Fitted Sheet Corner Formation Using Automated Holding and Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing fitted bed sheets or similar protective covers require manual labor, making the process time-consuming and dependent on the skill of the worker, as they involve folding and sewing corner parts that are difficult to automate.
Innovation Solution
A method where the cloth is held at two points spaced from the outer edges, allowing for mechanical formation of right triangle flaps with a seam, which are then cut off to create precise corner parts, enabling machine-based production without the need for manual folding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual folding and sewing of corner parts is used, then the fitted sheet can be manufactured, but the production time is long and labor intensity is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical folding operations with an automated mechanical system consisting of holding points, cutting means, and sewing means. The holding points mechanically secure the cloth at specific positions, and the cutting means automatically cuts the corner portions without manual intervention, thereby increasing automation extent while maintaining production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the corner formation process into distinct segments: securing at holding points, cutting the corner portion, and sewing the seam. This segmentation allows each operation to be independently automated and optimized, improving overall productivity while reducing the need for manual coordination of multiple steps.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual folding of corner parts is used, then the fitted sheet can be manufactured, but the accuracy of corner preparation depends on worker skill
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces skill-dependent manual folding with a precision mechanical system where holding points are positioned at exact distances from corner apexes. The cutting means mechanically ensures perpendicular cuts relative to the seam, eliminating variability introduced by worker skill differences and achieving consistent manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary positioning by securing the cloth at holding points at precisely calculated distances from the corner apexes before cutting. This preliminary action ensures that subsequent cutting operations start from accurate reference positions, guaranteeing vertical corner edges without requiring worker skill for measurement and alignment.
3Extent of automation
If diagonal folding of corner parts is used, then the fitted sheet can be manufactured, but the process cannot be automated mechanically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex diagonal folding operation from the manufacturing process and replaces it with simpler operations: securing at holding points and perpendicular cutting. This removal of the folding step eliminates the need for complex folding mechanisms while achieving the same functional result of creating the corner portion geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of folding the corner diagonally to create the required geometry, the patent inverts the approach by cutting the corner portion perpendicular to the seam and then forming the geometry through the holding point arrangement. This inverse method achieves the same result with simpler, more automatable operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A protective cover is made from a piece of cloth cut from a textile web that is initially held at first and second points by respective first and second devices in the vicinity of a corner near respective first and second outer edges forming the corner. The first point is then moved parallel to a plane and above of the piece of cloth to the second point at the second outer edge under entrainment of a corresponding region of the piece of cloth to form a cloth flap shaped as a right triangle having a hypotenuse extending between the points, a first leg forming an extension of the second outer edge of the piece of cloth, and a second leg. The cloth flap is then seamed along the second leg and then cut along a line of the seam. Thereafter the cover thus formed is released at the points.