BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following, using some figures, the invention is explained in greater detail. Shown are:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a sewing machine,
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a part of the hook with the bobbin housing and lower thread bobbin,
FIG. 3is a view of a stitching plate,
FIG. 4 I a view of a sewing machine with a sliding and/or sewing table,
FIG. 5 is a detail view of a sewing machine with an attached embroidery module in the area of the lower arm,
FIG. 6 is a view of a pressure foot,
FIG. 7 is a detail view of a sewing machine in the area of the sewing needle and the pressure foot,
FIG. 8 is a view of a pressure foot with an integrated color sensor,
FIG. 9 is a view of a light conductor bundle,
FIG. 10 is a view of an arrangement with bilaterally spliced light conductor bundle for detecting color marks at several objects,
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a domestic sewing machine with a thread bobbin carousel with a connected spare bobbin holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows schematically a sewing machine 1 with a base 3, a supporting stand 5 mounted on the base 3, and a free and/or lower arm 7 mounted thereto as well as an upper arm 9. On a side of the upper arm 9, a display 10 and/or a monitor and operating elements 12 are arranged. The front end of the upper arm 9 is embodied as a sewing machine head 11. On the underside of the sewing machine head 11, a needle rod 13 protrudes with a needle holder 15, a sewing needle and/or needle 17 inserted in the needle holder 15, a pressure foot holder 19 with a pressure foot 21 inserted therein, and a threading device 23. The sewing machine 1 comprises color sensors 25 at several places, some of which are shown exemplarily in FIG. 1. The color sensors 25 are here embodied to detect light dispersed within the respective detective area on sewing machine objects or sewing objects and/or at respective color marks 26. The light can be created by one or more light sources 32. Depending on the type of the respective color sensor 25, natural daylight and/or the light of artificial light sources in the room in which the sewing machine 1 is located and/or the light of light sources 32 at the sewing machine 1 can be used to illuminate the objects to be detected. In particular, such light sources 32 can be arranged in the area of the color sensors 25 or integrated together with them in common housings. The detection areas are determined by optic elements, such as lenses, mirrors, light conductors, and the like or codetermined by them. In the example shown in FIG. 1, one of the color sensors 25 is arranged at the side of a thread winding device 27 extending laterally upwards at the upper arm such that it can detect the thread color of the thread wound between the spool flanges on the shaft of the lower thread bobbin 29 placed on the mandrel of the thread winding unit 27. Another color sensor 25 is integrated in the upper arm 9 of the sewing machine 1 and detects the color of one of the bobbin flanges and/or a color mark 26 applied to an exterior of the bobbin flange via a light conductor 31 and/or a light conductor bundle 31. Another color sensor 25 extends upwards at the upper arm 9 of the sewing machine 1. It is arranged such that its imaging and/or detection optic 24 is aligned towards the mandrel of a thread spool holder 34. In the upper thread bobbin placed on the thread spool holder 34 this color sensor 25 can detect the color of the thread spooled onto it. When during the sewing process the thread supply is about to run out, the color sensor 25 additionally detects the color of the body of the spool. The color change detected by the color sensor 25 is therefore an indicator for the end of the thread approaching soon. In case of a missing upper thread spool, with an appropriately large detection area, the color of the thread spool holder 34 can be detected. With a respective coloring of the thread spool holder 34, the missing of the upper thread spool can be detected.
Another color sensor 25 is integrated in the lower arm 7. It comprises two light conductor bundles 31, which alternating can be connected for example with integrated optic circuit elements (not shown) and light-sensitive areas of the color sensor 25. One of these optic fiber bundles 31 ends below the stitching plate 33 and can detect a color mark 26 applied to its bottom. The other optic fiber bundle 31 ends at the interior side of a flap 37, which serves to open and close a hook housing 38. From here, the color of the bobbin capsule 39 or a color mark 26 applied thereupon is detected, as shown in the exploded representation of a part of a hook 35 with a bobbin capsule 39 and lower thread bobbin 29.
