MULTI-NEEDLE SIMULTANEOUS SEWING MACHINE

BACKGROUND

Humans use sewing to fasten articles, such as articles of clothing. Conventionally, articles are made by a human sewer using a needle and thread or a sewing machine. At an industrial scale, articles are typically made in production lines.

Conventional sewing machines are stationary apparatuses designed to form sequential stitches, which are not optimized for automating sewing processes. Existing efforts to automate sewing tend to retrofit a conventional sewing machine with robotic manipulation or computer vision to replicate the work of a human sewer. Complex issues, such as fabric manipulation, adaptability to new sewing patterns, and throughput speed, have not been solved in combination with one another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. Some non-limiting examples are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a sewing system, according to some examples.

FIG. 2A illustrates a sewing apparatus, according to some examples.

FIG. 2B illustrates a sewing apparatus forming stitches, according to some examples.

FIG. 2C illustrates a sewing apparatus responsive to the formation of stitches, according to some examples.

FIG. 3A illustrates a cutting assembly for cutting fabric, according to some examples.

FIG. 3B illustrates a cutting assembly responsive to cutting fabric, according to some examples.

FIG. 4A illustrates a needle module in a perspective view, according to some examples.

FIG. 4B illustrates a needle module in a top-down view, according to some examples.

FIG. 5 illustrates a needle assembly, according to some examples.

FIG. 6A illustrates a connector, according to some examples.

FIG. 6B illustrates a magazine of connectors, according to some examples.

FIG. 7A illustrates conventional stitches, according to some examples.

FIG. 7B illustrates independent stitches produced by the sewing system, according to some examples.

FIG. 8 illustrates a needle assembly with an attachment medium, according to some examples.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart showing a technique for simultaneous automatic sewing, according to some examples.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a software architecture within which examples may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The systems, apparatuses, methods, and techniques described herein are used to automate sewing processes, such as the formation of stitches in fabric. The systems, apparatuses, methods, and techniques described herein are conducive with production lines and can be used at an industrial scale. The systems, apparatuses, methods, and techniques described herein may be used to generate articles at a throughput faster than human sewers using conventional sewing machines.

According to some examples, a sewing apparatus having multiple needles can be used to simultaneously form a plurality of stitches attaching one or more pieces of fabric together. The sewing apparatus can use gantry-based systems, apparatuses, methods, and techniques to independently actuate each needle of the multiple needles to adjust to different sewing patterns and sizes, according to some examples. The gantry-based systems, apparatuses, methods, and techniques described herein can be used to actuate each needle independently to form straight or curved planar seams in the fabric.

According to some examples, the sewing apparatus uses a novel independent stitching technique to form seams of stitches. Each independent stitch formed in a seam is independent from other stitches in the seam, enabling the fabric to retain its unstitched elastomeric properties. Moreover, unlike conventional seams, one independent stitch can fail without unraveling the entire seam.

The systems, apparatuses, methods, and techniques described herein are used to generate articles, such as articles of clothing (e.g., garments, swimwear, bags, hats, gloves, socks, umbrellas, and other accessories), shoes, embroidery, bedding (e.g., quilts, sheets, duvets, pillows), furnishings (e.g., upholstery, curtains and draperies, carpets, towels), automotive articles (e.g., car seats, seat belts, airbags), medical textiles (e.g., face masks and respirators, medical gowns, medical sutures), embroidered articles, book bindings, taxidermy, sail making, and parachute rigging, among other applicable uses.

The articles can be formed from various types of fabrics and materials such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, synthetic fabrics (e.g., polyester, acrylic, nylon, elastane, among others), semi-synthetic fabrics (e.g., acetate, rayon, triacetate), leather or faux leather, fur or faux fur, interfacing, plant fibers (e.g., bamboo, jute, straw), insulative materials (e.g., fiberglass), metallic fibers, waterproof or water repellant fabrics, sailcloth, or any combination thereof. The fabrics used in the articles can have any type of textile production method, such as knit (e.g., velour, rib knit, among others), woven (e.g., satin, twill, canvas, brocade, gauze, denim, velvet, among others), non-woven (e.g., felt, polypropylene used in respirators), braided or crocheted, lace, or additive manufactures (e.g., 3D printed materials), among others. The fabrics may have any fabric weight.

FIG. 1 illustrates a sewing system 100, according to some examples. The sewing system 100 automates sewing processes, for example, without a human sewer. The sewing system 100 minimizes fabric manipulation, can be configured for different sewing patterns, and can match or exceed stitching speeds of human sewers at conventional sewing machines. The sewing system 100 can include a sewing apparatus 102, a cutting assembly 104, and a conveyor 106, according to some examples. The sewing system 100 can be used to form an article from fabric 108.

The conveyor 106 can support and transport the fabric 108. The fabric 108 is at least one piece of fabric to be sewn. According to some examples, the fabric 108 includes at least a first piece of fabric and a second piece of fabric. The conveyor 106 is, for example, a convector belt or another production line component configured to carry fabric 108. The conveyor 106 is loaded with the fabric 108, for example, by lying flat the first piece of fabric on the conveyor and lying the second piece of fabric on the first piece of fabric.

