Wearable transmission device

• US 6,727,197 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Offray Specialty Narrow Fabrics, Inc., Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated), USA As Represented By The Secretary of The Army
• Original Assignee: Foster-Miller Incorporated (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Farrell, Brian, Winterhalter, Carole A., Wilson, Patricia, Teverovsky, Justyna, Covel, Richard A., Horowitz, Wendy B., Tierney, Edward Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Juska, Cheryl A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, JENNA LEIGH
• Application Number:
  US09/715,496
• Time in Patent Office: 1,257 Days
• Field of Search: 174/117.F, 174/117.R, 174/117.M, 87/5, 87/8, 87/9, 87/13, 428/101, 428/189, 428/190, 428/222, 442/301
• US Class Current: 442/301
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/14 Other fabrics or articles characterised primarily by the use of particular thread materials
• CPC Class Codes: D04C 1/02 made from particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2101/20 Metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2211/04 Silk
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/021 aromatic polyamides, e.g. aramides
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/063 high strength
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/18 including electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/20 optical
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0311 Small thickness fabric, e.g. ribbons, tapes or straps
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/00 Wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/04 Outerwear; Protective garments
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/042 Headwear
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2503/06 Bed linen
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2505/18 Outdoor fabrics, e.g. tents, tarpaulins D10B2507/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/041 Constructional details G06K19/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24025 : Superposed movable attached layers or components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24752 : Laterally noncoextensive components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2476 : Fabric, cloth or textile component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249922 : Embodying intertwined or helical component[s]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3976 : Including strand which is stated to have specific attributes [e.g., heat or fire resistance, chemical or solvent resistance, high absorption for aqueous composition, water solubility, heat shrinkability, etc.]

Abstract

A knitted, woven, or braided textile ribbon including fibers and having a length and selvage edges and one or more transmission elements running the length of the ribbon in place of one or more of the fibers and integrated with the fibers to transmit data and/or power along the length of the ribbon.

Claims

1. A data or power transmission device comprising:

a plurality of textile fibers;

one or more-shielded data and/or power transmission elements each having a length delimited by two ends integrated with the textile fibers; and

a flat single layer ribbon having a length and two selvage edges parallel to its length and two ends that delimit its length, the ribbon constructed from knitting, weaving or braiding of the textile fibers and the one or more data and/or power transmission elements.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the one or more transmission elements are separated by non-conductive textile fibers and/or non-conductive transmission elements.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the plurality of textile fibers and/or transmission elements are conductive.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the transmission device is a data bus and there are at least two transmission elements insulated from each other by the fibers.

5. The device of claim 4 in which the data bus is a universal serial bus and includes four transmission elements insulated from each other by the fibers.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the data bus is a fire wire bus and includes either four or six transmission elements insulated from each other by the other fibers.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the transmission elements are selected from the group consisting of solid wire, tinsel wire, conductive fibers, polymeric fibers coated or doped with a conductive material, optical fibers, and combinations of the same.

8. The device of claim 4 in which the data bus is a coaxial cable.

9. The device of claim 1 in which each transmission element is bare, insulated, or shielded, or both insulated and shielded.

10. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is knitted and includes wales and courses of overlapping fibers and transmission elements.

11. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more warp fibers but not the weft fibers.

12. The device in claim 1 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more weft fibers but not the warp fibers.

13. The device in claim 1 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more warp fibers and one or more weft fibers.

14. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is braided including axial fibers and bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more axial fibers but not the bias fibers.

15. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is braided including bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more bias fibers.

16. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is braided including axial and bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more axial and bias fibers.

17. The device of claim 1 in which the fibers are grouped together in the form of yarns.

18. The device of claim 1 in which the fibers are natural or synthetic fibers.

19. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is narrow woven.

20. The device of claim 19 in which the narrow woven ribbon has more than one face.

21. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon is knitted and includes more than one face.

22. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon forms an antenna.

23. The device of claim 1 in which the ribbon forms a power bus.

24. A wearable data or power transmission system comprising:

a garment;

a first subsystem;

a second subsystem; and

a knitted, woven, or braided textile ribbon having a length which extends between the first and second subsystems, the ribbon including;

fibers,

selvage edges, and

one or more transmission elements running the length of the ribbon in place of one or more of the fibers, each transmission element connectable on one end to the first subsystem and connectable on the other end to the second subsystem to establish a data or power transmission link between the first and second subsystems,

the first subsystem attached at one location on the garment, the second subsystem attached at a second location, and the ribbon attached to the garment to extend between the first and second subsystems.

25. The system of claim 24 in which the first subsystem and the second subsystem are selected from the group consisting of power sources, electrical devices, electronic systems, electronic devices, optical devices and sensors, and combinations of the same.

26. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon forms a data bus between the first and second subsystems.

27. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon forms an antenna.

28. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon forms a power bus.

29. The system of claim 24 in which the one or more transmission elements are separated by non-conductive fibers.

30. The system of claim 24 in which a plurality of the fibers are conductive.

31. The system of claim 24 wherein the ribbon forms a data bus and there are at least two transmission elements insulated from each other by the fibers.

32. The system of claim 31 in which the data bus is a universal serial bus and includes four transmission elements insulated from each other by the fibers.

33. The system of claim 31 in which the data bus is a fire wire bus.

34. The system of claim 31 in which the data bus is a coaxial cable and includes one transmission element and shielding.

35. The system of claim 24 in which the transmission elements are selected from the group consisting of solid wire, tinsel wire, conductive fibers, polymeric fibers coated or doped with a conductive material, optical fibers, and combinations of the same.

36. The system of claim 24 in which each transmission element is bare, insulated, or shielded, or both insulated and shielded.

37. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is knitted and includes wales and courses of overlapping fibers and transmission elements.

38. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more warp fibers but not the weft fibers.

39. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more weft fibers but not the warp fibers.

40. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more weft fibers and one or more warp fibers.

41. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is braided including axial fibers and bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more axial fibers but not the bias fibers.

42. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is braided including bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more bias fibers.

43. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is braided including bias and axial fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more axial and bias fibers.

44. The system of claim 24 in which the fibers are grouped together in the form of yarns.

45. The system of claim 24 in which the fibers are natural or synthetic fibers.

46. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is narrow woven.

47. The system of claim 46 in which the narrow woven ribbon has more than one face.

48. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is knitted and includes more than one face.

49. The system of claim 24 in which the ribbon is removably attached to the garment via releasable fasteners so that the ribbon is transferable between garments.

50. A data or power transmission system comprising:

a textile article;

a first subsystem;

a second subsystem; and

a knitted, woven, or braided textile ribbon having a length which extends between the first and second subsystems, the ribbon including;

fibers,

selvage edges, and

one or more transmission elements running the length of the ribbon in place of one or more of the fibers, each transmission element connectable on one end to the first subsystem and connectable on the other end to the second subsystem to establish a data or power transmission link between the first and second subsystems,

the first subsystem attached at one location on the textile article, the second subsystem attached at a second location, and the ribbon attached to the textile article to extend between the first and second subsystems.

51. The system of claim 50 in which the first subsystem and the second subsystem are selected from the group consisting of power sources, electrical devices, electronic systems, electronic devices, optical devices and sensors, and combinations of the same.

52. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon forms a data bus between the first and second subsystems.

53. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon forms an antenna.

54. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon forms a power bus.

55. The system of claim 50 in which the one or more transmission elements are separated by non-conductive fibers.

56. The system of claim 50 in which a plurality of the fibers are conductive.

57. The system of claim 50 wherein the ribbon forms a data bus and there are at least two transmission elements insulated from each other by the fibers.

58. The system of claim 57 in which the data bus is a universal serial bus and includes four transmission elements insulated from each other by the fibers.

59. The system of claim 57 in which the data bus is a fire wire bus.

60. The system of claim 57 in which the data bus is a coaxial cable and includes one transmission element and shielding.

61. The system of claim 50 in which the transmission elements are selected from the group consisting of solid wire, tinsel wire, conductive fibers, polymeric fibers coated or doped with a conductive material, optical fibers, and combinations of the same.

62. The system of claim 50 in which each transmission element is bare, insulated, or shielded, or both insulated and shielded.

63. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is knitted and includes wales and courses of overlapping fibers and transmission elements.

64. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more warp fibers but not the weft fibers.

65. The system in claim 50 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more weft fibers but not the warp fibers.

66. The system in claim 50 in which the ribbon is woven including weft and warp fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more weft fibers and one or more warp fibers.

67. system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is braided including axial fibers and bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more axial fibers but not the bias fibers.

68. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is braided including bias fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more bias fibers.

69. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is braided including bias and axial fibers and the transmission elements replace one or more axial and bias fibers.

70. The system of claim 50 in which the fibers are grouped together in the form of yarns.

71. The system of claim 50 in which the fibers are natural or synthetic fibers.

72. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is narrow woven.

73. The system of claim 72 in which the narrow woven ribbon has more than one face.

74. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is knitted and includes more than one face.

75. The system of claim 50 in which the ribbon is removably attached to the textile article via releasable fasteners so that the ribbon is transferable between textile articles.

76. A method of making a wearable data or power transmission device, the method comprising:

knitting, weaving or braiding a plurality of textile fibers and one or more shielded data and/or power transmission elements into a flat, long and narrow ribbon having two selvage edges; and

cutting the flat ribbon into lengths to produce multiple data or power transmission devices.