Textile product and method for manufacturing

Abstract

A textile product (100) comprises a plurality of pieces of fabric (101) and a base sheet (107) having a front side (108) and a back side (109). Each of the plurality of pieces of fabric (101) extends, formed into a gathered shape in which the piece of fabric (101) is folded around a folding point (103) thereon, through an opening (110) in the base sheet (107). The folding point (103) lies in the opening (110) or on the back side (109) of the base sheet (107). A part of the piece of fabric (101) lies on the front side (108) and forms, together with corresponding parts of the other pieces of fabric (101), a three-dimensional front surface structure (122) of the textile product (100). The piece of fabric (101) is retained in the opening (110) by an interference fit. The opening (110) is formed between opposite cutting edges (111) formed in the base sheet (107). The cutting edges (111) are separated from each other at a cut-off position (112) and bent towards the back side (109). The interference fit is formed between the cutting edges (111).

Description

[0001] TEXTILE PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] Three-dimensional textile surfaces are used in interior design, fashion, and functional applications, offering both aesthetic and functional or performance properties such as acoustic absorption. These structures can be manufactured by attaching individual pieces of fabric to a base structure, where the pieces may be gathered, pleated, ruffled or otherwise formed so as to achieve a raised or three-dimensional effect . The fabric piece size, shape and material may influence the final properties of the product . For attaching the fabric pieces to the base structure, techniques such as weaving, sewing, and bonding may be used. The industrial feasibility and cost depend strongly on factors, such as production efficiency, which influence both scalability and affordability. Despite existing approaches, there remains a need for improved solutions enabling not only firm attachment of various types of pieces of fabric to the base structure but also efficient and scalable manufacturing techniques .

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subj ect matter .According to a first aspect, a textile product is disclosed. The textile product comprises a plurality of pieces of fabric and a base sheet having a front side and a back side .

[0006] Each of the plurality of pieces of fabric extends, formed into a gathered shape in which the piece of fabric is folded around a folding point thereon, through an opening in the base sheet .

[0007] The folding point lies in the opening or on the back side of the base sheet . A part of the piece of fabric lies on the front side and forms, together with corresponding parts of the other pieces of fabric, a three-dimensional front surface structure of the textile product .

[0008] The piece of fabric is retained in the opening by an interference fit .

[0009] The opening is formed between opposite cutting edges formed in the base sheet . The cutting edges are separated from each other at a cut-off position and bent towards the back side . The interference fit is formed between the cutting edges .

[0010] According to a second aspect, a method for manufacturing the textile product in accordance with the first aspect is disclosed.

[0011] The method comprises forming each of the plurality of pieces of fabric into a gathered shape and forcing itfrom the front side partially through the opening in the base sheet .

[0012] Many of the attendant features will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings .

[0013] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present description will be better understood from the following detailed description read in view of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0015] Fig. 1 shows a part of a textile product in different stages of its manufacturing method.

[0016] Fig. 2 shows a part of another example of a textile product .

[0017] Fig. 3 shows a part of another example of a textile product .

[0018] Fig. 4 shows a top view of pieces of fabric for a textile product .

[0019] Fig. 5 shows details of base sheets for a textile product .

[0020] Fig. 6 shows an example appearance of a textile product .

[0021] Unless specifically stated to the contrary, any of the aforementioned drawings may be schematic and drawn notto scale such that any element in said drawing may be drawn with inaccurate proportions with respect to other elements in said drawing in order to emphasize certain structural aspects of the embodiment of said drawing.

[0022] Moreover, corresponding elements in the embodiments of any two drawings of the aforementioned drawings may be disproportionate to each other in said two drawings in order to emphasize certain structural aspects of the embodiments of said two drawings .

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The detailed description provided below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of a number of embodiments and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the embodiments may be constructed, implemented, or utilized.

[0025] It is to be noted that the textile product and the method for manufacturing the same are not limited to the embodiments and examples above . Instead, the embodiments may freely vary within the scope of the claims .

