A sewing machine that generates and sews a tapering pattern is known.
In a case where it is difficult to measure a length of a portion where stitches are formed, such as a curved portion, or in a case where a sewing workpiece expands or contracts, it may be difficult for a sewing machine to form a tapering pattern at a position intended by a user.
In view of the foregoing, an example of an object of this disclosure is to provide a sewing machine configured to improve a possibility of forming a tapering pattern at a position intended by a user.
According to one aspect, this specification discloses a sewing machine. The sewing machine includes a bed, a needle bar, a feed dog, an actuator, an image sensor, a display, and a controller. The bed includes a needle plate. The bed is configured such that a sewing workpiece is placed thereon. The needle bar is configured that a sewing needle is attachable to a lower end of the needle bar. The needle bar is movable up and down to form stitches on the sewing workpiece. The feed dog is configured to feed the sewing workpiece in a first direction relative to the needle bar. The actuator is configured to move the needle bar in a second direction relative to the needle plate. The second direction crosses the first direction. The image sensor is configured to capture a capturing region. The capturing region includes a region below the needle bar. The controller is configured to acquire sewing data for forming a utility pattern continuously in the first direction. The utility pattern includes stitches crossing the first direction. Thus, the sewing machine acquires the sewing data. The controller is configured to acquire a condition for sewing a tapering pattern including a tapering portion. The tapering portion is obtained by deforming the utility pattern to be tapered toward one side in the first direction. Thus, the sewing machine acquires the condition for sewing the tapering pattern. The controller is configured to acquire a captured image captured by the image sensor. Thus, the sewing machine acquires the captured image. The controller is configured to generate a display image based on the sewing data, the condition, and the captured image. The display image is an image in which an image representing the tapering pattern is arranged at a planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in a planned sewing size. Thus, the sewing machine generates the display image. The controller is configured to control the needle bar, the feed dog, and the actuator in accordance with the sewing data to sew the utility pattern continuously in the first direction. Thus, the sewing machine sews the utility pattern. The controller is configured to, after starting sewing of the utility pattern, control the display to display the display image. Thus, the sewing machine displays the display image. The controller is configured to perform a tapering pattern sewing operation of, after starting display of the display image, controlling the needle bar, the feed dog, and the actuator in accordance with the sewing data and the condition to sew the tapering pattern that is continuous with the utility pattern. Thus, the sewing machine sews the tapering pattern. In the sewing machine of this aspect, after sewing of the utility pattern is started, the display displays the display image in which the image representing the tapering pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position in the captured image in the planned sewing size. Thus, the user of the sewing machine grasps the planned sewing position and the size of the tapering pattern before the start of sewing of the tapering pattern after the start of sewing of the utility pattern. The display control of the sewing machine contributes to reducing a possibility that the tapering pattern is sewn at a position that is not intended by the user. Note that the display may be a display of an external apparatus.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. A physical configuration of a sewing machine 1 will be described with reference to
As shown in
A needle plate 4 is provided on an upper surface of the bed 11. The needle plate 4 has a needle hole 3 (see
An LCD 15 is provided on the front surface of the column 12. The LCD 15 displays an image including various items such as a command, an illustration, a setting value, and a message. A touch panel 26 for detecting a pressed position is provided on the front side of the LCD 15. When the user performs a pressing operation on the touch panel 26 using a finger or a stylus pen (not shown), the touch panel 26 detects the pressed position. A controller 2 (see
A cover 16 configured to open and close is provided on an upper portion of the arm 13.
As shown in
The movement portion 31 includes a swing motor (actuator) 35 and a swing mechanism 36, and is configured to cause the needle bar 6 to swing in the left-right direction with respect to the needle plate 4 by the power of the swing motor 35. The center position of the swing range of the needle bar 6 in the right-left direction by the swing mechanism 36 is referred to as a center baseline position, and the left end and right end of the swing range of the needle bar 6 are respectively referred to as a left baseline position and right baseline position. The width of the swing range in the left-right direction may be appropriately set in accordance with the configuration of the swing mechanism 36. For example, the width of the swing range in the left-right direction is 7 mm, the width from the left baseline position to the center baseline position in the left-right direction is 3.5 mm, and the width from the center baseline position to the right baseline position in the left-right direction is 3.5 mm.
The image capturing device 57 is provided inside the head 14. The image capturing device 57 is, for example, a known CMOS image sensor. A capturing region P includes a region below the needle bar 6. The long side of the capturing region P on the bed 11 is approximately 8.8 cm, and the short side is approximately 4.8 cm. The image capturing device 57 includes a box-shaped housing 51, a lens 52, and an imaging element 53 shown in
An electrical configuration of the sewing machine 1 will be described with reference to
The CPU 81 performs main control of the sewing machine 1, and performs various types of computation and processing relating to sewing in accordance with various types of programs stored in the ROM 82. Although not shown, the ROM 82 includes a plurality of storage areas including a program storage area. The program storage area stores various programs for operating the sewing machine 1 (for example, a program for performing a main process described later).
