Method for connecting conductive fabric to wire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11114776-B2
Application number	US-201916717011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2019
Priority date	Jan 9, 2019
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

Various implementations include a method of connecting wire to conductive fabric. The method includes (1) providing a conductive fabric having a main portion and a protrusion extending along a protrusion central axis from the main portion, the protrusion having a distal edge spaced apart from the main portion along the central axis and side edges that extend between the main portion and the distal edge; (2) placing a wire along at least a portion of the protrusion, the wire having a first end and a second end opposite the first end; (3) folding the distal edge of the protrusion over the wire one or more times to form a folded portion of the protrusion; and (4) after folding the distal edge, securing the folded portion of the protrusion with a securing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of connecting wire to conductive fabric, the method comprising:
providing a conductive fabric having a main portion and a protrusion extending from the main portion and at least partially along a protrusion central axis, the protrusion having a distal edge spaced apart from the main portion and side edges that extend between the main portion and the distal edge;
placing a wire along at least a portion of the protrusion, the wire having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
folding the distal edge of the protrusion one or more times to form a folded portion of the protrusion such that the protrusion is folded over the wire; and
after folding the distal edge, securing the folded portion of the protrusion with a securing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the securing device is one of a tie, a heat shrink material, or both.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wire is placed along at least a portion of the protrusion such that a first end of the wire is adjacent the distal edge of the protrusion.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rotating the folded portion of the protrusion 90° after folding the distal edge.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after placing the wire along at least a portion of the protrusion, bending the wire to form a first wire bend, the wire having a first portion that extends between the first end to the first wire bend, wherein the protrusion has a first surface and a second surface, and the first portion is disposed adjacent the first surface of the protrusion, another portion of the wire is adjacent the second surface of the protrusion, and the first portion is disposed transverse to the protrusion central axis.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein bending the wire to form the first wire bend occurs after folding the protrusion over the wire.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before placing the wire along at least a portion of the protrusion, bending the wire to form a first wire bend, the wire having a first portion that extends between the first end to the first wire bend, wherein the protrusion has a first surface and a second surface, and the first portion is disposed adjacent the first surface of the protrusion, another portion of the wire is adjacent the second surface of the protrusion, and the first portion is disposed transverse to the protrusion central axis.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising after folding the distal edge, bending the wire to form a second wire bend, the wire having a second portion that extends from the second wire bend to the second end.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising folding the side edges of the protrusion toward each other prior to folding the distal edge of the protrusion.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising folding the side edges of the protrusion toward each other prior to securing the folded portion of the protrusion with the securing device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wire extends along an axis that is between 0° and 90° relative to the protrusion central axis prior to folding the distal edge of the protrusion, and the wire is folded with the protrusion during the folding of the distal edge of the protrusion.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising after folding the distal edge and the wire, bending the wire to form a first wire bend, and wherein the securing device secures the folded portion and at least a portion of the wire between the first wire bend and the second end.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising folding the side edges of the protrusion toward each other prior to securing the folded portion of the protrusion with the securing device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising folding the side edges of the protrusion toward each other prior to placing the wire along at least a portion of the protrusion.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive fabric comprises silver plated, knitted nylon mesh.

16. The method of claim 2 , wherein the tie is a metal terminal splice, a ferrule, a zip tie, a string, tape, or an overstitch.

17. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heat shrink material has a shrink ratio of X:1, wherein X is 2 or greater.

18. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heat shrink material has an inside surface and includes an adhesive liner disposed on the inside surface.

19. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heat shrink material is single wall heat shrink material.

20. The method of claim 2 , wherein the heat shrink material is double wall heat shrink material.

Assignees

• Joyson Safety Systems Acquisition Llc

Inventors

• Van'Tzelfde Dwayne

Classifications

• H01R4/726

  Making a non-soldered electrical connection simultaneously with the heat shrinking · CPC title

• H01R4/28

  Clamped connections, spring connections (made by means of terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits H01R12/00) · CPC title

• H01R4/62 Primary

  Connections between conductors of different materials; Connections between or with aluminium or steel-core aluminium conductors (H01R4/68 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R4/72 Primary

  using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve · CPC title