MULTIFUNCIONAL TEXTILE SENSOR

• Main Authors: CARVALHO GOMES, Joao Manuel de, GONÇALVES PINHEIRO, Manuel Joaquim, PIMENTA MACHADO, Vasco Gonçalves, CALIFÓRNIA MARQUES, António Fernando, VALENTE DE MATOS, Inês Rocha e Silva, OSÓRIO DINIS, Eduardo Jorge, ARAÚJO PIRES, Carla Marina, OLIVEIRA DA SILVA, José Fernando, GUIMARAES PEREIRA, Joao Luís Neto
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.04.2018
• Subjects: CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PRINTED CIRCUITS; SURGERY

The present application describes the creation of a flexible textile structure with sensing and lighting capabilities without the loss of important features of a typical textile, for instance, comfort, seamless and mechanical flexibility. As sensing applications are described three different approaches that may or may not work together in the same system: a directly printed self-capacitive sensor, a knitted textile sensor and the integration of temperature/humidity bulk capacitive sensors directly on the textile. As lighting applications for decorative and signage purposes are used two different approaches that could work individually or together: an electroluminescent sensing device and the use of a hybrid sensor that includes the use of SMD LEDs and a printed self-capacitive sensor. The sensing and lighting applications previously described can be used, as an example, inside an automobile passenger compartment since they are easily integrated on seats with different geometries, armrests and central panels to substitute common mechanical buttons and sensing devices, and create a cleaner and seamless environment, following current tendencies in car interiors.