. Volakis, Lanlin Zhang, Yakup Bayram, Zheyu Wang
• Inventors: Volakis, John L., Bayram, Yakup, Zhang, Lanlin, Wang, Zheyu
• Application Number:
  US13/354,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20120199056A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 112/475.08
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 23/00 Sewing apparatus or machines not otherwise provided for for making zip closures A44B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: D05D 2303/40 Electronic or electrical components

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a conformal electronic device includes securing an electrically-conductive fiber to a fabric or substrate using an assistant thread.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a conformal electronic device, comprising:

providing an electrically-conductive fiber in proximity to a first surface of a substrate; and

sewing an assistant thread through the first surface, around the electrically conductive-fiber, and back through the first surface to secure the electrically-conductive fiber to the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon-based polymer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the silicon-based polymer is a polysiloxane or a polysilsesquioxane.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the polysiloxane is polydimethylsiloxane.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the substrate further comprises a ceramic material dispersed in the silicon-based polymer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ceramic material comprises a titanate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the titanate is a rare earth titanate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive fiber comprises one or more electrically-conductive threads;

and wherein each of said one or more electrically-conductive threads comprises a core and a conductive shell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the conductive shell comprises a conductive material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes and metals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, and nickel.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the core comprises an aramid fiber or an oxazole.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the sewing is performed in a predetermined pattern using a digitized sewing machine.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is pre-stretched prior to sewing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the conformal electronic device further comprises a fabric layer between the substrate and the electrically-conductive fiber.

15. A method for manufacturing a conformal electronic device, comprising:

providing an electrically-conductive fiber in proximity to a first surface of a fabric; and

sewing an assistant thread through the first surface, around the electrically conductive-fiber, and back through the first surface to secure the electrically-conductive fiber to the fabric to form an embroidered fabric.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

securing the embroidered fabric to a substrate.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the substrate comprises a silicon-based polymer matrix and a ceramic material dispersed within the silicon-based polymer matrix.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrically-conductive fiber comprises one or more electrically-conductive threads;

and wherein each of the one or more electrically-conductive threads comprises a core and an electrically-conductive shell.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrically-conductive shell comprises a conductive material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes and metals.

20. A method for manufacturing a conformal electronic device, comprising:

providing a predetermined digital pattern to a sewing machine; and

embroidering the pattern onto a first surface of a substrate with an electrically-conductive fiber using an assistant thread from the sewing machine;

wherein the embroidering is performed by

(a) providing a portion of the electrically-conductive fiber in proximity to a pattern section of the first surface of the substrate;

(b) sewing the assistant thread from a second surface of the substrate through the first surface, around the portion of the electrically-conductive fiber, and back through the first surface to secure the portion of the electrically-conductive fiber to the pattern section of the substrate; and

(c) repeating elements (a) and (b) for different portions of the electrically-conductive fiber and different pattern sections of the first surface of the substrate until the pattern is complete.