The RAM 83 includes a storage area for storing calculation results and so on obtained by calculation processing by the CPU 81. The memory 84 stores various parameters and so on for the sewing machine 1 to perform various types of processing. The memory 84 stores sewing data for sewing utility patterns that can be sewn by the sewing machine 1 in association with pattern IDs for respective ones of a plurality of utility patterns. Each of the plurality of utility patterns is sewn by continuously arranging, in the feed direction, a pattern in which a plurality of line segments including a line segment crossing the feed direction of the sewing workpiece C by the feeder 32 are combined. That is, the feed direction of the sewing workpiece C by the feeder 32 is a direction in which patterns representing a utility pattern are continuously arranged, and in the present example, is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bed 11 on the upper surface of the bed 11. The direction in which the patterns are continuously arranged is also referred to as a forming direction of a utility pattern or a tapering pattern. In a case where the orientation of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6 is adjusted by the user, the forming direction of the sewn pattern is a direction that crosses the front-rear direction.
The sewing data includes coordinate data. The coordinate data is data in which coordinates of needle drop points at which a plurality of stitches forming a utility pattern are formed are represented by relative positions with respect to a reference position of the utility pattern. The reference position is, for example, a baseline position that is determined in accordance with the range of movement of the needle bar 6 in the left-right direction by the swing mechanism 36, and the position of the needle bar 6 in the left-right direction when the sewing needle 7 first pierces the sewing workpiece C (that is, the first needle). The baseline position is, for example, one of the center baseline position, the left baseline position, and the right baseline position. The relative positions of the center baseline position, the left baseline position, and the right baseline position are stored in the memory 84 in advance. Thus, regardless of which baseline position is used as the reference position, the controller 2 identifies the relative position with respect to the center baseline position. The coordinate data in this example includes a data group representing a plurality of relative coordinates with respect to the center baseline position for each needle drop point.
Each of the plurality of utility patterns is a pattern that is sewn by controlling the sewing portion 30 and the feeder 32 in accordance with the sewing data and appropriately changing the position of the needle bar 6 in the left-right direction by the movement portion 31. When the sewing machine 1 sews the utility pattern in accordance with the sewing data, the sewing machine 1 performs a process of feeding the sewing workpiece C in the front-rear direction with respect to the needle bar 6 by driving the feeder 32 to feed the sewing workpiece C in the feed direction. When the sewing machine 1 sews the utility pattern in accordance with the sewing data, the sewing machine 1 may perform a process of moving the sewing workpiece C in the left-right direction with respect to the needle bar 6 by driving the movement portion 31 to change the position of the needle bar 6 in the left-right direction with respect to the needle plate 4, or may perform the process by driving the feeder 32 to move the sewing workpiece C in the left-right direction (the movement direction), or may perform the process by a combination of both. The pattern ID is an identifier for identifying a plurality of utility patterns, and is a number in the present example.
The memory 84 of the present example further stores a coordinate system of an image represented by image data generated by the image capturing device 57 (hereinafter also referred to as an “image coordinate system”), and a coordinate system of the entire space (hereinafter, also referred to as a “world coordinate system”). These coordinate systems are associated with one another in advance by parameters stored in the memory 84. Thus, the sewing machine 1 performs a process of specifying the coordinates in the world coordinate system based on the image data. The image in this example is a color image of a plurality of colors. However, the image may be a monochrome image, or the color of the image may be adjustable in accordance with the color, the pattern, and so on of the sewing workpiece C.
Driving circuits 90, 91, 92, and 93 included in the controller 2, the touch panel 26, the start-stop switch 29, and the image capturing device 57 are connected to the input-output interface 85. The swing motor 35 is connected to the driving circuit 90. The driving circuit 90 drives the swing motor 35 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 81. The sewing machine motor 33 is connected to the driving circuit 91. The driving circuit 91 drives the sewing machine motor 33 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 81. As the sewing machine motor 33 is driven, the needle bar up-down movement mechanism 55 is driven via the main drive shaft 34 of the sewing machine 1, and the needle bar 6 moves up and down. A feed amount adjustment motor 22 is connected to the driving circuit 92. The driving circuit 93 displays an image on the LCD 15 by driving the LCD 15 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 81.
