Patents Examined by Danny Worrell
  • Patent number: 12655553
    Abstract: A knitted textile having a first layer including a first yarn integrally formed with a second layer including a second yarn, the first yarn forming an array of knitted patterns defining voids through the first layer to the second layer, such that the second layer is exposed through the voids in the first layer. Articles of apparel, including articles of footwear and garments incorporating the knitted textile, and methods of forming the knitted textiles and articles are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: John S. MacGilbert, William C. McFarland, II
  • Patent number: 12655551
    Abstract: Interlock knit textiles and methods of forming and using interlock knit textiles are described. Three structural properties have been found to contribute to improved stretch properties in interlock knits. The three structural properties include the use of a unique knitted loop shape, the use of fine filament yarns, and the use of elasticated yarns having lower hysteresis than conventional elastane. The described interlock knit textiles can include one, two or all three of these structural properties. The improved stretch properties can include values for percent elongation or modulus in the length direction which are close to or the same as their values in the width direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: LULULEMON ATHLETICA CANADA INC.
    Inventors: Rovin Manna, Yogendra V. Dandapure, Mingjun Cheng
  • Patent number: 12655558
    Abstract: A thread-cutting mechanism of an embroidery machine, and a tube embroidery machine applying the same are provided. A movable knife frame provided at a periphery of a rotary shuttle can drive a movable knife to rotate around the rotary shuttle and coordinate with a stationary knife to cut a thread. The movable knife frame is rotatably provided at a periphery or one side of a driving shaft of the rotary shuttle. The movable knife frame is rotatably mounted on a needle plate seat, or on an embroidery machine body, at a corresponding location for cooperation with the rotary shuttle. The stationary knife is mounted on the needle plate seat, or on the embroidery machine body, at a corresponding location for cooperation with the rotary shuttle. This substantially reduces the space occupied by the movable knife. The thread-cutting mechanism is more compact, simple, compatible, and easy to use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG HEHE ELECTRIC MACHINERY CO., LTD
    Inventor: Zhengan Chen
  • Patent number: 12649985
    Abstract: A system for calibrating one or more optical sensors on a sewing machine includes one or more optical sensors and one or more processors of the sewing machine. The optical sensors are arranged to collect data from one or more features of one or more predefined regions. The processors are for processing the data and are configured to: receive the data; detect and recognize the one or more features of the one or more predetermined regions from the data; calculate one or more accuracy indicators of the one or more features from the data as compared to a known feature; compare the value of the one or more accuracy indicators to one or more indicator thresholds; and adjust a parameter of at least one of the optical sensors based on the comparison between the one or more accuracy indicators and the one or more indicator thresholds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2026
    Assignee: SINGER SOURCING LIMITED LLC
    Inventors: Mattias Nilsson, Laura Kvarnstrand
  • Patent number: 12644214
    Abstract: A method for producing a smart textile includes stitching with a conductive thread from a first point outside a segmented area that is set on a sheet material toward a second point on the segmented area. An embroidery with the conductive thread is sewn from the second point as a starting point to apply a segment in the segmented area. These series of steps are executed without performing a process for cutting the conductive thread by stopping the sewing process of the conductive thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: Tajima Industries Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiko Fushimi
  • Patent number: 12644213
    Abstract: In a sewing machine, an arm includes, on one side thereof in a first direction, a head. A needle bar is disposed at the head to reciprocally move in a second direction. A feed mechanism feeds a workpiece from one side toward the other side of the head in a third direction. The projection unit disposed at the head projects a projection image toward a bed. The projection unit includes an emitter for projecting image light of the projection image. The photographing unit disposed at the head captures a photographing target. The photographing unit includes an incident portion on which light reflected by the photographing target is incident. The emitter and the incident portion are disposed further toward the one side of the arm in the first direction than the needle bar, and further toward the one side of the head in the third direction than the needle bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2025
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hidenori Oka, Mitsuhiro Iida
  • Patent number: 12637791
    Abstract: An upper for a shoe includes a knitted fabric including a first region including a continuous series of stitches with a yarn having a thickness of 0.1 mm or more, in which 4.0<nR<12.7 is satisfied in the first region, where n is the number of stitches per inch along at least one direction, and R is the thickness of the yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: ASICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chihaya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 12624483
