Claims
- 1. A method for interconnecting and disconnecting elongated conductors in a fabric, the method comprising:
(a) interlocking first and second elongated conductors in a fabric such that the first and second conductors intersect at a cross-over point; (b) applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second elongated conductors to bond the first and second conductors at the cross-over point and thereby reduce electrical resistance at the cross-over point; (c) providing disconnect areas in at least one of the first and second elongated conductors; and (d) selectively disconnecting the elongated conductors at the disconnect areas to form a desired electric circuit.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric comprises weaving first and second metallic fibers into the fabric.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric comprises weaving first and second twisted pair conductors into the fabric.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric includes weaving first and second coaxial conductors into the fabric.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric includes weaving first and second conductive polymer fibers into the fabric.
- 6. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric includes weaving the first conductor into the fabric as a warp yarn and weaving the second conductor into the fabric as a weft yarn.
- 7. The method of claim 1 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric comprises knitting first and second conductors into a fabric.
- 8. The method of claim 1 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors comprises resistance welding the first and second conductors.
- 9. The method of claim 8 wherein resistance welding the first and second conductors includes applying parallel probes to the cross-over point and applying an electric current to the crossover point through the probes.
- 10. The method of claim 8 wherein resistance welding the first and second conductors includes applying a conductive loop to the cross-over point and applying an electric current to the conductive loop.
- 11. The method of claim 8 wherein resistance welding the first and second conductors includes grounding at least one of the first and second conductive fibers using a first probe located on a first side of the first and second conductors, applying a second probe to the cross-over point on a second side of the first and second conductors, and applying an electric current to the cross-over point through the second probe.
- 12. The method of claim 1 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors includes laser welding the first and second conductors.
- 13. The method of claim 1 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors includes ultrasonically welding the first and second conductors.
- 14. The method of claim 1 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors includes applying a conductive adhesive or epoxy to the first and second conductors.
- 15. The method of claim 1 wherein providing disconnect areas comprises providing floats in at least one of the first and second conductors and wherein selectively disconnecting the first and second conductors includes selectively cutting the floats.
- 16. The method of claim 1 wherein providing disconnect areas comprises incorporating switches into at least one of the first and second conductors and wherein selectively disconnecting the first and second conductors includes selectively opening or closing the switches.
- 17. The method of claim 1 wherein the bonding and disconnecting steps are both achieved simultaneously using parallel probe resistance welding.
- 18. The method of claim 1 comprising a fabric made in accordance therewith.
- 19. A method for connecting elongated conductive fibers in a fabric, the method comprising:
(a) interlocking first and second elongated conductors in a fabric such that the conductors intersect at a cross-over point; and (b) applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the elongated conductors and bonding the conductors at the cross-over point, thereby reducing electrical resistance at the cross-over point.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric comprises weaving first and second metallic fibers into the fabric.
- 21. The method of claim 19 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric comprises weaving first and second twisted pair conductors into the fabric.
- 22. The method of claim 19 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric includes weaving first and second coaxial conductors into the fabric.
- 23. The method of claim 19 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric includes weaving first and second conductive polymer fibers into the fabric.
- 24. The method of claim 19 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric includes weaving the first conductor into the fabric as a warp yarn and weaving the second conductor into the fabric as a weft yarn.
- 25. The method of claim 19 wherein interlocking first and second conductors in a fabric comprises knitting the first and second conductors into the fabric.
- 26. The method of claim 19 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors comprises resistance welding the first and second conductors.
- 27. The method of claim 26 wherein resistance welding the first and second conductors includes applying parallel probes to the cross-over point and applying an electric current to the crossover point through the probes.
- 28. The method of claim 26 wherein resistance welding the first and second conductors includes applying a conductive loop to the cross-over point and applying an electric current to the conductive loop.
- 29. The method of claim 26 wherein resistance welding the first and second conductors includes grounding at least one of the first and second conductive fibers using a first probe located on a first side of the first and second conductors, applying a second probe to the crossover point on a second side of the first and second conductors, and applying an electric current to the cross-over point through the second probe.
- 30. The method of claim 19 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors includes laser welding the first and second conductors.
- 31. The method of claim 19 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors includes ultrasonically welding the first and second conductors.
- 32. The method of claim 19 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy includes simultaneously connecting and disconnecting the conductors at the crossover point using parallel probe resistance welding.
- 33. The method of claim 19 wherein applying at least one of heat and electrical energy to the first and second conductors includes applying a conductive adhesive or epoxy to the first and second conductors.
- 34. A fabric including elongated conductors for forming electric circuits, the fabric comprising:
(a) a plurality of non-conductive fibers; (b) a first elongated conductor being integrated in the fabric; and (c) a second elongated conductor being integrated in the fabric in a direction that intersects the first conductor, the second conductor intersecting and being bonded to the first conductor at a cross-over point.
- 35. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors comprise metallic conductors.
- 36. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors comprise a twisted pair conductors.
- 37. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors comprise coaxial conductors.
- 38. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors comprise conductive polymers.
- 39. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors are resistance welded to each other.
- 40. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors are ultrasonically welded to each other.
- 41. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors are laser welded to each other.
- 42. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductors are chemically bonded to each other.
- 43. The fabric of claim 34 comprising a conductive adhesive or epoxy for connecting the first and second conductors.
- 44. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the first and second conductor comprises a weft yarn and the second conductor comprises a warp yarn.
- 45. The fabric of claim 34 wherein at least one of the first and second conductors includes a disconnect area for selectively electrically disconnecting the first and second conductors.
- 46. The fabric of claim 45 wherein the disconnect area comprises a float formed by at least one of the first and second conductors.
- 47. The fabric of claim 45 wherein the disconnect area comprises a switch coupled in series with at least one of the first and second conductors.
- 48. The fabric of claim 34 wherein the fabric is selected from the group consisting of woven, knit and non-woven fabrics.
GOVERNMENT INTEREST
[0001] This work was supported by grant number N39998-98-C-3566 from the Department of Defense-Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD-DARPA). Thus, the U.S. government has certain rights in the invention.