DAM, Robert Nilbrand Nicolaas (Dwarsweg 1, CE Rockanje, NL-3235, NL)
| CLAIMS 1. Method for manufacturing pattern elements comprising graphic partial images for the purpose of manufac- turing a textile product assembled from the pattern elements and having a complete image, wherein the method comprises steps for: - determining the complete image as this must be visible on the assembled textile product; - determining the partial images for the purpose of matching with at least a visible part of a pattern element of the assembled textile product; - determining the placing of a pattern element on a unit of textile such as a roll of textile; - arranging the partial images on the unit of textile in accordance with the placing of the pattern elements. 2. Method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steps for arranging the segments on a unit of textile comprise steps for printing the unit of textile with the partial images . 3. Method as claimed in claim 2, wherein printing is performed by means of an image printing technique such as screen printing, cylinder printing, machine printing, stencil printing, perrotine printing, copperplate printing, sublimation printing and/or digital printing. 4. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for separating the pattern elements comprising the partial image from the unit of textile . 5. Method as claimed in one or more of the forego ing claims, comprising steps for determining a relative arrangement of the pattern elements on the unit of textil such that a minimal area of the unit of textile is required. 6. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for cutting the unit of tex- tile to the length of an assembled textile product. 7. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for formatting, such as adjusting the size, of the complete image and/or the partial images to a format which matches individual garment sizes. 8. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for printing images of different garment sizes on the unit of textile. 9. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims applying a unit of textile comprising printable textile, such as cotton, polyester, PVC, nylon. 10. Method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein use is made of a plain coloured unit of textile. 11. Method for manufacturing an assembled textile product applying segments obtained in accordance with a method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for connecting together, such as sewing and/or glueing together, the segments for the purpose of forming the textile product. 12. Assembled textile product manufactured by means of a method as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, wherein the product comprises: - a number of pattern elements such as panels for together forming the textile product, such as clothing; wherein - at least a number of the pattern elements are provided with a partial image which in the assembled state of the assembled textile product form a substantially matching complete image. 13. Textile unit for applying in a method as claimed in one or more of the claims 1 to 11, preferably comprising graphic partial images arranged thereon. 14. Pattern element, such as panels for together forming a textile product manufactured in accordance with a method as claimed in one or more of the claims 1 to 11, preferably comprising graphic partial images arranged thereon. |
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing pattern elements comprising graphic partial im- ages for the purpose of manufacturing a textile product assembled from the pattern elements and having a complete image. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing an assembled textile product comprising such pattern elements. The invention further relates to such an assembled textile product.
Within the scope of the present invention the term "textile" is used to define all types of flexible material suitable for forming assembled textile products such as clothing, quilts, tents, flags. This includes breathing and non-breathing materials usual in the manufacture of clothing, as well as all kinds of plastics suitable for attachment to each other by means of clothing manufacturing techniques and/or for instance adhesion, to the extent these are suitable for arranging an image or a pattern thereon.
A further definition for application within the scope of the present invention is the term "assembled textile product". An assembled textile product is a textile product comprising different pattern elements. An example hereof is a shirt manufactured from two front panels, two rear panels, two sleeves, two cuffs and a collar. Within the scope of the present invention each of these elements is a pattern element.
It is known to manufacture textile products assem- bled from so-called panels. If a pattern is present or an image is present on the textile from which the textile products are manufactured, the appearance of the textile product will comprise parts of this pattern in different orientations. The appearance of the whole does not here have the appearance of a graphic unity. In the example of a front panel of a shirt the following is for instance the case. The material of a breast pocket has an appearance other than the rest of the material of the front panel.
The image on the front panel is hereby interrupted by that on the breast pocket. The image on the breast pocket is usually even rotated relative to the image on the front panel, and this clashes.
