CA2989783A1 - Smart fabric and method of manufacturing smart fabric articles - Google Patents

Abstract

A smart fabric comprising a plurality of warp strands oriented in a warp direction, wherein at least one strand of the plurality of warp strands is a flexible conductive warp strand, one or more weft strands oriented in a weft direction intersecting the warp direction, the one or more weft strands interwoven with the plurality of warp strands so as to form a flexible fabric, the flexible fabric including at least one conductive section oriented in the weft direction and intersecting the plurality of warp strands so as to divide the flexible fabric into at least two conductive panels, wherein each conductive strand conducts energy between the at least one conductive section and the at least one conductive warp strand, and wherein the one or more weft strands forming the at least two conductive panels are non-conductive. A method of manufacturing smart articles from the smart fabric is also provided.

Description

SMART FABRIC AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SMART FABRIC ARTICLES
Technical Field This disclosure relates to fabrics for incorporating heating or electrical functionality into articles made from such fabrics; in particular, this disclosure relates to so-called smart fabrics which may be tailored to a specific size or shape without losing heat or electrical conductivity throughout the fabric and methods for manufacturing articles utilizing such smart fabrics.
Background Smart fabrics or textiles are fabrics which have electronic components integrated into the fabric.
Such electronic components may include actuators, sensors, electrical circuits, controllers and human interface elements, amongst others.
The increased functionality provided by smart fabrics usually requires the conducting of energy, such as heat energy or electrical current, conducted through strands woven, knitted, or otherwise incorporated into the smart fabric. For example, smart fabrics may be designed to incorporate sensors, electronics, actuators, and other technologies which allow the article to be functionally modified, by changing the characteristics of the article itself. Just by way of example, without intending to be limiting, smart articles may be provided with sensors and/or controls for monitoring and/or controlling the temperature of the article. In other applications, smart articles may be integrated with technology which enables the measurement of biometrics of a person who is wearing the smart article. For example, biometrics including heart rate, body temperature, and the measurement of the article user's movements or locomotion, as well as monitors for detecting sleep patterns, may all be integrated into the smart article for the purpose of providing the user of the article with useful information about the functioning of their bodies.
In still other instances, smart articles may be designed to automatically adapt to a particular use or environment. For example, researches are creating actuators which may be woven into a smart article or smart fabric which enables for the controllable compression or expansion of the fabric. Such fabrics may be used for example in the medical field, where variable or controllable compression of the fabric is used to treat vascular diseases or to aid in recovery after surgery, or in other applications, may be used to enhance the performance of an athlete by selectively applying increased or decreased compression to various muscles, veins and arteries as the athlete is moving.
One issue presented by the integration of electronics, sensors, and actuators into smart articles or smart fabrics is the need to provide electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity or other conductivity through the smart fabric which is integrated into an article. For example, if sensors or electronic controls are utilized in a smart article, there must be some way of maintaining electrical conductivity from one part of the article to the other part of the article. Furthermore, actuating the functionality of the smart fabric itself may require that conductivity is maintained throughout the smart fabric.
However, for smart articles which are made partially or wholly from smart fabrics, the challenge becomes how to manufacture such articles in a cost effective manner. To the applicant's knowledge, the manufacture of smart articles to incorporate such technologies presently involves the manufacture of smart fabrics to a particular specification for a given article. That is, cutting a smart fabric into portions or panels which will then be sewn together or otherwise incorporated into an article remains a challenge because the energy, such as heat or electrical energy, being conducted throughout the smart fabric is usually conducted through conductive strands incorporated into the fabric, and so cutting the fabric may result in severing the conductive strands which are conducting the energy throughout the smart fabric. Thus, there is a need for an improved smart fabric which may be manufactured in bolts or sheets, and then subsequently cut or otherwise tailored so as to form smaller panels or portions which may be incorporated into a smart article.
Summary In one aspect, an improved smart fabric is disclosed whereby the problem of needing to cut a larger bolt or sheet of smart fabric into smaller portions without eliminating the conductivity between the conductive strands of the smart fabric is solved by providing a smart fabric comprising one or more conductive strands oriented in a warp direction of the fabric, and one or more conductive sections intersecting each of the one or more conductive strands, the conductive sections running in a weft direction, wherein the conductive sections are in conductive communication with the conductive strands. Advantageously, such a configuration for a smart fabric enables the smart fabric to be cut or sectioned along the conductive section, or parallel to the conductive section, without severing the conductivity between the conductive strands, as the conductive strands remain in conductive

