Flexible Hem Insert for Adjustable Garment Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for altering the length of garment parts, such as pants legs, require sewing or the use of fasteners and are not easily removable or washable.
Innovation Solution
A hem insert comprising an elongated flexible strip with opposing ends and longitudinal straight edges, which can be inserted into a sewn hem of a garment to form a cuff, allowing for adjustable length without sewing or fasteners, and is designed to be removable or permanent, and washable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If sewing or fasteners are used to alter garment length, then the length can be adjusted, but the process becomes complex and requires additional fastening mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the length adjustment function from complex sewing or fastening operations by inserting a simple flexible strip into the hem. The strip alone provides the structural support needed to maintain the adjusted length without requiring buttons, zippers, or other fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible strip is inserted only at the specific location where length adjustment is needed (the hem), providing local structural support exactly where required. This localized intervention avoids the need for complex overall garment restructuring.
2Reliability
If tape or other fasteners are used to maintain length, then the length can be held, but the garment cannot be easily removed or washed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for permanent attachment mechanisms by using a flexible strip that maintains length through its structural properties alone. The strip can be freely removed from the hem without damaging the garment or requiring unfastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible strip maintains the desired length through its physical parameters (flexibility and rigidity balance) rather than through mechanical fastening. This allows the garment to be washed and the strip to be removed and reinserted without compromising the length maintenance function.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple fasteners are used to adjust length, then precise length control is achieved, but the device becomes more complex and time-consuming to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the precision length control function from multiple fastener operations by using a single flexible strip whose length and flexibility can be easily varied. This single element provides precise control without requiring multiple fastening operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible strip provides dynamic length adjustment capability - its flexibility allows it to conform to different lengths and configurations, enabling precise control while maintaining ease of operation. The strip can be easily inserted at different positions or with different orientations to achieve various lengths.
Data Source
AI summary
A hem insert is adapted for forming an inwardly or outwardly-turned cuff in a garment. The hem insert comprises an elongated flexible strip having opposing ends and opposing longitudinal straight edges. The hem insert is adapted for insertion into a sewn circumferential hem of the garment, and the hem subsequently folded by a wearer to form the cuff.