Hem formation for automated garment manufacture
AssigneeCreateMe Technologies LLC
InventorsThomas C. K. Myers, Khamvong Thammasouk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and tooling for manufacturing flexible articles of manufacture such as garments, bags, backpacks and accessories that require hemmed edges. The method and tooling are compatible for use in an automated system and simplify the hemming process by performing the hemming operation on a flat pattern of material before the pattern of material has been joined with other patterns of material to form a finished or intermediate three-dimensional workpiece. This facilitates the formation of the hem by allowing the hem to be formed on a flat material pattern on a flat surface, thereby facilitating the folding, creasing and affixing of the hem without the requirement of human dexterity and labor.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a tool head comprising:
- a folding tool having a flat base configured to fit under a portion of material and a back extending upward from the flat base;
- and
- a cutting tool configured to cut a slit that defines a flap in the portion of material;
- and
- an articulating mechanism for moving the tool head in multiple dimensions;
- a control system for controlling the articulating mechanism to slide the folding tool under the flap in the portion of material and fold the flap in the portion of material.
A system for manufacturing a garment comprising:
- a tool head comprising:
- a folding tool having a flat base configured to fit under a piece of material and a back extending upward from the flat base;
- and
- a cutting tool configured to cut a slit that defines a flap in a portion of material;
- an articulating mechanism configured to move the tool head in multiple dimensions;
- and
- a control system comprising one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
- cause the articulating mechanism to move the tool head a location on a continuous web of material to cut with the cutting tool the slit;
- cause the articulating mechanism to move the tool head to fold, with the folding tool, the flap of material and affix the flap of material onto a portion of the continuous web of material to form a hem;
- and
- cause the articulating mechanism to move the tool head to apply pressure to join a first portion of the continuous web having the hem to a second portion of the continuous web of material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.