Carpet Yarn Pattern for Consistent Reuse of Unused Yarn
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Solution Overview
Problem
The carpet industry faces significant economic losses due to leftover yarn being devalued and the challenge of maintaining inventory for patterns that may not be reproducible, leading to visual inconsistencies when replacing damaged or worn-out carpets.
Innovation Solution
A universal carpet recipe using a yarn pattern that allows for interchangeable types of yarn, including leftover yarn, to create a visually consistent product, enabling the use of different lots and reducing the need for inventory storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If leftover yarn is sold as waste yarn, then economic loss is minimized through quick disposal, but the value of the yarn is significantly devalued from three dollars per pound to fifteen to twenty cents per pound
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of leftover yarn being waste material into a benefit by incorporating it into new carpet products. The unused yarn that would otherwise be devalued to 15-20 cents per pound is instead used as a resource in manufacturing new carpets, transforming it back into a valuable product that can be sold at full price, thus converting the waste problem into an economic opportunity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of permanently discarding leftover yarn as waste, the patent recovers it by collecting and storing the unused yarn for future use. The system establishes a recovery mechanism where leftover yarn from one production run is saved and reused in subsequent production, preventing the permanent loss of value and reducing the need to purchase new yarn.
2Reliability
If backup inventory is maintained for pattern matching, then customer satisfaction is improved by ensuring replacement carpet availability, but storage costs and economic costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal yarn pattern system where a standardized set of yarns can be used across multiple carpet production runs. This universal pattern allows the same yarn combination to be used for both original and replacement carpets, ensuring pattern matching without requiring separate inventory for each pattern variant. The system makes the yarn pattern multi-functional across different production batches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of yarn selection by using a standardized color palette and pattern design that can be reproduced across different production runs. By establishing fixed parameters for yarn colors, quantities, and arrangements, the system ensures that replacement carpets will match original carpets even when produced at different times, eliminating the need to store large quantities of pattern-specific inventory.
3Stability of the object's composition
If identical yarn colors are used for pattern matching, then visual consistency is achieved, but the same pattern may not be commercially available at a later time or may have been altered by dyeing formulation changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent takes preliminary action by establishing a standardized yarn pattern system with documented color specifications and ratios before production occurs. This pre-established framework allows for consistent reproduction of carpet patterns across different production runs. By setting the pattern parameters in advance, the system ensures that replacement carpets can be manufactured to match original carpets even years later, without relying on the availability of identical yarn batches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent addresses color consistency by using a standardized color palette with specific Munsell value scale ranges for each yarn color. This parameter-based approach allows for controlled variation while maintaining visual consistency. The system specifies acceptable ranges rather than requiring exact matches, accommodating natural variations in yarn production while ensuring that replacement carpets will visually match original carpets.
4Productivity
If a universal yarn pattern is used allowing interchangeable yarn types, then leftover yarn can be utilized effectively, but the complexity of managing yarn inventory and pattern consistency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by using a standardized set of yarn specifications and pattern ratios across all carpet production. Rather than managing completely unique yarn combinations for each product, the system uses a homogeneous framework where yarns are categorized by color family and value scale ranges. This standardized approach simplifies inventory management while still allowing flexibility to use different leftover yarn batches, as they all fit within the established parameter ranges.
Data Source
AI summary
A carpet is described which has a particular yarn pattern which permits the use of different types of yarn such as unused yarn to form a carpet having a visually consistent appearance from manufacturing run to manufacturing run even though different types of yarns may be present. Other aspects of the invention are also described.