The conveyor 106 can be configured to carry the fabric 108 to the sewing apparatus 102. The sewing apparatus 102 can simultaneously form a plurality of stitches in the fabric 108, according to some examples, and is discussed in greater detail in relation to FIG. 2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 2C. The conveyor 106 can support the fabric 108 during the formation of stitches by the sewing apparatus 102. According to some examples, responsive to the formation of stitches in the fabric 108 by the sewing apparatus 102, the conveyor 106 can carry the fabric 108 away from the sewing apparatus 102. In some examples, the conveyor 106 can be configured to carry the fabric 108 to the cutting assembly 104.

The cutting assembly 104 can create cuts in the fabric 108 and is discussed in greater detail in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B. The conveyor 106 can support the fabric 108 while the cutting assembly 104 cuts the fabric 108. Responsive to the cutting assembly 104 cutting the fabric 108, the conveyor 106 can carry the fabric 108 away for any additional processing.

The conveyor 106 provides fabric management while the sewing system 100 engages in planar formation of stitches and cuts in the fabric 108, according to some examples. The conveyor 106 can translate to a production line, enabling industrial scale use of the sewing system 100. The throughput speed of the sewing system 100 is improved over conventional approaches because the stitches are formed simultaneously by the sewing apparatus 102.

FIG. 2A illustrates the sewing apparatus 102, according to some examples. The sewing apparatus 102 automates simultaneous formation of stitches in fabric 108 without a human sewer. The sewing apparatus 102 includes one or more needle modules 202, at least one framework 204, one or more sensors 206, and a mechanism 208.

The framework 204 supports the one or more needle modules 202, according to some examples. Each needle module 202 includes a plurality of needle assemblies, each needle assembly housing a needle. The framework 204 defines one or more tracks that can actuate each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies in at least one dimension. The needle assemblies are discussed further in relation to FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, and FIG. 5.

The one or more tracks of the framework 204 can provide a gantry-based system for moving each respective needle assembly into position as defined by a sewing pattern. Some examples of the needle module 202 and the one or more tracks are discussed in relation to FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B.

The one or more sensors 206 are configured to detect presence or positioning of the fabric 108 relative to the sewing apparatus 102, according to some examples. Responsive to detecting the fabric 108, the sensor 206 electronically communicates an indication of the positioning of the fabric 108 to the sewing system 100. The indication triggers the sewing apparatus 102 to form stitches, according to some examples.

The one or more sensors 206 can comprise different types of sensors. In some examples the one or more sensors 206 comprise one or more image sensors (e.g., charge-coupled device (CDD), active-pixel sensor (APS), or other metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) image sensor). In some examples, the one or more image sensors are associated with additional digital camera elements, such as camera lenses, or any other respective visible or light-capturing elements that may be used to capture data. Additionally, or alternatively, the one or more sensors 206 can comprise one or more weight-based sensors to detect the weight of the fabric 108 on the conveyor 106, one or more photoelectric sensors, one or more lasers (e.g., LiDAR), or another type of position sensor.

The sewing system 100 is communicatively connected to a computing device, such as a machine 1000 discussed in FIG. 10. The communicative connection is wired or wireless over a network. According to some examples, the computing device receives one or more signals from the sensors 206 and provides computations. In some examples where the sensor 206 is an image sensor, the computing device uses computer vision to determine the positioning of the fabric 108 from the one or more signals received from the sensor 206. Responsive to determining the fabric 108 is positioned for sewing, the sewing system 100 can trigger the mechanism 208 of the sewing apparatus 102 to form stitches, according to some examples.

The mechanism 208 causes the sewing apparatus 102 to form a plurality of stitches. The mechanism 208 can insert the needle of each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies through the fabric 108 and trigger each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies to simultaneously discharge an attachment medium through the fabric 108.

The mechanism 208 can comprise a plurality of mechanical and/or electronic components, such as a moveable mechanism of the framework 204, a respective shaft mechanism of each needle assembly, or other moveable parts in the sewing system 100. In some examples, the mechanism 208 is electronically actuated to generate compressive force on one or more needle modules 202. The compressive force actuates the needles of a needle module 202 to pierce the fabric 108. The mechanism 208 is discussed further at least in relation to FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C.

FIG. 2B illustrates a sewing apparatus 102 forming stitches, according to some examples. Triggering the mechanism 208 causes the sewing apparatus 102 to form stitches.

According to some examples, responsive to being triggered, the mechanism 208 causes the moveable mechanism of the framework 204 to lower the sewing apparatus 102 such that each needle module 202 is within a needle drop distance of the fabric 108. According to some examples, responsive to being triggered, the mechanism 208 causes a respective shaft mechanism of each needle assembly to force insertion of the respective needle through the fabric 108. According to some examples, the shaft mechanism of each needle assembly further triggers each needle assembly to simultaneously discharge an attachment medium through the fabric 108, forming a plurality of stitches. The shaft mechanism of the needle assembly is discussed further at least in FIG. 5 and the attachment medium is discussed further at least in FIG. 8.