2 communication with the conductive sections remaining in the panel or portion of smart fabric severed from the larger sheet or bolt of smart fabric.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a smart fabric comprises a plurality of warp strands oriented in a warp direction, wherein at least one strand of the plurality of warp strands is a flexible conductive warp strand. The one or more weft strands are oriented in a weft direction intersecting the warp direction, and are interwoven with the plurality of warp strands so as to form a flexible fabric, the flexible fabric including at least one conductive section oriented in the weft direction and intersecting the plurality of warp strands so as to divide the flexible fabric into at least two conductive panels. Each conductive strand conducts energy between the at least one conductive section and the at least one conductive warp strand, and the one or more weft strands forming the at least two conductive panels are non-conductive.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, the at least one conductive warp strand is selected from a group comprising: nylon actuators, silver coated nylon actuators, metal coated nylon actuators, electrical conductors, thermal conductors, metal wires, silver coated nylon strands, metal coated nylon strands. In another aspect, the at least one conductive section comprises a flexible conductor. The at least one conductive section may comprise a conductive weft strand interwoven with the plurality of warp strands. The conductive weft strand may comprise a silver coated nylon strand.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, each conductive section of the at least one conductive section further comprises a heat insulating layer, the heat insulating layer covering at least a portion of the at least one conductive section.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, the conductive warp strand may be configured to conduct energy selected from a group comprising: heat energy, electricity. In another aspect, each conductive warp strand may comprise at least two silver coated nylon actuators so as to create a selectively compressible flexible fabric.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a smart fabric article includes the steps of: obtaining a smart fabric such as the smart fabric described above; and separating a first conductive panel of the at least two conductive panels from the flexible fabric; wherein the first conductive panel includes at least one conductive section. In another aspect, the method may include the further step of conductively connecting the first conductive panel to a second conductive panel of the flexible fabric by connecting the at least one conductive section of the first conductive panel to a

3 conductive section of the second conductive panel. In another aspect, wherein the conductive warp strand is configured to conduct electricity, the method may include the further step of providing an electronic controller in electronic communication with the at least one conductive section of the first conductive panel, the electronic controller configured to control at least one characteristic of the conductive warp strand. In another aspect, the at least one characteristic may be selected from a group comprising: strain, temperature, length, potential difference, amplitude of the electrical current.
In another aspect, the method of manufacturing a smart article may include the further step of providing one or more sensors in conductive communication with at least one conductive section, and/or one or more sensors may be provided in conductive communication with at least one conductive section and in electronic communication with the electronic controller. The one or more sensors may be configured to detect a characteristic selected from a group comprising:
temperature of the article, temperature of the conductive strand, strain of the conductive strand, temperature of a surface adjacent the sensor, heart rate of a person wearing the article.
In another aspect, the method of manufacturing a smart article may further include the steps of:
attaching at least the first conductive panel to a portion of a garment; and connecting an energy supply to the at least one conductive section of the first conductive panel, wherein the energy supply is configured to transmit energy through the first conductive panel.
Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a top profile view of an embodiment of a smart fabric in accordance with the present disclosure.
Figure 2 is a top profile view of a panel of the smart fabric illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top profile view of a panel of the smart fabric illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a top profile view of an embodiment of a smart fabric in accordance with the present .. disclosure.
Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the smart fabric of Figure 4, taken along line 5-5.
Figure 6A is a front profile view of a jacket incorporating an embodiment of a smart fabric in accordance with the present disclosure.
Figure 6B is a rear profile view of the jacket illustrated in Figure 6A.

