JP2011074512A - ELECTROCONDUCTIVE YARN FOR e-TEXTILE AND WOVEN OR KNITTED FABRIC USING THE SAME - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electroconductive yarn having physical properties of being woven in a general woven fabric-weaving process and characteristics of electric resistance of ≤50 Ω/m and an electroconductive yarn in which an e-textile constituted by using the electroconductive yarn in wiring, etc., maintains electric characteristics even when deformed. <P>SOLUTION: A core part is constituted by a fiber material having physical properties equivalent to that of a main constituent fiber material of woven fabric using an electroconductive yarn for an e-textile and the fiber material is spirally wound with a plurality of electroconductive fiber materials in a number of windings of 3,000 times in 1 m in such a way that ≥50% of the surface area of the fiber material is covered with the electroconductive fiber to give the electroconductive yarn for an e-textile having an electric resistance of ≤50 Ω/m. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wearable computer in which an electronic device and a textile are fused, high-functional work clothes such as an explosion-proof and dust-proof function, and a conductive yarn used for an e-textile used as an electronic member of various industrial products such as electric products and automobiles, and the like. We provide textile products using

  In recent years, as represented by wearable computers, various textile products called e-textiles in which electronic devices and knitted fabrics are fused have been developed. One method for fusing electronic equipment and woven or knitted fabric is to arrange conductive yarns in the woven or knitted fabric manufacturing process. It is essential to have the same mechanical properties as the constituent fiber material. In addition, when e-textile is used, deformation due to various external forces, etc. occurs in applications that require flexibility, which is a characteristic of the textile, and as a result, the structure of the e-textile itself is also deformed, resulting in a decrease in electrical characteristics. Changes occur. In particular, since soldering is difficult, the connection between the conductive yarns and the connecting portion between the conductive yarns and other electronic members are ensured by physical contact, so the contact area changes due to deformation and the conductive state decreases. There is. For this reason, the electrical characteristics of the e-textile change before and after the deformation, resulting in problems in product performance guarantee or durability. It is a difficult situation.

The most common conductive fiber is a metal fiber such as copper, and as the conductive yarn other than the metal fiber, a conductive fiber in which conductive particles such as conductive carbon black and metal powder are dispersed throughout the thermoplastic polymer, or A core-sheath type composite fiber in which the conductive component is completely encapsulated with a non-conductive polymer, a fiber made of a composite fiber in which the conductive component is exposed on the fiber surface, a fiber obtained by plating the non-conductive fiber, etc. Yes, it has been developed so far by making full use of various conductive technologies (Non-Patent Document 1, etc.). Patent document 1 is mentioned as an example which provided the extensibility to the electroconductive fiber by these methods.

As a conductive material that can be stretched and deformed, a method of making a conductive fiber of Patent Document 2 into a knit structure, and a method of wrapping a conductive material of Patent Document 3 with calami have been developed.

  To solve these problems, the Fukui Prefectural Industrial Technology Center makes up the core with fiber materials that have the same physical properties as other constituent fiber materials of woven and knitted fabrics that use conductive yarns. We have developed conductive yarns that have the same physical properties as other constituent fiber materials of woven and knitted fabrics that use conductive yarns and that have high bending durability by a method of winding conductive fiber materials in a spiral shape.

Patent Publication 2003-313727 Utility Model Publication 6-59488 Patent Publication 10-163674

“FUTURE TEXTILE”, Textile Co., Ltd., Chapter 1 5-14 Volume resistivity control of conductive fibers "Fukui Prefectural Industrial Technology Center Research Report No. 23", Fukui Prefectural Industrial Technology Center, published on September 30, 2006, p37-39

  Many metal fibers have poor extensibility, such as breaking by slight extension, and are difficult to deform such as twisting and bending due to their high elastic modulus. For this reason, in the woven fabric production process, a problem in the shape of the woven or knitted fabric occurs due to a decrease in conductivity due to breakage or a large deformation of metal fibers due to residual twist. In the case of stretchable metal fibers, the cross-sectional area decreases in inverse proportion to the elongation, so that the electrical resistance value increases significantly, and it is impossible to maintain the same electrical characteristics before and after deformation. is there.

  In the case of conductive yarns other than the metal fibers described in Non-Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 1, products can be manufactured without problems in the woven / knitted fabric manufacturing process, but the electrical resistance is low, and these fibers are deformed. Since the electrical resistance is remarkably increased, the same electrical characteristics cannot be maintained before and after deformation.

  In the case of the knitted fabric of Patent Document 2 developed as an electrically conductive material that can be stretched and deformed and the tape shape of Patent Document 3, the width is more than a certain value, and it is difficult to handle the fiber by a general fiber processing machine such as a loom. Because it is possible, it lacks practicality.

