Method of making a stretchable conductor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10854355-B2
Application number	US-201816621021-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Jun 12, 2017
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A stretchable conductor includes a substrate with a first major surface and an elongate wire, wherein the substrate is an elastomeric material, the elongate wire is on the first major surface of the substrate, the wire includes a first end and a second end, and further includes at least one arcuate region between the first end and the second end. At least one portion of the arcuate region of the wire in the region has a first surface area portion embedded in the surface of the substrate and a second surface area portion unembedded on the substrate and exposed in an amount sufficient to render at least an area of the substrate in the region electrically conductive. The unembedded second surface portion of the arcuate region may lie above or below a plane of the substrate. Additionally, different methods of preparing said stretchable conductor are disclosed. Composite articles including said stretchable conductor in durable electrical contact with a conductive fabric are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of making a stretchable conductor, comprising:
contacting a winding elongate wire with a surface of a release layer;
embedding a first portion of a surface area of the wire in the surface of the release layer such that a second portion of the surface area of the wire remains unembedded in the surface of the release layer, wherein the second portion of the surface area of the wire comprises about 1% to about 80% of the total surface area of the wire;
applying a layer of a liquid elastomeric precursor material onto the surface of the release layer to overlie at least part of the second portion of the surface area of the wire;
converting the layer of the liquid elastomeric precursor material into a layer of elastomeric material; and
separating the layer of elastomeric material from the release layer such that the wire separates from the release layer and the second portion of the surface area of the wire remains embedded in the layer of elastomeric material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the release layer comprises a plurality of parallel depressions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the layer of a liquid elastomeric precursor material onto the surface of the release layer to overlie the second portion of the surface area of the wire is carried out such that a third portion of the surface area of the wire remains uncovered by the liquid elastomeric precursor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
applying a precursor of a non-conductive adhesive to a conductive fabric;
contacting the second portion of the wire with at least a portion of the conductive fabric; and
applying a pressure of at least 0.55 MPa while curing the non-conductive adhesive precursor to produce a non-conductive adhesive.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Mahajan Jr Ankit
• Zhu James
• Shah Saagar A
• Pekurovsky Mikhail L
• Krishnan Vivek
• Reddy Kevin T
• Walker Jr Christopher B
• Kropp Michael A
• Meyers Kara A
• Goeddel Teresa M
• Metzler Thomas J
• Kemling Jonathan W
• Barton Roger W

Classifications

• H05K1/0283

  Stretchable printed circuits · CPC title

• H01B7/06 Primary

  Extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords · CPC title

• H05K2201/0133

  Elastomeric or compliant polymer · CPC title

• H05K3/20

  by affixing prefabricated conductor pattern {(H05K1/187, H05K3/046, H05K3/4658, H05K3/4682 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H05K3/103

  by bonding or embedding conductive wires or strips · CPC title