[0026] The textile product 100 shown in part in drawing e) of Fig. 1 may be used for aesthetic and / or functional applications . Examples of aesthetic applications include interior design, such as furniture and textile decor, and fashion, such as clothing and accessories . Examples of functional applications include acoustic panels and other sound-absorbing structures . The textile product may be manufactured, for example, into a rollform and further processed, for example, by cutting to be adapted for various applications .

[0027] The textile product 100 of drawings c) to e) of Fig. 1 comprises a plurality of pieces of fabric 101.

[0028] A piece of fabric refers to a portion of a fiber-based sheet-formed material, thus fabric . "Sheet-formed" may refer to the fabric being manufactured into a form having dimensions in a lateral or horizontal direction substantially larger than the thickness thereof in a direction perpendicular to those lateral or horizontal dimensions . The piece of fabric may comprise a woven, non-woven, and / or knitted fabric . A woven fabric may refer to a fabric produced by interlacing threads of two distinct yarns or fibers at certain angles to each other . A knitted fabric may refer to a fabric produced through interlocking loops of yarns together with needles . A non-woven fabric may refer to an engineered fabric made from fibers that are bonded together through various methods such as heat, chemical or mechanical processes .

[0029] The fabric may be made from synthetic and / or natural fibers . Natural refers to fibers derived from plants and animals or from other nature-based sources . Examples of natural fiber fabrics include wool, cotton, jute, linen and silk. Synthetic refers to fibers created through chemical methods . Examples of synthetic fiber fabrics include nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex and rayon. Examples of natural-synthetic blended fabrics include polyester-cotton and wool-nylon blends . The textileproduct may be implemented with a wide variety of fabrics, featuring varying properties such as rigidity, stretch, and texture .

[0030] The pieces of fabric 101 of drawings a) to e) of Fig. 1 may have basically any shape and size . The piece of fabric 101 may have a substantially symmetric or asymmetric shape . The piece of fabric may have a generally elliptical, such as circular shape, or rectangular, such as square, shape . The piece of fabric may have an irregular shape . Fig. 4 shows example shapes for the piece of fabric . Drawings a) to b) of Fig. 4 show pieces of fabric 401a, 401b with a circular and a square shape, respectively, which are examples of a symmetrical shape . Drawing c) of FIG. 4 shows a piece of fabric 401c with an irregular shape, which is an example of an asymmetric shape . The shapes of the plurality of pieces of fabric of the textile product may differ from one another . The shape and size of the piece of fabric can influence the properties of the textile product, such as its appearance, structure, and / or acoustic properties .

[0031] Drawing e) of Fig. 1 shows the manufactured textile product 100. Drawings c) to d) of Fig. 1 depict the textile product 100 in its different manufacturing stages, showing installation stages of a single piece of fabric 101 on the left, and an installed piece of fabric on the right . The installed piece of fabric shown on the right in drawings c) to d) of Fig. 1 corresponds to one of the pieces of fabric shown in drawing e) of Fig. 1. For clarity, the drawings c) to e) of Fig. 1show cross-sectional views of a partial, cropped section of the textile product 100, depicting two pieces of fabric 101 .

[0032] In the following, the textile product is described with reference to drawing e) of Fig . 1 . The textile product 100 comprises a plurality of pieces of fabric 101 and a base sheet 107 having a front side 108 and a back side 109.

[0033] The front side refers to the space in front of the base sheet . The back side refers to the space behind the base sheet . When viewing drawing e) of Fig. 1, the front side 108 and the back side 109 of the base sheet 107 correspond to the space above and below the base sheet, respectively .

[0034] Each of the plurality of pieces of fabric 101 extends, formed into a gathered shape in which the piece of fabric is folded around a folding point 103 thereon, through an opening 110 in the base sheet 107. The folding point will be described in more detail with reference to Fig.

[0035] 4 .

[0036] The gathered shape refers to a form where different regions or parts of the piece of fabric surrounding the folding point fold and bunch together instead of the piece of fabric lying along or parallel to a planar or slightly curved plane . A fictitious line (not illustrated) can be imagined, crossing perpendicularly a piece of fabric in a planar shape through the folding point . The piece of fabric then thus lies along a planarplane . After forming the piece of fabric into the gathered shape thereof, the folding point remains as the only part of the piece of fabric lying along or at said plane . The rest of the piece of fabric lies, in a folded or plated form and shape, above said plane .

