Electrically conductive textile assemblies and manufacture thereof

Abstract

There is provided a method of making a conductive assembly for use in textiles, the method comprising providing a composite material comprising: a temporary substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a stitching pattern comprising a plurality of lockstitches on the temporary substrate, such that a conductive thread is disposed at the first surface of the temporary substrate and a thermo-fusible thread is disposed at the second surface; and an insulating layer comprising an adhesive on top of at least part of the conductive thread on the first surface, the adhesive having an activation temperature which is higher than the Vicat softening point, as measured by method A120 of ASTM D1525, of the thermo-fusible thread; and heating the insulating layer and thermo-fusible thread to the activation temperature and curing the adhesive in the insulating layer of the composite material, thereby securing the conductive thread to the insulating layer. Articles according to the process are also provided.

1 . A method of making a conductive assembly for use in textiles, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a composite material comprising:
 a temporary substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; 
 a stitching pattern comprising a plurality of lockstitches on the temporary substrate, such that a conductive thread is disposed at the first surface of the temporary substrate and a thermo-fusible thread is disposed at the second surface; and 
 an insulating layer comprising an adhesive on top of at least part of the conductive thread on the first surface, the adhesive having an activation temperature which is higher than the Vicat softening point, as measured by method A120 of ASTM D1525, of the thermo-fusible thread; and 
   (b) heating the insulating layer and thermo-fusible thread to the activation temperature and curing the adhesive in the insulating layer of the composite material, thereby securing the conductive thread to the insulating layer.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising removing the temporary substrate from the insulating layer to remove the thermo-fusible thread. 
     
     
         3 . A method of making a conductive assembly for use in textiles, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a composite material comprising:
 a temporary substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, 
 a stitching pattern comprising a plurality of lockstitches on the temporary substrate, such that a conductive thread is disposed at the first surface of the temporary substrate and a thermo-fusible thread is disposed at the second surface; and 
 an insulating layer comprising a cured adhesive on top of at least part of the conductive thread on the first surface, the adhesive having an activation temperature which is higher than the Vicat softening point, as measured by method A120 of ASTM D1525, of the thermo-fusible thread, where the cured adhesive secures the conductive thread to the insulating layer; and 
   (b) heating the insulating layer and thermo-fusible thread to a temperature at or below the activation temperature and removing the temporary substrate from the insulating layer to remove the thermo-fusible thread.   
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating and curing steps are carried out substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the composite material further comprises a textile substrate having a first face and a second face opposite the first face, where the second face of the textile substrate is disposed towards the first surface of the temporary substrate and the first face is disposed towards the conductive thread, optionally wherein:
 (a) the first surface of the temporary substrate is temporarily laminated to the second face of the textile substrate with a bonding film; and/or   (b) the composite material further comprises one or more of the following on the first face and/or the second face of the textile substrate: a support adhesive; a mesh fabric; an insulation adhesive; a functional chemical composition; or a composition providing electromagnetic shielding.   
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the stitching pattern comprising a plurality of lockstitches, is applied to the temporary substrate using a needle thread and a bobbin thread, one of the needle thread and the bobbin thread being a conductive thread and the other being a thermo-fusible thread. 
     
     
         9 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A method of making a conductive assembly for use in textiles, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a composite material comprising:
 a stabilisation substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, 
 a patterned conductive thread is disposed at the first surface of the stabilisation substrate; and 
 an insulating layer comprising a cured adhesive on top of at least part of the conductive thread on the first surface, the adhesive having an activation temperature which is higher than the Vicat softening point, as measured by method A120 of ASTM D1525, of the thermo-fusible thread, where the cured adhesive secures the conductive thread to the insulating layer; 
   (b) providing a textile fabric; and   (c) bonding the textile fabric to the stabilisation substrate.   
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the textile fabric further comprises an insulating adhesive layer and the insulating adhesive layer is bonded to the stabilisation substrate, optionally wherein the stabilisation substrate is a mesh fabric or a stabilisation adhesive. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the activation temperature of the adhesive of the insulating layer is at least 10° C. higher than the Vicat softening point of the thermo-fusible thread, preferably at least 30° C. higher, more preferably at least 70° C. higher, and even more preferably at least 80° C. higher. 
     
     
         17 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A conductive assembly for use in textiles comprising:
 a temporary substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;   a stitching pattern, comprising a plurality of lockstitches, the lockstitches being formed using a needle thread and a bobbin thread, one of the needle thread and the bobbin thread being a conductive thread and the other being a thermo-fusible thread, such that the conductive thread is disposed at the first surface of the temporary substrate and the thermo-fusible thread is disposed on the second surface; and   an insulating layer comprising an adhesive applied to at least part of the conductive thread on the first surface, the adhesive having an activation temperature which is higher than the Vicat softening point, as measured by method A120 of ASTM D1525, of the thermo-fusible thread.   
     
     
         23 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein the adhesive of the insulating layer is a cured thermoplastic insulation adhesive. 
     
     
         24 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 22 , further comprising a textile substrate having a first face and a second face opposite the first face, where the second face of the textile substrate is disposed towards the first surface of the temporary substrate and the first face is disposed towards the conductive thread, optionally wherein the first surface of the temporary substrate is laminated to the second face of the textile substrate with a bonding film. 
     
     
         27 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A conductive assembly for use in textiles, comprising:
 a stabilisation substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface,   a patterned conductive thread is disposed at the first surface of the stabilisation substrate; and   an insulating layer comprising a cured adhesive on top of at least part of the conductive thread on the first surface, the adhesive having an activation temperature which is higher than the Vicat softening point, as measured by method A120 of ASTM D1525, of the thermo-fusible thread, where the cured adhesive secures the conductive thread to the insulating layer; and   a textile fabric bonded to the stabilisation substrate.   
     
     
         33 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 32 , wherein the textile fabric further comprises an insulating adhesive layer and the insulating adhesive layer is bonded to the stabilisation substrate, optionally wherein the stabilisation substrate is a mesh fabric or a stabilisation adhesive. 
     
     
         34 . A conductive assembly for use in textiles, comprising:
 an insulating layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;   a conductive thread disposed at the first surface of the insulating layer and having a pattern, wherein   wherein the insulating layer comprises a cured thermoplastic insulation adhesive in contact with the conductive thread, which is held by the cured adhesive.   
     
     
         35 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 34 , further comprising one or more of the following on the first face and/or the second face of the textile substrate: a support adhesive; a mesh fabric; an insulation adhesive; a functional chemical composition; or a composition providing electromagnetic shielding. 
     
     
         38 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein the pattern has a geometry configured to accommodate stretching of a textile substrate, optionally wherein:
 (a) the pattern comprises one or more of: a triangle wave pattern; a sawtooth pattern; a sinusoidal pattern; an omega-shaped pattern; a square wave pattern, and an irregular wave pattern; and/or   (b) the pattern comprises at least some irregularly spaced portions.   
     
     
         43 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 22 , wherein the composite material further comprises short staple fibres flocked on the adhesive of the insulation layer. 
     
     
         48 - 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 34 , wherein the pattern has a geometry configured to accommodate stretching of a textile substrate, optionally wherein:
 (a) the pattern comprises one or more of: a triangle wave pattern; a sawtooth pattern; a sinusoidal pattern; an omega-shaped pattern; a square wave pattern, and an irregular wave pattern; and/or   (b) the pattern comprises at least some irregularly spaced portions.   
     
     
         51 . A conductive assembly according to  claim 34 , wherein the composite material further comprises short staple fibres flocked on the adhesive of the insulation layer.