The mechanism 208 can be triggered directly by the one or more sensors 206 or triggered, for example, by a computing device communicatively coupled to sewing system 100. According to some examples, the sewing system 100 (or the sewing apparatus 102) further comprises processing circuitry. The sewing system 100 electronically activates the mechanism 208 to simultaneously create a plurality of stitches in the fabric 108, each stitch in the plurality of stitches formed by a needle assembly in the plurality of needle assemblies discharging the attachment medium, according to some examples.

FIG. 2C illustrates a sewing apparatus 102 rebounding responsive to the formation of stitches 210, according to some examples. According to some examples, the mechanism 208 releases responsive to the formation of stitches 210. Releasing the mechanism 208 includes rebounding or retracting the respective shaft mechanism of each needle assembly 406. Releasing the mechanism 208 further includes rebounding or retracting the moveable mechanism of the framework 204, according to some examples.

Releasing the mechanism 208 frees the fabric 108 from the sewing apparatus 102 such that the conveyor 106 can carry the fabric 108 away from the sewing apparatus. In some examples, responsive to releasing the mechanism 208, the conveyor 106 can carry the fabric 108 to the cutting assembly 104, discussed below in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B.

FIG. 3A illustrates a cutting assembly 104 for cutting fabric, according to some examples. The cutting assembly 104 includes one or more lasers 302 configured to cut fabric, according to some examples. Additionally, or alternatively, the cutting assembly 104 includes a blade for cutting fabric, such as a rotary cutting blade. In some examples, the cutting assembly 104 is configured to trim excess fabric responsive to the formation of seams by the sewing apparatus 102.

The cutting assembly 104 further comprises an example of the one or more sensors 206 (not depicted in FIG. 3A) described in relation to the cutting assembly 104 for detecting the fabric 108, according to some examples. Responsive to the one or more sensors detecting the fabric 108, the cutting assembly 104 lowers and begins to cut away excess fabric.

According to some examples, the cutting assembly 104 is configured to detect the one or more seams (e.g., stitches 210) formed by the sewing apparatus 102, for example, using the one or more sensors of the cutting assembly 104. The cutting assembly 104 is configured to cut along the outsides of the seams, optionally configured to cut a seam allowance (e.g., quarter inch, half inch) outside each seam.

Additionally, or alternatively, the cutting assembly 104 cuts the fabric 108 according to a sewing pattern. For example, in addition to the seams, the cutting assembly 104 cuts additional portions of fabric specified by the sewing pattern (e.g., sleeve openings depicted in FIG. 3A). The cutting assembly 104 is communicatively coupled to a computing device or processing circuitry.

According to some examples, the one or more lasers 302 of the cutting assembly 104 detects edges of the fabric 108 responsive to cutting the fabric 108. In some examples, the cutting assembly 104 uses the lasers 302 in combination with the one or more sensors (e.g., sensors 206) to detect edges of the fabric.

According to some examples, the one or more lasers 302 seals edges of the fabric 108, in particular, synthetic fabrics. In some examples, the one or more lasers 302 melt the synthetic fabric, for example, as a result of heat generated by the laser 302 to cut the synthetic fabric. The melted edges can prevent fraying or unraveling of the synthetic fabric. Articles generated with melted edges may not require use of a serger to overlock the edges.

According to some examples, an attachment medium is the synthetic fabric itself. In some examples, the synthetic fabric is melted (e.g., by the one or more lasers 302) to generate heat-formed stitches attaching the fabric together. According to some examples, a medical mask or respirator is generated using the cutting assembly 104 and one or more pieces of synthetic fabric (e.g., a nonwoven polypropylene). The one or more lasers 302 generate seams formed of melted synthetic fabric, optionally while simultaneously cutting the synthetic fabric to a desired size and shape for the medical mask or respirator. Use of the cutting assembly 104 to generate medical masks or respirators can provide benefits such as improved efficiency as well as improving the fit of masks and respirators by facilitating customized sizes and shapes.

FIG. 3B illustrates a cutting assembly 104 responsive to cutting the fabric 108, according to some examples. Responsive to cutting the fabric 108, the cutting assembly 104 raises or retracts upwards away from the fabric 108. A sweeping component (not depicted) may collect the fabric trimmings, leaving the article with the simultaneously formed seams, as depicted in FIG. 3B, according to some examples.

Responsive to the cutting assembly 104 cutting the fabric, the conveyor 106 carries away the fabric 108 in the form of the article with the simultaneously formed seams for any additional processing, such as final detailing (e.g., serging), quality control, and/or packaging.