The main process of the sewing machine 1 will be described with reference to
In the following description, various types of image data to be processed by the controller 2 are simply referred to as an image or a captured image. The upper-lower direction and the left-right direction in
As shown in
The condition input fields 77 and 78 are fields for inputting the tapering condition. The tapering condition is a condition for specifying the shape of the tapering portion. The tapering condition in the present example includes the shape of the tapering portion, the length of the tapering portion in the front-rear direction, and the mode of the display image. The shape of the tapering portion is selected from three types of a right-tapered shape, a center-tapered shape, and a left-tapered shape. The right-tapered shape is a shape in which a tip deformed into a tapered shape, which is a front end or a rear end of the tapering portion, is located at a right end of the tapering portion. The center-tapered shape is a shape in which the tip of the tapering portion is located at the center of the tapering portion in the left-right direction. The left-tapered shape is a shape in which the tip of the tapering portion is located at the left end of the tapering portion. The display image is an image in which an image representing the tapering pattern is arranged at a planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in a planned sewing size based on the tapering condition and the captured image captured by the image capturing device 57. The mode of the display image is selected from line segments representing the stitches of the tapering pattern and a figure indicating the formation range of the stitches of the tapering pattern. The line segments and the figure represent the tapering pattern in different modes (preview modes).
The condition input field 77 is a field for setting the tapering condition of the tapering portion to be formed at a start point portion at which sewing of the tapering pattern is started. The condition input field 77 includes input keys 771, 772, 773 and 774 and an input field 775. The input key 771 is used to input an instruction to perform sewing in accordance with the sewing data of the utility pattern without setting a tapering portion at the start point portion. The input key 772 is used to specify the right-tapered shape as the shape of the tapering portion. The input key 773 is used to specify the center-tapered shape as the shape of the tapering portion. The input key 774 is used to specify the left-tapered shape as the shape of the tapering portion. Among the input keys 771 to 774, the selected condition is displayed in a color different from that of the unselected conditions. The screen 70 shows a state in which the input key 772 is selected among the input keys 771 to 774. The input field 775 is used to specify the length of the start point portion in the feed direction by the feed dog 24.
Similarly, the condition input field 78 is a field for setting the tapering condition of the tapering portion to be formed at an end point portion at which the sewing of the tapering pattern is finished. The condition input field 78 includes input keys 781, 782, 783 and 784 and a selection field 785. The screen 70 shows a state in which the input key 782 is selected among the input keys 781 to 784. The selection field 785 is a field for selecting the mode of image representing the tapering pattern included in the display image displayed on the LCD 15. The mode of the image representing the tapering pattern of the present example is selected from among a figure indicating the formation range of the stitches of the tapering pattern and line segments indicating the stitches of the tapering pattern. The screen 70 shows a case in which the mode of the image representing the end point portion is the figure indicating the formation range of the stitches. The condition input field 78 of the present example does not include an input field similar to the input field 775, but the condition input field 78 may include an input field for inputting the length of the end point portion in the feed direction.
The controller 2 acquires sewing data of a zigzag pattern selected on the screen 70 from the memory 84 (S1). The controller 2 acquires a tapering condition based on the condition input fields 77 and 78 of the screen 70 (S2). Based on the condition input fields 77 and 78 of the screen 70, the controller 2 acquires the shape of the tapering portion and the length of the tapering portion in the front-rear direction as the tapering condition of the start point portion, and acquires the shape of the tapering portion and the mode of the image representing the tapering pattern included in the display image as the tapering condition of the end point portion. The controller 2 sets a start point portion G1 in
The controller 2 starts a process of acquiring the captured image generated by the image capturing device 57 (S4). The controller 2 acquires the captured image at a particular cycle (for example, every 20 milliseconds) until the process of acquiring the captured image is finished in S20. The controller 2 generates a display image M1 representing the tapering pattern based on the sewing data acquired in S1 and the tapering condition acquired in S2 (S5). By using the parameters of the coordinate systems stored in the memory 84, the controller 2 generates the display image in which an image representing the start point portion GI set in S3 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the start point portion G1 on the captured image in the planned sewing size of the start point portion G1. The captured image is obtained by capturing the sewing workpiece C placed on the bed 11. The planned sewing size of the start point portion G1 is the size of the stitch E1 that is formed based on the start point portion G1 that is set in S3. The display image M1 is obtained by, for example, based on the sewing data of the start point portion G1, arranging an image representing the triangle K1 indicating the formation range of the stitch E1 represented by the world coordinate system, at a position converted into coordinates represented by the image coordinate system in the captured image obtained by capturing an image of the capturing region P by the image capturing device 57. Since the stitch E1 formed on the sewing workpiece C may shrink depending on the sewing condition, the size of the start point portion G1 represented by the display image M1 does not need to be exactly the same as the size of the actually sewn start point portion G1, and may have a difference of approximately 0 to 10% with respect to the size of the actually sewn start point portion G1. The display image M1 of the present example includes an image representing a tapering portion, that is, a tapering pattern including only the start point portion G1. The controller 2 may acquire, as the captured image, a particular range in the image generated by the image capturing device 57.