According to the prior art this graphic unity can be embodied by selecting for the material of the breast pocket a part of a pattern corresponding exactly with the part of the pattern at the location of the breast pocket on the front panel. This is however a costly practice which, in the light of production costs, can only be applied in the most expensive brands.
The present invention provides a technical solution not having such drawbacks by means of a method for providing pattern elements comprising graphic partial im- ages for the purpose of manufacturing a textile product with a complete image assembled from the pattern elements, wherein the method comprises steps for:
- determining the complete image as this must be visible on the assembled textile product;
- determining the partial images for the purpose of matching with at least a visible part of a pattern element of the assembled textile product;
- determining the placing of a pattern element on a unit of textile such as a roll of textile;
- arranging the partial images on the unit of textile in accordance with the placing of the pattern elements . An advantage of such a method is that an assembled textile product can be provided based on pattern elements which, in respect of arrangement on a textile unit, are independent of a basic pattern of such a textile unit ac- cording to the prior art. It hereby becomes possible according to the present invention to have the patterns or graphic representation of pattern elements which overlap each other or are arranged adjacently of each other fit together in an assembled textile product such that there appears to be a pattern or a graphic representation, while textile use of the unit of textile can be minimized or optimized.
In a first preferred embodiment according to the present invention further steps are provided for arranging the segments on a unit of textile, and steps for printing the unit of textile with the partial images. A unit of textile which provides the stated advantages can be manufactured by means of these steps.
In a further preferred embodiment printing is per- formed by means of an image printing technique such as screen printing, cylinder printing, machine printing, stencil printing, perrotine printing, copperplate printing, sublimation printing and/or digital printing. Using such printing techniques the partial images can be ar- ranged in advantageous manner at the desired location on the textile unit according to the present invention.
The method more preferably comprises steps for separating the pattern elements comprising the partial image from the unit of textile. The pattern elements accord- ing to the present invention can be obtained by means of these steps.
For the purpose of optimizing or minimizing the quantity of textile required, a further preferred embodi- ment provides steps for determining a relative arrangement of the pattern elements on the unit of textile such that a minimal area of the unit of textile is required. Such an optimization has the advantage that the quantity of tex- tile used is minimal relative to the finally assembled textile product.
Steps are more preferably provided for cutting the unit of textile to the length of an assembled textile product. It hereby becomes possible per finally assembled textile product to provide the pattern elements in one whole as intermediate product.
A further preferred embodiment according to the invention provides steps for formatting, such as adjusting the size, of the complete image and/or the partial images to a format which matches individual garment sizes. It becomes possible by means of these steps to optimize an image for the different formats of the assembled textile product, such as for different clothing sizes. The representation of the image can be larger on a large clothing size than on a small clothing size. A further advantage of the present embodiment is that an optimization in respect of textile use can be performed per clothing size, while an optimum representation of the image can still be realized per clothing size. It is even possible to achieve op- timization by projecting partial images or pattern elements blended together in suitable manner on a textile unit so that a further optimization becomes possible than if the clothing size is shown separately on the unit of textile .
The method more preferably comprises steps here for printing images of different garment sizes on the unit of textile. Depending on the desired properties of the assembled textile product, a unit of textile is applied comprising printable textile, such as cotton, polyester, PVC, nylon. A wide variety of properties of the finally assem- bled textile products can hereby be obtained.
Use is preferably made here of a plain coloured unit of textile. An advantage hereof is that the optical results of printing are predictable. It is possible here to opt for a suitable background colour for the intended image.
A further aspect according to the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an assembled textile product applying segments obtained in accordance with a method according to one or more of the foregoing claims, comprising steps for connecting together, such as sewing and/or glueing together, the segments for the purpose of forming the textile product.
The result of this method, the assembled textile product, provides advantages as mentioned in the foregoing and as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.
A further aspect according to the present invention relates to an assembled textile product manufactured by means of a method according to the present invention, wherein the product comprises :
- a number of pattern elements such as panels for together forming the textile product, such as clothing;
wherein
- at least a number of the pattern elements are provided with a partial image which in the assembled state of the assembled textile product form a substantially matching complete image. This assembled textile product provides advantages as mentioned in the foregoing and as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.