FIG. 4A illustrates a needle module 400 in a perspective view, according to some examples. According to some examples, the needle module 400 comprises an example of the needle module 202, which may be simplified for illustrative clarity herein. The needle module 400 comprises a mechanism 402 and a framework 204, which may comprise examples of the mechanism 208 and the framework 204, respectively, and a plurality of needle assemblies 406.

Activation of the mechanism 402 causes compressive force on each needle assembly 406 of the plurality of needle assemblies 406 supported by the framework 404. The mechanism 402 forces each needle of each needle assembly 406 to punch through fabric (e.g., fabric 108) and each form a stitch. The multi-needle needle module 400 simultaneously forms a series of stitches. The series of stitches generated by the needle module 400 forms a seam.

The mechanism 402 of the needle module 400 forces insertion of the plurality of needle assemblies 406 into fabric responsive to mechanical force on the mechanism 402 in a compressive direction (e.g., the mechanism 402 compressing the plurality of needle assemblies 406 into fabric below). The compressive force translated by the mechanism 402 to the plurality of needle assemblies 406 triggers each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies 406 to simultaneously discharge an attachment medium through the fabric. It shall be appreciated that the mechanism 208 of the sewing system 100 can be electronically actuated to generate mechanical compressive force automatically responsive to an electronic signal, as discussed in FIG. 2B.

The needle module 400 further comprises one or more tracks 408. Each needle assembly 406 of the plurality of needle assemblies 406 independently actuates about a respective track 408 in at least one dimension, according to some examples. In some examples, each track 408 of the one or more tracks 408 is a gantry, where each needle assembly 406 independently actuates about its respective gantry.

According to some examples, the needle module 400 is associated with a computing device or processing circuitry to electronically actuate each independently actuatable needle assembly 406 about its respective track 408, where the needle module 400 electronically actuates each needle assembly 406 in the needle module 400 about its respective track 408 of the one or more tracks 408 in at least one dimension.

FIG. 4B illustrates a needle module 400 in a top-down view, according to some examples. Independently actuating each needle assembly 406 in the needle module 400 can be used to create a variety of seam shapes.

In some examples, each respective needle assembly 406 is positioned at the same position along each respective track 408, forming a straight line of needle assemblies 406 for generating a straight seam, as depicted in FIG. 4A. In some examples, each respective needle assembly 406 is positioned at slightly different positions along each respective track 408, forming, for example, a curved series of needle assemblies 406, as depicted as a sinusoidal shape in FIG. 4B. The curved series of needle assemblies 406 forms a curved seam. A combination of curved and straight lines are used to form any planar shape of seams. In some examples, a zig-zag seam is formed.

FIG. 5 illustrates a needle assembly 500, according to some examples. The needle assembly 500 may comprise an example of the needle assembly 406 of FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B.

The needle assembly 500 includes a needle 502 defining a groove 504. The needle 502 has at least one sharp end configured to pierce fabric. The needle 502 is formed of a rigid material, such as metal or plastic.

The groove 504 is a feature defined by the body of the needle 502. The groove 504 receives an attachment medium, as discussed in FIG. 8. Additionally, or alternatively, the groove 504 receives a shaft 508. According to some examples, the groove 504 is a hollow channel-like indentation extending along the length of the needle 502. The hollow channel-line indentation can extend up to the full length of the needle 502. Additionally, or alternatively, the groove 504 is an eyelet opening in the needle 502, a ridge, a notch, a slit, or another feature configured to receive the attachment medium.

The needle assembly 500 includes a needle holder 506 supporting and holding the needle 502 in position. According to some examples, the needle holder 506 holds the needle 502 erect or upright during activation of the mechanism (e.g., mechanism 208, mechanism 402).

The needle assembly 500 includes the shaft 508, a shaft mechanism 510, and a spring 512. The shaft 508 is inserted at least partially into the groove 504 defined by the needle 502, according to some examples. In some examples, the shaft 508 penetrates a concave feature of the needle 502, the concave feature being defined by the groove 504. According to some examples, the shaft 508 is configured to slide in and out of the groove 504 of the needle 502.

The shaft mechanism 510 is configured to provide a compressive force on the needle 502 and the shaft 508, according to some examples. In some examples, the shaft mechanism 510 is a cap of the shaft 508 configured to provide compressive force to the shaft 508. The shaft mechanism 510 causes the shaft 508 to slide further into the groove 504 of the needle 502, according to some examples. The spring 512 is configured to rebound needle assembly 500, according to some examples.

For a single needle assembly 500 to create a stitch, the shaft mechanism 510 compresses inwards on the needle assembly 500 and forces insertion of the needle 502 through a first piece of fabric and a second piece of fabric. The compressive force of the shaft mechanism 510 slides the shaft 508 further into the groove 504 of the needle 502 causing discharge of the attachment medium, as described further in FIG. 8. Responsive to the compressive force of the shaft mechanism 510 releasing, the spring 512 rebounds the needle assembly 500, including the shaft 508. Additionally, or alternatively, according to some examples, the spring 512 rebounds the needle 502 and the shaft mechanism 510.