Although the conductive yarn of Non-Patent Document 2 can produce a product without any problem in the textile manufacturing process, since the proportion of the conductive surface portion, that is, the conductive yarn is arranged on the surface, is small, Since the electrical resistance changes and cannot exhibit stable characteristics, it lacks practicality.

A conductive yarn in which a core portion is configured with a fiber material, and a plurality of conductive fiber materials are spirally wound around the fiber material at a winding number of 3,000 times or more and 8,000 times or less within 1 m, The conductive fiber material wound spirally covers 50% to 80% of the surface area of the fiber material.
The conductive fiber material is composed of metal fibers having a diameter of 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and the electric resistance of the wire of the conductive yarn is 1 Ω / m or more and 50 Ω / m or less.
A conductive yarn for knitting or knitting is used for a part of a warp yarn, a part of a weft yarn, or both.
The conductive yarn for woven or knitted fabric is configured to be used for a part of the knitting yarn and / or a part of the insertion yarn.

Since the conductive yarn for e-textile according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, a product in which the conductive yarn for e-textile is arranged in the fabric can be manufactured without any problem in the fabric manufacturing process. Even when it is deformed, the electric resistance of the conductive yarn for the e-textile and the conductive yarn contact portion is almost constant and stable characteristics can be exhibited.

Schematic plan view of conductive yarn for e-textile Astable multivibrator circuit diagram Textile structure when wiring contacts in a circuit in the fabric Textile texture when the wiring crosses in a non-contact manner in the circuit in the fabric

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail. The embodiments described below are preferable specific examples for carrying out the present invention, and thus various technical limitations are made. However, the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise specified, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment according to the present invention. In the conductive yarn for e-textile 1, a fiber material 2 having the same or equivalent physical properties as other constituent fiber materials of the woven or knitted fabric using the e-textile conductive yarn in the core is a pseudo circle, and spirals around it. Conductive fibers 3 and 4 are wound around the shape.

The physical properties equivalent to other constituent fiber materials of the woven or knitted fabric using the conductive yarn for e-textile are preferably such that the maximum test force and the maximum strain are within ± 20%. When the physical properties are different by 20% or more compared with other constituent fiber materials of the woven or knitted fabric, it is not preferable because the woven or knitted article using the conductive yarn for e-textile deteriorates due to breakage or loosening in the weaving process. .
If the maximum test force and the maximum strain are within ± 20%, the fiber material used for the core is not particularly limited. For example, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, PTT (polytrimethylene terephthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), etc. Fibers, nylon (polyamide fiber), aramid (aromatic polyamide fiber), polyolefin fibers such as polypropylene and polyethylene, synthetic fibers such as acrylic, chemical fibers such as rayon and acetate, natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, wool and silk In addition to these single materials, a blended yarn or a composite yarn in which two or more materials are combined may be used.

  The conductive yarn for e-textile of the present invention is a covering yarn in which a plurality of conductive fibers are spirally wound around a fiber material constituting a core portion by a covering process. A twisted yarn may be used as long as a structure similar to the covering yarn can be formed. Note that the winding direction of the conductive fibers 3 and 4 wound in a spiral may be either the reverse direction or the same direction.

The number of times the conductive fiber constituting the present invention is spirally wound around the core is preferably 3,000 times or more and 8,000 times or less per 1 m.
When the number of times spirally wound is less than 3,000 times per 1 meter, the physical properties will be 20% or more compared to the fiber material used for the core part. This is not preferable because the fabric quality is deteriorated by loosening.
In addition, even if the number of times of winding in a spiral is too large, such as 8,000 times in 1 m, a difference in physical properties from the fiber material used for the core portion occurs, so the conductive yarn breaks in the weaving process or the conductive yarn loosens. This is not preferable because the quality of the fabric is deteriorated. Further, since the productivity decreases when the number of times of spiral winding is increased, it is not preferable from a practical viewpoint.

  The conductive fibers wound in a spiral shape constituting the present invention may be composed of two or more, and it is preferable from the viewpoint of productivity that it is composed of two as shown in FIG. When it is composed of one conductive fiber wound spirally, the conductive fiber breaks due to bending deformation in the woven or knitted fabric manufacturing process or bending fatigue after the textile product, and there is no conduction. This is because even if one portion is broken, the other one is complemented, so that the electrical characteristics as the conductive yarn can be maintained.

It is preferable that the conductive fiber wound spirally covers 50% to 80% of the surface area of the conductive yarn for e-textile. When the ratio of the conductive fiber covering the surface of the conductive yarn for e-textile is less than 50%, when two conductive yarns for e-textile are stacked one above the other, the upper and lower e- Since the textile conductive yarns may be electrically insulated, the textile product wired using the e-textile conductive yarns becomes unstable with respect to deformation, which is not preferable.
In addition, when covering an area larger than 80% of the surface area of the conductive yarn for e-textile, there is a difference in physical properties from the fiber material used for the core as in the case where the number of times of spiral winding is large. This is not preferable because the quality of the fabric is deteriorated due to the breaking of the conductive yarn in the process or the loosening of the conductive yarn.