[0037] In the example of drawing e) of Fig. 1 the piece of fabric 101 is shown as folded once in the cross-sectional plane in which the cross-sectional view of the textile product is presented. This may be considered representing a simplified case . In practice, the piece of fabric may be gathered in such way that it is folded multiple times at a single cross-section. Fig. 6, which will be discussed in more detail hereinafter, shows an example appearance of such a textile product 600, wherein the parts of the plurality of pieces of fabric 601 lying on the front side are folded back and forth multiple times, forming a wavy or pleated configuration.

[0038] The opening 110 is formed between opposite cutting edges 111 formed in the base sheet 107. The cutting edges are separated from each other at a cut-off position 112 and bent towards the back side 109. The cut-off position will be discussed in more detail hereinafter with reference to Fig. 5.

[0039] In drawing e) of Fig. 1, the folding point 103 lies in the opening 110, thus between the cutting edges 111. In other embodiments, the piece of fabric may extend deeper or farther through the opening such that the folding point may lie on the back side 109 of the base sheetAs shown in more detail in Fig . 4 , the piece of fabric 401 has a perimeter P having a perimeter length L . A portion of the perimeter length of the piece of fabric may be positioned in the opening or on the back side of the base sheet . For example, at least 10% of the perimeter length may be positioned in the opening or on the back side of the base sheet . In the example of drawing e) of Fig. 1, a portion of the perimeter length L of the piece of fabric 101 is positioned on the back side 109 of the base sheet 107. In other embodiments, a maj ority, such as 100%, of the perimeter length may be positioned on the front side of the base sheet . By adjusting the portion of the perimeter length positioned in the opening 110 or on the back side, the height to which the piece of fabric extends on the front side, away from the base sheet, can be controlled. Thereby, the properties of the textile product, such as appearance and acoustic properties, may be adjusted.

[0040] The piece of fabric 101 has a geometric center 102. Geometric centers 402a, 402b, 402c of pieces of fabric 401 with different shapes are shown in more detail in drawings a) to c) of Fig. 4.

[0041] Returning to drawing e) of Fig. 1, the folding point 103 lies on a imaginary straight line 104 connecting two opposite edges of the piece of fabric 101 via the geometric center 102. For the sake of clarity of the illustration, the straight line 104 is marked in the drawing, in the thickness direction of the piece of fabric, in the middle of the piece of fabric . However,the folding point position refers to the position in the area of the piece of fabric, as indicated in the drawings of Fig. 4. providing a more detailed presentation of the folding point position on the imaginary straight line . Fig. 4 shows example positions for the folding point 403. In the examples of drawings a) to c) Fig. 4 , the folding point 403a, 403b, 403c lies on the imaginary straight line 404a, 404b, 404c at a shorter distance from the edge than from the geometric center 402a, 402b, 402c . For example, the folding point may lie at a distance of less than equal to 30% from one of the edges . In other embodiments, the folding point location inside the perimeter P of the piece of fabric may be chosen freely .

[0042] The position of the folding point may affect the formation and extension of the part of the piece of fabric lying on the front side of the base sheet, and thereby affect the appearance and / or the properties, such as the acoustic properties, of the textile product .

[0043] The position of the folding point may affect the amount of perimeter length L lying in the opening or on the back side of the base sheet . Positioning a portion of the perimeter length in the opening or on the back side, as described above with reference to drawing e) of Fig.

[0044] 1, may be achieved by setting the folding point 103 at a sufficiently shorter distance from the edge of the piece of fabric than from the geometric center thereof .

[0045] Returning to drawing e) of Fig. 1, a major part of the piece of fabric 101 lies on the front side 108 of thebase sheet 107 . On the front side, the piece of fabric shown on the left side of the drawing e) extends above the area of the opening 110 for the adj acent piece of fabric shown on the right . The proportion of the part of the piece of fabric lying on the front side may be selected according to the requirements of the application in question. Size of the part of the piece of fabric lying on the front side as well as the density of the openings in the base sheet and thus the distance between ad acent pieces of fabric may affect the final appearance and / or properties of the textile product 100. In the example of Fig. 1, the distance between adj acent pieces of fabric 101 is, for the sake of clarity of the drawings, relatively large . In practice, the distance may be shorter .