FIG. 6A illustrates a connector 600, according to some examples. The connector 600 includes a first stopper 602, a second stopper 604, and a filament 606. The connector 600 is formed of an attachment medium, in some examples. According to some examples, the attachment medium forming the connector 600 is a flexible material, such as a stretchable plastic. Once stitched, the connector 600 may sit between a first piece of fabric and a second piece of fabric, as discussed in relation to FIG. 7B.

The first stopper 602 holds the first piece of fabric against the second piece of fabric; the second stopper 604 holds the second piece of fabric against the first piece of fabric, according to some examples. The filament 606 holds together the first stopper 602 and the second stopper 604, the filament 606 passing through the first piece of fabric and the second pieces of fabric.

According to some examples, the first stopper 602 and the second stopper 604 can be formed by melting an attachment medium as the attachment medium is discharged. For example, an attachment medium that is a synthetic thread. In some examples, the connector 600 is formed by a heated tip of a needle or a laser (e.g., laser 302) melting the attachment medium to form the first stopper 602, the filament 606 and the second stopper 604 as the heated tip of the needle is inserted into and retracted from the fabric.

FIG. 6B illustrates a magazine 608 of connectors 600, according to some examples. The magazine 608 includes a plurality of connectors 600 connected by a belt 610. The magazine 608 is fed into a needle assembly, as described below in relation to FIG. 8. Each connector 600 is attached to the belt 610 by a tiny piece of the attachment medium. The tiny piece of attachment medium is configured to fail (e.g., break) responsive to force.

In some examples, the belt 610 is fed into a groove defined by the needle assembly, and the activation of the mechanism discharges one connector 600 at a time from the magazine 608. According to some examples, the belt 610 is fed into the groove 504 of the needle 502 in the needle assembly 500. Additionally, or alternatively, the belt 610 is fed into a groove in a needle holder, as discussed in FIG. 8.

A mechanism (e.g., shaft mechanism 510) can force a shaft (e.g., shaft 508) further into a respective needle assembly, causing discharge of a connector 600 from the belt 610. The force from the shaft further loads the next connector 600 on the belt 610 of the magazine 608, according to some examples.

FIG. 7A illustrates conventional stitches 702, according to some examples. The conventional stitches 702 can be formed by a top thread 704 and a bottom thread 706 weaving in and out of a first piece of fabric 708 and a second piece of fabric 710. Through a conventional sewing machine, a conventional sewing needle pushes the top thread 704 through the first piece of fabric 708 and the second piece of fabric 710. While the conventional sewing needle is down, the bottom thread 706 (e.g., bobbin thread) wraps around the top thread 704 to form a single conventional stitch 702 as the conventional sewing needle retracts. Each subsequent conventional stitch 702 is formed in a like manner.

The series of conventional stitches 702 forms a conventional seam, and each conventional stitch 702 in the conventional seam is connected to the other conventional stitches 702 by the top thread 704 and the bottom thread 706. Consequently, the entire series of conventional stitches 702 can come unraveled if either the top thread 704 or the bottom thread 706 break. Moreover, in construction of articles (e.g., garments, non-garment applications), conventional seams limit the stretch of the article since movement of the fabric under the seam is limited by the stretch of the top thread 704 and the bottom thread 706.

FIG. 7B illustrates independent stitches 712 produced by the sewing system 100, according to some examples. Each independent stitch 712 is formed by a connector 714, which can comprise an example of the connector 600 of FIG. 6A, passing through the first piece of fabric 708 and the second pieces of fabric 710. A seam can comprise a series of independent stitches 712.

Each independent stitch 712 is independent from the other independent stitches 712 in the seam. Breakage of one independent stitch 712 does not affect the remaining independent stitches 712, resulting in a more structurally sound article (e.g., article of clothing, car seat, etc.).

Moreover, the independent stitches 712 are less restrictive to the stretch and movement of the article. The first pieces of fabric 708 and the second piece of fabric 710 can stretch, bend, and move in between each independent stitch 712 without restriction of the connective top thread 704 and bottom thread 706.

FIG. 8 illustrates a needle assembly 802 with an attachment medium 804, according to some examples. The needle assembly 802 can comprise an example of the needle assembly 406 or the needle assembly 500, according to some examples. The needle assembly 802 includes a needle holder 806 defining a groove 808, a needle 810 defining a groove 812, a shaft 814, a shaft mechanism 816, and a spring 818.

The attachment medium 804 is used to attach pieces of fabric together. In some examples, the attachment medium 804 is a flexible material, such as a plastic (e.g., thermoplastic elastomers such as polyethylene). According to some examples, the attachment medium 804 is stretchable. In some examples, the attachment medium 804 is thread, such as a thread composed at least partially of synthetic materials (e.g., polyester, nylon) that can be melted.

According to some examples, the attachment medium 804 has at least one connector 820 to attach the fabric together. The attachment medium 804 has a plurality of connectors 820 along a belt 822, in some examples. The connector 820 and the belt 822 may comprise examples of the connector 600 and the belt 610 of FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, respectively.