The controller 2 controls the LCD 15 to display the display image M1 generated in S5 on the LCD 15 (S5). Based on the display image M1 displayed on the LCD 15, the user checks the sewing position, shape, and size of the start point portion G1, adjusts the position and angle of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6 as necessary, and then operates the start-stop switch 29 to input an instruction to start sewing.
The controller 2 waits until the controller 2 detects an instruction to start sewing that is output from the start-stop switch 29 (S7: NO). In response to detecting an instruction to start sewing (S7: YES), the controller 2 drives the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, and the movement portion 31 in accordance with the sewing data of the start point portion G1 set in S3 to start sewing of the start point portion G1 (S8). The controller 2 determines whether sewing of the start point portion G1 has been finished based on the number of stitches that have been sewn from the sewing start of the start point portion G1 and the number of stitches of the start point portion G1 (S9). In a case where the number of stitches from the start of the sewing is smaller than the number of stitches of the start point portion G1 (S9: NO), the controller 2 updates the display image in accordance with the feed amount of the sewing workpiece C by the feed dog 24 from the start of the sewing, and displays the updated display image on the LCD (S30). By the processing of S30, the controller 2 of the present example updates the display image in conjunction with the relative movement of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6. In a case where the number of stitches from the start of the sewing of the start point portion G1 is equal to the number of stitches of the start point portion G1 (S9: YES), the controller 2 controls the LCD 15 to end the display of the start point portion G1. With the end point of the start point portion G1 as a start point, the controller 2 starts to sew the utility pattern based on the sewing data that is acquired in S1, that is, the zigzag pattern (S10). In a case where the input key 781 is selected on the screen 70 of
The controller 2 performs image processing on the acquired captured image and determines whether a marker 110 shown in
The shape of the marker 110 is stored in the memory 84. The detection of the marker 110 and determination of the coordinates thereof are performed using a known method. Specifically, the controller 2 determines the center point 111 of the marker 110 by using, for example, the result of the Hough transform processing and the shape of the marker 110 stored in the memory 84, and calculates the two-dimensional coordinates of the center point 111 in the image coordinate system. After that, the controller 2 converts the two-dimensional coordinates of the image coordinate system into three dimensional coordinates of the world coordinate system.
In a case where the marker 110 is not detected from the captured image (S11: NO), the controller 2 returns the processing to S10. In a case where the marker 110 is detected from the captured image (S11: YES), the controller 2 generates a display image based on the sewing data acquired in S1, the tapering condition acquired in S2, and the captured image (S12). The display image is an image in which an image representing a tapering pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size. The tapering pattern may be set by appropriately using a known method based on the sewing data and the tapering condition. The controller 2 sets the length of the tapering pattern in the front-rear direction in accordance with the distance between the current needle drop point and the center point 111 of the marker 110 detected in S11. A method of determining the position of the current needle drop point may be appropriately determined. The front-rear position of the needle drop point with respect to the needle plate 4 in the present example is constant, and the controller 2 acquires the front-rear position of the needle drop point with respect to the needle plate 4 stored in the memory 84. The left-right position of the needle drop point with respect to the needle plate 4 is changed by the movement portion 31. The controller 2 determines the left-right position of the needle drop point with respect to the needle plate 4 based on the movement amount of the needle bar 6 by the movement portion 31.
Specifically, as shown in
The contour of the fabric C2 is not linear but curved. A line segment that connects the current needle drop point and the center point 111 of the marker 110 crosses the front-rear direction, which is the feed direction of the sewing workpiece C by the feed dog 24. Thus, when sewing is performed on the end point portion G2 in which the position of the center point 111 of the marker 110 is the end point EP, the controller 2 inclines the forming direction of the end point portion G2 with respect to the front-rear direction, which is the feed direction by the feed dog 24, on the assumption that the user adjusts the orientation of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6. The controller 2 generates a display image in which the set end point portion G2 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the end point portion G2 on the sewing workpiece C placed on the bed 11 in the mode specified in the selection field 785 of the screen 70, in the planned sewing size of the end point portion G2. The controller 2 controls the LCD 15 to display the generated display image on the LCD 15 (S13).
