NZ744644B2

NZ744644B2 - Electronic strip yarn

Info

Publication number: NZ744644B2
Application number: NZ744644A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: Tilak Kithsiri Dias
Original assignee: Nottingham Trent University
Filing date: 2016-12-23
Publication date: 2024-10-08

Abstract

Electronic devices are mounted in sequence or series along a plurality of laterally spaced discrete lines on a sheet of non- conductive flexible planar support material; and the sheet is slit or stripped between said lines to create at least two yarns each in the form of a strip bearing a series of said devices. The width of each strip can be substantially the same as that of the mounted device or devices; normally less than twice that of the device or devices. The support material can be in the form of a continuous length passing through a mounting station, and on which series of the electronic devices are mounted in said lines substantially parallel to the direction of passage of the material. The material bearing the devices can be slit into strips directly, or wound onto a roll for subsequent division into strips The material may be formed with lines of weakness to facilitate slitting into strips. The thickness of the support material is normally no more than 10 µm, and with the width of the devices typically being no more than 800 µm, a strip bearing the devices can thus be used as a yarn or strip for use in many applications, both functional and decorative, either alone or within a sleeve.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a composite yarn incorporating electronic devices comprising: mounting said devices in series along a plurality of laterally spaced discrete lines on a sheet of non-conductive flexible planar support material; stripping the sheet between said lines to create at least two strips each bearing a series of said devices, the width of the strip being no more than twice that of the widest of the devices; feeding a said strip bearing the devices centrally through a channel with packing fibres around the sides thereof to form a fibre assembly around the strip, which packing fibres preserve a substantially uniform cross-section along the length of the yarn and between the devices; feeding the fibre assembly into a sleeve forming unit in which a sleeve is formed around the fibre assembly to form a composite yarn; and withdrawing the composite yarn from the sleeve forming unit.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the packing fibres extend generally parallel to the yarn axis, or are bunched or twisted to fill spaces between the devices.

3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein two of said strips form a core bearing the devices, which core is fed centrally through the channel with the packing fibres around the sides thereof to form the fibre assembly around the strip.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheet of support material is in the form of a continuous length, preferably drawn from a roll, passing through a mounting station, and on which series of the electronic devices are mounted in said lines substantially parallel to the direction of passage of the material.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the electronic devices are mounted on the support material prior to its formation into a roll.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the devices include conductive interconnects connected thereto and oriented to extend along each strip in opposite directions from each device.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the conductive interconnects are antennas.

8. A method according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the interconnects are mounted on the surface of the planar material prior to mounting of the devices thereover.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the interconnects are printed on the surface of the planar material.

10. A method according to any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the connection of the interconnects to each device is between the device and the planar material.

11. An electronically functional yarn comprising: a strip of electronically non-conductive flexible planar material with a plurality of electronic devices mounted thereon, wherein the width of the strip is no more than twice the width of the widest of the devices, which strip bearing the devices is a strip from a length of said material bearing sequences of said electronic devices in spaced lines thereon; a plurality of packing fibres around the strip and devices, which packing fibres preserve a substantially uniform cross-section along the length of the yarn and between the devices; and a retaining sleeve around the packing fibres, wherein the strip is confined within the plurality of packing fibres retained in the sleeve to form a composite yarn.

12. A yarn according to claim 11, wherein two of said strips form a core bearing the devices, the core and the devices being confined within the packing fibres.

13. A yarn or fibre according to claim 11 or 12, wherein conductive interconnects extend along the strip in opposite directions from each device.

14. A yarn or fibre according to claim 13, wherein the interconnects comprise antennas.

15. A yarn or fibre according to any of claims 11 to 14, wherein each device is enclosed in a protective polymeric micro pod.