The attachment medium 804 is fed into the groove 808 of the needle holder 806, according to some examples. An interior edge of the belt 822 of the attachment medium 804 is further fed into the groove 812 in the needle 810, according to some examples. Upon compression by the shaft mechanism 816, the needle 810 pierces the fabric and the shaft 814 inserts further into the groove 812 of the needle 810, breaking a light bond between the connector 820 and the belt 822, according to some examples. The shaft mechanism 816 triggers the shaft 814 of the needle assembly 802 to discharge a connector 820 of the attachment medium 804, according to some examples.

The shaft 814 pushes the discharged connector 820 into the fabric such that one stopper end of the connector 820 pierces through all layers of fabric, according to some examples. As a result, the connector 820 sandwiches the fabric between a first stopper and a second stopper (e.g., first stopper 602, second stopper 604), according to some examples. The discharged connector 820 forms an independent stitch (e.g., independent stitch 712) attaching the fabric together.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flowchart showing a technique 900 for simultaneous automatic sewing, according to some examples. In some examples, operations of the technique 900 may be performed by the sewing system 100 or components thereof. In an example, operations of the technique 900 may be performed by processing circuitry associated with the sewing system 100, for example by executing instructions stored in memory. The processing circuitry may include a processor, a system on a chip, or other circuitry (e.g., wiring). For example, the technique 900 may be performed by processing circuitry of a device (or one or more hardware or software components thereof), such as those illustrated and described with reference to FIG. 10.

The technique 900 includes an operation 902 to access a sewing pattern. The sewing pattern provides a pattern for generating an article (e.g., a garment, or non-garment articles such as car seats, bags, parachutes, sails). According to some examples, the sewing pattern is a digital sewing pattern. A digital sewing pattern is accessed or received by the sewing system 100 electronically, for example, over a network. Additionally, or alternatively, the sewing pattern is a physical pattern. A physical sewing pattern is scanned or manually entered into the sewing system 100, according to some examples. The sewing pattern may comprise several different sizes for the article, such as different clothing sizes for a garment.

The technique 900 includes an operation 904 to actuate each needle assembly of a plurality of needle assemblies in at least one dimension to align the plurality of needle as defined by the sewing pattern. Each needle assembly may comprise an example of needle assembly 406, needle assembly 500, or needle assembly 802. Each needle assembly actuates about a track in at least one direction to form straight or curved seams, or a combination thereof. The processing circuitry may electronically actuate each needle assembly as defined by the sewing pattern.

The technique 900 includes an operation 906 to activate a mechanism. The mechanism may comprise an example of the mechanism 208, the mechanism 402, the shaft mechanism 510, the shaft mechanism 816, or a combination thereof. The activation of the mechanism causes simultaneous compressive force on the needle assemblies, according to some examples.

The technique 900 includes an operation 908 to force insertion of a needle of each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies through a first piece of fabric and a second piece of fabric. The compressive force from the mechanism forces the insertion of the needles through the fabric, according to some examples. The mechanism simultaneously causes the forced insertion of each needle.

The technique 900 includes an operation 910 to trigger the plurality of needle assemblies to simultaneously discharge an attachment medium through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, simultaneously forming a plurality of stitches attaching the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric. The attachment medium can comprise an example of the attachment medium 804.

According to some examples, the mechanism compresses a respective shaft (e.g., shaft 508, shaft 814) further into each respective needle, sloughing a connector off a belt of connectors. The shaft forces one stopper end of the connector through the fabric, forming a rivet-like independent stitch (e.g., independent stitch 712), according to some examples. The simultaneous formation of a plurality of independent stitches efficiently creates a seam that provides better stretch in the resultant article than conventional sewing processes.

In some embodiments, the technique 900 can further release the mechanism. Releasing the mechanism causes each needle assembly, and moveable components thereof, to rebound to its original positioning.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of the machine 1000 within which instructions 1002 (e.g., software, a program, an application, an applet, an app, or other executable code) for causing the machine 1000 to perform any one or more of the methodologies or techniques discussed herein may be executed. For example, the instructions 1002 may cause the machine 1000 to execute any one or more of the methods described herein. The instructions 1002 transform the general, non-programmed machine 1000 into a particular machine 1000 programmed to carry out the described and illustrated functions in the manner described. The machine 1000 may operate as a standalone device or may be coupled (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine 1000 may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine 1000 may comprise, but not be limited to, a server computer, a client computer, a personal computer (PC), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a netbook, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an entertainment media system, a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a mobile device, a wearable device (e.g., a smartwatch), a smart home device (e.g., a smart appliance), other smart devices, a web appliance, a network router, a network switch, a network bridge, or any machine capable of executing the instructions 1002, sequentially or otherwise, that specify actions to be taken by the machine 1000. Further, while a single machine 1000 is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include a collection of machines that individually or jointly execute the instructions 1002 to perform any one or more of the methodologies or techniques discussed herein.