[0046] As illustrated in Fig. 6, the part of the piece of fabric 601 lying on the front side 608 of the base sheet 607 forms a three-dimensional front surface structure 622 of the textile product 600. The size and / or the proportion of the pieces of fabric lying on the front side in relation to the placement density of the openings in the base sheet is such that the plurality of the pieces of fabric cover the underlying base sheet . Therefore, the openings 110 underlying the three-dimensional front surface structure 122 of drawing e) of Fig. 1 are not shown in Fig. 6. In other embodiments, the pieces of fabric may be arranged at selected distance from each other .

[0047] Returning to drawing e) of Fig . 1 , the piece of fabric 101 is retained in the opening 110 by an interferencefit . The interference fit, also called a pressed fit or a friction fit, refers to a type of joint between two parts, where one part is tightly pressed against another, creating a bond held by friction once the parts are assembled.

[0048] The interference fit is formed between the opposite cutting edges 111 formed in the base sheet 107 and bent towards the back side 109. The cutting edges may be bent at an inclined angle towards the back side, as shown in the drawing e) . In some embodiments, they may alternatively lie perpendicular to the plane of the base sheet, pointing substantially directly towards the back side .

[0049] The cutting edges bent towards the back side may affect the strength of the interference fit . The resulting interference fit may be more secure than, for example, in a situation where the fit does not comprise any cutting edges bent towards the back side but an opening in a base structure for receiving a piece of fabric is formed simply by removing material from the base structure . For example, when attempting to pull the piece of fabric out of the opening from the front side 108, the cutting edges bent towards the back side may generate additional friction and / or resistance and grip the piece of fabric more tightly, making the removal more difficult . They may then also tend to bend back towards the plane of the base sheet, whereby the distance between them, and thus the opening 110, becomes smaller, tightening thereby the interference fit .The attachment of the piece of fabric to the base sheet, based on the interference fit formed between the cutting edges as described above, enables efficient, scalable, and automated manufacturing of the textile product .

[0050] In addition to the interference fit, the piece of fabric 101 is further secured to the base sheet 107 by an adhesive 116 applied to the base sheet 107 and the piece of fabric on the back side 109. This further ensures that the piece of fabric remains securely attached to the base sheet, even during transport or when pulled. The adhesive may comprise, for example, a universal glue, a multi-purpose glue, or a hot-setting adhesive . The adhesive may be applied to the base sheet and the piece of fabric on the back side, for example, by spreading or spraying. In other embodiments, no further securing in addition to the interference fit is used, or alternative further securing means are used.

[0051] Except in the regions of the openings 110, in the example of drawing e) of Fig. 1, the base sheet 107 comprises a solid layer of a material 117. A solid layer may refer to a continuous, uninterrupted or cohesive layer of material . A solid layer may extend continuously and uninterruptedly in the sense of having no through holes or voids therein. Another view of base sheets 507 comprising the solid layer of a material 517 is shown in drawings a) to f ) of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 will be discussed in more detail hereinafter .

[0052] The base sheet 107 of Fig. 1 may comprise various structures .In the example of Fig. 2, the base sheet 207 comprises a mesh 218. The mesh has perpendicularly extending intersecting threads or filaments 219 which form a plurality of filament junctions 220 and define a network of voids 221 between the filaments . A more detailed view of base sheets 507 comprising the mesh 518 is shown in drawings g) to i) of Fig. 5.

[0053] The base sheet may be made of such material that upon formation of the cutting edges bent towards the back side, the cutting edges tend to return to the original plane of the base sheet due to inherent flexibility and resilience of the base sheet material . The original plane refers to the plane at which the portion of the base sheet, from which portion the cutting edges are formed, is lying before the formation of the cutting edges . The tendence of the cutting edges return to the original plane of the base sheet affects the strength of the above discussed interference fit and therefore the retainment force applied on the piece of fabric .

