FI20185609A1 - Woven or knitted band - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a woven or knitted band (1) comprising a width direction and a longitudinal direction. The structure of the strip comprises in the longitudinal direction of the strip wires (2, 4) which conduct electricity and longitudinal elastic wires (3), which are arranged to be bonded to the structure of the wires (2, 4) which conduct electricity as separate wires. The invention also relates to a garment and use of the belt.

Description

Woven or knitted ribbon

Background of the invention

The invention relates to a woven or knitted ribbon comprising a width direction and a longitudinal direction, and which ribbon structure comprises electrically conductive yarns in the length length direction of the ribbon.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,197 discloses a knitted, woven or braided textile strip which is used, for example, in connection with wearable electronics or smart fabrics. The tape comprises optical or electrically conductive fibers.

US 2013/0062095 discloses a flat woven cable for use in clothing. The cable consists of longitudinal wires and widthwise elastic fiber. The longitudinal wires consist of an extensible filament, conductors helically wound around the filament, and an insulating layer.

The problem with the arrangement first described above is that the strip is relatively rigid and not elastic in the longitudinal direction. The problem with the second arrangement described above is that the conductors wound around the filament are difficult to disassemble to expose the ends of the conductors.

Brief description of the invention

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a product which can be stretched relatively freely and which returns to its original dimension substantially unloaded. The object of the invention is achieved by a product which is characterized by what is stated in the independent claims. Preferred embodiments of the invention are the subject of dependent claims.

The invention is based on the fact that the strip is stretchable in its longitudinal direction and returns from the stretched state. The structure of the strip comprises longitudinal elastic yarns arranged to bond to the structure as separate yarns from the electrically conductive yarns, whereby the strip can be stretched without damaging the electrically conductive yarns. By bonding as separate wires from the electrically conductive wires is meant that the elastic wires and the electrically conductive wires do not form an element containing one of the two components in the structure, but both the electrically conductive wire and the elastic wire can bond to the structure separately. However, the electrically conductive wire and the elastic wire may bond to each other in the structure. The advantage of an elastic band is that it conforms to the surface to which it is attached. In addition, the tape has all the necessary use35 properties for clothing, such as washing resistance.

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The tape is used for cables used in connection with wearable electronics, smart fabrics or robots. The application areas of the tape are e.g. medical technology, healthcare, protective clothing, clothing-integrated warning systems and instrument sports. The tape can be used, for example, as an electrical conductor5 between a measuring electrode in a garment and a data acquisition unit, or in connection with battery- or transformer-powered devices.

All wires having sufficient electrical conductivity for the application can be used as the electrically conductive wires, but metal wires, such as copper wires, are particularly preferred. The metal wires can be easily connected to the work of the mating pin10, for example to the electrodes in clothing. The metal wires may be formed of one or more electrically conductive metal filaments and an insulating layer around them.

According to one embodiment, the strip can be made by weaving, in particular by jacquard weaving. By jacquard technique is meant a weaving technique in which each warp yarn can be lifted independently of the other warps, i.e. each warp yarn can be guided individually. When weaving a ribbon, the longitudinal elastic yarns are tensioned, whereby the ribbon, when untensioned, shortens in the longitudinal direction to a wavy or otherwise shortened structure in cross section. When attaching the 20 straps to the second mating surface, the required amount can be stretched.

A woven tape, such as a jacquard woven tape, consists of a basic structure and a splice region at each end of the tape. The basic structure may be a longitudinal tubular element inside which the electrically conductive wire remains. There may be several tubular elements in parallel. The electrically conductive wire 25 may bind inside the tubular element to the basic structure or it may run freely inside the tubular element. The basic structure does not necessarily have any tubular element, but the electrically conductive wire (s) pass (s) shielded within the band bond which binds or does not bond to the strip structure.

One particular advantage of a woven ribbon is that the width of the ribbon and the number of electrically conductive yarns can be increased or decreased as needed by introducing additional warp yarns or eliminating some of the warp yarns. The length of the ribbon can also be adjusted to just the required length, i.e. the basic structure can be woven to a length suitable for each object.