The machine 1000 may include processors 1004, memory 1006, and input/output I/O components 1008, which may be configured to communicate with each other via a bus 1010. In an example, the processors 1004 (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) Processor, a Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) Processor, a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) may include, for example, a processor 1012 and a processor 1014 that execute the instructions 1002. The term “processor” is intended to include multi-core processors that may comprise two or more independent processors (sometimes referred to as “cores”) that may execute instructions contemporaneously. Although FIG. 10 shows multiple processors 1004, the machine 1000 may include a single processor with a single-core, a single processor with multiple cores (e.g., a multi-core processor), multiple processors with a single core, multiple processors with multiples cores, or any combination thereof.

The memory 1006 includes a main memory 1016, a static memory 1018, and a storage unit 1020, both accessible to the processors 1004 via the bus 1010. The main memory 1006, the static main memory 1016, and storage unit 1020 store the instructions 1002 embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 1002 may also reside, completely or partially, within the main memory 1016, within the static memory 1018, within machine-readable medium 1022 within the storage unit 1020, within at least one of the processors 1004 (e.g., within the processor's cache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine 1000. The machine-readable medium 1022 may comprise an example of a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

The I/O components 1008 may include a wide variety of components to receive input, provide output, produce output, transmit information, exchange information, capture measurements, and so on. The specific I/O components 1008 that are included in a particular machine will depend on the type of machine. For example, portable machines such as mobile phones may include a touch input device or other such input mechanisms, while a headless server machine will likely not include such a touch input device. It will be appreciated that the I/O components 1008 may include many other components that are not shown in FIG. 10. In various examples, the I/O components 1008 may include user output components 1024 and user input components 1026. The user output components 1024 may include visual components (e.g., a display such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a projector, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), acoustic components (e.g., speakers), haptic components (e.g., a vibratory motor, resistance mechanisms), other signal generators, and so forth. The user input components 1026 may include alphanumeric input components (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen configured to receive alphanumeric input, a photo-optical keyboard, or other alphanumeric input components), point-based input components (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a trackball, a joystick, a motion sensor, or another pointing instrument), tactile input components (e.g., a physical button, a touch screen that provides location and force of touches or touch gestures, or other tactile input components), audio input components (e.g., a microphone), a scanner input component, and the like.

Communication may be implemented using a wide variety of technologies. The I/O components 1008 further include communication components 1036 operable to couple the machine 1000 to a networks 1038 or devices 1040 via respective coupling or connections. For example, the communication components 1036 may include a network interface component or another suitable device to interface with the network 1038. In further examples, the communication components 1036 may include wired communication components, wireless communication components, cellular communication components, Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components, and other communication components to provide communication via other modalities. The devices 1040 may be another machine or any of a wide variety of peripheral devices (e.g., a peripheral device coupled via a USB).

Moreover, the communication components 1036 may detect identifiers or include components operable to detect identifiers. For example, the communication components 1036 may include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag reader components, NFC smart tag detection components, optical reader components (e.g., an optical sensor to detect one-dimensional bar codes such as Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code, multi-dimensional bar codes such as Quick Response (QR) code, Aztec code, Data Matrix, Dataglyph™, MaxiCode, PDF417, Ultra Code, UCC RSS-2D bar code, and other optical codes), or acoustic detection components (e.g., microphones to identify tagged audio signals). In addition, a variety of information may be derived via the communication components 1036, such as location via Internet Protocol (IP) geolocation, location via Wi-Fi® signal triangulation, location via detecting an NFC beacon signal that may indicate a particular location, and so forth.

The various memories (e.g., main memory 1016, static memory 1018, and memory of the processors 1004) and storage unit 1020 may store one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software) embodying or used by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. These instructions (e.g., the instructions 1002), when executed by processors 1004, cause various operations to implement the disclosed examples.

The instructions 1002 may be transmitted or received over the network 1038, using a transmission medium, via a network interface device (e.g., a network interface component included in the communication components 1036) and using any one of several well-known transfer protocols (e.g., hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)). Similarly, the instructions 1002 may be transmitted or received using a transmission medium via a coupling (e.g., a peer-to-peer coupling) to the devices 1040.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or an “embodiment” or “some embodiments” or the like means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described is included in one or more embodiments of the claimed subject matter, but the appearances of “embodiment” or “embodiments” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment(s). Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more embodiments.

Various modifications and changes may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. Examples described herein may provide devices having waveguide transition structures that achieve the optical coupling between a III-V compound semiconductor waveguide and a silicon waveguide of a thin-silicon photonic circuit, and methods of manufacture thereof.

In view of the disclosure above, various examples are set forth below. It should be noted that one or more features of an example, taken in isolation or combination, should be considered within the disclosure of this application.