The conductive fiber to be spirally wound is preferably a metal fiber. When the conductive fiber other than the metal fiber is used, the electric resistance is increased, so that it is not suitable for the conductive yarn for e-textile.

The diameter of the metal fiber is preferably 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less. In the case of a metal fiber having a diameter smaller than 20 μm, it is difficult to wind the metal fiber because it breaks the metal fiber during the covering process. In the case of a metal fiber larger than 100 μm, the metal fiber breaks, etc., so that the diameter of the conductive yarn of the present invention is 400 μm and the core fiber material is 500 μm or more even with only the metal fiber to be wound. It is not suitable as an e-textile used as an electronic member for various industrial products such as high-performance work clothes, electrical products and automobiles.

The electric resistance of the wire of the conductive yarn for e-textile is preferably 1 Ω / m or more and 50 Ω / m or less. If the electrical resistance is greater than 50Ω / m, various problems such as increased power consumption and circuit heat generation, electrical instability and noise, and transmission of signals, etc. become difficult. Therefore, it is not preferable. In addition, since a metal fiber having a diameter of 100 μm or less is used, the electric resistance of the wire of the conductive yarn for e-textile is 1 Ω / m or more, but if the characteristic of the conductive yarn for e-textile is satisfied, it is 1 Ω / m or less. May be.

Examples of the metal fiber to be wound spirally include metal fibers such as copper-based alloys such as copper and phosphorous copper, silver, iron, stainless steel, and other metal alloys having conductivity. Even if the plurality of conductive fibers wound in a spiral are made of metal fibers of different materials, it is only necessary to satisfy the physical properties and electrical characteristics required for the conductive yarn for e-textile.

Next, the present invention will be described specifically by way of examples.

Example Polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z600 t / m as a conductive yarn to be arranged as a warp and weft yarn in a fabric using polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z 600 t / m. Using two copper fibers (Riken Co., Ltd., Φ = 50 μm) as the conductive fiber, and using a covering twisting machine (PF-D-230 manufactured by Kataoka Engineering Co., Ltd.), first z3,500 t / m, then And s7,000 t / m wound in the reverse direction.

As Comparative Example 1, the yarn configuration is the same as that of the example, but the number of conductive fibers disposed on the surface is reduced by reducing the number of times of spiral winding. Specifically, a polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z600 t / m is used as the core, and two copper fibers (Φ = 50 μm) are used as the conductive fibers wound spirally, and a covering twisting machine. (PF-D-230, manufactured by Kataoka Engineering Co., Ltd.) was used to wind first at z3,500 t / m and then s3,500 t / m in the reverse direction.

As a comparative example, a copper wire of Riken Electric Wire Co., Ltd. (Φ = 50 μm × 1f; Comparative Example 2) as an example of a metal fiber alone, and a nylon silver plated fiber (264 dtex / 80f; Comparative Example 3) was used.

The method for evaluating the conductive performance is as follows.
[Electric resistance value]
One fiber is cut into a length of 15 cm or more, and 10 samples are collected. A DC circuit is configured with a metal terminal and 50Ω resistance at both ends of this sample, and a 5V DC voltage is applied by a stabilized power supply (PMK18-3 manufactured by KIKUSUI) to apply a 50Ω fixed resistance voltage to a digital tester (HIOKI). Measured by a 3801 digital high tester), and an electric resistance value (wire resistance) is calculated by the following formula. The electric resistance value is an arithmetic average value of the calculated electric resistance values of ten samples.
Electrical resistance value (Ω / m) = (5-E) / ((E / 50) × L)
E: Fixed resistance measurement voltage (V) L: Sample electrical resistance measurement length (m)

  The physical properties of Examples and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 and polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z600 t / m were evaluated with a tensile tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, Autograph).

Evaluation of weaving property was conducted by using polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z600 t / m for warp yarn and weft yarn and arranging the conductive yarns of Examples and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 in stripes on a part of warp yarn and weft yarn. Weaving was performed using a loom (2100UH-JU-160, manufactured by Ishikawa Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), and the operation rate of the loom and the woven fabric shape after weaving were visually determined.

Table 1 shows the electrical resistance values, physical property test results, and weaving evaluation results of the samples of Examples and Comparative Examples 1 to 3.

















* Polyester yarn is included for comparison of physical properties

As is apparent from the electrical resistance values in Table 1, the examples show electrical resistance values of 50 Ω / m or less, and a sufficient conductive performance for transmitting electrical signals is obtained. Comparative Examples 1 and 2 show an electric resistance value of 50 Ω / m or less and a sufficient conductive performance for transmitting an electric signal is obtained, but Comparative Example 3 has a high electric resistance and transmits an electric signal. It is not preferable.

