公开(公告)号：US20230008099A1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-12

申请号：US17840508

申请日：2022-06-14

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A Podhajny ,  Linda D Benavente-Notaro

IPC: D03D1/00 ,  D04B21/14

Abstract: One or more electrical components may be incorporated into a fabric seam. The fabric seam may join two pieces of material in a fabric item or may form the border of a fabric item. The fabric seam may include first and second fabric portions with one or more conductive strands extending between the first and second fabric portions. An electrical component may be coupled to the conductive strand. The fabric seam may have one or more side pockets for capturing the edge of a material such as a piece of fabric. The fabric seam may have gaps that allow conductive strands within the fabric seam to branch off in different directions. Openings may be incorporated in the fabric seam to allow air or light to pass through and/or to form a window for an electrical component in the fabric seam.

公开(公告)号：US20250011981A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-09

申请号：US18757278

申请日：2024-06-27

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Didio V Gomes ,  Francois R Jacob ,  Kathryn P Crews ,  Benjamin J Grena ,  Tirshathah A Hunter ,  Maurice P May ,  Daniel A Podhajny ,  Andrew L Rosenberg

IPC: D03D13/00 ,  D03D15/41 ,  D03D15/47 ,  D03D15/533

Abstract: Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric such as woven fabric. The woven fabric may include warp strands and weft strands. In a Leno weave, a warp strand may include one or more covering strands twisted around a core strand. The covering strands and/or the core strand may be conductive to form a conductive warp strand. An electrical component may be mounted to the conductive warp strand. A first electrical connection may couple the electrical component to the core strand and a second electrical connection may couple the electrical component to the covering strand. The two electrical connections may be isolated from one another. A warp strand may have a first region in which the core includes a conductive strand and a second region in which the conductive strand forms part of the covering or is located on an outer surface of the covering.

公开(公告)号：US20240417895A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-19

申请号：US18735935

申请日：2024-06-06

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Andrew L Rosenberg ,  Kathryn P Crews ,  Didio V Gomes ,  Weibing Gong ,  Benjamin J Grena ,  Francois R Jacob ,  Maurice P May ,  Daniel A Podhajny ,  Lia M Uesato

IPC: D03D1/00 ,  D03D13/00 ,  D03D25/00 ,  D04B21/20 ,  D04C3/00

Abstract: Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric. A component detector may be used to feed strands such as a conductive strand to the interlacing equipment. One or more electrical components may be mounted to the conductive strand. The component detector may have a sensor configured to detect the presence of the electrical component as the conductive strand is fed to the interlacing equipment through the component detector. In response to detecting the component with the sensor, the interlacing equipment may automatically adjust interlacing operations in preparation for receiving the electrical component. For example, needles may be lowered in a knitting system, select warp strands may be raised and lowered in a weaving system, or a carrier may follow a modified path in a braiding system in response to detecting the electrical component. The fabric may have a different construction in regions where the electrical component is received.

公开(公告)号：US20240417897A1

公开(公告)日：2024-12-19

申请号：US18667837

申请日：2024-05-17

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Daniel A Podhajny ,  Kathryn P Crews ,  Weibing Gong ,  Lia M Uesato

IPC: D04B1/22 ,  D03D1/00 ,  D04B1/10 ,  D04B1/16 ,  D04B21/14

Abstract: Knitting equipment may be used to form weft knit fabric. A conductive strand may be coupled to a weft knit fabric layer using stitches such as tuck stitches, knit stitches, and floats. An electrical component may be mounted to a float and electrically connected to the conductive strand. A double knit fabric may include first and second outer weft knit layers joined by a connecting strand. The electrical component may be mounted to an outer weft knit layer or the connecting strand. The electrical component may have first and second portions that attach together to trap a conductive strand between the first and second portions. The electrical component may have a through-hole that receives a conductive loop in the fabric. A circular knit fabric may include a conductive strand that spirals around a longitudinal axis and that has connected segments and electrically isolated segments.