Patent Publication Number: US-11051401-B2

Title: Method of integrating an electronic module with conductive fabric

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/574,944 filed on Dec. 18, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     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. 
     BACKGROUND 
     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. 
     SUMMARY 
     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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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. 
         FIG. 1  depicts a side sectional view of an electronics module assembly in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side sectional view of an electronics module assembly in accordance with an embodiment of this disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram in accordance with an embodiment of a method of this disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a side sectional view of an electronics module assembly  100  comprising a substrate  102  including a non-conductive fabric  104 , a conductive fabric  110 , and an electronics module  116  (one electronics module and a partial are shown in  FIG. 1 ). The non-conductive fabric  104  has a first side  106  and a second side  108  opposite and generally parallel with the first side  106 . The conductive fabric  110  covers at least a part of the first side  106  and may be attached to the non-conductive fabric  104  using one or more of stitching or gluing. If stitching is used, the thread used to attach the conductive fabric  110  to the non-conductive fabric  104  is preferably a non-conductive thread  112 , for example a thread formed from, in non-limiting examples, natural fibers such as cotton, or synthetic fibers such as polyester or nylon. If gluing is used, the glue  114 , or adhesive, is preferably non-conductive. 
     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  130   a ,  130   b , for example copper pads which may be plated with silver, gold, or nickel. 
     The electronics module  116  may include, in non-limiting examples, sensors  116   a , light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs)  116   b , recording devices  116   c , displays  116   d , and the like. Other electronic devices can be included in the electronics module  116  within the scope and spirit of this disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a fastener  202  is used to clamp the electronics module  116  to the substrate  102  to form an electrical connection between the module and the substrate. In the non-limiting embodiment of  FIG. 2 , a stem  204  of fastener  202  passes through the through hole  122 , penetrates and passes through the conductive fabric  110  and the non-conductive fabric  104  and exits through the second side  108  of the non-conductive fabric  104 . In an embodiment, the conductive and non-conductive fabrics  110 ,  104  may have preformed holes to allow passage of the fastener  202 . In another embodiment, the fastener  202  may pierce one or both of the conductive and non-conductive fabrics  110 ,  104 , forming an opening therein. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a first end of the fastener  202  has a head  206  larger than the through hole  122  formed in the electronics module  116 . The head  206  is configured to contact the conductive elements  130   a  formed on the top surface  128  of the electronics module  116 . In an embodiment, the second end of the fastener  202  is adapted to accept a mating element  208  to facilitate the clamping. For example, the second end of the fastener  202  may include an external thread and the mating element  208  may have a corresponding internal thread to engage the external thread and advance along the length of the stem  204  when rotated. 
     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  FIG. 3 . 
     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.