Feather padded product and method for manufacturing the same

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional feather padded products, such as down jackets and duvets, face the issue of feathers escaping through seams due to needle holes during sewing, which existing solutions have not adequately addressed.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a strip of tape with a trap portion, such as a teaseled or mesh configuration, between the fabrics at the seam to prevent feather escape, where the tape is sewn together with the fabrics to trap feathers between them.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a seam is used to join the first fabric and the second fabric, then the structural integrity of the feather padded product is improved, but feathers escape through needle holes in the seam

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidfeather escape
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A strip of tape is introduced as an intermediary component between the first fabric and the second fabric at the seam portion. The tape includes a trap portion that actively prevents feathers from escaping through the needle holes created during sewing, while still allowing the seam to provide structural integrity. The tape is sewn to both fabrics, creating a multi-layer barrier that maintains strength while blocking feather escape paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The trap portion of the tape is specifically designed with localized feather-trapping properties at the seam portion where feather escape is most likely to occur. This localized solution addresses the harmful effect at the critical location without requiring modification of the entire fabric structure, maintaining overall structural integrity while preventing feather escape at the seam.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If a conventional seam without tape is used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but feathers escape through the seam portion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidfeather containment
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The strip of tape with trap portion is prepared and positioned at the seam portion before the final sewing operation. This preliminary placement ensures that the feather-trapping mechanism is already in position to prevent escape, and the subsequent sewing process simply attaches the tape to the fabrics using standard sewing techniques, maintaining ease of manufacture while improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a strip of tape with trap portion is added at the seam, then feather escape is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeather containmentVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The strip of tape is designed as a thin, flexible component that can be easily integrated into the existing fabric structure. The tape's flexibility allows it to conform to the seam portion and be sewn between the fabrics without creating rigid or complex structural elements. This maintains relative simplicity while providing effective feather containment through the trap portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Data Source

PatentEP3865018A1Feather padded product and method for manufacturing the same
Publication Date: 2021.08.18 SANKEI BOORUTOYUUGEN
  • EP3865018A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3865018A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3865018A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A down jacket 1 has a face side fabric (21), a lining (23) and feathers (29), and in addition, a strip of tape (27). The strip of tape (27) extends between the face side fabric (21) and the lining (23) along a seam portion (25) and is sewn together with the face side fabric (21) and the lining (23). The strip of tape (27) has a teaseled portion (27a) projecting from a surface of the strip of tape (27) as a trap portion for trapping the feathers (29) accommodated. The teaseled portion (27a) is formed on both a side of the strip of tape (27) facing the face side fabric (21) and a side of the strip of tape (27) facing the lining (23).