In the specific example, the controller 2 generates a display image M2 representing the triangle K2 specified in the selection field 785 at a position where the rear end of the end point portion G2 is below the needle bar 6 and the front end of the end point portion G2 is the center point 111 of the marker 110 (S12), and displays the generated display image M2 on the LCD 15 (S13). The right side of the triangle K2 extends in a direction crossing the front-rear direction. The rear end of the triangle K2 is arranged at the position of the current needle drop point. The front end of the triangle K2 is located at the center point 111 of the marker 110. In a case where a display image including line segments representing the stitch E2 of the end point portion G2 is selected in the selection field 785, the controller 2 generates a display image Q2 in which an image representing the stitch E2 specified in the selection field 785 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size (S12). The controller 2 displays the generated display image Q2 on the LCD 15 (S13).
Based on the display image M2 or Q2 displayed on the LCD 15, the user checks the sewing position, shape, size of the end point portion G2, and the orientation of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6, and operates the start-stop switch 29 at the timing of starting sewing of the end point portion G2 to input an instruction to start sewing. The controller 2 determines whether an instruction to start sewing is detected (S14). In response to not detecting an instruction to start the sewing (S14: NO), the controller 2 returns the processing to S11. In consideration of a time lag from when the controller 2 displays the display image to when the user operates the start-stop switch 29, the controller 2 may reduce the sewing speed to a particular speed and perform the processing of S13.
By repeatedly performing the processing from S11 to S14, the image representing the end point portion in the display image displayed on the LCD 15 is updated in accordance with the position of the marker 110 on the sewing workpiece C. For example, as shown in
In response to detecting an instruction to start the sewing of the end point portion (S14: YES), the controller 2 ends the sewing of the utility pattern J and starts the sewing of the end point portion set in S12 (S15). The controller 2 sets an end point portion G4 by setting the current needle drop point as a starting point of the end point portion G4 (see
The controller 2 determines whether the distance from the needle drop point to the end point EP of the end point portion is smaller than a threshold (S16). As the threshold, a value smaller than the length of the end point portion G4 in the formation direction is appropriately set. The controller 2 may perform the processing of S16 by acquiring the captured image and calculating the distance on the captured image. The controller 2 may perform the processing of S16 based on the number of stitches after starting of sewing of the end point portion in S15 and on the feed amount of the sewing workpiece C in accordance with the number of stitches.
In a case where the distance from the needle drop point to the end point EP of the end point portion G4 is greater than or equal to the threshold (S16: NO), the controller 2 acquires the captured image and generates a display image in which an image representing the end point portion G4 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image acquired in S31 in the planned sewing size, based on the position of the center point 111 of the marker 110 in the acquired captured image (S31). The controller 2 controls the LCD 15 to display the generated display image (S32). The controller 2 returns the processing to S16. By performing the processing in S16, S31 and S32, the controller 2 updates the display image displayed on the LCD 15 in accordance with the position of the marker 110 on the sewing workpiece C.
In a case where the distance from the needle drop point to the end point EP of the end point portion G4 is smaller than the threshold (S16: YES), the controller 2 performs a stopping process (S17). In the stopping process, the controller 2 controls the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, and the movement portion 31 to temporarily stop sewing of the end point portion G4, and displays a message for prompting the user to peel off (remove) the marker 110 from the sewing workpiece C on the LCD 15. The user peels off the marker 110 from the sewing workpiece C while the sewing of the end point portion is stopped, and then presses the start-stop switch 29 to instruct restart of the sewing of the end point portion G4. In response to detecting pressing of the start-stop switch 29, the controller 2 restarts the sewing of the end point portion G4.
The controller 2 determines whether the end point EP of the end point portion G4 has been sewn (S18). The controller 2 may perform the processing of S18 based on the number of stitches after starting the sewing of the end point portion G4 in S15 and on the feed amount of the sewing workpiece C in accordance with the number of stitches. The controller 2 may perform the processing of S18 based on the number of stitches from when the sewing of the end point portion G4 is restarted in S17 and on the feed amount of the sewing workpiece C in accordance with the number of stitches. In a case where the end point EP of the end point portion G4 has not been sewn (S18: NO), the controller 2 waits until the end point EP of the end point portion G4 is sewn. In a case where the end point EP of the end point portion G4 has been sewn (S18: YES), the controller 2 controls the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, and the movement portion 31 to end the sewing of the end point portion G4. The controller 2 ends the process of acquiring the captured image, and controls the LCD 15 to end the process of displaying the display image (S20). The controller 2 then ends the main process.
By the main process, as shown in a state U1 in
In the first embodiment, the user checks a preview (display image) displayed on the LCD 15, and presses the start-stop switch 29 at the timing when the end point portion G2 becomes a desired shape. The sewing of the end point portion G2 is started at the timing when the user presses the start-stop switch 29. The first embodiment provides a sewing machine configured to, while the utility pattern is being sewn, generate a preview image (display image) in real time, which shows the shape of the end point portion G2 that will be sewn assuming that the start-stop switch 29 is pressed now to start sewing the end point portion G2, and display the preview image on the LCD 15. In conventional technique, it has been difficult to know the right timing to press the start-stop switch since there is no preview image.
