Patent Application
20240125027
This application claims the benefit of German Patent Application DE 10 2022 126 769.5, filed on Oct. 13, 2022, the contents of which is incorporated in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a method for embroidering endless strips using an embroidery machine.
DE 19 923 912 A1 describes a device and a method for embroidering endless strips using an embroidery machine. As a result of the procedure described there, embroidered strips are created, sections of which are embroidered with names of people, for example. Emblems and borders can also be embroidered in addition to the names embroidered in this way in order to achieve special forms of representation of the sections. In the following, for the sake of simplicity, only the term embroidered names is used, but this also refers to the possible design of the sections with other conceivable embroidery such as emblems and borders.
Such embroidered endless strips are separated in a subsequent processing step so that individual strip sections can be handled separately with the names embroidered on them. These strip sections embroidered with names are often used to personalize clothing items such as lab coats or workwear.
If the embroidered strip sections are sewn directly onto the lab coat or workwear, for example in the area of the breast pocket, the lab coat or workwear is assigned specifically to the named person. When washing the lab coats or workwear, this is often undesirable and instead the embroidered strip section is preferably attached to the breast pocket of the lab coat or workwear using an adhesive strip or hook-and-loop fastener strip. This is done by attaching a Velcro (hook) strip to the back of the strip section and a felt (loop) section in the area where the strip attaches to the breast pocket.
If the strip section is embroidered in two layers, i.e., if an upper strip being the visible side and a lower strip which is the hook strip are embroidered together, then the adhesion properties of the hook strip are damaged by the embroidery with the name in such a way that secure adhesion is no longer possible. Accordingly, there is a need to embroider the name on the upper strip in a first step, then to separate the strip sections, and in a further step to connect the upper strip with the lower strip, namely the hook strip, via a circumferential connecting seam. This connecting seam only slightly damages the ability of the Velcro to adhere, thereby ensuring secure adhesion. Nowadays, this stitching together is a process carried out by hand by a sewer and results in finished strip sections.
DD 230 715 A3 discloses an embroidery frame for the continuous embroidery of material strips, by means of which—for example from roll to roll—single or multi-layer material strips are passed through and embroidered, the embroidery frame being constructed to coordinate the movements of several transport rollers and braking of the material strip against the main processing direction.
The present disclosure is based on the object of eliminating the aforementioned disadvantages. It creates a method that allows an automated sewing together of an upper strip with a lower strip (e.g. a hook strip) by using an embroidery or sewing machine, without damaging the lower strip by embroidery.
The method for embroidering endless strips by an embroidery machine comprises the following steps: feeding a strip section of an upper strip to an embroidery area of an embroidery frame; introducing embroidery, by an embroidery head, onto the strip section of the upper strip within the embroidery area of the embroidery frame (200); feeding a lower strip to the embroidery area of the embroidery frame and placing the lower strip below the upper strip; producing a connecting seam and thereby a finished strip by sewing the upper strip to the lower strip in a plane of the embroidery frame; and removing the finished strip comprising the embroidered strip and the lower strip sewn thereto.
For clarity of description, the present application refers to orientations as shown in the drawings. However, different orientations are possible. The terms “upper” and “lower” may thus be understood the generically refer to “a first” and “a second” element.
A method for embroidering endless strips by an embroidery machine, thus includes: feeding a first strip to an embroidery area of an embroidery frame; guiding a second strip by a feed slider to be selectively arranged next to the first strip in the embroidery area when the feed slider is in a feed position or away from the embroidery area when the feed slider is in a park position; securing the first strip in the embroidery area between an upstream clamp on an inlet side of the embroidery area and a downstream clamp on an outlet side of the embroidery area; introducing embroidery, by an embroidery head, onto the first strip within the embroidery area of the embroidery frame while the feed slider is in the park position and the first strip is secured in the embroidery area; moving the feed slider from the park position to the feed position; sewing the first strip to the second strip while the feed slider is in the feed position; moving the feed slider from the feed position to the park position; releasing the upstream clamp and the downstream clamp; and removing the first strip and the second strip sewn thereto from the embroidery area.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the following method steps are additionally performed:
As shown in the figures, the lower strip 4 and/or the further upper strip 3′ can be guided to the upper strip 3 in the opposite direction ER of the guide direction FR of the upper strip 3 to the embroidery area 207.
Furthermore, it is advantageous that the lower strip 4 and/or the further upper strip 3′ is guided to the upper strip 3 by means of at least one feed slider 206 which is displaceable parallel to the plane E of the embroidery frame 200 (
The feed slider 206 is then used to selectively position the lower strip 4 relative to the upper strip 3. In that case, embroidering the upper strip 3 is performed while the feed slider 206 is in a park position and guides the lower strip 4 to be spaced apart from the embroidery area 207. Feeding the lower strip 4 to the embroidery area 207 is performed by sliding the feed slider 206 from its park position to a feed position, thereby positioning the lower strip 4 such that it abuts the upper strip 3 in the embroidery area 207.