    Abstract: An article of footwear is formed with an upper including a ribbon structure. Ribbon elements can be laid down in straight and winding sections, and the ribbon elements can be stitched or attached to a backing layer. A periphery of the ribbon structure can be embroidered to tack down any raised portions of the ribbon at the periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2026
    Assignee: Under Armour, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom Luedecke, Carmen Zhu
  • Patent number: 12606943
    Abstract: Knitted part in particular circular knitted fabric consisting of at least one stitch-forming thread as well as at least one first and second plating thread, wherein in order to form a first cushioning layer the first plating thread is plated in a stitch-forming manner at least in sections in the stitch course direction on the basic knitting thread and lies floating over one or more basic knitting stitches formed by the basic knitting thread and in order to form at least one second cushioning layer the second plating thread is plated in a stitch-forming manner at least in sections in the stitch course direction (MR) on the basic knitting thread or the first plating thread and lies floating over one or more stitches or float stitches formed by the first plating thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2026
    Assignee: medi GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Marvin Kolb
  • Patent number: 12601094
    Abstract: A sewing machine assembly includes a sewing machine frame, a main presser bar, and a presser foot assembly. The sewing machine frame includes a frame base, a frame body that extends from the frame base, a frame head coupled to the frame body that extends from the frame body toward the frame base. The main presser bar is mounted to the frame head of the sewing machine frame. The presser foot assembly includes an auxiliary presser bar offset from the main presser bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: GRACEWOOD MANAGEMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Craig Fraser, Kyle Somer, Sam Bagley, Michael Campbell
  • Patent number: 12595605
    Abstract: A sewing machine frame includes a pillar frame and an extending frame. The extending frame extends from one end in a longitudinal direction of the pillar frame, in an extending direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. The extending frame includes a first extending plate, a second extending plate, and an extending intermediate plate. The first extending plate extends in the extending direction. The second extending plate is separated from the first extending plate in the longitudinal direction. The second extending plate faces the first extending plate and extends in the extending direction. The extending intermediate plate extends in the longitudinal direction and the extending direction. The extending intermediate plate couples the first extending plate and the second extending plate in the longitudinal direction, and the extending intermediate plate has a curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yusuke Matsuoka, Kenichi Mizuno
  • Patent number: 12595604
    Abstract: A sewing device includes: a fly base on which a fly is to be placed; a fastener base on which a fastener is to be placed; a first conveying device configured to convey the fly on the fly base; a first sewing machine configured to perform edge overcasting on the fly during conveyance by the first conveying device; a supplying and conveying device configured to supply the fastener from the fastener base onto the fly, on which the edge overcasting is finished, in an overlapped manner, and configured to convey the fly and the fastener together; and a second sewing machine configured to sew the fly and the fastener during conveyance aby the supplying and conveying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: YKK Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sawada, Takayoshi Tanaka, Hitomi Nishida, Harumi Takagishi, Takafumi Oba, Takuma Kawato, Norihiro Takagi
  • Patent number: 12595599
    Abstract: Disclosed are a multi-comb Jacquard three-dimensional jacquard mesh fabric and its preparation method. The mesh fabric includes a surface layer, a base layer, and a connecting layer. The surface layer is woven with the first warp knitting basic structure, the base layer is woven with the second warp knitting basic structure, and the connecting layer is used to connect the surface layer and the base layer. Among them, the surface layer and/or the base layer is woven with a three-dimensional jacquard pattern, which includes a jacquard profile and jacquard protrusions. The jacquard profile is woven by the Jacquard comb through the second Jacquard basic structure, and the jacquard protrusions are woven by the Jacquard comb through the first Jacquard basic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2025
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: SINCETECH (FUJIAN) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jintai Xu, Lian Liu, Yingdong Zhang, Xuefang Xie, Bingbing Xu, Libing Lin, Xiaomei Chen, Yaling Shi
  • Patent number: 12584250
    Abstract: A knitted article 1, in particular for an orthopaedic brace, with a plurality of zones having different cushioning properties, including at least one flat-knitted zone 10 and at least one padded zone 20, comprises a lower layer 30 consisting of several rows of knitted stitches obtained by knitting a corresponding flat-knitted thread, an upper layer 40 consisting of several rows of knitted stitches obtained by knitting a corresponding flat-knitted thread, and a padding layer 50 obtained by a padding yarn different from the flat-knitted thread in that it comprises at least one bundle of padding threads. In particular, the flat-knitted zone 10 consists of the lower and upper layers 30, 40 connected to each other. The padded zone 20, on the other hand, consists of the padding layer 50 interposed between the lower and upper layers 30, 40, for that the padding yarn is laid in at least one row of knitted stitches of the lower and/or upper layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: F.G.P. S.R.L.
