Apple Inc.

Didio V Gomes

Daniel A Podhajny

Andrew L Rosenberg

Daniel D Sunshine

David M Kindlon

Maurice Philip May

Benjamin J Grena

Storrs Townsend Hoen

Steven J Keating

Houtan R Farahani

Kathryn P Crews

Kevin M Robinson

Ari P Miller

Joseph Benjamin Walker

Miikka Olavi Tikander

Joshua A Hoover

Yue Chen

Seul Bi Kim

Peter F Coxeter

Camille I Henrot

Lia Mieko Uesato

Mariel L Lanas

Franck Robin

Michael Baumann

Felix Binder

Kyle L Chatham

Helen Wächter Fischer

Ulrich Schläpfer

Martin Latta

Bertram Wendisch

Kevin T Pham

Robert J Rose

Gregory Wilson Rice

Jennifer N Husted

Ulrich SCHLÄPFER

Joseph M Walker

One or more electrical components may be incorporated into a piece of fabric. The electrical component may include an internal portion that is located inside of the fabric, an external portion that is located on an exterior surface of the fabric, and protrusions that extend through the fabric to electrically and/or mechanically couple the internal and external portions of the electrical component. The internal portion of the component may be inserted into the fabric during formation of the fabric. The external portion of the component may be coupled to the internal portion after the fabric is formed by inserting the protrusions on the internal portion into recesses in the external portion. The external portion of the component may contain skin-facing and/or viewer-facing input-output devices, while the internal portion may contain circuitry that electrically communicates with the input-output devices in the external portion.

Fabric with electrical components

Weaving equipment may include warp strand positioning equipment that positions warp strands and weft strand positioning equipment that inserts weft strands among the warp strands to form fabric. The fabric may include insulating strands and conductive strands. The conductive strands may be coupled to electrical components. The warp strand positioning equipment may position the warp strands to form a shed. Component insertion equipment may be used to insert electrical components into the shed. The weaving equipment may have a reed. The reed may be used to help position an electrical component in the fabric. The weaving equipment may have take-down equipment and individually controllable warp fiber positioning and tensioning devices.

Robotic weaving equipment

Interlacing equipment may be used to form fabric and to create a gap in the fabric. The fabric may include one or more conductive strands. An insertion tool may be used to align an electrical component with the conductive strands during interlacing operations. A soldering tool may be used to remove insulation from the conductive strands to expose conductive segments on the conductive strands. The soldering tool may be used to solder the conductive segments to the electrical component. The solder connections may be located in grooves in the electrical component. An encapsulation tool may dispense encapsulation material in the grooves to encapsulate the solder connections. After the electrical component is electrically connected to the conductive strands, the insertion tool may position and release the electrical component in the gap. A component retention tool may temporarily be used to retain the electrical component in the gap as interlacing operations continue.

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.

Stretchable signal path structures for electronic devices

A fabric-based item may include fabric formed from intertwined strands of material. The fabric may include first and second fabric layers that at least partially surround a pocket. Initially, the pocket may be completely enclosed by the first and second layers of fabric. A shim may be placed in the pocket before the pocket is closed. An opening may be formed in the first layer of fabric to expose a conductive strand in the pocket. The shim may prevent the cutting tool from cutting all the way through to the second layer of fabric. After cutting the hole in the first layer of fabric, the shim may be removed and an electrical component may be soldered to the conductive strand in the pocket. A polymer material may be injected into the pocket to encapsulate the electrical component. The polymer material may interlock with the surrounding pocket walls.

Fabric items with electrical components

An item such as a removable device cover or a portable electronic device may have a fabric hinge. The item may have first and second structures that are configured to rotate relative to each other. The fabric hinge may have first and second fabric layers that are coupled to the first structure and third and fourth fabric layers that are coupled to the second structure. A center portion of the fabric hinge may have one side that is coupled to the first and second fabric layers and an opposing second side that is coupled to the third and fourth fabric layers. In the center portion, first strands of material may extend outwardly into the first and fourth fabric layers and second parallel strands that are interspersed with the first strands may extend outwardly into the second and third fabric layers.

Items with fabric hinges

Weaving equipment may include warp strand positioning equipment that positions warp strands and weft strand positioning equipment that inserts weft strands among the warp strands to form fabric. The fabric may include insulating strands and conductive strands. The conductive strands may be coupled to electrical devices using solder joints or other conductive connections. During weaving, an electrically controlled shuttle may dispense weft strands between warp strands. The electrically controlled shuttle may include control circuitry and communications circuitry. The communications circuitry may be used to support communications between the control circuitry and equipment external to the shuttle. Movable arms, cutters, heaters, soldering devices, strand dispensers, intertwining devices, and other electrically controlled devices may be incorporated into the shuttle and controlled by control signals from the control circuitry.

Weaving equipment

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Didio V Gomes