[0054] The base sheet may comprise a material selected from plastic, cardboard, metal, composite, and any combination thereof . Examples of base sheets include plastic insect screen, tulle fabric, and painted fiberglass layer .

[0055] As explained above with reference to drawing e) of Fig.

[0056] 1, the opening 110 in the base sheet 107 is formed between the cutting edges 111 separated from each other at the cut-off position 112. The cutting edges 111thereby separated from each other are bent backwards, thus towards the back side 109 of the base sheet . Due to the bending, the opposite cutting edges lie at a distance from each other .

[0057] Drawings a) to f ) and g) to i) of Fig. 5 show examples of the cut-off position 512 for base sheets 507 comprising the solid layer of a material 517 and mesh 518, respectively.

[0058] A cut-off position may comprise, for example, one or more cuts / slits / ruptures (hereinafter referred to as a common term "cut") formed through the base sheet . A cutoff position and the cut (s) thereof may have basically any shape .

[0059] A cut of a cut-off position may be in the form of or comprise one or more lines . Drawing b) shows a cut-off position comprising a cut in the form of two crossing lines resulting in a point 512b formed between the intersection, the point separating from each other the sharp tips of the opposite cutting edges 511b . Drawings c) to e) show cut-off positions 512 each comprising a cut having three lines, one of the lines connecting the other two lines, the connecting line separating from each other the opposite cutting edges 511. Drawing c) shows a cut-off position 512c with a straight connecting line perpendicularly connecting two other, mutually parallel cuts . Drawing d) shows a corresponding cut-off position 512d where the connecting line is curved. Drawing e) shows a cut-off position where the connecting line has a zigzag shape . Drawing f ) shows a cut-offposition comprising a cut with an irregular shape, wherein multiple random lines or line cuts are formed in the base sheet .

[0060] In embodiments wherein the base sheet comprises the mesh, such as in Fig. 2, the opening 210 may cover a plurality of adj acent voids 221. In such embodiments, the cut-off position 212 extends over a plurality of adj acent threads or filaments 219. Each of the filaments forms two opposite cutting edges at the cut-off position .

[0061] In drawings h) to i) of Fig. 5, the cut-off position 512 is illustrated with a dashed line . Drawing h) of Fig. 5 shows the cut-off position 512h extending over three parallel, adj acent filaments 519h. Drawing i) of Fig. 5 shows the cut-off position 512i extending over three filaments 519i running parallel to each other, and two additional filaments running perpendicular to them.

[0062] In some embodiments, the cut-off position may comprise a prefabricated cut . The prefabricated cut or other type of a cut-off position may be formed, for example, by cutting, slashing, or other means . In other embodiments, the cut-off position may comprise a guided weakening zone . The guided weakening zone may refer to a predefined structural weakness of the base sheet that directs and / or facilitates controlled cutting without completely severing a material . The guided weakening zone may be formed, for example, by scoring, perforation, or material thinning techniques . For example, the cut-off positions 512 of drawings b) to e)and h) to i) may comprise a prefabricated cut and / or a guided weakening zone . In yet another embodiments, a cut-off position may be missing at the location of the base sheet where a piece of fabric is to be attached. Examples of such embodiments are presented in drawings a) and g) of Fig. 1. There, no cut-off position is ready formed at the location of the base sheet where a piece of fabric is intended to be attached. Then, the cut-off position and thus the opening may be formed by pushing the piece of fabric through the bas sheet . The resulting cut-off position may then have a more or less random configurations, such as that of drawing f ) of Fig. 5.

[0063] The length and / or shape of the cuts corresponding to the cut-off position may affect the strength and retention of the above discussed interference fit . For example, the length and / or shape of the cut-off position may affect the amount of the cutting edges formed gripping the piece of fabric . The coverage of the cut-off position over plurality of filaments may affect the amount of the formed cutting edges and retention of the interference fit .