A further aspect according to the present inven- tion relates to a textile unit for processing by means of a method according to the present invention, preferably comprising graphic partial images arranged thereon.
Such a textile unit provides advantages as mentioned in the foregoing and as will be described in great- er detail hereinbelow.
A further aspect according to the present invention relates to a pattern element, such as panels for together forming a textile product manufactured in accordance with a method according to the present invention, preferably comprising graphic partial images arranged thereon .
Such a pattern element provides advantages as mentioned in the foregoing and as will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.
Further advantages, features and details of the present invention will be described in greater detail hereinbelow on the basis of one or more preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a first preferred embod- iment according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a top view of a second preferred embodiment according to the present invention.
A first preferred embodiment {Fig. 1) according to the present invention relates to a shirt 1. This shirt is provided with an image of a diagonally oriented cross.
Such a diagonally oriented cross 2 can for instance be a part of the representation of a flag. The shirt comprises two front panels 3, 4, two front panels of sleeves 5, 6, a collar 9 and two cuffs 7, 8. Cross 2 is visible over each of these parts of the shirt except for collar 9 (not shown in Fig. 2) . In accordance with an important part of the present invention, the individual components 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 28, 25 of the cross are printed on each of the panels which this shirt comprises.
In Fig. 2 the panels are shown on a strip of textile 21. Each of the panels comprises a partial representation of the cross. Within the understanding of the skilled person a panel comprises the visible part after assembly into an item of clothing in addition to a part protruding therearound (not shown) which can be used as hem or fastening material. The parts of the cross are printed on textile unit 21 by means of a printing installation in a manner such that, after the panels have been cut out, these parts of the cross are arranged on each panel such that the shirt of Fig. 1 can be manufactured therefrom.
Panel 4 therefore comprises cross parts 12, 13. Panel 3 comprises cross parts 14, 15. The button fastening 11 is shown integrally with panel 3. Button fastening 11 can be manufactured in per se known manner by means of the panel being folded over and stitched along the non-linear edge 20. Button fastening 11 can be manufactured in likewise per se known manner as separate component and attached to front panel 3. In this latter case the button fastening 11 would be shown individually on textile unit 21.
Sleeve panels 5, 6 comprise respectively cross parts 18, 19 and 16. Breast pocket 24 comprises cross parts 25. The breast pocket can hereby be arranged on the front panel in a manner which is invisible in respect of the image. It is not necessary here according to the present invention to search somewhere on textile unit 21 for a part of a pattern which would be matching.
Cuffs 7, 8 comprise respective cross parts 17 and
28. The cuffs are manufactured integrally and therefore shown as one whole in Fig. 2, while only the front side is visible in Fig. 1. The skilled person in the field will immediately appreciate how the cuffs are manufactured within the context of the invention.
Depending on the relative dimensions of the pattern elements and the unit of textile, the different panels can be distributed optimally over the surface area of the textile unit. For the manufacture of the textile unit for application in manufacturing the shown shirt (Fig. 1) , within the concept of the invention the panels are arranged virtually on the unit of textile, how the image should be present within this virtual arrangement is determined and within this determination the image is then printed on the unit of textile.
The individual panels are then cut or clipped out of the unit of textile, whereby panels are created with the components of the image at the correct position to obtain the shirt 1. The panels are subsequently attached to each other in per se known manner such that the shirt results .
The present invention has been described in the foregoing on the basis of several preferred embodiments. Different aspects of different embodiments are deemed de- scribed in combination with each other, wherein all combi ¬ nations which can be deemed by a skilled person in the field as falling within the scope of the invention on the basis of reading of this document are included. These pre- ferred embodiments are not limitative for the scope of protection of this document. The rights sought are defined in the appended claims.