Fabric interconnect

• US 20070093134A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Marmaropoulos, George, Vu, Giang, Jack Kyriakos, Mama
• Granted Patent: US 7,476,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/607.17
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/002 adapted to accommodate electronic equipment patients' garments for medical monitoring A41D13/1281; luminous ornaments A41D27/085
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 27/205 Pockets adapted to receive a mobile phone or other electronic equipment
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2203/0085 Layered switches integrated into garment, clothes or textile
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/00 Coupling devices specially adapted for supporting apparatus and having one part acting as a holder providing support and electrical connection via a counterpart which is structurally associated with the apparatus, e.g. lamp holders; Separate parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/58 characterised by the form or material of the contacting members H01R4/01 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a fabric interconnect comprising a portion of a garment manufactured to contain a seamless tube-like elastic chamber to enable insertion of an electronic device having a conductive portion, wherein the chamber has a first inner surface that is substantially electrically conductive and a second inner surface that is substantially electrically non-conductive, and at least one fabric electrode coupled to the first inner surface. The electronic enclosure includes an outer casing having at least one conductive area. The electronic enclosure can be aligned in the chamber to a conducting and non-conducting position, by forcing the conducting area of the electronic enclosure to be in contact with the (conductive) first inner surface of the fabric interconnect, thereby turning the electronic device “on” and “off”. For example, by rotating the electronic device within the chamber or by pushing or pulling the electronic device to a predetermined position.

Claims

1. A fabric interconnect (10) for use to interconnect a garment (14) having fabric electrodes (30) and an electronics enclosure (12) having a conductive area (26) on its outer surface (28) that is connected to a circuit, said fabric interconnect (12) comprising:

a portion of the garment (14) including

a first inner surface (22), which is substantially electrically conductive, coupled to the fabric electrodes (30); and

a second inner surface (24) that is substantially electrically non-conductive,

wherein the first inner surface (22) and the second inner surface (24) are seamlessly manufactured to form a chamber, and wherein when the electronics enclosure (12) is inserted into the chamber in a predetermined position, causes the conductive area (26) of the electronics enclosure (12) and the first inner surface (22) to make contact and form an interconnection between the fabric electrodes (30) of the garment (14) and the circuit.

2. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein a force is applied to the chamber to position the electronics enclosure (12) to the predetermined position.

3. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein a force is applied to the electronics enclosure (12) to position the electronics enclosure (12) to the predetermined position.

4. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein the first (22) and second (24) inner surfaces are flexible.

5. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein the first and second inner surfaces are elastic.

6. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein the chamber has a tube-like shape.

7. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 3, wherein the force is a rotating force.

8. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 3, wherein the force is an insertion or retraction force between the electronics enclosure (12) and the seamless chamber.

9. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein the first inner surface (22) is a plurality of first inner surface (22), the second inner surface is a plurality of second inner surfaces (24) and each of the plurality of first inner surface (22) is aligned with one of the plurality of second inner surfaces (24).

10. The fabric interconnect (10) of claim 1, wherein the electronics enclosure is a portion of a Heart Rate Monitor.

12. The electronics enclosure (12) of claim 10, further including an indicator (102) to indicate a functionality of the electronics enclosure (12).

13. The electronics enclosure (12) of claim 10, wherein the indicator (102) is a display (102).

14. The electronics enclosure (12) of claim 10, wherein the electrically conductive area (26) is a plurality of electrically conductive areas (26), and further including a plurality of electrically non-conductive areas on the casing (28) and each of the plurality of electrically conductive areas (26) is aligned with one of the plurality of electrically non-conductive areas.

15. The electronics enclosure (12) of claim 13, wherein the functionality of the electronics enclosure (12) corresponds to a predetermined position in the seamless chamber.

16. The electronics enclosure (12) of claim 15, wherein conductive inner surface (22) of the seamless chamber is a plurality conductive inner surfaces (22), and the seamless chamber further includes a plurality of non-conductive inner surfaces (26) and each of the plurality of conductive inner surface (22) is aligned with one of the plurality of non-conductive inner surface (26).

17. The electronics enclosure (12) of claim 15, wherein the functionality of the electronics enclosure (12) corresponds to a predetermined number of conductive inner surfaces (22) of the seamless chamber in contact with predetermined number of electrically conductive areas (26) of the electronics enclosure (92).

11. An electronics enclosure (12) for use with a fabric interconnect (10) in a garment (14) having fabric electrodes (30), said electronics enclosure (12) comprising:

a casing (28) including a substantially electrically conductive area (26); and

a circuit coupled to the conductive area,

wherein the conductive area (26) is configured to be inserted into a seamless chamber of the fabric interconnect (10), in a predetermined position, and causes the conductive area of the electronics enclosure (12) and a conductive inner surface (22) of the seamless chamber of the fabric interconnect (10) to make contact and form an interconnection between the fabric electrodes (30) of the garment (14) and the circuit.