[0064] The base sheet may comprise one or more layers of a material . The layers may comprise solid layers of a material and / or meshes . The base sheet may comprise a first layer and a second layer, the first layer being placed on top of the second layer. The base sheet may comprise at least three layers stacked on top of each other .Fig. 3 shows another example of a textile product 300 that, similar to, for example, drawing e) of Fig. 1, comprises the plurality of pieces of fabric 301 and the base sheet 307. In the textile product of Fig. 3, a support panel 323 is attached to the base sheet 307 from the back side 309 thereof . Unlike in drawing e) of Fig.

[0065] 1, no adhesive is applied to the base sheet and the piece of fabric on the back side . The support panel may provide further securing for the piece of fabric . In other embodiments, adhesive or other further securing means may be used. The support panel may be formed of a deformable material into which the bent cutting edges 311 formed in the base sheet and, partially, the piece of fabric are inserted.

[0066] The support panel 323 may be made of or comprise one or more materials such as peat, glass wool, stone wool, wood fiberboard, and / or polystyrene foam. The support panel may comprise or form an acoustic panel . The base sheet 307 may comprise or form a coating layer of a support panel . The coating layer may be painted or comprise a painted layer . Example materials for the coating layer may include fiberglass, glass wool, glass fleece, and glass tissue .

[0067] In the above, the textile product 100 is described with reference to drawing e) of Fig. 1. In the following, method stages for manufacturing the textile product 100 are described with reference to drawings a) to d) of Fig . 1 .The method comprises providing a plurality of pieces of fabric 101 and forming each of the plurality of pieces of fabric into a gathered shape .

[0068] In the example of drawings a) to b) of Fig. 1, a tool head 105 is positioned on the piece of fabric 101 at the folding point 103 and the piece of fabric is pushed by the tool head into a tubular forming element 106, thereby forming the piece of fabric into a gathered shape . Drawing a) of Fig. 1 shows a method stage prior pushing the piece of fabric into the tubular forming element . Drawing b) shows a method stage where the piece of fabric is pushed into the tubular forming element .

[0069] In another embodiments, said forming the piece of fabric into the gathered shape may be carried out without a use of the tool head and / or the tubular forming element . In yet another embodiments, said forming the piece of fabric into a gathered shape may comprise alternative ways . For example, said forming the piece of fabric into a gathered shape may take place simultaneously with the method stage described below with reference to drawings c) to d) of Fig. 1.

[0070] Drawings c) to d) of Fig. 1 depict the textile product 100 with the piece of fabric 101 in assembling stages on the left, and the assembled piece of fabric 101, similar to the manufactured textile product in drawing e ) , on the right .

[0071] Drawings c) to d) of Fig. 1 show manufacturing stages of the textile product 100, where a support body 113with a support surface 114 and having an indentation 115 is provided. The indentation 115 extends partially through the thickness of the support body 113. In other embodiments, the indentation may extend completely through the thickness of the support body. The support body may comprise a plurality of indentations arranged in a pattern. Other embodiments may be implemented where no support body or a different kind of support body is used .

[0072] In the example of drawing c) of Fig. 1, the base sheet 107 is placed on the support surface 114 of the support body 113. Similarly, the base sheet in accordance, for example, to Figs 2 and / or 3, may be provided here . The tool head 105 is positioned on the piece of fabric 101 at the folding point 103. The piece of fabric, formed into a gathered shape, is placed on the front side 108 on top of the base sheet 107. The cut-off position 112 in the base sheet is aligned with the indentation 115 in the support body so as to receive the tool head 105 together with a part of the piece of fabric 101 into the indentation .

[0073] In the example of drawing d) of Fig. 1, the piece of fabric 101 is forced, while being formed into the gathered shape, from the front side 108 of the base sheet 107 partially through the opening 110 therein. A purpose of the support body 113 is to provide support for the base sheet during the stage of pushing and forcing the piece of fabric therethrough. A purpose of the indentation 115 is to enable pushing the piece of fabric and / or the tool head through the base sheet . Theindentation may also allow controlling the amount of the piece of fabric extending through the opening on the back side 109. After said forcing, the piece of fabric thus extends, formed into a gathered shape through the opening. Said forcing the piece of fabric partially through the opening comprises pushing the piece of fabric by the tool head 105 positioned on the piece of fabric at the folding point 103. In other embodiments, said forming the piece of fabric into the gathered shape may take place simultaneously with the said forcing the piece of fabric through the opening. For example, the piece of fabric may lie on top of the base sheet on the front side, and gathering may result from pushing the piece of fabric by the tool head.

