Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-06
2002-05-14
Grant, William (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S118000, C700S131000, C700S134000, C703S002000, C345S420000, C345S442000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06389322
ABSTRACT:
MICROFICHE APPENDIX
This application is submitted with a computer-readable diskette of the text of Appendix A in Microsoft Word 7.0, which, when printed, includes thirty sheets. Appendix A is a program listing of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the manufacture of covers for articles of uniform and non-uniform shape, for example furniture, and the described embodiment discloses a method of manufacturing covers for lounges, chairs, sofa beds and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is often desired to re-cover items of upholstered furniture to improve their appearance.
It is known to provide ready-made loose covers which are manufactured to a single style of lounge, for example. When such covers are fitted to a lounge of slightly varying style, an inappropriate fit is obtained which is not preferred. Because of the range of furniture styles currently available, and because such styles may not coincide with styles of times past, it is not economic to manufacture a satisfactory range of covers to suit public demand.
Alternatively, an upholsterer may custom design and individually manufacture a fitted cover for each item of furniture, which usually requires that the item of furniture be taken away to the upholsterer's premises. This is particularly true if the item of furniture has an unusual or distinctive style. A suitable pattern can be manually developed and a cover made and fitted accordingly. Importantly, the upholsterer often requires the item of furniture because such items include subtle and complex curves which require an exacting fit. Further, individual parts of a single cover often need to display a three-dimensional form which necessitates much trial and error in the fitting of the cover. However, this procedure can cause inconvenience to the owner of the furniture, who has to do without the item of furniture until such time as the cover has been finished and the item returned.
Some manufacturers have “measurement forms” of which
FIG. 14
is a sample. These manufacturers have staff specially trained to design the templates from these forms and the skills needed can only be gained by experience, usually over a period of 12 months or more. Further, this skill is in the form of an art rather than a science and during this period of development, the productivity of staff involved is minimal. Even then, using this prior art technique experienced staff can take up to an 1 hour to design some templates.
FIGS. 2A
to
2
G are other measuring forms used by other manufacturers and illustrate the diversity of styles of sofas.
It is therefore desirable to provide a means by which custom-fitted covers can be made without the need for the upholsterer to remove the item of furniture during the manufacture process. It is also desirable that each custom-fitted cover be made with a minimum of tolerance so as to provide a tight “fitted” appearance. It is also desirable to improve the efficiency in which custom fitted covers can be manufactured.
There is also a need for manufacture of covers for articles of uniform and non-uniform shape for substantially all types of cover related and skin related applications and processes. The process described herein may be applied to articles and processes requiring a covering or skin. Typical applications include, for example: car covers, sculpture covers, mold manufacturing processes, construction applications, house covers, tents, boat covers, upholstery, sheet metal ducting, table covers, luggage, suit cases, umbrella manufacturing, wall coverings, wall paper, and protective covers of all types. The covering or skin may be of fabric, sheet metal, rubber, thermoplastics, thermosetting polymers, fiberglass, or other suitable materials.
There is also a need for a process that allows an unskilled worker to produce a cover for a three dimensional article by producing a plurality of portions of the cover or a plurality of templates that may be adjoined or abutted one to the other to form the cover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a cover for an article, which method includes the steps of:
a) ascertaining dimensional data of the article, and relating this data to individual portions of the article,
b) determining a group of physically inter-related templates which are associated with these individual portions, wherein each template is definable on a plane of co-ordinates and is derived from a series of mathematical functions evaluated using this data, and
c) using each template to form a corresponding cover piece and joining the cover pieces to form the cover.
Preferably, at least one of the portions is three-dimensional.
Preferably, one of the templates associated with the three-dimensional portion includes information about pleats.
Preferably, these templates also include information about tuck-aways, which tuck under or back of seat of the sofa, and turn-unders which are tied under the seat.
Preferably, this information also includes data about sofa cushions, valances, (which appear like a skirt below the seat) and allowance for the extension of stretch material.
Preferably, the templates can optionally be connected together and constructed as composite templates and can include information to enable the physical interrelationship to be sew fastened.
Optionally the information includes information about seams and positioning tabs.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of producing a set of templates being represented on at least one medium and for producing a cover for furniture, including the steps of:
a) transferring physical dimensional data of the furniture to a set of co-ordinate point arrangements, each point of which are interconnected by a graphical representation of a mathematical function;
b) supplementing each arrangement with a tolerance value; and
c) transferring each said arrangement to the medium.
Preferably, these templates are computationally determined and printed onto a medium used to define at least one portion of the cover, with each portion being produced using the template.
Preferably, these templates are computationally determined and directly transferred to a means for producing at least one portion of the cover.
Also optionally, these templates include a computer readable representation of this portion and the means for producing includes an automated cutting machine configurable to cut these portions.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable medium comprising a series of instructions operable by a computer to implement a method as recited above.
Preferably, this computer readable medium is selected from one of a magnetic disk, an optical disk or a computer network.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system of manufacturing a cover for an article this system includes
a) a means for receiving a series of dimensions corresponding to one or more predetermined parameters of the article;
b) a means for computing one or more configurations which can be joined to form a cover for the article, and
c) a means for producing one or more templates, corresponding to these one or more configurations, respectively.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for producing instructional diagrams with a personal computer. This system includes an input means for receiving and arranging data related to an article into arrays; a processing means for reading these arrays and for tabulating the data according to a pre-determined arrangement, including information about co-ordinate points and mathematical functions provided there between; and an output means for transferring a representation of this information into an instructional diagram.
The present invention may be implemented, using a computer or a network of computers, such as, for example, a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide
Park Robert Geoffrey
Park Thomas Michael
Cameleon Loose Covers Pty Ltd.
Grant William
Lunenfeld Harvey
Rodriguez Paul
Walker Alfred M.
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