Knitted capacitive touch sensor and capacitive touch sensor (active) textile

Abstract

A warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system includes conductive and non-conductive yarns using interlooped stitches that are interlaced, intertwined, and/or spliced into a single conductive pathway having only two connection points to the electronic interface device, across a desired width or length of the textile material.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor fabric comprising conductive and non-conductive yarns using interlooped stitches formed using warp knitting, wherein the sensor fabric has two connection points to an electronic device, and wherein the fabric acts as a capacitive touch sensor. 
     
     
         2 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive yarns form a conductive pathway through the fabric between the connection points. 
     
     
         3 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric is selected from a group consisting of a traditional garment, industrial, medical and military products. 
     
     
         4 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the textile is selected from a group consisting of men's formal, sporting wear, sporting gear, backpack, and footwear. 
     
     
         5 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the textile is selected from a group consisting of technical textiles consisting of industrial, construction, medical textiles and auxetic textiles. 
     
     
         6 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein a textile use is selected from a group consisting of military textiles consisting of soft-sided equipment, tenting, vests/boots. 
     
     
         7 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the placement of the touch sensor interfaces can be customized in spacing and length according to predetermined requirements. 
     
     
         8 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein lateral yarn loop overlaps and underlaps of the conductive yarn beams create a serpentine pattern that performs a continuous conductive pathway with one input and one output connector. 
     
     
         9 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the material is produced by a warp-knitting raschel machine. 
     
     
         10 . A method for making a warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor fabric comprising:
 providing a warp knitting machine;   feeding a nonconductive yarn into the warp knitting machine;   feeding a conductive yarn into the warp knitting machine;   warp knitting the conductive and non-conductive yarns using interlooped stitches into a fabric that includes a capacitive touch sensor formed from the conductive yarn with two connection points to an electronic device.   
     
     
         11 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein the conductive yarns form a conductive pathway through the fabric between the connection points. 
     
     
         12 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein the warp knitting machine is a warp-knitting raschel machine. 
     
     
         13 . The warp-knitted capacitive touch sensor system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor capacitive touch sensor is knitted into a predetermined shape.