4 Detailed Description With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a bolt or sheet of smart fabric 10, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, may comprise a plurality of warp strands 12 interwoven with one or more weft strands 20. The plurality of warp strands 12 may be generally oriented in a warp direction .. X, and are interwoven, knitted or otherwise connected together by the one or more weft strands 20, the one or more weft strands 20 being generally oriented in a weft direction Y, as best viewed in Figure 1.
For clarity, in Figure 1, a portion of the one or more weft strands is not shown in the illustration, and furthermore, the distance between each strand of the plurality of warp strands 12 and the distance between each row of the one or more weft strands 20 are exaggerated. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the smart fabrics disclosed herein may be manufactured to various different thread counts, as may be required for a particular smart fabric application.
The plurality of warp strands 12 includes at least one conductive strand 14.
For example, as seen in Figure 1, the plurality of warp strands 12 may include any number of conductive strands 14, such as the five conductive strands 14a through 14e illustrated therein. The conductive strands 14 are configured to conduct energy, such as for example electrical energy or heat energy, and the conductive strands may be considered to function as the conductors which are carrying electrical signals throughout the smart fabric 10, but may also serve other functions.
For example, without intending to be limiting, the conductive strands 14 may include nylon actuators which may typically be used in artificial muscle technology, which nylon actuators comprise tightly coiled nylon strands, the actuators changing length so as to become longer or shorter, and/or producing a tensile force, when heat energy is applied to or dissipated from the nylon actuators. Such nylon actuators, for example, may be used in a smart fabric 10 designed for compression socks or other articles of clothing, or medical devices, which are designed to have variable pressures applied to a particular area of the body for the purposes of medical treatment of vascular diseases, or in other applications, may be used to enhance the performance of athletes.
In one example of a nylon actuator, without intending to be limiting, the starting material for creating the nylon actuator may be a silver coated nylon thread, such as the Conductive Sewing Thread Size 92, sold under the brand name ShieldexTM and obtained from Jameco Electronics, whereby the silver, being a metal, is capable of conducting heat energy from one end of the actuator to the other end of the actuator. Advantageously, because metal also conducts electricity, the method of heating a nylon

5 actuator incorporating a silver or other metal or conductive coating may include joule heating whereby a current is applied to the nylon actuator, and the transmission of current through the metal coating results in the generation of heat energy for actuating the nylon actuator.
Although silver coated nylon actuators are one example of an artificial actuator, will be appreciated that this is an example that is not intended to be limiting, and that other types of artificial muscle actuators that are presently known or which may be known in the future to a person skilled in the art may also be incorporated in the smart fabric technology described herein, and are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure, provided that artificial muscle actuators are capable of conducting energy, such as for example heat energy or electrical energy.
The conductive strands 14 are not intended to be limited to artificial muscle actuators, as described above, and may also include, for example, any flexible, elongate strands which are capable of conducting energy. Therefore, other examples of conductive strands include and are not limited to flexible electrical conductors, such as wires or cables made of metal or which include metal, which strands are capable of conducting electricity. The use of metal wires as conductive strands 14 in the smart fabric technology described herein may, for example, be used to incorporate electronic sensors, electronic controllers, or other electronic components in the smart fabric being described herein.
In addition to the conductive strands 14, in some embodiments the plurality of warp strands 12 may also include nonconductive strands or threads, which may be any flexible strands or threads 16 which are typically used in the manufacture of textiles. For example, without intending to be limiting, such non-conductive strands 16 may include threads, yarns, or other flexible strands which are manufactured of natural or synthetic materials, including but not limited to cotton, linen, rayon, nylon, acrylic, polyester, aramid fiber or any other numerous natural or synthetic fibers known to a person skilled in the art. Similarly, the one or more weft strands 20 are made of nonconductive strands, including threads, yarns or other flexible strands which are manufactured of the natural or synthetic materials or fibers described above. In other embodiments, the plurality of warp strands 12 may only include conductive strands 14.
The bolt of smart fabric 10 further includes one or more conductive sections 30 which are also generally oriented in the weft direction Y and which intersect the plurality of warp strands 12. In some embodiments, the conductive sections 30 may intersect each strand of the plurality of warp strands 12, however this is not intended to be limiting. The one or more conductive sections 30 may preferably be made of, or incorporate, a flexible conductor, which includes but is not limited to a metallic foil or

