Electrical conductor element

• US 20070056493A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Peratech Limited
• Original Assignee: Eleksen Limited (Peratech Limited)
• Inventors: Burkitt, John, Walkington, Stuart
• Application Number:
  US11/517,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20070056493A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 112/429
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/20 All layers being fibrous or filamentary
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/205 Metallic coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/24 Organic non-macromolecular coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/206 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/546 Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/08 PCBs, i.e. printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/02 characterised by structural features of a fibrous or filamentary layer layer formed of metallic wires B32B15/02; layer formed of natural mineral fibres B32B19/02; layer formed of wood fibres B32B21/02
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/08 the fibres or filaments of a layer being of different substances , e.g. conjugate fibres, mixture of different fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/025 Electric or magnetic properties
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/03 with respect to the orientation of features direction of fibres or filaments B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0221 Arrangements for reducing keyboard size for transport or storage, e.g. foldable keyboards, keyboards with collapsible keys G06F3/0216 takes precedence; for keyboards integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/1666
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/143 provisions for avoiding the contact actuation when the elongated strip is bended
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/01 Woven wire screen
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/052 : reductible in size, e.g. for transportation
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/141 : Cushion or mat switches

Abstract

A position sensor is shown for detecting the position of a mechanical interaction. The sensor includes a first conductive fabric layer having electrically conductive fibres incorporated therein to allow conduction in a first direction. The first conductive fabric layer has a first electrical conductor element a and a second electrical conductor element positioned at opposite ends of a first conductive path extending in a first direction. The first and second electrical conductor elements each comprise a length of electrically conductive thread machined to form a conductive track of stitches that extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second electrical conductor elements do not intersect.

Claims

1. A position sensor for detecting the position of a mechanical interaction, including:

a first conductive fabric layer having electrically conductive fibres incorporated therein to allow conduction in a first direction, the first conductive fabric layer having a first electrical conductor element and a second electrical conductor element positioned at opposed ends of a first conductive path extending in the first direction;

said first electrical conductor element and said second electrical conductor element each comprising a length of electrically conductive thread machined to form a conductive track of stitches that extends in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction with a zigzag stitch pattern, and

the first and second electrical conductor elements do not intersect.

2. A position sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second conductive fabric layer having electrically conductive fibres incorporated therein to allow conduction in the second direction, the second conductive fabric layer having a third electrical conductor element and a fourth electrical conductor element positioned at opposed ends of a second conductive path extending in the second direction;

electrically insulating separating means disposed between the first conductive fabric layer and the second conductive fabric layer to separate the two conductive fabric layers when no pressure is applied to the sensor and to allow electrical conduction between the two conductive fabric layers under the application of pressure,

the third and fourth electrical conductor elements each comprise a length of electrically conductive thread machined to form a conductive track of stitches that extends in the first direction substantially perpendicular to the second direction, and

the third and fourth electrical conductor elements do not intersect; and

the first and second electrical conductor elements do not overlap the third and fourth electrical conductor elements.

3. A position sensor according to claim 1 comprising a conductive track of stitches in which the electrically conductive thread is constructed from silver plated nylon or carbon coated nylon.

4. A flexible fabric conductor element comprising:

a layer of electrically conductive fabric having electrically conductive fibres incorporated therein to allow conduction in a first direction,

the layer of electrically conductive fabric having a length of conductive thread machined therein to form a conductive track of zigzag stitches along the layer of electrically conductive fabric, the conductive track of stitches extending in a second different direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

5. A flexible fabric conductor element according to claim 4 comprising a conductive track of stitches in which the electrically conductive thread is constructed from silver plated nylon or carbon coated nylon.

8. A flexible fabric conductor element according to claim 5 comprising a conductive track of stitches in which the electrically conductive thread is stitched in accordance with a zigzag stitch pattern.

6. A flexible fabric conductor element comprising:

a layer of electrically non-conductive fabric having a length of conductive thread machined therein to form a zigzag conductive track of stitches along the layer of fabric.

7. A flexible fabric conductor element according to claim 6 comprising a conductive track of stitches in which the electrically conductive thread is constructed from silver plated nylon or carbon coated nylon.

9. A flexible fabric conductor element according to claim 6 comprising a conductive track of stitches in which the electrically conductive thread is stitched in accordance with a zigzag stitch pattern.

10. A flexible fabric conductor element according to claim 7 comprising a conductive track of stitches in which the electrically conductive thread is stitched in accordance with a zigzag stitch pattern.