In the upper arm 7 or generally at any suitable place in or at the sewing machine housing, additional color sensors 25 can be arranged. They can for example serve to detect the color of the lower thread inside the hook housing 38 or the color of a color mark 26 embodied at a flange of the lower thread bobbin 29. Using the example of FIG. 2, the color mark 26 is embodied at the spool capsule 39 as a colored spot. In the lower thread bobbin 29, the entire perforated flange is embodied as a color mark 26.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, another color sensor 25 is arranged in a function module 41, that can be laterally coupled to the sewing machine head 11, such that it can detect color marks 26 embodied on the pressure foot 21 and/or on the sewing needle 17. This color sensor 25 comprises a respective imaging optic 24 limiting the detection range to areas with color marks 26 on the sewing machine objects to be detected, connected to the sewing machine 1. For the sewing needle 17, this area may for example be determined for an upper position of the needle rod 13, which is used to exchange the sewing needle 17.
A color sensor 25 embodied at the sewing machine head 11 or at a function module 41, pointing downwards, may also be embodied for detecting the color of the sewing material (not shown) supported on the lower arm 7 or for detecting color marks 26 at the upper side of the stitching plate 33 (FIG. 3) and/or a sliding or sewing table 43 (FIG. 4) connected to the lower arm 7 to enlarge the sewing surface, or an embroidery module 45 (partial representation in FIG. 5). In order to prevent foreign objects from being detected in the intermediate space, when the distance between the color sensor 25 and the color mark 26 to be detected is very large, the detection may be triggered and/or confirmed by a user action, such as pushing an operator button 12. Alternatively, colors or color marks 26 can be arranged at the bottom or the side of such objects and be detected by color sensors 25 arranged at the lower arm 7, for example, as shown in FIG. 5. Preferably the color sensor 25 is arranged such that different sewing machine objects that can be coupled with the lower arm 7 having a color code 26 at the respective point can be detected.
The colors of the color marks 26 of the objects to be detected by a color sensor 25 are generally predetermined such that the color sensor 25 and/or the control effectively connected to the color sensor 25 can clearly identify the respective objects based on the detected colors.
Where no identical conclusion is possible by the detected color (e.g., when the color sensor 25 is used to detect the sewing material color, or when the detection of a color mark 26 is disturbed or prevented by a foreign object inside the detection area) the user may be asked, e.g., by a text or image display on the screen 10, to enter a more precise parameter or selection via the operating elements 12. Preferably the operating mode and/or the type of detection and processing of colors and color codes 26 can be influenced or predetermined interactively by the user via the color sensor or sensors 25. For example, it can be predetermined that the color sensors 25 by which color marks 26 clearly detect certain objects, can operate continuously, or that those color sensors 25 not producing any clear results have to be checked manually by pushing a button.
FIG. 6 shows a pressure foot 21, in which both the surface which encircle a spherical recess 47 for centering the counterpart of the pressure foot holder 19 as well as a colored alphanumeric code at the front can be used as color marks, depending how the detection area of the respective color sensor 25 is defined. The color sensor 25 can, e.g., be arranged in the sewing machine head 11, with the color marks 26 being detected by light conductors 31, integrated in the pressure foot holder 19 or mounted thereto (not shown).
Analogous thereto, the upper region of a sewing needle 17 can be marked with a color mark 26, which can be detected by a color sensor 25 in the sewing machine head 11 via the light conductor 31 integrated in the needle rod 13 or mounted thereto.
In FIG. 7 an arrangement is shown having a pressure foot 21 clamped to the pressure foot holder 19 and a sewing needle 17 inserted in the needle holder 15. The color marks 26 are mounted in the form of flag or button-shaped elements made from plastic in the upper region of the sewing needle 17 and/or the pressure foot 21. For fastening for example detachable snap-action connections can be used. For arranging the light conductor ends at the needle rod 13 and/or the pressure foot holder 19 immediately opposite the color marks 26 additional holding means can be provided.
For example, in general color marks 26 can be printed, adhered or in any other way applied directly to the respective object.
Color sensors 25 or allocated parts therefrom, such as e.g., light conductors 31 or imaging optics 24 can also be integrated partially or entirely in the accessories and/or sewing machine elements. FIG. 8 shows a pressure foot 21, in which the color sensor 25 and a downwards aligned lens and/or the detection optic 24 are integrated behind or next to the pressure foot sole in the pressure foot 21. The electric connection of the color sensors 25 occurs via a connection cable 49 to a plug 51, inserted into a corresponding plug 53 (FIG. 1) or coupling to the sewing machine head 11.
In another variant, only light conductors 31 and perhaps coupling and decoupling elements, such as optical lenses and mirrors, are integrated in the pressure foot 21, and the color sensor 25 is in this case arranged in the machine head 11. The optic connection of the light conductor 31 in the pressure foot 21 with the color sensor 25 and/or additional light conductors 31 connected to the color sensor 25 can e.g., occur via a coupling site in the area of the conical recess 47 (not shown) or via a connection cable 49 using an optic plug connection (analogue to power supply cables 49).
