Knit goods with moisture sensor

• US 8,171,755 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kunert Fashion GmbH & Co., KG
• Original Assignee: Kunert Fashion GmbH & Co., KG
• Inventors: Von Riedheim, Wolfgang, Franke, Claudia-Susanne, Oertel, Mike, Meier, Klaus, Jahn, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Worrell, Danny
• Application Number:
  US12/944,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20110132040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 661/69.R, 661/70, 661/71, 661/91, 661/92, 661/93, 662/02
• US Class Current: 66/177
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/16 synthetic threads
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/225 Elongated tubular articles of small diameter, e.g. coverings or reinforcements for cables or hoses
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/243 upper parts of panties; pants
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/02 Moisture-responsive characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/02431 with electronic components, e.g. sensors or switches

Abstract

A knit fabric comprising a knit base containing at least one thread of a material, said thread changing its electrical resistance under the influence of moisture, is provided with an incorporated moisture sensor that comprises at least two spaced apart electrically conductive electrodes. Rows or columns of stitches of the knit base are located between the electrodes. Each of the electrodes contains at least one electrically conductive thread that is knit together with the knit base and that is in electrical connection with electrical connecting means (16) that are accessible from the outside.

Claims

1. Knit fabric comprising a knit base containing at least one thread of a material, said thread changing its electrical properties under the influence of moisture, and comprising an incorporated moisture sensor that comprises at least two spaced apart electrically conductive electrodes, between which are located stitch rows or stitch columns of the knit base and which contain, respectively, at least one electrically conductive thread that is knitted together with the knit base and is in electrical connection with electrical connecting means that are accessible from the outside;

and wherein at least two electrodes extend in a comb-like manner, said electrodes having a first part extending in the stitch column direction and second parts extending therefrom in the stitch row direction, with at least one electrically conductive thread being knitted into said first and second parts; and

the second parts of the two electrodes are arranged so as to mesh with each other.

2. Knit fabric as in claim 1, wherein the first part of the electrode that extends in the stitch column direction is at least in parts formed by stitches, in which stitches an electrically conductive thread is incorporated by knitting and which are connected with each other.

3. Knit fabric as in claim 2, wherein individual thread pieces of an electrically conductive thread are knitted into the stitches of at least one stitch column of the electrode part extending in the stitch column direction, and the thread pieces of adjacent stitches in the stitch assembly are in electrical contact with each other.

4. Knit fabric as in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive thread is plated—

at least in the region of the respective electrode—

to a base thread of the knit base.

5. Knit fabric as in claim 1, wherein the electrodes, at least partially, contain stitches into which the electrically conductive thread has been knitted and which are combined with the knit base by intarsia technique.

6. Knit fabric as in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive thread is positioned floating over at least one stitch in the stitch column direction or in the stitch row direction.

7. Knit fabric as in claim 1, wherein said knit fabric is part of a garment.

8. Knit fabric as in claim 7, wherein the garment is a pair of pants in which the knit fabric with the incorporated moisture sensor is provided in the crotch region.

9. Knit fabric as in claim 8, wherein, in the crotch region, the knit fabric with the incorporated moisture sensor is covered, at least on one side, by a moisture-permeable textile material.

10. Knit fabric as in claim 1, wherein the electrical connecting means comprise electrical lines connected with the electrically conductive threads of the electrodes.

15. Knit fabric as in claim 10, wherein the electrical line is connected with the respective electrode by means of a hook-and-loop fastener.

11. Knit fabric comprising a knit base containing at least one thread of a material, said thread changing its electrical properties under the influence of moisture, and comprising an incorporated moisture sensor that comprises at least two spaced apart electrically conductive electrodes, between which are located stitch rows or stitch columns of the knit base and which contain, respectively, at least one electrically conductive thread that is knitted together with the knit base and is in electrical connection with electrical connecting means that are accessible from the outside;

and wherein the electrical connecting means comprise electrical lines connected with the electrically conductive threads of the electrodes and an electrical line contains a flexible, electrically conductive yarn around which an electrically insulating yarn is knit.

12. Knit fabric as in claim 11, wherein at least two lines, respectively, consisting of an electrically conductive yarn and its knit sheath of electrically insulating yarn forming a bendable multi-lead textile cable, are enclosed together in a protective knit sheath.

13. Knit fabric as in claim 11, wherein the electrical line is sewn to the respective electrode.

14. Knit fabric as in claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive yarn of the electrical line is knotted to the electrically conductive thread of the respective electrode.

16. Knit fabric comprising a knit base containing at least one thread of a material, said thread changing its electrical properties under the influence of moisture, and comprising an incorporated moisture sensor that comprises at least two spaced apart electrically conductive electrodes, between which are located stitch rows or stitch columns of the knit base and which contain, respectively, at least one electrically conductive thread that is knitted together with the knit base and is in electrical connection with electrical connecting means that are accessible from the outside;

and wherein the electrodes contain, as the electrically conductive thread, at least one electrically conductive textile yarn, said yarn being led as the electrical connecting means out of the knit fabric and being sheathed by a knit electrically insulating yarn in the region located outside the knit fabric.