Loop Seam Joining with Pre-Cut Notches for Mixed Textile Materials

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for trimming and joining textile pieces face challenges such as material incompatibility, needle-specific requirements, sewing machine malfunctions, and environmental waste due to flawed seams and multiple machine operations, particularly when dealing with diverse materials and thick layers.

Innovation Solution

A method involving notches and loop formation to create a loop seam, allowing for precise perforation and joining of textile pieces without special needle considerations, using a single thread to form elastic and durable seams, and enabling easy recycling of materials.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional sewing machines with needles are used to join textile pieces, then seams can be produced, but materials with different textures (leather, foil-like materials) cannot be successfully joined and sewing machine malfunctions occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial compatibilityVSAvoidseam production reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the needle from the joining process entirely. Instead of using a needle to penetrate and join materials, the method uses a loop seam technique where a loop of thread is pulled through pre-made notches in the material edges. This eliminates the needle-related problems with incompatible materials while maintaining the ability to join diverse material combinations including leather, foil-like materials, and thick layers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies preliminary action by creating notches in the edge areas of the textile pieces before forming the loop seam. These notches are made in advance using a notch-making device, preparing the material edges to receive the loop thread. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for needles during the actual joining process, allowing diverse materials to be joined without needle-related malfunctions or material incompatibility issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple machine operations are used for trimming and joining textile pieces, then complete edge finishing and joining can be achieved, but energy consumption and production time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveedge finishing qualityVSAvoidproduction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the trimming and joining operations into a single integrated process. The loop seam technique simultaneously trims the edge areas (by pulling through notches made at the edge) and joins the textile pieces together in one continuous operation. This eliminates the need for separate hemming machines and joining machines, reducing energy consumption and production time while maintaining complete edge finishing quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional sewing methods are used, then seams can be produced, but material waste occurs due to flawed seams requiring unpicking and rework

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveseam production capabilityVSAvoidmaterial waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies this principle by making the loop seam structure inherently disposable or easily replaceable. If a loop seam becomes flawed or damaged, the entire loop can be quickly removed by pulling the thread ends, and a new loop can be formed without damaging the underlying textile pieces. This eliminates the need to unpick and rework conventional stitches, significantly reducing material waste and rework time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP4536885B1Method for producing a loop seam
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 WIPPERMANN HELENA
  • EP4536885B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4536885B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4536885B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for producing a loop seam intended for seaming and connecting pieces of textile using a filamentary connecting element, in which, according to the invention, after incorporating cutouts (2) in the edge region of the piece of textile (1) intended for seaming, the filamentary connecting element is formed into a first loop (4) which is pulled from the front side to the rear side of the piece of textile (1) through an incorporated cutout (2) in such a way that, after being pulled through, the formed loop (4) is situated on the rear side. This is followed by the formation of a further, second loop (5) upstream of the cutout (2) on the front side of the piece of textile (1), which loop (5) then engages, via the edge region of the piece of textile (1), through the first loop (4) situated on the rear side of the piece of textile (1). The second loop (5) is then guided back to the front side of the piece of textile (1) and, after pulling through the second loop (5) from the front side to the rear side of the piece of textile (1), is pulled through a next cutout (2) situated laterally adjacent to the preceding cutout.