In general, the coding of all optic or electric connections of accessories with the sewing machine 1 is possible via color marks 26, with in the area of the interface of the accessories, i.e. at the face of the covers of the connection plugs 51, e.g., color marks 26 are arranged, and with at the part of said interface facing the sewing machine corresponding elements of the detection device are embodied, such as e.g., the ends of light conductors 31 connected to a color sensor 25.
FIG. 9 shows symbolically a section of a fiber optic with several multi-modal glass fiber-light conductors 31 combined to a bundle, which are coated by a protective sleeve 55. Such fiber optics generally comprise a multitude of individual glass or plastic fibers. For reasons of better clarity in FIG. 9 only few of these fibers are shown.
One or more of the light conductors 31 can be used for lighting color marks 26 at the end of the optic fiber bundle via the light source 32 at the machine (FIG. 10). The light source 32 comprises here a frequency spectrum which is sufficient to detect and identify all colors of the color marks 26 used. The remaining light conductors 31 serve to guide light, reflected and/or diffused at the color marks 26 inside the respective detection area at the end of said light conductors 31 to the respectively allocated color sensor 25. The light is not necessarily coming from a light source 32 specially provided for illuminating the color marks 26. Depending on the arrangement of the color marks 26 the ambient light and/or daylight can also be sufficient.
Fiber bundles can also be spliced into individual partial strands at one side or at both. This way several color marks 26 can detect various objects positioned at different locations using only a single color sensor 25. Such an arrangement is schematically shown in FIG. 10.
The color sensor or sensors 25 each comprise an output interface, which e.g., comprise one channel for red, green, and blue components each or alternatively a digital communications channel. This way the color sensors 25 are in an effective connection (shown in FIG. 10 schematically as dot-dash line) to a parameter memory for colors, memory 59 for short. The memory 59 can be the sewing machine control 57, for example. Alternatively, such a memory 59 may also be included in the electronic of the color sensor 25. Reference values for the colors and/or color features can be stored in the memory 59 by being predetermined in the sewing machine control 47, for example. Alternatively a learning mode may be activated with the color features detected by the color sensor 25 being saved in the memory 59 as reference or comparison values. The saved reference values are always allocated precisely to the respective object. This can occur, for example, in form of a look-up table, with object features and/or features clearly identifying the respective object being stored (e.g., identification number), referenced to the data of color features of these objects and/or the color features 26 allocated to the objects.
The sewing machine control 57 constantly or upon a respective instruction of the user controls the signals of the color sensors 25 and this way detects the sewing machine objects connected to the sewing machine 1. A program of the sewing machine control 57 evaluates the information of the color sensors 25 and executes suitable measures depending on the objects connected to the sewing machine 1 or certain combinations of such objects.
Such measures (not limited to the ones listed) are for example:
- displaying the connected sewing machine objects on display 10
- acoustic and/or optic warning in case of potential conflicts (e.g., warning sound or synthetic voice)
- blocking the sewing process in case of danger (e.g., when using a sewing needle 17, which is not compatible to the inserted stitching plate 33)
- adjusting motion areas where necessary (e.g., maximum permissible pivotal range of the needle rod 13 is determined depending on the sewing needle 17 inserted in the needle holder and the stitching plate 33 used)
- adjusting the menu control (e.g., release of the selection of certain stitching or knitting pattern depending on the pressure foot 21 connected to the pressure foot holder 19 and the knitting module 45 connected to the sewing machine 1)
- displaying information (e.g., request to insert a suggested selection of sewing needles 17 into the needle holder 15 when a certain stitching plate 33 is used)
- configuring an interface depending on the objects connected thereto (e.g., a bushing 53 at the sewing machine head 11 can be used for connecting a pressure foot 21 with integrated color sensors 25 or a pressure foot 21 with a sensor for detecting the relative motion of the sewing material as necessary for free-hand quilting to control the needle rod motion).
