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.

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.