Description:FORM 2

THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

Title of invention:
RECONFIGURABLE JACQUARD CARD ASSEMBLY

Applicant:
Tata Consultancy Services Limited
A company Incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956
Having address:
Nirmal Building, 9th Floor,
Nariman Point, Mumbai 400021,
Maharashtra, India

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The disclosure herein generally relates to the field of weaving of textiles, and, more particularly, to a reconfigurable jacquard card assembly.

BACKGROUND
[002] In the traditional handloom industry, fabrics are woven using punched jacquard cards made of paper. For weaving a fabric, a set of jacquard cards that is specifically punched for a particular design is used. For each design, a different set of jacquard cards specific to a design under consideration needs to be punched. Also, the jacquard cards made of paper get damaged over a period of time. Wastage of paper cards, time and cost involved in weaving different designs makes it very important for the weaving industry to look for means to reduce the overall investment.

SUMMARY
[003] Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as solutions to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems recognized by the inventors in conventional systems.
[004] In an aspect, there is provided a reconfigurable jacquard card assembly comprising: a jacquard card having a plurality of perforations; and a plurality of snap pins, configured to cooperate with the jacquard card to form a secure snap lock, wherein a position of each of the plurality of snap pins in an associated perforation from the plurality of perforations is based on a selected design to be woven, thereby enabling re-configuration of the jacquard cards.
[005] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of perforations is characterized by a male projection.
[006] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of snap pins is characterized by a female section configured to enable the secure snap lock by coupling with the male projection of the jacquard card.
[007] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the jacquard card and the plurality of snap pins are made of cast Nylon material.
[008] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles:
[010] FIG.1 illustrates a reconfigurable jacquard card assembly, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[011] FIG.2A illustrates a front view of a jacquard card of the reconfigurable jacquard card assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[012] FIG.2B illustrates a perspective view of the jacquard card of FIG.2A, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[013] FIG.3A illustrates a perspective view of a snap pin of the reconfigurable jacquard card assembly of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[014] FIG.3B illustrates a top view of the snap pin of FIG.3A, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[015] FIG.3C illustrates a front view of the snap pin of FIG.3A, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[016] FIG.4 illustrates two exemplary jacquard card assemblies associated with an exemplary design, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[017] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. Wherever convenient, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. While examples and features of disclosed principles are described herein, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments.
[018] Traditional weaving industry requires investment in the form of time, effort, cost to obtain design specific punched jacquard cards which are made of paper. Based on the design under consideration, the jacquard cards made of paper are specifically punched. Moreover, even for the same design, the jacquard cards may not be reusable considering the wear and tear during the weaving process.
[019] In accordance with the present disclosure, a reconfigurable jacquard card assembly is provided that can be reused for any design without further investment in obtaining jacquard cards.
[020] Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1 through FIG.4, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments and these embodiments are described in the context of the following exemplary system and/or method.
[021] Reference numerals of one or more components of the jacquard card assembly with an integrated fork assembly as depicted in the FIGS. 1 through 3C are provided in Table 1 below for ease of description:
Table 1
S. No. Component Numeral Reference
1 jacquard card 102
2 snap pin 104
3 perforation 106
4 Male projection 108
5 Female section 110
[022] FIG.1 illustrates a reconfigurable jacquard card assembly 100, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The reconfigurable jacquard card assembly comprises a jacquard card 102 and a plurality of snap pins 104. The jacquard card 102 is provided with a plurality of perforations 106. The plurality of snap pins are configured to cooperate with the jacquard card 102 to form a secure snap lock. The position of each of the plurality of snap pins 104 in an associated perforation from the plurality of perforations 106 is based on a selected design to be woven, thereby enabling re-configuration of the jacquard card 102. For weaving, say a saree/fabric, hundreds of jacquard cards may be needed. In accordance with the present disclosure, based on the design under consideration, the plurality of snap pins 104 are positioned in specific perforations from the plurality of perforations 106 in each of the hundreds of jacquard cards. After the weaving is completed, the same set of jacquard cards can be reused for another design by simply repositioning the plurality of snap pins 104 in different perforations based on the design under consideration, thereby eliminating a need for obtaining new jacquard cards and any design specific punching that may otherwise be needed in traditional jacquard cards made of paper.