A tapering pattern of the sewing machine 1 according to a first modification will be described with reference to
A main process of the sewing machine 1 according to a second modification will be described with reference to
As shown in
As shown in
In response to not detecting an instruction to start sewing of the end point portion (S14: NO), the controller 2 determines whether it is set to automatically determine the timing to start sewing of the end point portion based on the condition acquired in S21 (S25). In a case where it is not set to automatically determine the timing to start sewing of the end point portion (S25: NO), the controller 2 returns the processing to S14. In a case where it is set to automatically determine the timing to start sewing of the end point portion (S25: YES), the controller 2 acquires a captured image output by the image capturing device 57 (S26). The controller 2 determines whether the marker 110 is detected from the captured image acquired in S25 by a process similar to that in S11 of the embodiment (S27). In response to not detecting the marker 110 (S27: NO), the controller 2 returns the processing to S14.
In response to detecting the marker 110 (S27: YES), the controller 2 determines whether the current position of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6 is the position at which the sewing of the end point portion G6 is to be started, based on the detected position of the center point 111 of the marker 110 (S28). For example, in a case where the distance from the current needle drop point to the center point 111 of the marker 110 is equal to the length of the end point portion in the formation direction acquired by S21, the controller 2 determines that the current position is the position at which the sewing of the end point portion G6 is to be started. In consideration of a time lag from when the captured image is acquired to when the sewing of the end point portion G6 is started, the controller 2 may determine that the current position is the position at which the sewing of the end point portion G6 is to be started, when a difference between the distance from the current needle drop point to the center point 111 of the marker 110 and the length of the end point portion in the forming direction acquired in S21 becomes smaller than a particular value. In a case where the current position of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6 is not the position at which the sewing of the end point portion G6 is to be started (S28: NO), the controller 2 returns the processing to S14. In a case where the current position of the sewing workpiece C with respect to the needle bar 6 is the position at which the sewing of the end point portion G6 is to be started (S28: YES), the controller 2 performs the processing of S15 as in the embodiment.
In a case where the distance from the needle drop point to the end point EP of the end point portion G6 is smaller than the threshold in S16 (S16: YES), the controller 2 performs a deceleration process (S29). In the deceleration process, the controller 2 controls the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, and the movement portion 31 to decelerate the sewing speed of the end point portion G6 to a particular speed, and displays a message on the LCD 15 to prompt the user to peel off the marker 110 from the sewing workpiece C. The user refers to the message and peels off the marker 110 from the sewing workpiece C. The controller 2 may receive an instruction to return the sewing speed to the original speed from the user and return the sewing speed to the speed before the deceleration after the deceleration process.
In the second modification, in a case where the input key 783 is selected among the input keys 781 to 784 on the screen 70, a tapering pattern T7 including a utility pattern J7 and an end point portion G7, or the end point portion G7 is set in S22. The length of the utility pattern J7 in the formation direction in the tapering pattern T7 may be a particular length or a length obtained based on the length of the end point portion G7. When generating a display image in which an image representing the tapering pattern T7 is arranged, the controller 2 generates a display image in which an image representing line segments representing a stitch E7 of the tapering pattern T7 or a pentagon K7 representing the formation range of the stitch E7 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern T7 in the captured image and in the planned sewing size of the tapering pattern T7 (S23). When generating a display image in which an image representing the end point portion G7 is arranged in the captured image, the controller 2 generates a display image in which an image representing line segments representing a stitch E8 of the end point portion G7 or an isosceles triangle K8 representing the formation range of the stitch E8 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the end point portion G7 in the captured image and in the planned sewing size of the end point portion G7 (S23).
A main process of a third modification will be described with reference to
In the sewing machine 1 of the above-described embodiment and the first to third modifications, the sewing machine 1, the controller 2, the needle bar 6, the needle plate 4, the bed 11, the feed dog 24, the start-stop switch 29, the sewing portion 30, the movement portion 31, the feeder 32, the swing motor 35, the LCD 15, and the image capturing device 57 are examples of a sewing machine, a controller, a needle bar, a needle plate, a bed, a feed dog, an operation interface, a sewing portion, a movement portion, a feeder, an actuator, a display, and an image sensor, respectively. The processing of S1 is an example of a sewing data acquisition process. The processing of S2 and S21 is an example of a condition acquisition process. The processing of S12 and S23 is an example of an image generation process. The processing of S9 is an example of a utility pattern sewing process. The processing of S13 and S24 is an example of a display control process. The processing of S15 is an example of a tapering pattern sewing operation. The processing of S11 is an example of a marker detection process.
