Elastically stretchable fabric force sensor arrays and methods of making
First Claim
1. A force sensing transducer for measuring force exerted thereon, said transducer comprising:
- a. an elongated, elastically stretchable, electrically conductive row thread,b. an elongated, elastically stretchable electrically conductive column thread,c. the elastic stretchability of at least one of said row and column conductive threads being at least as great as one percent, andd. a piezoresistive material located between and in electrically conductive contact with said row and column threads.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Force or pressure transducer arrays have elastically stretchable electrically conductive polymer threads disposed in parallel rows and columns that contact at intersections thereof a piezoresistive material which has an electrical resistivity which varies inversely with pressure or force exerted thereon to form a matrix array of force or pressure sensor elements. The threads are fixed to a single one or pair of flexible elastically stretchable substrate sheets made of thin sheets of an insulating polymer such as PVC, or for greater elasticity and conformability to irregularly-shaped objects such as human body parts, an elastically stretchable fabric such as LYCRA or SPANDEX. Elastic stretchability of the sensor arrays is optionally enhanced by disposing either or both row and column conductive threads in sinuously curved, serpentine paths rather than straight lines.
291 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A force sensing transducer for measuring force exerted thereon, said transducer comprising:
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a. an elongated, elastically stretchable, electrically conductive row thread, b. an elongated, elastically stretchable electrically conductive column thread, c. the elastic stretchability of at least one of said row and column conductive threads being at least as great as one percent, and d. a piezoresistive material located between and in electrically conductive contact with said row and column threads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A force sensing transducer for measuring force exerted thereon, said transducer comprising:
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an elongated, elastically stretchable, electrically conductive row thread; an elongated, elastically stretchable electrically conductive column thread, at least one of said row and column conductive threads having an elastic stretchability at least as great as about one percent, at least one of said row and column conductive threads also having a polymer core on which is formed an electrically conductive coating; and a piezoresistive material located between and in electrically conductive contact with said row and column threads, said piezoresistive material being defined as a piezoresistive coating formed on said electrically conductive coating.
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28. A force sensing transducer for measuring force exerted thereon, said transducer comprising:
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an elongated, elastically stretchable, electrically conductive row thread; an elongated, elastically stretchable electrically conductive column thread, at least one of said row and column conductive threads having an elastic stretchability at least as great as about one percent, at least one of said row and column conductive threads also having a polymer core; and a piezoresistive material located between and in electrically conductive contact with said row and column threads, said piezoresistive material being defined as a piezoresistive coating formed on said polymer core.
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29. A force sensing transducer array for measuring forces exerted on spatially separated parts thereof, said transducer array comprising:
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a. a plurality of m elongated elastically stretchable electrically conductive row threads which are spatially separated from one another, b. plurality n of elongated elastically stretchable electrically conductive column threads which are spatially separated from one another, c. the elastic stretchability of at least one of said row and column conductive threads being at least as great as one percent, and d. a piezoresistive material located between and in electrically conductive contact with said row and column conductive threads to thus form at p=m×
n intersections thereof a plurality of p sensor elements. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A force sensing transducer array for measuring forces exerted on spatially separated parts thereof, said transducer array comprising:
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a plurality of elongated elastically stretchable electrically conductive row threads which are spatially separated from one another, said electrically conductive row threads each including a polymer core onto which is formed an electrically conductive coating; a plurality of elongated elastically stretchable electrically conductive column threads which are spatially separated from one another, said electrically conductive column threads each including a polymer core onto which is formed an electrically conductive coating; and a piezoresistive material contained in an elastically deformable coating on at least one of the electrically conductive coatings of at least one of the plurality of row and column conductive threads, wherein said plurality of row and column conductive threads define a plurality of sensors at a plurality of intersections of the row and column conductive threads. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification