An apparatus and method to reliably attach an electronic module to a textile. The overall mechanical assembly of the invention includes: (a) light pipe, (b) top enclosure, (b) magnet, (c) main electronics which contains (d) the main PCB, (e) battery and (f) other electronic components, (g) bottom enclosure, which holds (h) the connector PCB, (i) module dock, (j) top textile PCB which are located above the (j) textile band and under the (k) textile pocket and the (I) bottom textile PCB and (m) fabric and laminate padding, which are located below the textile band. The invention is physically embodied by an electronic module, comprising at least one printed circuit board (PCB), comprising at least one conductive circuit and at least one electronic component; a metallic rivet, grommet or eyelet to mechanically and electrically connect the; and a textile substrate with at least one electrically conductive circuit.

A connector includes two by N contacts arranged in two columns and N rows, where N is an integer of three or more, N contacts in each column being arrayed at a predetermined pitch in a first direction parallel to each column within a corresponding one of column areas each extending in the first direction and having a predetermined width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a distance between two contacts in one endmost row in the first direction among the N rows being larger than a distance between two contacts in each of the other rows and different in length from the predetermined pitch, a distance between two contacts in the other endmost row in the first direction among the N rows being smaller than a distance between two contacts in each of the other rows and different in length from the predetermined pitch.

An item may include fabric having insulating and conductive yarns or other strands of material. The conductive strands may form signal paths. Electrical components can be mounted to the fabric. Each electrical component may have an electrical device such as a semiconductor die that is mounted on an interposer substrate. The interposer may have contacts that are soldered to the conductive strands. A protective cover may encapsulate portions of the electrical component. To create a robust connection between the electrical component and the fabric, the conductive strands may be threaded through recesses in the electrical component. The recesses may be formed in the interposer or may be formed in a protective cover on the interposer. Conductive material in the recess may be used to electrically and/or mechanically connect the conductive strand to a bond pad in the recess. Thermoplastic material may be used to seal the solder joint.

An item may include fabric or other materials formed from intertwined strands of material. The item may include circuitry that produces signals. The strands of material may include non-conductive strands and conductive strands. The conductive strands may carry the signals produced by the circuitry. Each conductive strand may have a strand core, a conductive coating on the strand core, and an insulating layer on the conductive coating. The strand cores may be strands formed from polymer. The conductive coating may be formed from metal. Electrical connections may be made between intertwined conductive strands by selectively removing portions of the outer insulating layer to expose the conductive cores of overlapping conductive strands. A conductive material such as solder or conductive epoxy may be applied to the exposed portions of the conductive cores to electrically and mechanically connect the overlapping conductive strands.

A mechanical subtractive method of manufacturing a flexible circuitry layer may include mechanically removing at least a portion of a conductive mesh, wherein, following the mechanical removal, a remaining portion of the conductive mesh forms at least a portion of a circuitry trace comprising an electrode; forming an electrical connection between the electrode and a terminal of an interfacing component, wherein the interfacing component comprises a connector; and encasing at least a portion of the circuit trace with an insulative layer.

An electrical connecting element includes a stretchable insulation sheet, two or more first conductive threads on one surface of the insulation sheet, and two or more first resin threads on the one surface of the insulation sheet. The first conductive threads extend in a predetermined direction and are disposed in parallel with each other orthogonally to the predetermined direction. The first resin threads have thermal adhesiveness. The first resin threads do not overlap with any of the first conductive threads.

A stretchable fabric signal path may include a conductive strand located between first and second outer fabric layers. The outer fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of elastic material. The conductive strand may have a wavy shape to accommodate stretching of the stretchable fabric signal path. First and second inner fabric layers may be located between the outer stretchable fabric layers. The inner fabric layers may be formed from intertwined strands of non-elastic material. The inner fabric layers may have strands that are intertwined with the outer fabric layers to serve as anchor points for maintaining the shape of the conductive strand as the stretchable fabric signal path expands and contracts. The outer fabric layers and inner fabric layers may be woven. The conductive strand may convey electrical signals such as audio signals, power signals, data signals, or other suitable signals.

Dielectric coating compositions are provided. The dielectric coating compositions generally include an aqueous binder, an inorganic nanoparticle, and a solvent, and can be formulated for specific printing methods, such as inkjet printing. The dielectric coating compositions are curable to provide scratch resistant coatings useful as insulating layers.

A method for making, by a laser etching, a partially metallized single thread fabric material for aesthetic or marking applications, does not use polymers, inks, pastes and additives. The inventive method comprises a pre-metallizing step or a partial metallizing on the fabric and a following metal removal step, being performed by a quick and localized evaporation thereof, performed either on one or both the surfaces simultaneously, by a specifically designed laser.

Methods, devices, and systems for encapsulating a flexible electronic device with a waterproof layer are provided. In some embodiments, a manufacturing process is provided where a hotmelt layer is positioned over a flexible substrate that has at least one electronic component. Then, heat and/or pressure are applied to the hotmelt layer causing the hotmelt layer to flow around the at least one component to encapsulate the at least one component and form a waterproof layer. Various embodiments for forming the hotmelt layer and various embodiments of the flexible electronic device with the hotmelt layer are described herein.