Fabric joining method and system
AssigneePatagonia, Inc.
InventorRandy Harward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fabric joining method and system for attaching a first piece of fabric having synthetic content to a second piece of fabric having synthetic content. The method includes welding the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric at a seam and sewing the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric using a stitch that crosses the welded seam. An example method includes ultrasonically welding a first piece of fleece fabric to a second piece of fleece fabric followed by stitching along and across the welded seam completely through the fabric layers using a zig-zag stitch. The system includes a first piece of fabric, a second piece of fabric fused to the first piece of fabric at a welded seam, and a thread stitched across the welded seam.
Claims21
A method for attaching a first piece of fabric to a second piece of fabric, each piece of fabric including synthetic content, the method comprising:
- welding the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric at an outer perimeter edge of each piece of fabric;
- unfolding the welded-together pieces of fabric such that the first piece of fabric abuts the second piece of fabric along the outer perimeter edges with the outer perimeter edges in the same planar axis;
- and
- sewing the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric using a stitch that extends over each of the outer perimeter edges of the unfolded pieces of fabric.
A composite seam system comprising:
- a first piece of fabric;
- a second piece of fabric fused to the first piece of fabric at a welded seam such that the welded seam joins an outer perimeter edge of the first piece of fabric which abuts an outer perimeter edge of the second piece of fabric lying in the same planar axis as the outer perimeter edge of the first piece of fabric;
- and
- a thread stitched across the welded seam which extends over both outer perimeter edges,
- wherein the first and second pieces of fabric include synthetic content.
A method for attaching a first piece of fabric to a second piece of fabric, each piece of fabric including a layer of fleece having synthetic content, the method comprising:
- ultrasonically welding the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric at a seam;
- concurrently cutting away excess fabric from the seam as the first piece of fabric is welded to the second piece of fabric such that the weld is at an outer perimeter edge of each piece of fabric;
- unfolding the welded-together pieces of fabric such that the first piece of fabric abuts the second piece of fabric along the outer perimeter edges with the outer perimeter edges in the same planar axis;
- and
- sewing across and along the welded seam using a stitch that extends over each of the outer perimeter edges of the unfolded pieces of fabric with a seam allowance between approximately 1/16 of an inch and ⅛ of an inch on the first and second pieces of fabric.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.