6 metal-coated strands. The conductive sections 30 may alternatively be made out of a flexible conductor comprising a matrix of a preferably flexible, non-conductive support material impregnated with a conductor, the support material being a rubber, plastic, glue or resin, and the conductor being a plurality of metallic fragments. Examples of such non-conductive support materials impregnated with a conductor include, and are not limited to, a silver conductive epoxy manufactured by MG Chemicals sold under the manufacturer part number 8331S-15G, or a two component, silver plated copper filled, flexible electrically conductive silicone adhesive, sold under the name CHO-BOND 1029 and available from the manufacturer Parker Hannifin. In other embodiments, the flexible conductor may include one or more conductive weft strands interweaving the plurality of warp strands, thereby creating the conductive section 30 sandwiched between the panels of fabric comprised of one or more non-conductive weft strands 20. For example, without intending to be limiting, the one or more conductive weft strands may include an untreated strand of the silver-coated nylon thread, described above as a starting material for creating the artificial muscles.
In some embodiments, each of the conductive strands 14 may be in conductive communication with each of the one or more conductive sections 30, whereby electrical energy, heat energy, or other conductive energy may be transferred between each one of the conductive strands 14 and the one or more conductive sections 30. In this manner, for example without intending to be limiting, an electrical current being carried by or conducted along a first conductive strand 14a may also be conducted through each of the conductive sections 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d. Additionally, the electrical current .. being conducted through conductive strand 14a may also be conducted through the additional conductive strands 14b, 14c, 14d, because each of conductive strands 14b through 14d are in contact with each of the conductive sections 30a through 30d. In this manner, energy may be conducted throughout the bolt or portion of smart fabric 10 by virtue of the conductive connectivity between each of the conductive strands 14 running in direction X and each of the conductive sections 30 running in .. direction Y. Although the example of conducting energy, in the form of electrical current, is used herein, it will be appreciated that other forms of energy, such as heat energy, may also be conducted by and distributed through the conductive strands 14 and the conductive sections 30, as described herein.
Advantageously, the incorporation of conductive sections 30 enable the dividing of a portion of smart fabric from the bolt of smart fabric 10, for example by cutting or otherwise separating a panel of fabric from the smart fabric bolt 10, without losing conductive connectivity between the conductive sections 30 and the conductive warp strands 14. As illustrated in Figure 2, a panel 10' of the bolt of

7 smart fabric 10 illustrated in Figure 1 is shown. The panel 10' was obtained from the bolt of smart fabric by separating section 30c along line Z, shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, as illustrated in Figure 3, a panel 10" of smart fabric is obtained by separating along line A located in between conductive sections 30b and 30c, shown in Figure 1. As may be seen, by cutting or otherwise separating a portion of the fabric .. from the bolt 10, in direction Y, at any location along the bolt, results in a smaller panel of smart fabric 10' or 10" while still maintaining the conductivity of the conductive strands 14a through 14e, as well as the conductive connectivity between the remaining conductive sections 30, provided at least one conductive section 30 is retained on the panel. For example, without intending to be limiting, an electrical current being carried through conductive strand 14b in the panel 10' or 10" is in conductive communication with each of the other conductive strands 14a, 14c, 14d and 14e because the conductive strand 14b is in conductive communication with each of the conductive sections 30a, 30b and 30c (in the case of panel 10') or conductive sections 30a, 30b (in the case of panel 10").
By providing more than one conductive section 30 within a bolt of smart fabric 10, the overall length dimension M of the panel 10' may be adjusted by selecting any point along direction X to perform the separation or cutting procedure along direction Y, so long as the panel 10' or 10" includes at least one conductive section 30, without severing the conductive communication between each of the conductive strands 14 included within the smart fabric 10.
It will be appreciated by person skilled in the art that the distance of separation L between the conductive sections 30 may be selected to provide greater flexibility in the selection of the length of the panel of smart fabric 10', where it is desired to include a conductive section 30 along each edge 32, 34 of a conductive panel 10'. For example, where the distance L is one inch, the overall length dimension M
of the panel 10' may be selected to be any multiple of one inch; similarly, if the distance L is equivalent to two inches, then the overall length M of the panel 10' may be any multiple of two inches. Similarly, it will also be appreciated that the width W of the panel 10' may be adjusted by separating the bolt 10 in direction X, substantially parallel to any one of the warp strands 12, without impacting the conductive connectivity between each of the conductive strands 14 and the conductive sections 30 remaining within the panel 10' of the smart fabric. In this manner, advantageously, any one or more panels 10' may be obtained from a bolt of smart fabric 10, such portions being selected so as to manufacture any given article of clothing or other wearable technology, without having to manufacture the panels of the smart fabric itself to a particular size. Advantageously, this structuring and configuration of a smart fabric bolt 10 may increase the ease of manufacturing articles incorporating smart fabric technology, and may also reduce the overall cost of manufacturing such articles.

