Conductive yarn structure for interactive textiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876229-B2
Application number	US-201715799208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2017
Priority date	Mar 9, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

This document describes conductive yarn structures for interactive textiles. The conductive yarn structures of the interactive textile include a conductive core that includes at least one conductive filament and a cover layer that may be constructed from flexible threads that covers the conductive core. In one embodiment, the conductive core includes a plurality of conductive filaments. Each conductive filament can be made from a metallic composition containing copper and silver. Silver can be contained in the metallic composition in an amount from 0.5% by weight to 40% by weight. Each conductive filament can include an insulating sheath made from a polyurethane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conductive yarn configured to be integrated into an interactive textile, the conductive yarn comprising:
a conductive core comprising a plurality of conductive filaments, wherein each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments is made from a metallic material comprising an alloy of copper and silver, wherein there is more copper than silver in each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments; and
an outer cover layer surrounding the conductive core comprising the plurality of conductive filaments.

2. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conductive core contains from 8 to 18 conductive filaments.

3. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the metallic material used to make the conductive filament comprises the copper and silver alloy only containing copper and silver.

4. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments are made from the metallic material.

5. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments comprises an insulating sheath surrounding such conductive filament.

6. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 5 , wherein the insulating sheath comprises a polymer layer that forms a tubular structure around such conductive filament.

7. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 6 , wherein the polymer layer comprises a polyurethane polymer.

8. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the metallic material used to make the conductive filament contains from 1% by weight to 40% by weight silver.

9. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the metallic material used to make the conductive filament contains from 8% by weight to 15% by weight silver.

10. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein silver is present in the copper and silver alloy in an amount from 10% to 14% by weight.

11. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments has a diameter of from 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm.

12. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein a filament diameter is between 0.12 mm and 0.01 mm.

13. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conductive yarn is made from 8 to 18 conductive filaments.

14. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the outer cover layer comprises flexible threads braided around the conductive core.

15. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 14 , wherein the flexible threads comprise silk threads, polyester threads, cotton threads, wool threads, or nylon threads.

16. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 14 , wherein the flexible threads comprise pre-shrunk polyester threads.

17. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the cover layer is made from preshrunk threads, the preshrunk threads, having a size of between 100 denier and 20 denier.

18. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 , wherein the conductive core comprises less than ten twists per meter.

19. An interactive textile integrated with a flexible object, the interactive textile comprising a plurality of conductive yarns woven into the interactive textile to form a capacitive touch sensor, the conductive yarns comprising the conductive yarn as defined in claim 1 ; and
a textile controller coupled to the capacitive touch sensor, the textile controller configured to detect touch-input to the capacitive touch sensor when an object touches the capacitive touch sensor, and process the touch-input to provide touch data useable to control a computing device or an application at the computing device.

20. An interactive textile as defined in claim 19 , wherein a gesture manager is implemented with the computing device.

21. An interactive object comprising a conductive yarn configured to be integrated into an interactive textile, the conductive yarn comprising:
a conductive core comprising from a plurality of conductive filaments, each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments is made from a metallic material comprising an alloy of copper and silver, wherein there is more copper than silver in each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments; and
an outer cover layer surrounding the conductive core, the cover layer comprising flexible threads braided around the conductive core comprising the plurality of conductive filaments.

22. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 21 , wherein the conductive core contains from 10 to 14 conductive filaments.

23. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 21 , wherein each conductive filament has a diameter of from 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm.

24. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 21 , wherein the metallic material used to make each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments contains from 8% by weight to 15% by weight silver.

25. A conductive yarn as defined in claim 21 , wherein each conductive filament of the plurality of conductive filaments is surrounded by a polymeric insulating layer.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Fukuhara Shiho

Classifications

• D03D15/37

  with specific cross-section or surface shape · CPC title

• D03D1/0088

  Fabrics having an electronic function · CPC title

• D03D15/258

  Noble metal · CPC title

• D10B2331/10

  polyurethanes · CPC title

• D02G3/12

  Threads containing metallic filaments or strips · CPC title