Patent Application
20160183367
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an electronic module assembled to a conductive fabric, and a method of assembling an electronic module to a conductive fabric.
In some applications, it may be desirable to form an assembly of an electronic module on a conductive fabric to form an integrated system. Conventional assemblies include modules stitched to a conductive fabric using conductive wire. Stitching is an intensive manual process not suitable for high volume or automation. In some stitched assemblies, the stitches become loose as the fabric flexes. It has also been noted that some conductive fabrics are not well suited for joining techniques requiring elevated temperatures.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved electronic module assembly and method of assembling an electronic module to a conductive fabric.
Embodiments of an electronic module assembly and method of assembling an electronic module to a conductive fabric are provided herein. In an embodiment, 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.
In an embodiment, a method of making an electronics assembly comprising an electronics module and a conductive fabric is disclosed. The method comprises forming a substrate including a conductive fabric covering at least part of a first side of a non-conductive fabric; disposing an electronics module having one or more through holes on the substrate with the through holes aligned with a portion of the conductive fabric; inserting a fastener to pass through the through hole and through the substrate; and clamping the module to the substrate to form an electrical connection using the fastener.
Other and further embodiments of the present invention are described below.
Embodiments of the present invention, briefly summarized above and discussed in greater detail below, can be understood by reference to the illustrative embodiments of the invention depicted in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. “Conductive” is used to mean “electrically conductive” unless the context clearly calls for a different definition. Conversely, “non-conductive” means resistant to electrical conduction, or an electrical insulator. The words “front,” “rear,” “upper” and “lower” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. A reference to a list of items that are cited as “at least one of a, b, or c” (where a, b, and c represent the items being listed) means any single one of the items a, b, or c, or combinations thereof. The terminology includes the words specifically noted above, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.
An electronics module 116 is positioned on the substrate 102 so that a portion of the module 116 is disposed on the conductive fabric 110 with a bottom surface 126 of the module 116 adjacent to the conductive fabric 110 and a top surface 128 spaced apart from the conductive fabric 110. The portion 118 disposed on the conductive fabric 110 includes an interior wall 120 that defines a through hole 122 formed through the portion 118. In some embodiments, the wall 120 is plated with a conductive material 124 which may include, in non-limiting examples, silver, gold over nickel, or tin. The bottom surface 126 and the top surface 128 at least partially surrounding the through hole 122 is preferably includes conductive elements 130a, 130b, for example copper pads which may be plated with silver, gold, or nickel.
The electronics module 116 may include, in non-limiting examples, sensors 116a, light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) 116b, recording devices 116c, displays 116d, and the like. Other electronic devices can be included in the electronics module 116 within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.
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In another embodiment, the second end of the fastener 202 may be subjected to a compressive load to facilitate clamping. During application of the compressive load, the second end of the fastener 202 may be deformed by the pressure and expand so that the second end becomes larger than the through hole 122.
The fastener 202 is a conductive element formed from an electrically conductive material, for example metal, or from a non-conductive material that is plated with a conductive material. When the electronics module 116 is clamped to the substrate 102, the fastener 202 forms an electrical connection between the electronics module 116 and the conductive fabric 110. The fastener 202 forms a gas-tight connection between the electronics module 116 and the conductive fabric 110.
The inventors have noted that the disclosed electronics module assembly 100 may provide a durable electrical connection between an electronics module 116, which may be flexible or rigid, and a flexible substrate 102 formed from a conductive fabric 110 and a non-conductive fabric 104. The disclosed assembly may be well-suited for manual or automated assembly, for example using the method 300 of
At 302, a substrate 102 is formed from a conductive fabric 110 covering at least part of a first side of a non-conductive fabric 104. The conductive fabric 110 may be attached to the non-conductive fabric using one or more of stitching or gluing. The attachment may be accomplished using non-conductive thread for stitching or a non-conductive glue or adhesive for gluing.
At 304, an electronics module 116 is disposed on the substrate 102. The module 116 includes one or more through holes 122 formed though a portion of the module 116. When electronics module 116 is disposed on the substrate 102, the through hole 122 is placed upon, or aligned with, a portion of the conductive fabric 110.
At 306, a fastener is inserted to pass through the through hole 122 in the electronics module 116 and to pass through the substrate 102. One or both of the conductive fabric 110 and the non-conductive fabric 104 may have a preformed hole formed therein to accept the fastener 202.
At 208, the electronics module 116 is clamped to the substrate 102 to form an electrical connection using the fastener 202.
Thus an electronics module assembly and method of assembling an electronic module to a conductive fabric are provided herein. The inventive module may advantageously provide a durable electrical connection between an electronics module and a substrate. The inventive method may facilitate manual or automated assembly of an electronics module to a substrate with increased reliability, thereby improving production throughput.
Having thus described the present invention in detail, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes, only a few of which are exemplified in the detailed description of the invention, could be made without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. It is also to be appreciated that numerous embodiments incorporating only part of the preferred embodiment are possible which do not alter, with respect to those parts, the inventive concepts and principles embodied therein. The present embodiment and optional configurations are therefore to be considered in all respects as exemplary and/or illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all alternate embodiments and changes to this embodiment which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of said claims are therefore to be embraced therein.