A particularly advantageous embodiment provides that the lower strip 4 and/or the further upper strip 3′ and the finished strip 6 are aligned and/or guided with respect to the plane E of the embroidery frame 200 in such a way that the feed slider 206 is positioned by the thrust acting on the feed slider 206 through the lower strip 4 and/or the further upper strip 3′ as part of removing the finished strip 6 into its starting position A for repeated feeding of the lower strip 4 and/or further upper strip 3′ to the embroidery area 207.
As shown in
In a particularly advantageous embodiment as shown in
The embroidery frame 200 can advantageously include a base plate 2000 for receiving and/or forming the embroidery frame 200, in which at least one cutout 2070 is provided for forming the embroidery area 207, such that the upper strip 3 to be embroidered extends from one side to the other side or is guided through this cutout 2070 in order to be embroidered using the embroidery head 101 of the embroidery machine.
At least one holding, fixing and/or clamping means 202, 203 and at least one associated drive element 204a, 204b, 205a, 205b for the upper strip 3 are preferably provided on at least one side of the embroidery area 207.
The feed slider 206 can preferably include at least one drive 201.
As shown in
In a further embodiment, the embroidery machine 100 preferably comprises at least one control, by means of which the embroidery frame 200 is moved on or on top of a plate 105 of the embroidery machine 100 in the X and Y directions in the course of the embroidery and sewing process in such a way that the embroidery head 101 creates an embroidery on the upper strip 3.
The process is automated with the embroidery frame 200 on an embroidery or sewing machine. For this purpose, the embroidery machine 100 with the selective embroidery frame 200 is shown in
The embroidery machine 100 is preferably a free arm embroidery machine and accordingly has a free arm 107. This free arm ensures that the bobbin thread gripper required for the embroidery process is freely accessible from the front and side. This design of the embroidery machine 100 is comparable to the design of a free arm sewing machine. The required free access from the front and side can also be achieved using other designs in the area of the bobbin thread gripper.
Furthermore, the unwinding roller 102 for the upper strip 3 and the unwinding roller 103 for the lower strip 4 are shown in
In contrast,
The
The functionality of the invention will be explained in more detail below using a process sequence. Process step a) is used to produce the starting state. For this purpose, the selective embroidery frame 200 is in the X/Y starting position such that the cutout 2070 is arranged in front of the free arm 107 in the area of the cutout 106. The upper strip 3 is guided from the unwinding roller 102 for the upper strip to the top of the embroidery frame 200 and, with the left clamp 202 open, is guided from left to right to the also open right clamp 203 over the cutout 2070. In this starting state, the feed slider 206 is in its park position. From the lower unwinding roller 103 the lower strip 4 is brought together with the upper strip from the bottom through the right clamp 203. This means that the lower strip 4 is to the right of the free arm 107. From the right clamp 203, the upper and lower strips are guided together to the winding roller 104 and fastened thereon. The clamps 202 and 203 are closed by means of the drives 204 and 205, respectively. The upper strip 3, the lower strip 4 and the brought together strips 6 are then relaxed, so that a slack is created in each case, which allows the selective embroidery frame 200 to move in the X and Y directions.
In method step b), the embroidery frame 200 moves in the Y direction under the embroidery head 101 in such a way that the strip, which is inserted in the cutout 2070, can be embroidered. Due to the preparation in processing step a, only the upper strip 3 is in the cutout 2070 for embroidery. The lower strip 4 is downstream of the free arm 107 and therefore cannot be embroidered in the first phase.
The upper strip 3 is embroidered with the name in processing step b) and ends in processing step d. In processing step e, the selective embroidery frame moves into the front X/Y position such that the cutout 2070 is arranged in front of the free arm 107 in the area of the cutout 106.
The feed slider 206 moves in method step c)—driven by the drive 201—from its park position to its feed position. The lower strip 4 is moved under the upper strip 3 in the cutout 2070. Thereby, the lower strip 4 is to the feed side of the free arm 107.
The embroidery frame 200 then moves in the Y direction under the embroidery head 101. In the following process step d), the circumferential connecting seam 5 between the upper strip 3 and the lower strip 4 is produced using the embroidery head 101. After completion of the circumferential connecting seam 5, the selective embroidery frame moves back to its X/Y starting position. The feed slider 206 moves into its park position, driven by the drive 201, and releases the sewn strip 6.
In the next processing step e), the holding, fixing and/or clamping means 202 and 203 are released. The embroidered and sewn strip 6 is conveyed and wound up from the area of the cutout 2070 by activating the winding roller 104. During this process, a new section of the upper strip 3 and the lower strip 4 are pulled in at the same time. Thereby, the lower strip 4 is on the downstream side of the free arm. The holding, fixing and/or clamping means 202 and 203 are closed by means of the drives 204 and 205, respectively. The upper strip 3, the lower strip 4 and the sewn finished strip 6 are then relaxed, so that a slack forms in each case, which allows the embroidery frame 200 to move in the X and Y directions. Through the transition to process step b), the next embroidery process of the next strip section is started cyclically.
An advantage of the embroidery machine 100 is that an automated process is made possible. In addition, the clamping of the upper strip remains in place throughout the two phases, so that a high level of precision is achieved when creating the circumferential connecting seam 5.
As shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2022 126 769.5 | Oct 2022 | DE | national |
