Method for making fabric-based, adhesively mounted printed circuit for upholstered seats and the like

• US 6,395,121 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1999
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chartpak, Inc. (The AZEK Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Chartpak, Inc. (The AZEK Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: De Bastiani, Norman P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Deborah
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEIN, STEPHEN J
• Application Number:
  US09/362,849
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 428/209,343,346,347,349,901 442/64,65,66,67,110,149,150 297/217.2,217.3,218.1 174/257,259 156/250,251,277,256,269,278
• US Class Current: 156/250
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/126 for chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/72 Adaptations for incorporating lamps, radio sets, bars, telephones, ventilation, heating or cooling arrangements or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/002 Seats provided with an occupancy detection means mounted therein or thereon detection means responsive to presence or absence of children B60N2/266
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/0025 by using weight measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2230/10 Wired data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2400/263 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2433/00 Presence of (meth)acrylic polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/21 Paper; Textile fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/038 Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0145 Polyester, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET], polyethylene naphthalate [PEN]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0278 Polymeric fibers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/029 Woven fibrous reinforcement or textile
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0278 Flat pressure, e.g. for connecting terminals with anisotropic conductive adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/066 Transfer laminating of insulating material, e.g. resist as a whole layer, not as a pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0058 Laminating printed circuit boards onto other substrates, e.g. metallic substrates H05K1/0281 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1084 of continuous or running length bonded web

Abstract

A flexible printed circuit, sometimes referred to as a flexible membrane circuit, is screen printed onto one surface of a tightly woven polyester or nylon taffeta fabric. The opposite side of the fabric is coated with a long life pressure sensitive adhesive, protected until use by a suitable release sheet, or coated with a long life heat activated adhesive also protected with a suitable release sheet. The adhesive side of the fabric is applied to the underside of upholstery fabric, for example, the underside of an automobile seat. This provides an economical and functionally effective means of providing complex circuitry for sensing the presence of a person on the seat and/or detecting the weight of such person, etc. Significant savings are realized over conventional circuit-forming techniques.

Claims

1. The method of making a flexible printed circuit structure for use in connection with upholstered seats, which comprises

(a) furnishing a circuit substrate formed of lightly woven, thin fabric having top and bottom surfaces,

(b) applying adhesive to one of said surfaces,

(c) screen printing the other of said surfaces with multiple repeats of a desired electrical circuit pattern,

(d) die cutting said circuit substrate into multiple sectional areas each including a complete individual repeat of said desired circuit pattern,

(e) providing a flexible and distortable upholstery material, and

(f) adhesively bonding individual ones of said die cut sectional areas to a surface of said upholstery material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

(a) said thin fabric is provided in a thickness of about 0.003 inch.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein

(a) said adhesive comprises a long life acrylic based pressure sensitive adhesive or a long life heat activated adhesive.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

(a) said pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to a thickness of about 0.0015 inches to 0.002 inches.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein

(a) a protective layer is applied over said electrical circuit pattern.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein

(a) said protective layer is selectively screen printed over substantially only the pattern of the printed circuit.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein

(a) said heat activated adhesive is thermally actuated for adhesive bonding of said cut sectional areas to said upholstery material.