One advantage of Jacquard woven tape is that electrically conductive yarns can be woven at a certain stage of manufacture so that they do not bind to other

20185609 prh 02 -07- 2018 yarns, but remain free yarns on the surface of the tape. When the tape is cut at such a point, the electrically conductive wires are ready to be connected to the places between which they conduct electricity.

According to one embodiment, the ribbon can be knitted with a warp knit ankle. Warp knitting technique refers to a knitting technique in which the yarns forming the loops extend in the longitudinal direction of the fabric. The simplest warp knit weave is a chain weave in which the yarns form loose loop chains. A uniform knit is formed by a tricose bandage that binds in different rows to an adjacent loop. Other warp knit ties include, for example, a satin and sa10 weave bond. The weave of the warp knit may consist of the above-mentioned basic bonds, combinations thereof or modifications thereof.

The ribbon is made by warp knitting technique so that the basic bond is formed by a warp knit that binds electrically conductive yarns and elastic yarns to the structure. The warp knit may have a weft yarn that binds the ribbon in the width direction.

The electrically conductive wires are bonded by means of a basic bond so that the electrically conductive wires form a plurality of adjacent wire passages in which the wire extends in the longitudinal direction of the strip, winding from right to left and from left to right. The elastic threads run substantially straight along the length of the strip as the base bond binds them in place.

Brief description of the figures

The invention will now be described in more detail in connection with preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1a and 2b show a diagram of the manufacture of a strip according to the invention;

Figure 1c shows a side view of a strip according to the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b show a schematic view of a stretching mechanism of a strip according to the invention;

Figure 2c shows a manufacturing diagram of a strip according to the invention;

Figures 3a and 3b show a cross-section of some yarns according to the invention.

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Detailed description of the invention

Figures 1a and Ib show a manufacturing diagram of a strip according to the invention. The woven ribbon comprises electrically conductive yarns, elastic yarns, and yarns forming the basic structure of the ribbon.

Figures 1a and Ib show warp yarns 1-8. The warp yarns 1-6 are the yarns forming the basic structure, which may be, for example, polyamide. The fineness of the yarns can be, for example, 110 x 2 dtex. The warp yarn 7 is made of an elastic fibrous material, for example elastane. The warp yarn 8 is an electrically conductive yarn. The weft yarn may be a yarn forming the basic structure, for example the same yarn as the warp yarns 1-6. In the finished product, the above warp yarns usually occur in multiples, i.e. the warp yarns 1-8 are repeated in parallel several times in the same order. For example, the strip may have 56 warp yarns, of which 42 warp yarns are basic yarns such as polyamide yarns, 7 warp yarns are an elastic fibrous material such as elastane, and 7 warp yarns are electrically conductive yarns.

Figures 1a and Ib show a grid divided into four parts. The upper left part of the grid shows the fabric image, the lower left part shows the netting, the upper right part shows the lifting of the nipple arms and the lower right part shows the binding.

In the fabric image, the vertical grid rows are warp yarns and the horizontal grid rows are weft yarns. One box shows the point where the warp and weft overlap. When the box is checked, the warp yarn is on top of the weft yarn. The rows are shown in such a way that the vertical rows of grids are warp yarns and the horizontal rows are ridge stems. The lifting of the seam arms is shown so that the vertical rows of squares are liftable sine arms and the horizontal rows indicate the order of the weft yarns. Sidonnas25 sa vertical rows of grids refer to risers and horizontal rows of risers.

Figure 1a shows a strip manufacturing diagram when electrically conductive wires pass inside the strip. Figure Ib shows a fabrication diagram of the strip when the electrically conductive wires run free.

In Figure 1c, the strip 1 according to the invention is shown from the side. The longitudinal direction of the strip 1 is indicated by the arrow L. The strip 1 comprises longitudinal areas A and B. The area A is formed by the structure shown in Fig. 1a and the area B is formed by the structure shown in Fig. Ib. The length and length ratio of zones A and B can be adjusted as needed.

