Attaching electronic components to interactive textiles

• US 9,693,592 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karagozler, Mustafa Emre, Poupyrev, Ivan, Robinson, Karen Elizabeth, Gong, Nan-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): STONER, KILEY SHAWN
• Application Number:
  US14/930,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/00 Materials specially adapted for outerwear
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 31/04 characterised by special function or use protective clothing affording protection against heat or harmful chemical agents or for use at high altitudes A62B17/00; composition of materials for coverings or clothing affording protection against harmful chemical agents A62D5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/0016 Brazing of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/20 Preliminary treatment of work or areas to be soldered, e.g. in respect of a galvanic coating preparation of surfaces in particular ways, see the relevant classes for the treatments or the materials treated, e.g. C04B, C23C
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/38 Fabrics, fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/361 for deburring or mechanical trimming B23K26/351 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/362 Laser etching
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/402 involving non-metallic material, e.g. isolators
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/04 Blended or other yarns or threads containing components made from different materials
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/12 Threads containing metallic filaments or strips
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/441 Yarns or threads with antistatic, conductive or radiation-shielding properties electroconductive, anti-static or radiation-shielding filaments D01F1/09, D01F1/106; anti-static fabrics D03D15/533; conducting, insulating or anti-static layers for floor coverings D06N7/0042
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/01 Natural vegetable fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2201/02 Cotton
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2211/04 Silk
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/04 polyesters, e.g. polyethylene terephthalate [PET]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

This document describes techniques and apparatuses for attaching electronic components to interactive textiles. In various implementations, an interactive textile that includes conductive thread woven into the interactive textile is received. The conductive thread includes a conductive wire (e.g., a copper wire) that that is twisted, braided, or wrapped with one or more flexible threads (e.g., polyester or cotton threads). A fabric stripping process is applied to the interactive textile to strip away fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads to expose the conductive wire in a window of the interactive textile. After exposing the conductive wires in the window of the interactive textile, an electronic component (e.g., a flexible circuit board) is attached to the exposed conductive wire of the conductive thread in the window of the interactive textile.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a laser;

a hot plate;

at least a memory and a processor to implement a controller, the controller configured to;

control machinery to position an interactive textile proximate the laser, the interactive textile comprising conductive threads woven into the interactive textile, each conductive thread comprising one or more flexible threads and a conductive wire;

control the laser to apply a laser beam to the interactive textile to ablate both fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads of the conductive threads, without ablating the conductive wires, thereby opening up a window in the interactive textile in which the conductive wires are exposed;

position an electronic component over the exposed conductive wires in the window of the interactive textile such that electronic plates of the electronic component are aligned with the exposed conductive wires; and

control the hot plate to apply heat to the electronic component to cause the electronic plates of the electronic component to connect to the exposed conductive wires.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein an absorption of the laser is selected to cause the laser beam to ablate the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads without ablating the conductive wires.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic plates of the electronic component are prepped with solder, and wherein the controller is configured to control the hot plate to apply heat to the electronic component to cause the solder to melt and connect to the exposed conductive wires.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

position connection tape over the exposed conductive wires in the window of the interactive textile, the connection tape configured with electrical pads pre-tinned with solder and with a heat-activated adhesive; and

wherein the controller is configured to control the hot plate to apply heat to the electronic component to cause the solder to melt and connect to the exposed conductive wire and to cause the heat-activated adhesive to form a mechanical connection between the exposed conductive wires and the electronic component.

5. A system comprising:

a heating element;

a hot plate;

at least a memory and a processor to implement a controller, the controller configured to;

control machinery to position an interactive textile proximate the hot plate, the interactive textile comprising conductive threads woven into the interactive textile, each conductive thread comprising one or more flexible threads and a conductive wire;

control the heating element to burn or melt both fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads of the conductive threads, without burning or melting the conductive wires, thereby opening up a window in the interactive textile in which the conductive wires are exposed;

position an electronic component over the exposed conductive wires in the window of the interactive textile such that electronic plates of the electronic component are aligned with the exposed conductive wires; and

control the hot plate to apply heat to the electronic component to cause the electronic plates of the electronic component to connect to the exposed conductive wires.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a temperature of the heating element is configured to melt or burn the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible thread without melting or burning the conductive wire.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the electronic plates of the electronic component are prepped with solder, and wherein the controller is configured to control the hot plate to apply heat to the electronic component to cause the solder to melt and connect to the exposed conductive wires.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

position connection tape over the exposed conductive wires in the window of the interactive textile, the connection tape configured with electrical pads pre-tinned with solder and with a heat-activated adhesive; and

wherein the controller is configured to control the hot plate to apply heat to the electronic component to cause the solder to melt and connect to the exposed conductive wire and to cause the heat-activated adhesive to form a mechanical connection between the exposed conductive wires and the electronic component.