Using fabric templates to obtain multiple finishes by laser finishing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11241053-B2
Application number	US-201715841268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

Laser finishing of apparel products allows an operating model that reduces finishing cost, lowers carrying costs, increases productivity, shortens time to market, be more reactive to trends, reduce product constraints, reduces lost sales and dilution, and more. Improved aspects include design, development, planning, merchandising, selling, making, and delivering. The model uses fabric templates, each of which can be used to produce a multitude of laser finishes. Operational efficiency is improved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first garment product, identifiable by a first product code identifier, wherein the first garment product is made from a first garment template washed using a first base wash recipe, the first garment template is an assembled garment made from fabric panels of a woven first material comprising a warp yarn comprising indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and the fabric panels are sewn together using thread;
a second garment product, identifiable by a second product code identifier, wherein the second garment product is made from a second garment template washed using a second base wash recipe, different from the first base wash recipe, the second garment template is an assembled garment made from fabric panels of the woven first material comprising a warp yarn comprising indigo-dyed cotton yarn, and the fabric panels are sewn together using thread;
a digital design tool, generating at least a first laser file including a first finishing pattern, wherein the digital design tool generates a visualization in color on a computer screen of a finishing pattern on a garment after a postlaser wash and allows editing of the finishing pattern, and
the editing allowed comprises altering a position of the finishing pattern relative to the garment on the computer screen, altering a scaling of the finishing pattern relative to the garment on the computer screen, and applying a tint to the finishing pattern and garment on the computer screen;
a laser finishing machine, receiving as input the first laser file that is generated by the digital design tool,
when the first garment template is used as a target garment for a laser head of the laser finishing machine and the first laser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the first finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in the target garment becoming the first garment product, and
when the second garment template is used as the target garment for the laser head of the laser finishing machine and the first laser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in the target garment becoming the second garment product.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first base wash recipe results in a lighter colored apparel template than the second base wash recipe.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first product code identifier is different from the second product code identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising:
a third garment product, identifiable by a third product code identifier, wherein the third garment product is made from the first garment template,
the digital design tool generates a second laser file including a second finishing pattern, different from the first finishing pattern,
the laser finishing machine receives as input the second laser file that is generated by the digital design tool, and
when the first garment template is used as the target garment for the laser head of the laser finishing machine and the second laser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the second finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in the target garment becoming the third garment product.

5. The system of claim 4 comprising:
a third garment product, identifiable by a third product code identifier, wherein the third garment product is made from the first garment template;
a fourth garment product, identifiable by a fourth product code identifier, wherein the fourth garment product is made from the second garment template,
the digital design tool generates a second laser file including a second finishing pattern, different from the first finishing pattern,
the laser finishing machine receives as input the second laser file that is generated by the digital design tool,
when the first garment template is used as the target garment for the laser head of the laser finishing machine and the second laser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the second finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in the target garment becoming the third garment product, and
when the second garment template is used as the target garment for the laser head of the laser finishing machine and the second laser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the second finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in the target garment becoming the fourth garment product.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser finishing machine is housed in a processing facility including machines used to perform the first and second base wash recipes, and the first and second garment products are stored at a distribution center, and the processing facility and distribution center are separate buildings in different locations, and
a template inventory including the first garment template and second garment template are stored at the processing facility.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser finishing machine is housed in a dry processing facility, and the first and second garment products are stored at a distribution center, and the dry processing facility and distribution center are separate buildings in different locations, and
a template inventory including the first garment template and second garment template are stored at the dry processing facility.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the dry processing facility does not include machines used to perform the first and second base wash recipes.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the laser finishing machine is housed in a dry processing facility, the first and second garment products are stored at a distribution center, and the dry processing facility and distribution center are in the same building at the same location, and
a template inventory including the first garment template and second garment template are stored at the distribution center.

10. The system of claim 1 comprising:
a server, coupled to the digital design tool and laser finishing machine via a network,
wherein a user accesses the user digital design tool at the server via the Web and creates a user laser file with a customized laser finishing pattern, the user selects a template from a template library to which the customized laser finishing pattern, and
the laser finishing machine receives as input the user laser file, and when the user's selected template is used as the target garment for the laser head of the laser finishing machine and the user laser file controls operation of the laser head, the laser finishing machine burns the customized finishing pattern on the target garment, which results in the target garment becoming a customized product for the user.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first material is a denim.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the first garment product is a first pair of jeans product.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the second garment product is a second pair of jeans product.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the editing allowed comprises altering an opacity of the finishing pattern relative to the garment.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the editing allowed comprises adjusting a bright point of the finishing pattern that changes a midpoint in a grayscale mapping of the finishing pattern.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the editing allowed comprises
adding a damage asset to the finishing pattern and garment, altering a position of the damage asset relative to the finishing pattern and the garment, and

Assignees

• Strauss Levi & Co

Inventors

• Love David
• O'Neill Elizabeth
• Sights James Barton
• Zens Jeff

Classifications

• A41H42/00

  Multi-step production lines for making clothes · CPC title

• D10B2501/00

  Wearing apparel · CPC title

• A41H3/007 Primary

  Methods of drafting or marking-out patterns using computers (computer-aided design G06F30/00) · CPC title

• D06P5/137

  with other compounds · CPC title

• D06P5/158

  with other compounds · CPC title