Attaching Electronic Components to Interactive Textiles

• US 20170232538A1
• Filed: 05/03/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Karen Elizabeth, Karagozler, Mustafa Emre, Poupyrev, Ivan, Gong, Nan-Wei
• Granted Patent: US 10,155,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: 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 method for attaching an electronic component to an interactive textile, the method comprising:

receiving an interactive textile that includes conductive threads woven into the interactive textile, each conductive thread comprising one or more flexible threads and a conductive wire;

stripping away fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads of the conductive threads to open up a window in the interactive textile in which the conductive wires are exposed; and

attaching an electronic component to the exposed conductive wires of the conductive thread in the window of the interactive textile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stripping away the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads of the conductive threads comprises applying a laser beam to the interactive textile to ablate the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads to open up the window in the interactive textile.

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

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the stripping away the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads of the conductive threads comprises applying a heating element to the interactive textile to burn or melt the fabric of the interactive textile and the flexible threads to open up the window in the interactive textile.

5. The method of claim 4, 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.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the heating element comprises a hot bar.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the attaching the electronic component further comprises:

aligning electronic plates of the electronic component with the exposed conductive wire; and

applying heat to cause the electronic plates of the electronic component to connect to the exposed conductive wire.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic plates of the electronic component are prepped with solder, and wherein the applying heat causes the solder to melt and connect to the exposed conductive wires.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

connecting connection tape to 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 applying heat causes the solder to melt and connect to the exposed conductive wire and causes the heat-activated adhesive to form a mechanical connection between the exposed conductive wires and the electronic component.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic component comprises a flexible circuit board.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive wire comprises a copper wire.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible thread comprises polyester thread, cotton thread, or silk thread.