Example 1 is an apparatus comprising: a plurality of needle assemblies, each needle assembly comprising: a needle defining a groove; an attachment medium for attaching a first piece of fabric to a second piece of fabric, the attachment medium being discharged though the groove; a framework supporting the plurality of needle assemblies, the framework defining one or more tracks for actuating each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies in at least one dimension; and a mechanism configured to: force insertion of the needle of each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric; and trigger each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies to simultaneously discharge the attachment medium through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric.

In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 includes, wherein the attachment medium comprises at least one connector to attach the first piece of fabric to the second piece of fabric, the at least one connector comprising: a first stopper; a second stopper; and a filament spanning between the first stopper and the second stopper, the filament passing through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric.

In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 includes, wherein the attachment medium includes a magazine of connectors, the magazine of connectors comprising: a belt fed through the groove; and a plurality of connectors along the belt, where the mechanism triggers discharge of a connector of the plurality of connectors from the belt.

In Example 4, the subject matter of Examples 2-3 includes, wherein the first stopper and the second stopper are formed by melting the attachment medium.

In Example 5, the subject matter of Examples 1-4 includes, wherein the attachment medium is a stretchable plastic.

In Example 6, the subject matter of Examples 1-5 includes, each needle assembly in the plurality of needle assemblies further comprising: a shaft inserted at least partially into the groove of the needle, the shaft configured to, responsive to an activation of the mechanism, slide further into the groove of the needle to discharge the attachment medium; and a spring configured to rebound the shaft.

In Example 7, the subject matter of Examples 1-6 includes, wherein the one or more tracks of the framework are a plurality of gantries, where each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies actuates about a respective gantry of the plurality of gantries.

In Example 8, the subject matter of Example 7 includes processing circuitry; memory, including instructions, which when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations to: independently actuate in at least one dimension each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies about the respective gantry of the plurality of gantries.

In Example 9, the subject matter of Examples 1-8 includes, processing circuitry; memory, including instructions, which when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations to: activate the mechanism to simultaneously create a plurality of stitches attaching the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, each stitch in the plurality of stitches formed by a needle assembly in the plurality of needle assemblies discharging the attachment medium.

In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 9 includes, wherein each stitch in the plurality of stitches is independent of other stitches in the plurality of stitches.

In Example 11, the subject matter of Examples 1-10 includes, each needle assembly further comprising: a needle holder holding the needle upright during activation of the mechanism.

Example 12 is a system comprising: a sewing apparatus comprising: a plurality of needle assemblies, each needle assembly comprising: a needle defining a groove; an attachment medium for attaching a first piece of fabric to a second piece of fabric, the attachment medium being discharged though the groove; a framework supporting the plurality of needle assemblies, the framework defining one or more tracks for actuating each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies in at least one dimension; and a mechanism configured to: force insertion of the needle of each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric; and trigger each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies to simultaneously discharge the attachment medium through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric.

In Example 13, the subject matter of Example 12 includes, processing circuitry; memory, including instructions, which when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations to: access a sewing pattern; actuate each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies in at least one dimension to align each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies as defined by the sewing pattern; activate the mechanism to simultaneously create a plurality of stitches attaching the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, each stitch in the plurality of stitches formed by a needle assembly in the plurality of needle assemblies discharging the attachment medium.

In Example 14, the subject matter of Example 13 includes, wherein each stitch in the plurality of stitches is independent of other stitches in the plurality of stitches.

In Example 15, the subject matter of Examples 13-14 includes, a conveyor configured to: carry the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric to the sewing apparatus; and responsive to the simultaneously created plurality of stitches attaching the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, carry the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric away from the sewing apparatus.

In Example 16, the subject matter of Examples 13-15 includes, a cutting assembly configured to: responsive to the simultaneously created plurality of stitches attaching the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, trim excess fabric exterior to the plurality of stitches of the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric.

In Example 17, the subject matter of Example 16 includes, wherein the cutting assembly uses one or more lasers to trim excess fabric.

In Example 18, the subject matter of Examples 12-17 includes, a sensor configured to: detect a positioning of the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric; and electronically communicate an indication of the positioning of the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric to the sewing apparatus.

In Example 19, the subject matter of Example 18 includes, wherein the sensor is an image sensor using computer vision to detect the positioning of the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric.

Example 20 is a method comprising: receiving a sewing pattern; actuating each needle assembly of a plurality of needle assemblies in at least one dimension to align the plurality of needles as defined by the sewing pattern; activating a mechanism, the activating the mechanism comprising: forcing insertion of a needle of each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies through a first piece of fabric and a second piece of fabric; and triggering each needle assembly of the plurality of needle assemblies to simultaneously discharge an attachment medium through the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric, simultaneously forming a plurality of stitches attaching the first piece of fabric and the second piece of fabric.

Example 21 is at least one machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

Example 22 is an apparatus comprising means to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

Example 23 is a system to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

Example 24 is a method to implement of any of Examples 1-20.

MULTI-NEEDLE SIMULTANEOUS SEWING MACHINE

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