8 Because the conductive strands 14 and/or the conductive sections 30 may include, for example, metal wires, metal foil or metal-coated strands, the application of heat energy or electrical current to the conductive strands 14 or sections 30 may heat the strands or sections to such an extent that an insulating layer needs to be provided, for applications where the smart fabric panels 10', 10" are .. incorporated into articles of clothing or other articles meant to be worn or otherwise positioned against skin, so as to prevent burns when the articles are in use. For example, without intending to be limiting, in embodiments utilizing silver-coated nylon actuators for the conductive strands 14 and silver-coated nylon strands woven in the weft direction Y comprising the conductive sections 30, the applicant has observed the conductive sections 30 may increase in temperature to the extent that direct contact between human skin and the conductive sections 30 may cause a burn. For example, an embodiment of the smart fabric being a bolt of compression smart fabric 11, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 may, for example, be used in an adjustable compression stocking or other adjustable compression article for treating vein disorders, enhancing athletic performance or promoting healing after surgery.
Without intending to be limiting, at least a portion of the conductive sections 30 intended to be .. in direct contact with skin may by insulated by providing two layers of weft threads, wherein an inner weft layer 22 may comprise one or more conductive strands, such as silver coated nylon thread, and an outer weft layer 24 may comprise one or more strands of a heat insulating thread or fiber, such as an aramid fiber, as illustrated for example in Figure 5, which is a cross-sectional view of a conductive section 30 of a bolt of compression smart fabric 11 taken along line 5-5 in Figure 4. Because the outer weft layer 24 is heat insulating, the heat generated by and conducted throughout the conductive weft strands comprising the inner weft layer 22 does not transmit through the outer weft layer 24, which may come into direct contact with the surface of skin S of a person wearing an article made of the compression smart fabric 11.
Other ways of providing a heat insulating layer surrounding the conductive section 30, so as to, for example, prevent direct contact between skin of a user of the smart fabric garment or article and the heated conductive sections 30, which may cause a burn or injury to the user of the smart fabric garment, may be employed and are intended to be included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, without intending to be limiting, rather than providing an inner weft layer 22 comprising the one or more conductive strands and an outer weft layer 24 comprising one or more strands of a heat insulating thread or fiber, a separate panel of fabric comprising heat insulating materials, threads or fibers may be utilized to cover the surfaces of conductive sections 30 which may come into contact with

