Digital garment using knitting technology and fabricating method thereof

• US 8,116,898 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GAIA Healthcare, Inc.
• Original Assignee: korea institute of industrial technology
• Inventors: Chung, Gi Soo, Lee, Dae Hoon, An, Jae Sang
• Primary Examiner(s): DURHAM, NATHAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/919,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 700/141, 661/71, 662/02, 290/2
• US Class Current: 700/141
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02431 with electronic components, e.g. sensors or switches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/905 Electric

Abstract

A digital garment and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The digital garment is fabricated using a knitting technique. The digital garment comprises a plurality of knitting yarns forming loops at regular intervals and interwoven through the loops, and one or more conductive digital yarns tied to the loops of the knitting yarns to form high-speed information communication circuits. The knitting yarns and the digital yarns are knitted together into a garment. During knitting, the digital yarns are used to form high-speed information communication circuits in a rapid and economical manner.

Claims

1. A digital garment comprising

a plurality of knitting yarns forming loops at regular intervals and interwoven through the loops, and

one or more digital yarns woven with the knitting yarns and through which a current flows,

wherein the knitting yarns and the digital yarns are knitted together into a garment,

wherein each of the digital yarns comprises at least one metal line positioned at the center of the cross section thereof to provide a communication path, and a coating layer being formed of a waterproof material and surrounding the metal line to shield electromagnetic waves,

wherein the coating layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and perfluroalkoxy (PFA), and

wherein the coating layer is surrounded by a plurality of cover yarns that are made of the same material as the knitting yarns, and the plurality of cover yarns are parallel to the length direction of the coating layer.

2. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the digital yarns are woven in the horizontal or vertical direction with respect to the loops of the knitting yarns.

3. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the digital yarns form loops at regular intervals and the loops of the digital yarns are tied to the loops of the knitting yarns.

4. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the digital yarns form loops at regular intervals and the loops of the digital yarns are tied to loops of other digital yarns.

5. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the digital yarns are knitted in a wave-like pattern with the knitting yarns or another digital yarn.

6. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the knitting yarns and the digital yarns are knitted into a mesh stitch, a cable stitch, a rib stitch, a plain stitch or a combination thereof.

7. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the digital garment comprises a body portion and arm portions disposed opposite to each other at both sides of the body portion, the body portion and the arm portions being integrally knitted without any seams, and the digital yarns being woven with the knitting yarns from one of the arm portions to the other arm portion via the body portion.

8. The digital garment of claim 7, wherein the digital yarns are knitted with the knitting yarns in the horizontal or vertical direction with respect to the body portion.

9. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein a device selected from soft touch pads, electric screens, sensors, wireless communication modules, computing devices and electric modules is electrically connected to each end of the digital yarns.

10. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein the knitting yarns are single-ply yarns or multiple-ply yarns.

11. The digital garment of claim 1, wherein voids are formed in spaces between the at least on metal line and the coating layer wherein the coating layer is a hollow tube-shaped structure.

12. A method for fabricating a digital garment, the method comprising:

selecting a particular garment design from a plurality of predetermined garment designs;

selecting a particular circuit design from a plurality of predetermined circuit designs;

knitting a plurality of knitting yarns so as to conform to the selected garment design and knitting one or more digital yarns to form circuits corresponding to the selected circuit design between the knitting yarns;

stitching the knitted fabric to fabricate a garment; and

electrically connecting electronic devices to the circuits of the digital yarns in the garment,

wherein each of the digital yarns comprises at least one metal line positioned at the center of the cross section thereof to provide a communication path, and a coating layer being formed of a waterproof material and surrounding the metal line to shield electromagnetic waves,

wherein the coating layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and perfluroalkoxy (PFA), and

wherein the coating layer is surrounded by a plurality of cover yarns that are made of the same material as the knitting yarns, and the plurality of cover yarns are parallel to the length direction of the coating layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein in the garment design selection step, a coat garment design is selected in which a body portion and arm portions are disposed opposite to each other at both sides of the body portion;

and in the knitting step, the knitting yarns and the digital yarns are knitted without any seams between the body portion and the arm portions, and the digital yarns are integrally knitted from one of the arm portions to the other arm.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the garment design selection step, the circuit design selection step and the knitting step are carried out using a knitting machine, the knitting machine comprising an input unit for selecting a garment design, a circuit design and a knitting program, a control unit for loading the garment design, the circuit design and the knitting program from a memory in response to input signals of the input unit to process the loaded data, an actuator mechanically operating in response to control signals of the control unit, and a cam operated by the actuator.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein in the knitting step, the circuits are formed by knitting the digital yarns in the horizontal or vertical direction with respect to the garment.