[0074] In drawings c) and d) of Fig. 1, the tubular forming element 106 is absent . In other embodiments, the tubular forming element on the front side 108 of the base sheet 107 may be included in the method stages described with reference to the drawings c) and / or e) .

[0075] In the example of drawing d) of Fig. 1, the opposite cutting edges 111 of the base sheet 107 are separated from each other by pushing the piece of fabric 101 by the tool head 105 against the base sheet so as to break the base sheet so as to form the cut-off position 112 . In such embodiment, the base sheet prior pushing the piece of fabric therethrough may be in accordance with drawings a) and / or g) of Fig. 5. The formed cut-off position may then comprise, for example, a line with an irregular shape, such as shown in drawing f) of Fig. 5. An advantage is that the cut-off position may bedetermined in the manufacturing stage . In other embodiments, the base sheet may be provided with the opposite cutting edges of the base sheet ready separated from each other at the cut-off position. In such embodiment, the base sheet may be in accordance with drawings b) to f ) and / or h) to i) of Fig. 5.

[0076] It will be understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or example or may relate to several embodiments or examples . The embodiments and examples are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems or those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages . It will further be understood that reference to ' an' item refers to one or more of those items .

[0077] The term "comprising" is used in this specification to mean including the feature (s) followed thereafter, without excluding the presence of one or more additional features .