9 the skin of a user of the garment or article. Another alternative, not intending to be limiting, may be to provide an underlayer garment, such as an undershirt or leggings, which are comprised of heat insulating materials, threads or fibers, which underlayer garment is designed to be worn underneath the smart fabric article or garment, the underlayer garment being in direct contact with the skin of the user of the smart fabric article or garment and thereby insulating the smart fabric article or garment, including the conductive sections 30, from the skin of the user of the smart fabric article or garment.
In some embodiments of the compression smart fabric 11, each conductive warp strand 14a through 14f may for example comprise two or more nylon actuators 13, 13, each conductive warp strand 14a through 14e being separated from the adjacent warp strands 14a through 14e by one or more weft strands comprising the inner and outer weft layers 22, 24. In such embodiments, the use of two or more actuators 13, 13 comprising a single conductive warp strand 14 advantageously results in a stronger fabric generating sufficient compression force to effectuate the desired compression applied to, for example, a human limb. A further advantage of using two or more actuators 13, 13 in a single conductive warp strand 14 is that it may result in a more even distribution of heat throughout the pair of actuators 13, 13, thereby reducing the breakdown of a single actuator 13 that may otherwise occur if the actuator overheats.
One or more panels 10' or 10" of the smart fabric 10 (and/or of the compression smart fabric 11) may be utilized to manufacture articles in different ways. For example, the first and second edges 32, 34 of panel 10', oriented in weft direction Y, may comprise of conductive sections 30; for example as shown in Figure 2, comprising conductive sections 30a and 30c respectively. A
smart fabric article may therefore be constructed by connecting the conductive first and second edges 32, 34 of a panel 10' to one or more conductive edges of other portions of smart fabric. Connecting the conductive edges of a portion of smart fabric to another portion of smart fabric may be accomplished, for example, by sewing them together, or by any other means of connecting two pieces of flexible fabric together, so long as conductive communication is maintained between the conductive edges 32, 34 of the corresponding portions of smart fabric.
For articles that do not require smart fabric throughout the article, but which rather require portions of the article to incorporate smart fabric portions or panels, wires or other conductors may be used to establish conductive communication between the conductive section or sections of one panel of smart fabric to another panel of smart fabric. As an example of how portions of smart fabric may be incorporated into an article of clothing, without intending to be limiting, a smart fabric jacket 40 is illustrated in Figures 6A and 68. The jacket 40 may be constructed of regular fabric panels generally indicated by reference numeral 42 and having a zipper 44, the regular fabric panels 42 providing a supporting structure for one or more portions of smart fabric. Several panels of smart fabric may be incorporated throughout the jacket 40, positioned or oriented so as to perform various smart fabric functions as may be described below. For example, a waist panel 110 may be sized so as to encircle the entire waist of the jacket 40. As earlier described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the waist panel 110 may be sized appropriately by separating the fabric along any one of the conductive portions 30. The waist panel 110 includes a plurality of conductive portions 36 separated by a plurality of conductive sections 30.
The waist panel 110 may be in conductive communication with the plurality of other portions incorporated into the jacket article 40, such as left and right chest panels 112, 114, left and right arm bands 113, 115, and a back panel 117. Conductive communication may be established between each of the panels, for example, by running a cable, wire or other conductor 38 between the conductive sections 30 of each of the respective panels incorporated throughout the jacket 40. Additionally, each of the panels 110, 112, 113, 114, 115, 117 of the jacket 40 may be placed in conductive communication, either directly or indirectly, with an electronic controller 120, which controller 120 may be used to control the functionality of the various different panels.
As discussed above, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to any particular function that the smart fabric may provide for an article. Just by way of example, without intending to be limiting, the jacket article 40 illustrated in Figures 6A and 68 may be configured to perform different types of functions. For example, the waist panel 110, which encircles the waist of the jacket, may be manufactured of a smart fabric which is selectively compressible. Similarly, the left and right arm panels 113, 115, which each encircle a portion of the users arm when wearing the jacket, may also be constructed of smart fabric which is selectively compressible. Selectively compressible fabrics may be useful, for example, in athletic applications where it is desired to compress a targeted area of the body in order to maximize the blood flow and muscle performance of the athlete; in other applications, such as for the treatment of autism, it is found that compressible fabric articles may be used to provide comfort to a person afflicted with autism in certain situations.
In the alternative, any of the panels shown in the jacket 40 may be configured to provide heat to varying temperatures. For example, the panels may each be configured to increase or decrease in temperature depending on controls selected by the user. Furthermore, as mentioned previously, it may also be possible to integrate sensors either within the fabric panels of the jacket 42, or within the smart fabric panels that are incorporated throughout the jacket 40, the sensors being configured to detect characteristics of the person wearing the jacket and/or characteristics of the jacket itself, the sensors also being configured to send signals or readings to the electronic controller 120, which controller may .. then be configured to adjust the functionality of the individual smart panels depending on the characteristics measured by the sensors. For example, in the case of a selectively heated jacket, various sensors may be provided throughout the jacket so as to measure the average temperature within the jacket, and these temperature sensors may be utilized by the controller to maintain the jacket at a desired temperature by increasing or decreasing the supply of electrical current or heat energy that is supplied to each of the individual smart panels.
In still other embodiments, smart fabrics may include nylon actuators which adjust the compression or expansion of the smart fabric itself, the actuators being actuated by heat energy which is supplied by the environment surrounding the smart fabric panel. For example, the silver-coated nylon actuators described above may be actuated so as to expand or contract by conducting heat energy from the environment surrounding the panel.

