Printable electronic garment conduit

Abstract

An athletic garment includes sensors at different locations of the garment. The sensors are electrically coupled to a processing unit and/or a power source via one or more conduits that are printed onto the garment. The conduits are designed for improved flexibility to accommodate stretching in the garment that occurs as a user wearing the garment performs an exercise and for improved durability to resist corrosion due to friction, sweat, or washing of the garment. In one embodiment, the conduits are designed for decreased stress concentrations at seams of the garment. In one embodiment, the conduits are designed to create a conductive pathway between different surfaces of the garment to electrically couple sensors on a first side (skin side) of the garment and a processing unit and/or a power source on a second side (outer side) of the garment.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A garment comprising:
 a first garment segment comprising a first edge;   a second garment segment comprising a second edge and coupled to the first garment segment, forming a seam along the first edge and the second edge;   a buffer material coupled to a surface of the first garment segment and the second garment segment such that the buffer material overlaps the seam; and   an electrical conduit coupled to the surface of the first garment segment and the second garment segment such that a portion of the electrical conduit overlaps the buffer material and the seam.   
     
     
         2 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer material is configured to minimize a change in height caused by a protrusion of the seam from the first garment segment and the second garment segment. 
     
     
         3 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer material comprises a material configured to create a uniform surface area across the seam. 
     
     
         4 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer material is configured to disperse forces exerted on the seam caused by stretching of the garment when worn by a user. 
     
     
         5 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the buffer material is oriented parallel or perpendicular to the seam. 
     
     
         6 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first garment segment and the second garment segment comprise parts of a same garment segment. 
     
     
         7 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the first garment segment and the second garment segment comprise different garment segments. 
     
     
         8 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit comprises a single conduit. 
     
     
         9 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit comprises an array of conduits that each overlap the buffer material and the seam. 
     
     
         10 . The garment of  claim 9 , wherein one or more of the conduits in the array of conduits are configured to receive more strain caused by stretching of the garment when worn by a user than other conduits in the array of conduits. 
     
     
         11 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit comprises a plurality of layers of two or more conduits of different materials. 
     
     
         12 . The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical conduit comprises a protective coating. 
     
     
         13 . A garment comprising:
 a first garment segment comprising a first electrical conduit on a first side of the first garment segment, wherein a portion of the first electrical conduit is exposed on a second side of the first garment segment through a first hole within the first garment segment; and   a second garment segment comprising a second electrical conduit on a first side of the second garment segment, wherein a portion of the second electrical conduit is exposed on a second side of the second garment segment through a second hole within the second garment segment;   wherein the first hole within the first garment segment and the second hole within the second garment segment are aligned such that the second side of the first garment segment and the second side of the second garment segment contact each other and wherein the first garment segment and the second garment segment are coupled together by a conductive material coupling the first electrical conduit to the second electrical conduit via the first hole within the first garment segment and the second hole within the second garment segment.   
     
     
         14 . The garment of  claim 13 , wherein the first garment segment and the second garment segment comprise parts of a same garment segment. 
     
     
         15 . The garment of  claim 13 , wherein the first garment segment and the second garment segment comprise different garment segments. 
     
     
         16 . The garment of  claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of sensors coupled to the first side of the first garment segment, and at least one of a controller and a power source coupled to the first side of the second garment segment. 
     
     
         17 . The garment of  claim 13 , wherein the conductive material coupling the first electrical conduit to the second electrical conduit via the first and second holes comprises a conductive pin inserted into the first and second holes. 
     
     
         18 . The garment of  claim 13 , wherein the conductive material coupling the first electrical conduit to the second electrical conduit via the first and second holes comprises conductive material filled into the first and second holes. 
     
     
         19 . The garment of  claim 13 , wherein the first electrical conduit is printed onto a first inlay material segment and the second electrical conduit is printed onto a second inlay material segment, where the first inlay material segment is coupled to the first garment segment and the second inlay material segment is coupled to the second garment segment, the first and second inlay material segments having respective holes for the first hole of the first electrical conduit and the second hole of the second electrical conduit. 
     
     
         20 . The garment of  claim 13 , wherein the first electrical conduit and the second electrical conduit comprise a plurality of notches that are configured to increase a flexibility of the first electrical conduit and of the second electrical conduit.