Abstract:
A method and apparatus for forming a conductor on an uneven two-dimensional (2-D) or three-dimensional (3-D) surface is described. An amount of conductive material needed to form a conductor between two points on a surface of an object is determined. The determined amount of conductive material is deposited on a substrate. The substrate with the deposited conductive material is applied to the object to form a conductor between the two points on the surface of the object. The conductive material and substrate may be stretchable. The conductive material may be deposited by an inkjet printer or an embedded 3-D printer. The substrate with the deposited conductive material may be applied to the object by laminating the substrate with the deposited conductive material to the object.
Abstract:
An electronic module assembly and method of assembling an electronic module to a conductive fabric are provided. An electronic module assembly comprises a non-conductive fabric and a conductive fabric covering at least part of a first side of the non-conductive fabric. An electronics module is disposed on the conductive fabric, and a portion of the electronics module includes a wall defining a through hole. A fastener passing through the through hole and passing through the conductive fabric is configured to electronically couple the electronics module to the conductive fabric.
Abstract:
An electronic sensor device has one or more sensor electrodes and one or more electrical conductors printed on a substrate. Textile layers are attached on either side of the substrate with access to the electrical conductors provided by a conductive snap assembly. The substrate can be a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) film. The sensor can be a biosensor, and the biosensor is attached to a compression textile, such as a compression shirt, and electrically interconnected using printed conductive ink interconnects to a conductive snap button.
Abstract:
An electronics assembly includes one or more electronic components coupled to a fabric. Each electronic component includes one or more electrical connection points, such as a bond pad or solder bump. The electronics assembly also includes one or more electrically conductive wire braids, one electrically conductive wire braid coupled to one electrical connection point on an electronic component. The electrically conductive wire braid is stitched to the fabric by an electrically conductive wire, thereby providing an electrical connection between the electronic component and the electrically conductive wire via the electrically conductive wire braid.
Abstract:
A printed circuit board is formed from a plurality of thinner PCBs stacked on top of each other with an intermediate metal interconnect material selectively positioned between adjacent PCBs. The metal interconnect material is selectively positioned on surface contact points of correspondingly aligned plated through holes on the adjacent printed circuit boards. The stacked printed circuit boards and intermediate metal interconnect material are laminated, thereby sintering the metal interconnect material and the surface contact points of the plated through holes to form electrical interconnects between plated through holes on adjacent printed circuit boards. The metal interconnect material is preferably the same as the plating material used to plate the through holes, such as copper.
Abstract:
An electrical interconnect includes a copper pillar and solder cap. The copper pillar and solder cap are formed onto a contact pad or an under bump metallurgy (UBM). In some applications, the contact pad or UBM is part of an electronic component, such as a semiconductor chip. In other cases, the contact pad is part of laminated substrate, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), or a ceramic substrate. The copper pillar and the solder cap are printed using an ink printer, such as an aerosol ink jet printer. A post heat treatment solidifies the interconnection between the contact pad or UBM, the copper pillar and the solder cap.
Abstract:
A stretchable interconnect includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces formed as a complex pattern on an elastic substrate. The form of the electrically conductive traces is such that when the elastic substrate is in a relaxed, or non-stretched, state each of the electrically conductive traces forms a tortuous path, such as a waveform, along the elastic substrate. The tortuous path of the electrically conductive traces provides slack such that as the elastic substrate is stretched the slack is taken up. Once released, the elastic substrate moves from the stretched position to the relaxed, non-stretched position, and slack is reintroduced into the electrically conductive traces in the form of the original tortuous path.
Abstract:
A stretchable metal wire assembly includes a metal wire positioned within an elastic tube. The form of the metal wire is such that when the elastic tube is in a relaxed, or non-stretched, state the metal wire forms a tortuous path, such as a waveform, along the elastic tube. The tortuous path of the metal wire provides slack such that as the elastic tube is stretched the slack is taken up. Once released, the elastic tube moves from the stretched position to the relaxed, non-stretched position, and slack is reintroduced into the metal wire in the form of the original tortuous path. The metal wire functions as an electrical conductor, thereby providing a device having an extendable length electrical conducting element. In some applications, the metal wire is electrically coupled at each end to an electrical interconnect component.
Abstract:
An electronic circuit interconnect apparatus that includes two zipper tracks configured to zip together thereby causing a first circuit to electrically couple with a second circuit. Specifically, each of the zipper tracks include a plurality of teeth, one or more of which are electrically coupled to the first circuit or the second circuit. As a result, when the teeth coupled to the first circuit are zipped to the teeth coupled to the second circuit it causes the first and second circuits to be electrically coupled.
Abstract:
An electronics assembly includes one or more electronic components coupled to a fabric. Each electronic component includes one or more electrical connection points, such as a bond pad or solder bump. The electronics assembly also includes one or more electrically conductive wire cloths, one electrically conductive wire cloth coupled to one electrical connection point on an electronic component. The electrically conductive wire cloth is stitched to the fabric by an electrically conductive wire, thereby providing an electrical connection between the electronic component and the electrically conductive wire via the electrically conductive wire cloth.