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A textile product ( 100 ) , comprising :a plurality of pieces of fabric ( 101 ) ;a base sheet ( 107 ) having a front side ( 108 ) and a back side ( 109 ) ;wherein each of the plurality of pieces of fabric ( 101 ) extends , formed into a gathered shape in which the piece of fabric ( 101 ) is folded around a folding point ( 103 ) thereon, through an opening ( 110 ) in the base sheet ( 107 ) with the folding point ( 103 ) lying in the opening ( 110 ) or on the back side ( 109 ) of the base sheet ( 107 ) and a part of the piece of fabric ( 101 ) lying on the front side ( 108 ) and forming, together with corresponding parts of the other pieces of fabric ( 101 ) , a three-dimensional front surface structure ( 122 ) of the textile product ( 100 ) , the piece o f fabric ( 101 ) being retained in the opening ( 110 ) by an interference fit , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the opening ( 110 ) is formed between opposite cutting edges ( 111 ) formed in the base sheet ( 107 ) , the cutting edges ( 111 ) being separated from each other at a cut-of f position ( 112 ) and bent towards the back side ( 109 ) , the interference fit being formed between the cutting edges ( 111 ) .2 . A textile product ( 200 , 600 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the base sheet ( 207 , 607 ) comprises a mesh ( 218 , 618 ) having intersecting threads or filaments ( 219 , 619 ) forming a plurality of j unctions ( 220 , 620 ) and defining a network of voids ( 221 , 621 ) .3 . A textile product ( 100 ) according to any of claims 1 to 2 , wherein the base sheet ( 107 ) comprises a solid layer of a material ( 117 ) .4 . A textile product ( 100 , 200 , 600 ) , according to any of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the base sheet ( 107 , 207 , 607 ) comprises a material selected from plastic, cardboard, metal , composite , and any combination thereof .5 . A textile product ( 100 , 200 ) according to any of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the cut-o f f position ( 112 , 212 ) comprises a point or a line, such as a straight line , a curved line , or a line with a zigzag shape .6 . A textile product ( 100 , 200 , 600 ) according to any of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the piece of fabric ( 101 , 201 , 601 ) has a generally elliptical , such as circular, or rectangular, such as square , shape .7 . A textile product ( 100 , 200 , 600 ) according to any of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the piece of fabric ( 101 , 201 , 601 ) comprises a woven, non-woven, and / or knitted fabric made from synthetic and / or natural fibers .8 . A textile product ( 100 , 200 ) according to any of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the piece of fabric ( 101 , 201 ) is further secured to the base sheet ( 107 , 207 ) by an adhesive ( 116 , 216 ) applied to the base sheet ( 107 , 207 ) and the piece of fabric ( 101 , 201 ) on the back side ( 109 , 209 ) .9 . A textile product ( 100 , 200 ) according to any of claims 1 to 8 , the piece of fabric ( 101 , 201 ) having a perimeter ( P ) having a perimeter length ( L ) , wherein a portion of the perimeter length, for example , at least 10 % , being positioned in the opening ( 110 , 210 ) or on the back side ( 109 , 209 ) of the base sheet ( 107 , 207 ) .10 . A textile product ( 100 ) according to any o f claims 1 to 9 , the piece of fabric ( 101 ) having a geometric center ( 102 ) , wherein the folding point ( 103 ) lies on a straight line ( 104 ) connecting two opposite edges of the piece of fabric ( 101 ) via the geometric center ( 102 ) , at a distance of less than or equal to 30 % from one of the edges .11 . A texti le product ( 300 ) according to any of claims 1 to 10 , wherein a support panel ( 323 ) is attached to the base sheet ( 307 ) from the back side ( 309 ) thereof , the support panel ( 323 ) being formed of a deformable material into which the bent cutting edges ( 311 ) and, partially, the piece of fabric ( 301 ) are inserted .12 . A method for manufacturing a textile product ( 100 ) , comprising :providing a base sheet ( 107 ) having a front side ( 108 ) and a back side ( 109 ) ;providing a plurality of pieces of fabric ( 101 ) ; forming each of the plurality of pieces of fabric ( 101 ) into a gathered shape in which the piece of fabric ( 101 ) is folded around a folding point ( 103 ) thereon and forcing it from the front side ( 108 ) partially through an opening ( 110 ) in the base sheet ( 107 ) so as to takethe folding point ( 103 ) into the opening ( 110 ) or to the back side ( 109 ) of the base sheet ( 107 ) , a part of the piece of fabric ( 101 ) remaining on the front side ( 108 ) so as to form a three-dimensional front surface structure ( 122 ) of the textile product ( 100 ) , whereby the piece of fabric ( 101 ) remains retained in the opening ( 110 ) by an interference fit , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the opening ( 110 ) is formed between opposite cutting edges ( 111 ) formed in the base sheet ( 107 ) and bent towards the back side ( 109 ) , the cutting edges ( 111 ) being separated from each other at a cut-of f position ( 112 ) , the interference fit being formed between the cutting edges ( 111 ) .13 . A method as defined in claim 12 , wherein said forcing the piece of fabric ( 101 ) partially through the opening ( 110 ) in the base sheet ( 107 ) comprises pushing the piece of fabric ( 101 ) by a tool head ( 105 ) positioned on the piece of fabric ( 101 ) at the folding point ( 103 ) .14 . A method as defined in claim 12 or 13 , wherein said forming the piece of fabric ( 101 ) into a gathered shape compri ses positioning the tool head ( 105 ) on the piece of fabric ( 101 ) at the folding point ( 103 ) and pushing the piece of fabric ( 101 ) by the tool head ( 105 ) into a tubular forming element ( 106 ) .15 . A method as defined in any of claims 12 to 14 , wherein the base sheet ( 107 ) is provided with the opposite cutting edges ( 111 ) of the base sheet ( 107 ) ready separated from each other at the cut-of f position ( 112 ) .16 . A method as defined in any of claims 12 to 14 , wherein the opposite cutting edges ( 111 ) of the base sheet ( 107 ) are separated from each other by pushing the piece of fabric ( 101 ) by the tool head ( 105 ) against the base sheet ( 107 ) so as to break the base sheet ( 107 ) so as to form the cut of f position ( 112 ) .17 . A method as defined in any of claims 12 to 16 , wherein the method comprises providing a support body ( 113 ) with a support surface ( 114 ) having an indentation ( 115 ) , and placing the base sheet ( 107 ) on the support surface ( 114 ) with the cut of f position ( 112 ) aligned with the indentation ( 115 ) so as to receive the tool head ( 105 ) together with part of the piece of fabric ( 101 ) into the indentation ( 115 ) .

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