Claims (16)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A smart fabric comprising:
a plurality of warp strands oriented in a warp direction, wherein at least one strand of the plurality of warp strands is a flexible conductive warp strand;
one or more weft strands oriented in a weft direction intersecting the warp direction, the one or more weft strands interwoven with the plurality of warp strands so as to form a flexible fabric;
the flexible fabric including at least one conductive section oriented in the weft direction and intersecting the plurality of warp strands so as to divide the flexible fabric into at least two conductive panels;
wherein each conductive strand conducts energy between the at least one conductive section and the at least one conductive warp strand, and wherein the one or more weft strands forming the at least two conductive panels are non-conductive.

2. The smart fabric of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive warp strand is selected from a group comprising: nylon actuators, silver coated nylon actuators, metal coated nylon actuators, electrical conductors, thermal conductors, metal wires, silver coated nylon strands, metal coated nylon strands.

3. The smart fabric of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive section comprises a flexible conductor.

4. The smart fabric of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive section comprises a conductive weft strand interwoven with the plurality of warp strands.

5. The smart fabric of claim 4 wherein the conductive weft strand comprises a silver coated nylon strand.

6. The smart fabric of claim 5 wherein each conductive section of the at least one conductive section further comprises a heat insulating layer, the heat insulating layer covering at least a portion of the at least one conductive section.

7. The smart fabric of claim 1 wherein the conductive warp strand is configured to conduct energy selected from a group comprising: heat energy, electricity.

8. The smart fabric of claim 1 wherein each conductive warp strand comprises at least two silver coated nylon actuators so as to create a selectively compressible flexible fabric.

9. A method of manufacturing a smart fabric article comprising:
obtaining the smart fabric of claim 1, and separating a first conductive panel of the at least two conductive panels from the flexible fabric, wherein the first conductive panel includes at least one conductive section.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of conductively connecting the first conductive panel to a second conductive panel of the flexible fabric by connecting the at least one conductive section of the first conductive panel to a conductive section of the second conductive panel.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the conductive warp strand is configured to conduct electricity, the method further comprising the step of providing an electronic controller in electronic communication with the at least one conductive section of the first conductive panel, the electronic controller configured to control at least one characteristic of the conductive warp strand.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one characteristic is selected from a group comprising: strain, temperature, length, potential difference, amplitude of the electrical current.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of providing one or more sensors in conductive communication with at least one conductive section.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of providing one or more sensors in conductive communication with at least one conductive section and in electronic communication with the electronic controller.

15. The method of any one of claims 13 and 14, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a characteristic selected from a group comprising: temperature of the article, temperature of the conductive strand, strain of the conductive strand, temperature of a surface adjacent the sensor, heart rate of a person wearing the article.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:
attaching at least the first conductive panel to a portion of a garment, connecting an energy supply to the at least one conductive section of the first conductive panel, wherein the energy supply is configured to transmit energy through the first conductive panel.