The sewing machine 1 of the above embodiment includes the bed 11, the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, the movement portion 31, the image capturing device 57, the LCD 15, and the controller 2. The bed 11 includes the needle plate 4 and is configured such that the sewing workpiece C is placed thereon. The sewing portion 30 includes the needle bar 6 to which the sewing needle 7 is attachable to a lower end thereof, and is configured to form stitches on the sewing workpiece C by moving the needle bar 6 in the upper-lower direction. The feeder 32 includes the feed dog 24 and is configured to feed the sewing workpiece C in the front-rear direction with respect to the needle bar 6. The movement portion 31 includes the swing motor 35, and is configured to move the needle bar 6 in the left-right direction crossing the front-rear direction with respect to the needle plate 4 using the power of the swing motor 35. The image capturing device 57 is configured to capture an image of the capturing region P that is a region including a portion below the needle bar 6. The LCD 15 is configured to display an image. The controller 2 is configured to control the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, the movement portion 31, the image capturing device 57, and the LCD 15. The controller 2 acquires sewing data for continuously forming a utility pattern in the front-rear direction, the utility pattern including stitches that cross the front-rear direction (S1). The controller 2 acquires a condition for sewing a tapering pattern including a tapering portion obtained by deforming the utility pattern so as to be tapered toward one side in the front-rear direction (S2, S21). The controller 2 acquires a captured image captured by the image capturing device 57 (S4). The controller 2 controls the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, and the movement portion 31 in accordance with the sewing data to continuously sew the utility pattern in the front-rear direction (S10). The controller 2 generates a display image in which an image representing the tapering pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size, based on the sewing data acquired in S1, the tapering condition acquired in S2 or S21, and the captured image (S12, S23). After starting sewing the utility pattern in S10, the controller 2 controls the LCD 15 to display the display image (S13, S24). After starting the process of displaying the display image in S13 or S24, the controller 2 controls the sewing portion 30, the feeder 32, and the movement portion 31 in accordance with the sewing date acquired in S1 and the conditions acquired in S2 or S21 to sew the tapering pattern continuous with the utility pattern (S15). After starting sewing of the utility pattern (S10), the controller 2 of the sewing machine 1 controls the LCD 15 to display the display image in which an image representing the tapering pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position in the captured image in the planned sewing size (S13, S24). Thus, after the sewing of the utility pattern is started, the user of the sewing machine 1 grasps the planned sewing position and the size of the tapering pattern that is sewn continuously with the utility pattern before the sewing of the tapering pattern is started. The processing of S13 and S24 performed by the sewing machine 1 contributes to reducing a possibility that the tapering pattern is sewn at a position that is not intended by the user.
The sewing machine 1 includes the start-stop switch 29 that receives a starting instruction to start sewing of the tapering pattern after starting the process of acquiring the captured image captured by the image capturing device in S4. In response to the start-stop switch 29 receiving the starting instruction, the controller 2 performs sewing of the tapering pattern. The sewing machine 1 starts sewing of the tapering pattern at the timing at which the user inputs the starting instruction based on the display image displayed on the LCD 15. The start-stop switch 29 of the sewing machine 1 contributes to improving a possibility of sewing the tapering pattern at the position intended by the user when the user manually inputs the starting instruction.
In S12 or S23, the controller 2 of the above embodiment and the second and third modifications generates the display image in which an image representing the tapering pattern including the tapering portion and not including the utility pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size. Because the sewing machine 1 displays the display image on the LCD 15, the user grasps the tapering pattern before starting the sewing. The controller 2 of the sewing machine 1 contributes to improving a possibility of sewing the tapering pattern having stitches intended by the user.
In S12 or S23, the controller 2 of the above embodiment and the first to third modifications generates the display image in which an image including line segments representing the stitches of the tapering pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size. Thus, the sewing machine 1 contributes to the user grasping an image of the stitches to be formed on the sewing workpiece C.
In S12 or S23, the controller 2 generates the display image in which an image representing the figure (a triangle, a pentagon, and so on) indicating the formation range of the stitches of the tapering pattern is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size. By displaying the display image on the LCD 15, the sewing machine 1 allows the user to easily check the formation range of the stitches in addition to the planned sewing position and the size of the tapering pattern even if the shape of the tapering pattern is complicated.
The tapering condition of the second and third modifications includes the length of the tapering portion in the front-rear direction. In S23, the controller 2 generates the display image in which an image representing the tapering pattern including the tapering portion having the length in the front-rear direction included in the tapering condition is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size. The sewing machine 1 contributes to improving the convenience of the user when sewing the tapering pattern having the length in the front-rear direction that is specified by the condition, compared with a case in which the length in the front-rear direction of the tapering portion is not specified in advance.
