Sewing machine and spool pin stand therefor

Abstract

A sewing machine includes needlebars for a sewing operation using a plurality of needle threads, a spool pin stand having a plurality of spool pins to which thread spools corresponding to the needlebars are attachable, respectively, thread passage defining members located on a thread passage extending from the spool pin stand to the needlebars, a storage unit storing sewing data including at least thread color information about colors of the needle threads, thread supply display units located on the spool pin stand so as to correspond to the spool pins respectively, the thread supply display units displaying the thread colors in a color-variable manner, respectively, and a thread color information display control unit controlling the thread supply display units based on the thread color information read from the sewing data storage unit, so that thread colors corresponding to the spool pins are displayed by the thread supply display units, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become clear upon reviewing the following description of the illustrative examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the whole multineedle embroidery sewing machine of a first illustrative example in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinally sectional front view of a spool pin stand;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinally sectional front view of a thread tension regulator;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the multineedle embroidery sewing machine;

FIG. 5 shows data construction of sewing data;

FIG. 6 explains data construction of a needlebar thread color table;

FIG. 7 explains data construction of a colored light table;

FIG. 8 explains data construction of a sewing thread color memory;

FIGS. 9A and 9B are flowcharts showing an embroidery sewing process;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a sewing process for one color;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the spool pin stand of a second illustrative example in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the spool pin stand of a third illustrative example in accordance with the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A sewing machine comprising: a plurality of needlebars provided for a sewing operation using a plurality of needle threads;a spool pin stand having a plurality of spool pins to which a plurality of thread spools corresponding to the needlebars are attachable, respectively;a plurality of thread passage defining members defining a thread passage extending from the spool pin stand to the needlebars;a sewing data storage unit which stores sewing data including at least thread color information about colors of the needle threads;a plurality of thread supply display units which are provided on the spool pin stand so as to correspond to the spool pins respectively, the thread supply display units displaying the thread colors in a color-variable manner, respectively; anda thread color information display control unit which controls the thread supply display units based on the thread color information read from the sewing data storage unit, so that a plurality of thread colors corresponding to the spool pins are displayed by the thread supply display units, respectively.

2. The sewing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thread passage display units which are provided on or near the thread passage defining members respectively, wherein the thread color information display control unit controls the thread passage display units based on the thread color information read from the sewing data storage unit, so that a plurality of thread colors corresponding to the spool pins are displayed by colored light by the thread passage display units, respectively.

3. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the thread color information display control unit controls the thread supply display units so that display modes are changed according to states of the thread spools prepared onto the spool pin stand.

4. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein each thread supply display unit comprises a light-emitting device which is capable of emitting light colored with a plurality of colors.

5. The sewing machine according to claim 2, wherein each thread passage display unit comprises a light-emitting device which is capable of emitting light colored with a plurality of colors.

6. The sewing machine according to claim 4, wherein the light-emitting device comprises a full-color LED.

7. The sewing machine according to claim 5, wherein the light-emitting device comprises a full-color LED.

8. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein each thread supply display unit comprises a display capable of displaying a name of each thread color as character information.

9. A spool pin stand for use with a sewing machine including a plurality of needlebars provided for a sewing operation using a plurality of needle threads, the spool pin stand comprising: a plurality of spool pins to which a plurality of thread spools corresponding to the needlebars are attachable, respectively; anda plurality of thread color display units which display thread colors in a color-variable manner so that the thread colors correspond to the spool pins, respectively.

10. The spool pin stand according to claim 9, wherein the sewing machine includes a thread color display control unit which controls the thread color display units and a sewing data storage unit which stores sewing data including at least thread color information about colors of the needle threads, and the thread color display control unit controls the thread color display units based on the thread color information read from the sewing data storage unit, so that a plurality of thread colors corresponding to the spool pins are displayed by the thread color display units, respectively.

11. The spool pin stand according to claim 10, wherein each thread color display unit comprises a light-emitting device which is capable of emitting light colored with a plurality of colors.

12. The spool pin stand according to claim 11, wherein the light-emitting device comprises a full-color LED.

13. The spool pin stand according to claim 9, wherein each thread color display unit comprises a display capable of displaying a name of each thread color as character information.