As is clear from the physical property values in Table 1, in Example and Comparative Example 1, both the maximum test force and the maximum strain were substantially the same (within ± 10%) as the polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z600 t / m. It can be seen that there is no problem in the knitting manufacturing process. On the other hand, in the case of the copper wire of Comparative Example 2, the physical property values are too different (the maximum test force is 5% or less, the maximum strain is 50% or less), and problems such as breakage and loosening occur in the woven / knitted fabric manufacturing process. It turns out that it is not preferable.

In order to evaluate the deformation stability of the conductive yarn for e-textile, an astable multivibrator circuit in which the LED of FIG. Polyester yarn (264 dtex / 80f) z600 t / m is used for warp yarn and weft yarn, and the conductive yarn of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 is used as a part of warp yarn and weft yarn as wiring constituting this circuit. (1100UH-JU-160, manufactured by Ishikawa Seisakusho Co., Ltd.), a circuit is built in the fabric, and then the electronic components such as LEDs, resistors, capacitors, transistors, and power supplies are placed and connected on the fabric to create an unstable multivibrator circuit fabric. Created.
In addition, when the wiring contacted in the circuit in the fabric, the wiring structure of FIG. 3 was used, and when the wiring intersected without contacting, the wiring structure of FIG. 4 was used.

The conductive part coverage of Examples and Comparative Example 1 was measured with a digital microscope (BS-D8000 manufactured by Sonic Corporation). The measurement results are shown in Table 2.

The deformation stability of the prototype astable multivibrator circuit fabric was evaluated by visually judging the blinking state of the LED when the fabric was bent at a certain angle at the center of the circuit in the warp, weft and tan direction. Table 2 shows the evaluation results obtained by changing the shape in each direction five times.

As is apparent from the determination results in Table 2, the example has a conductive part coverage of 50% or more, and therefore, even when the textile circuit incorporating the example as a wiring is deformed, the performance of the electric circuit is stable. On the other hand, in Comparative Example 1, the conductive portion coverage is less than 50%, and thus it can be seen that when the textile circuit is greatly bent, the characteristics become unstable and the function of the circuit cannot be maintained. If bending deformation is applied with the wiring contact part held by hand, LED flashing can be confirmed even with large deformation, and the stability of the electric circuit is increased. It can be seen that a change in electrical resistance due to poor contact between yarns reduces circuit performance.

The conductive yarn for e-textile according to the present invention can produce a product in which the conductive yarn for e-textile is arranged in the woven fabric without any problem in the textile manufacturing process, and even when this textile product is deformed, the conductive yarn for e-textile In addition, the electric resistance of the conductive yarn contact portion is almost constant and can exhibit stable characteristics. As an e-textile that can maintain stable electrical characteristics even in places with deformation, it is a wearable computer member that combines electronic equipment and clothing, a member that constructs an electric circuit in the textile, a member that combines the textile and the sensor, a flexible antenna As a member of the above, a member of a flexible battery, a member of work clothes having an explosion-proof and dust-proof function, it can be widely used for various industrial uses such as electric products and automobiles.

1 Conductive yarn for e-textile 2 Fiber material constituting core 3 Conductive fiber wound in a spiral (lower side)
4 Conductive fiber wound up spirally (upper side)
11 Power supply 3V
12 LED
13 LED
14 Fixed resistance 1KΩ
15 Fixed resistance 10KΩ
16 Fixed resistance 10KΩ
17 Fixed resistance 1KΩ
18 capacitor 10mF
19 Capacitor 10mF
20 transistors
21 transistors
31 Conductive yarn for e-textile arranged in warp
32 Conductive yarn for e-textile arranged in weft
33 Crossing the conductive yarn for e-textile of warp and weft in contact
34 Crossing warp and weft conductive yarns for contact with e-textile

Claims (4)

A conductive yarn in which a core portion is configured with a fiber material, and a plurality of conductive fiber materials are spirally wound around the fiber material at a winding number of 3,000 times or more and 8,000 times or less within 1 m, A conductive yarn for woven or knitted fabric, wherein the conductive fiber material wound spirally covers 50% to 80% of the surface area of the fiber material. The conductive fiber material is composed of metal fibers having a diameter of 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and the electric resistance of the wire of the conductive yarn is 1 Ω / m or more and 50 Ω / m or less. The conductive yarn for woven or knitted fabric according to claim 1. A woven fabric comprising the conductive yarn for woven or knitted fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3 as a part of a warp, a part of a weft, or both. A knitted fabric comprising the conductive yarn for woven or knitted fabric according to any one of claims 1 to 3 as a part of a knitting yarn and / or a part of an insertion yarn.