[023] FIG.2A illustrates a front view of the jacquard card 102 of the reconfigurable jacquard card assembly 100 of FIG.1, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG.2A also illustrates the plurality of perforations 106 as seen in the front view. FIG.2B illustrates a perspective view of the jacquard card of FIG.2A, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In this view, a closeup view of the plurality of perforations 106 is also illustrated.
[024] FIG.3A illustrates a perspective view of a snap pin from the plurality of snap pins 104, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG.3B illustrates a top view while FIG.3C illustrates a front view of the snap pin of FIG.3A, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[025] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the plurality of perforations 106 is characterized by a male projection 108, as specifically illustrated in FIG.1. Further, each of the plurality of snap pins 104 is characterized by a female section 110, as specifically illustrated in FIG.1. The female section 110 is configured to enable the secure snap lock between the jacquard card 102 and each of the plurality of snap pins 104 by coupling with the male projection 108 in an associated perforation from the plurality of perforations 106 of the jacquard card 102.
[026] FIG.4 illustrates two exemplary jacquard card assemblies associated with an exemplary design, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. For the exemplary design shown in FIG.4, the two jacquard card assemblies illustrate different positions of the plurality of snap pins 104 in the associated jacquard card. The illustrated design is 180 pixels (height) x 240 pixels (wide). 180 jacquard cards are needed to weave the illustrated design on a fabric. Each jacquard card receives the plurality of snap pins 104 positioned in different perforations from the plurality of perforations 106, in accordance with the design to be woven as shown via the two exemplary card assemblies of FIG.4.
[027] The plurality of snap pins 104 inserted into the plurality of perforations 106 experience a lot of force and heavy jerky movements when the jacquard card assemblies are hung on the loom. If any pin falls off at any point during the weaving, it is challenging for the weaver to identify the jacquard card from which the pin fell and also the exact perforation from which it fell off. The woven design will be flawed because of the fallen pin. It is therefore imperative that while the jacquard card is reconfigurable to avert the investment needed every time a new design is to be woven, it is equally critical that the pins inserted into the jacquard cards are securely positioned in an intended perforation as the jacquard cards rotate on the loom. The secure snap lock enabled by the coupling of the female section 110 of the snap pin 104 with the male projection 108 of the jacquard card 102 helps address this technology gap.
[028] Traditional jacquard cards made of paper absorb moisture and are difficult to use in monsoon. Being made of paper, inherently the wear and tear of the jacquard cards reduce their strength and these get damaged after use over a period of time. Being punched specifically for the design under consideration makes their use limited to the particular design.
[029] In accordance with the present disclosure, the jacquard card 102 and the plurality of snap pins 104 are made of cast Nylon material. This material provides stability considering lower moisture absorption and capability of the material to withstand higher operating temperatures. The cast Nylon material having more crystalline structure provides higher strength to the jacquard card. The low coefficient of friction makes the jacquard card resilient and provides a long life in spite of being subjected to force and heavy jerky movements. The cast Nylon being corrosion and chemical resistant, the jacquard cards are protected against arduous environment. Thus, the jacquard card assembly of the present disclosure provides a long-lasting configuration that is design independent making it reconfigurable. Most importantly, the jacquard card assembly of the present disclosure can work with state of the art jacquard machines without a need for any modification to accommodate the provided configuration.
[030] The written description describes the subject matter herein to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments. The scope of the subject matter embodiments is defined by the claims and may include other modifications that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have similar elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims or if they include equivalent elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
[031] The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that ongoing technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope of the disclosed embodiments. Also, the words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[032] It is intended that the disclosure and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope of disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims.
, Claims:
1. A reconfigurable jacquard card assembly (100) comprising:
a jacquard card (102) having a plurality of perforations (106); and
a plurality of snap pins (104), configured to cooperate with the jacquard card (102) to form a secure snap lock (102),
wherein a position of each of the plurality of snap pins (104) in an associated perforation from the plurality of perforations (106) is based on a selected design to be woven, thereby enabling re-configuration of the jacquard card (102).

2. The reconfigurable jacquard card assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of perforations (106) is characterized by a male projection (108).

3. The reconfigurable jacquard card assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of snap pins (104) is characterized by a female section (110) configured to enable the secure snap lock by coupling with the male projection (108) of the jacquard card (102).

4. The reconfigurable jacquard card assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jacquard card (102) and the plurality of snap pins (104) are made of cast Nylon material.