With an appropriate arrangement, the color sensors 25 can also be used for detecting and supervising sewing elements. For example, the colors of the lower thread can be detected on the lower thread bobbin 29 in the hook housing 38 and the upper thread of an upper thread spool placed onto a thread spool holder 34 as well as the color of the sewing material from the bottom in the area of the stitching plate 33. If the three colors detected are not matching within predetermined tolerance limits e.g., a warning can be shown at the display 10. If the color sensor 25 detects a second color with increasing intensity at the lower thread bobbin this indicates an end section of a thread with a different color. However, when the intensity of the lower thread used slowly reduces this indicates an upcoming end of the thread. The lower thread bobbin 29 may also indicated a certain color on the interior. In this way, disturbing reflections are avoided. The upcoming end of the thread can in this case be determined by a slow transfer of the color from the thread color to the color of the lower thread bobbin detected by the color sensor 25.
FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention on a sewing machine 1 with a thread spool carousel 61, as particularly suitable for executing embroidering tasks using a sewing machine 1. This comprises a preferably motorized base plate 63 rotary or pivotal around a rotary axis A, which can be positioned at different angles via a control device, e.g., via the sewing machine control 57. The base plate 63 has essentially the form of a circular disc 63a. A section of an arc 63b and/or satellite can be connected to the periphery of the disc 63a and e.g., be shifted along this periphery along a guide. The disc 63a can therefore also be further rotated even when the section of the arc 63b contacts the sewing machine housing. At the base plate 63, a telescopically embodied cantilever 65 extends upwards along the pivotal axis A. At its tip, several thread guiding members 67 are provided. Coaxially to the rotary axis A, several thread spool pins and/or thread spool holders 34 protrude upwards from the base plate 63. At the disc 63a and at the arc sections 63b additional thread spool holders 34 can be embodied. In FIG. 11 one of the thread spool holders 34 is arranged on a holding plate 69 pivotal in reference to the base plate 63 such that a thread is pulled off a thread spool on this thread spool holder 34 through one of the eyes of a thread guiding member 67 tangentially in reference to the thread spool, extending approximately perpendicular to the thread spool holder 34.
A color sensor 25 including the light source 32 is arranged laterally in reference to the thread spool carousel 61 is to be arranged in a recess at the holder 5 of the sewing machine 1 such that the thread color of each thread spool can be detected is placed on the nearest thread spool holder 34 within the detection range of the color sensor 25. Depending on the rotary position of the thread spool carousel 61 all thread colors of the thread spools can be detected which is placed onto the thread spool holder 34 extending upwards onto the disc 63a. For example, the color sensor 25 and the light source 32 can also be arranged at the cantilever 65 in a locally fixed manner or in a different manner, e.g., mobile in reference to the sewing machine 1. In order to detect all thread colors, several color sensors 25 may also be used (not shown). In an alternative embodiment, a light guiding optic is embodied in each thread spool holder 34 which can be used for detecting the color of the thread spool (not shown) placed on the respective thread spool holder 34. The detection of the thread color is thus depending on the rotary position of the thread spool carousel 61.
Using such devices, the control of the sewing machine 1 can execute for example the following tasks: detecting the colors of the thread spools placed on the thread spool holder 34; storing the detected colors referenced to the data for the respective thread spool holder 34 or the respective rotary position of the thread spool carousel 61; searching an upper thread color matching the color of the sewing material; automatic thread exchange with control of the thread color.
In another embodiment of the invention, a color sensor 25 arranged in the area of the sewing machine head 11 and detecting the sewing material in the area of the stitching place of the sewing machine 17 can also be used for detecting the illumination and the regulation of the brightness of a sewing light (not shown).
Using the device according to the invention and the process according to the invention, safety is increased, mistakes are prevented, the operation is facilitated, and/or automated and the quality can be improved during the operation of the sewing machine 1.
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
1 sewing machine
3 base
5 stand
7 lower arm
9 upper arm
10 display
11 sewing machine head
12 operating elements
13 needle rod
15 needle holder
17 sewing needle
19 pressure foot holder
21 pressure foot
23 threading device
25 color sensors
26 color marks
27 thread winding device
29 lower thread bobbin
31 light conductor, optic fiber bundle
32 light source
33 stitching plate
34 thread spool holder
35 hook
37 flap
38 hook housing
39 bobbin capsule
41 function module
43 sewing table
45 embroidery module
47 conical recess
49 connection cable
51 plug
53 bushing
55 protective sleeve
57 sewing machine control
59 memory
61 thread bobbin carousel
63 base plate
63
a disc
63
b section of the arc
65 cantilever
67 thread guiding organ
69 holding plate
Patent Application
20070263919