    Inventors: Moreno Ferrigolo, Alberto Turrini, Giacomo Zampini, Gianfranco Rosignoli
  • Patent number: 12584255
    Abstract: A tufting machine for selectively forming tufts of yarns, including different color or type yarns, for forming patterned tufted articles such as carpets. A series of needles are reciprocated into and out of a backing material being fed through the tufting machine and are engaged by a series of gauge parts so as to pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The gauge parts will be selectively controlled by activators to extend or retract the gauge parts to positions or elevations sufficient to pick-up or not pick-up loops of yarns from the needles. The feeding of the yarns to the needles further will be controlled to back-rob yarns not picked-up by the gauge parts, while the backing feed will be controlled to enable formation of tufts at an increased rate over the pattern stitch rate for the pattern of the tufted article being formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2025
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2026
    Assignee: Card-Monroe, Corp.
    Inventors: Marshall Allen Neely, Ricky E. Mathews, Wilton Hall
  • Patent number: 12577715
    Abstract: The disclosure herein generally relates to manufacturing of garments and more particularly to a system for automated manufacturing of garments. The system is configured to automatically perform operations on fabric sections to manufacture finished garments without manual intervention and at low costs. The system monitors the operations performed on the fabric sections and automatically adjusts the alignment/handling of the fabric sections to ensure quality finished garments. The system eliminates human error and enhances the sewing quality and increases production of garments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Inventors: Munish Jagadish Hinduja, Narasingamoorthy Ganesan
  • Patent number: 12577709
    Abstract: A customized, flat-knit multi-zonal element for a shoe upper and a method of producing such an element that allows for continuous knitting while controlling positioning of individual threads. One or more carriages may move continuously along the needle bed while threads are provided to the needles for a complete stroke. Knit elements may include multiple zones with differing properties. Threads may alter positions within knit structures from zone to zone. A knit element may include a first zone in a first plane that includes at least two merged threads to form a merged knit structure and a second zone in a second plane connected to the first zone seamlessly. Some knit structures may be positioned throughout the knit element such that they control a position of zones relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: adidas AG
    Inventors: Florian Poegl, Wolfgang R. Rempp, Roland Jenter, Matthias Linz, Florin Filipescu, Stefan Tamm
  • Patent number: 12577710
    Abstract: Stitch-pressing components, knitting machines with stitch-pressing components, and methods of manufacturing, integrating, and using the same. The stitch-pressing components herein can be configured to replace a yarn-feeder that is mounted on a rail of a knitting machine. This allows the stitch-pressing component to be shifted along the rail, and shifted between a raised position and a lowered position like the yarn-feeder, so that the stitch-pressing component can be used to press on yarn that is inlaid to form part of a knitted structure. The stitch-pressing components herein can be implemented in knitting machines to facilitate different stitch-pressing processes with limited cost, complexity, and modification to existing knitting machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Ellerhorst, Daren P. Tatler
  • Patent number: 12571139
    Abstract: A biomimetic thermal regulating fabric (BTRF) imitating army ant bivouacs and a method for constructing the same are provided. The BTRF comprises a plurality of yarns formed of textile fibres having a water-actuated crimp behaviour, wherein the plurality of yarns is knitted by means of transfer stitch to form an unsymmetrical fabric structure which has a positive water-actuated expansion rate along a first axis and a negative water-actuated expansion rate along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. Surfaces of the textile fibres are plasma-treated to have one or more hydrophilic functional groups. One or more colorimetric fabric sensors are incorporated to generate colours in response to one or more ambient environmental conditions or user physiological conditions respectively. The present invention has excellent scalability, biocompatibility, and great dynamic durability, and is advantageous for applications in athletic wear, outdoor wear, and medical textiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2026
    Assignee: City University of Hong Kong
    Inventors: Xinge Yu, Lung Chow, Xingcan Huang, Qiang Zhang
  • Patent number: 12553166
    Abstract: Embodiments of present disclosure relates to a robot and method for sewing an object. The robot includes a first robotic arm adapted to hold a needle, the needle carrying a length of a thread, a second robotic arm adapted to hold the needle, and a controller configured to move the first and second robotic arms to perform a plural of sewing operations so as to form a plural of stitches on the object A sewing operation includes moving the first robotic arm a first distance to cause the needle to penetrate a part of the object; and moving the second robotic arm to hold a penetration portion of the needle and pull the whole needle out of the object after the needle being released by the first robotic arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: ABB SCHWEIZ AG
    Inventors: Yiming Dong, Haiyang He, Jibo Yang, Qi Lu