Curved Garment Opening Hem Structure for Wrinkle-Free Adhesive Folding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for folding and adhering fabric edges in garments with curved openings, such as V-necks or square necklines, result in uneven tension leading to wrinkles and impaired appearance due to differences in inner and outer circumferences, and narrowing the fold width compromises the firmness and strength of the opening.

Innovation Solution

A garment design where the fabric edge is folded with a changing hem width, narrowest at the smallest radius of curvature and widest at the largest, with adhesive application adjusted to match the fold width, using a combination of line and dot shapes to stabilize the fold and prevent wrinkles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the fabric edge is folded with a constant width in a concave opening with small radius of curvature, then the folding process is simple, but wrinkles occur due to uneven tension from the difference between inner and outer circumferences

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefolding process simplicityVSAvoidappearance quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different fold widths at different locations along the fabric edge. Specifically, the fold width is narrowed at the concave portion with small radius of curvature (where wrinkles would occur) and widened at the convex portion with large radius of curvature. This local variation in fold width compensates for the uneven tension distribution, allowing the fabric to fold smoothly without wrinkles while maintaining a consistent visual appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If the fold width is narrowed to reduce wrinkles in concave portions, then appearance quality improves, but the opening loses firmness and structural strength

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappearance qualityVSAvoidopening firmness
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent strategically places narrow fold widths only at the critical concave portions where wrinkles would form, while maintaining wider fold widths at the convex portions that provide structural support. This localized approach allows the opening to maintain both appearance quality (no wrinkles at concave portions) and firmness (adequate width at convex portions for structural integrity).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The fabric edge is divided into multiple segments with different fold widths: narrow segments at concave portions and wide segments at convex portions. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the narrow segments prevent wrinkles while the wide segments maintain strength - and the segments work together to create the complete opening structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Strength

If the fold width is widened to maintain opening firmness, then structural strength is maintained, but wrinkles occur in concave portions with small radius of curvature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveopening firmnessVSAvoidappearance quality
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different fold widths at different locations along the fabric edge. Specifically, the fold width is narrowed at the concave portion with small radius of curvature (where wrinkles would occur) and widened at the convex portion with large radius of curvature. This local variation in fold width compensates for the uneven tension distribution, allowing the fabric to fold smoothly without wrinkles while maintaining a consistent visual appearance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Ease of manufacture

If a constant fold width is used throughout the opening, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the fabric cannot be uniformly folded along curves with changing radius of curvature

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefolding process simplicityVSAvoidadaptability to changing curvature
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent varies the fold width according to the local radius of curvature of the opening. The fold width is narrowed at portions with small radius of curvature (sharp curves) and widened at portions with large radius of curvature (gentle curves). This local adaptation allows the fabric to be uniformly folded along the entire curved path, maintaining consistent appearance quality throughout the opening while accommodating the changing geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4649846A1garment
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 TORAY INDUSTRIES INC
  • EP4649846A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4649846A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4649846A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Provided is a garment excellent in wear comfort and appearance. This is achieved by imparting firmness to an opening of the garment and facilitating stable folding of a fabric edge even when a width of the folding is narrowed in order to prevent wrinkles caused by uneven tension in a curve having a small radius of curvature when a fabric edge of the curve having a small radius of curvature is folded into two layers at the opening of the garment and sticked using an adhesive. The garment according to the present invention is a garment including an opening. The opening has a structure in which a fabric edge is folded, and at least a part of the fabric edge in the opening is sticked with an adhesive, and a part of the opening has a shape having a changing radius of curvature, a folded hem width of the fabric edge in the opening at a portion having a smallest radius of curvature is the narrowest, and the folded hem width is changed to increase toward a portion having a large radius of curvature.