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The elastic warp yarns of the ribbon 1 are woven under tension, whereby in the unstressed state the elastic warp yarns are shortened and the area A of the ribbon 1 appears corrugated or otherwise stacked when viewed from the side.

In the area B, the electrically conductive wires 2 run free on top of the rest of the strip5 field, three electrically conductive wires 2 are shown in Fig. 1c, but their number can vary as needed. When the strip 1 is cut from the area B, the ends of the electrically conductive wires 2 can be connected to their intended use. When the strip 1 is cut, the cutting point is usually locked so that the electrically conductive wires cannot move. The locking can be done, for example, by molding plastic at the cutting point10.

Figures 2a and 2b show a schematic view of the stretching mechanism of a strip according to the invention in a knitted strip comprising electrically conductive yarns 4, elastic yarns 3 and yarns forming a basic bond. The elastic threads 3 are substantially straight in the structure in the longitudinal direction of the strip. The electrically conductive wires 4 pass between the two elastic wires 3 in a meandering manner so that the strip has a plurality of parallel pairs of elastic wires between which the electrically conductive wire twists, forming wire loops substantially transverse to the longitudinal direction of the strip, as shown in Figures 2a and 2b. The basic bond of the strip binds both the elastic wire 3 and the electrically conductive wire 4 as well as the elastic threads 20 in parallel into a single strip. The flaps of the strip on each side of the strip consist of an elastic thread 3 and a basic binding bond of the elastic thread.

In Figure 2a, the tape is in a tension-free form. The electrically conductive wire 4 is bonded to the elastic wires 3 by means of a basic bond at the bonding points 5, which 25 may be in any other way than shown in Figures 2a and 2b. When the strip is stretched in the direction of the arrows T as shown in Fig. 2b, the elastic threads 3 are flexible and the electrically conductive threads 4 allow stretching when the substantially transverse thread loops yield.

Figure 2c shows a manufacturing diagram of a strip made by a warp knitting technique according to the invention. The base yarn may be, for example, a 167 dtex polyester yarn. The elastic yarn can be natural or synthetic rubber yarn. The electrically conductive wire may be, for example, an insulated copper wire, the copper core of which comprises a plurality of thin copper wires.

Figures 3a and 3b show some alternatives of the electrically conductive wire 4 according to the invention. The wire 4 comprises an insulating layer 6 and an electrically conductive core 7. The electrically conductive core 7 may be copper or another metal. The electrically conductive core may have one electrically conductive filament or several electrically conductive filaments 7a, as shown in Fig. 3b. The electrically conductive filaments 7a may be inside the insulating layer 6 in a position other than that shown in Fig. 3b, and the number of filaments 7a in the electrically conductive wire 4 may vary.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above but may vary within the scope of the claims.

Claims (9)

A woven or knitted strip (1) comprising a width direction and a longitudinal direction, the strip structure comprising electrically conductive yarns (2, 4) in the longitudinal direction of the strip, characterized in that the strip structure comprises longitudinal elastic yarns (3) arranged to bond to the structure of electrically conductive wires (2, 4} as separate wires. Tape according to Claim 1, characterized in that the elastic thread (3) comprises a natural or synthetic rubber thread. Tape according to Claim 1, characterized in that the elastic yarn (3) comprises elastane fiber. Tape according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the strip is a woven strip comprising a first portion (A) with at least one electrically conductive wire (2, 4) arranged to pass inside the strip and a second portion (B) with said strip. at least one electrically conductive wire (2, 4) is arranged to run on the surface of the strip. Tape according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a strip woven by the jacquard technique. Ribbon according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is a warp knit. Tape according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises at least two longitudinal elastic threads (3), between which the electrically conductive thread (2, 4) is arranged to meander and to which it is arranged to attach. Use of a tape according to any one of the preceding claims in wearable electronics. A garment comprising a garment to be worn and detectors integrated therein, characterized in that it comprises a strap according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 7.