US 11,913,143 B2
Fabric with electrical components
Kyle L Chatham, San Jose, CA (US); Kathryn P. Crews, Menlo Park, CA (US); Didio V. Gomes, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Benjamin J. Grena, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Storrs T. Hoen, Brisbane, CA (US); Steven J. Keating, Sunnyvale, CA (US); David M. Kindlon, Felton, CA (US); Daniel A. Podhajny, San Jose, CA (US); Andrew L. Rosenberg, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Daniel D. Sunshine, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Lia M. Uesato, San Jose, CA (US); Joseph B. Walker, Campbell, CA (US); Felix Binder, Frick (CH); Bertram Wendisch, Stein (CH); Martin Latta, Zurich (CH); Ulrich Schläpfer, Affoltern am Albis (CH); Franck Robin, Lenzburg (CH); Michael Baumann, Zurich (CH); and Helen Wächter Fischer, Schliern bei Köniz (CH)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 4, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/809,445.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/872,659, filed on Jul. 10, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/815,923, filed on Mar. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0283935 A1, Sep. 10, 2020
Int. Cl. D03D 1/00 (2006.01); H05K 1/03 (2006.01); B23K 1/00 (2006.01); D03J 1/00 (2006.01); D03D 41/00 (2006.01)
CPC D03D 1/0088 (2013.01) [B23K 1/0008 (2013.01); D03D 41/00 (2013.01); D03J 1/00 (2013.01); H05K 1/038 (2013.01); D10B 2401/16 (2013.01); D10B 2401/18 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Equipment for forming fabric having at least one conductive strand, the equipment comprising:
interlacing equipment that interlaces first strands and second strands to create a formed fabric;
control circuitry that controls the interlacing equipment to create a gap between first and second portions of the formed fabric; and
an insertion tool that:
aligns an electrical component with the at least one conductive strand; and
moves into the gap to position the electrical component in the gap after the electrical component is electrically coupled to the at least one conductive strand, wherein the control circuitry controls the interlacing equipment to continue interlacing the first strands and second strands after the insertion tool positions the electrical component in the gap.