The controller 2 of the second modification detects the position of the marker 110 on the sewing workpiece C (S27). When the distance from the center point 111 of the marker 110 to the current needle drop point has become the length in the front-rear direction included in the tapering condition (S28: YES), the controller 2 starts sewing of the tapering pattern (S15). The processing of S27 by the controller 2 of the second modification contributes to automatically setting the timing to start sewing of the tapering pattern based on the detection result of the marker 110.
The controller 2 detects the position of the marker 110 on the sewing workpiece C (S11). The controller 2 generates the display image in which an image representing the tapering pattern including the tapering portion having the length in the front-rear direction corresponding to the distance between the position of the current needle drop point and the detected position of the marker 110 is arranged at the planned sewing position of the tapering pattern on the captured image in the planned sewing size (S12). The processing of S11 and S12 by the sewing machine 1 contributes to the user confirming, by checking the display image, the shape in a case where the tapering portion corresponding to the length from the position of the current needle drop point to the position of the marker 110 is sewn, before starting the sewing of the tapering pattern.
The controller 2 analyzes the captured image and detects the position of the center point 111 of the marker 110 on the sewing workpiece C (S11). The controller 2 of the sewing machine 1 contributes to generating the display image that improves the accuracy of arranging the image representing the tapering pattern at the planned sewing position in the captured image in the planned sewing size, compared to a case where the position of the marker 110 is detected not based on the captured image.
In the processing of S15, the controller 2 sets the end point EP of the tapering pattern at the position of the marker 110, and sews the tapering pattern. The controller 2 of the sewing machine 1 contributes to the user setting the position of the end point EP of the tapering pattern by the position of the center point 111 of the marker 110.
While the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with various example structures outlined above and illustrated in the figures, various alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents, whether known or that may be presently unforeseen, may become apparent to those having at least ordinary skill in the art. Accordingly, the example embodiments of the disclosure, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative of the present disclosure, and not limiting the present disclosure. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is intended to embrace all known or later developed alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and/or substantial equivalents. Some specific examples of potential alternatives, modifications, or variations in the described disclosure are provided below.
(A) The configuration of the sewing machine 1 may be changed as appropriate. The sewing machine 1 may be an industrial sewing machine. Each of the first direction and the second direction may be changed in accordance with the configuration of the sewing machine 1, as long as it is bidirectional. The feeder 32 may include a motor that drives the feed dog 24 to move the sewing workpiece C in the left-right direction. In this case, the swing motor 35 and the swing mechanism 36 may be omitted as appropriate, and the sewing machine 1 may sew the utility pattern and the tapering pattern by moving the sewing workpiece C in the front-rear direction (the feed direction) and the left-right direction (the movement direction) using the feed dog 24. The input interface may be the touch panel 26, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, and so on, in addition to or instead of the start-stop switch 29. The LCD 15 may be, for example, an organic EL display, a plasma display, a plasma tube array display, or an electronic paper display using electrophoresis and so on, that are configured to display an image. The display may not be built into the sewing machine 1, and instead, an external apparatus including a display may be connected to the sewing machine 1 via a wired or wireless communication interface and the display of the external apparatus may display the above-described display images and other various images such as commands, illustrations, setting values, messages, and so on. The external apparatus is, for example, a general-purpose display device, a smartphone, or a tablet PC. The capturing method, the attachment position, the capturing region P, and so on of the image capturing device 57 may be changed as appropriate. The storage device (memory) may be any readable and writable removable media such as magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, or semi-conductor memories, or may be non-portable storage devices such as built-in hard disk drives or SSDs (Solid State Drive), in addition to or instead of the memory 84. The utility pattern may be a pattern that includes stitches crossing the front-rear direction, which is the direction in which the sewing workpiece C is fed by the feed dog 24, and that is sewn continuously and repeatedly in the front-rear direction. The utility pattern may be acquired from another device (for example, a storage medium such as a USB memory, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a PC, and so on) connected to the sewing machine 1 with wired or wireless communication, or may be input by the user operating the touch panel 26. The power of the movement portion 31 may be a solenoid, a power cylinder, and so on, in addition to or instead of the swing motor 35.
The configuration of the marker 110 may be changed as appropriate. The method of detecting the marker 110 may be changed depending on the configuration of the marker 110. The position of the marker 110 may be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the marker 110. The marker 110 may be an ultrasonic wave generator, and the sewing machine 1 may include an ultrasonic wave receiver and may detect the marker 110 by receiving an ultrasonic wave generated by the marker 110. The marker 110 may be a magnetic body, and the sewing machine 1 may include a magnetic sensor and may detect the marker 110 based on a detection result of the magnetic sensor. The controller 2 may display at least part of the captured image captured by the image capturing device 57 on the LCD 15, and the user may indicate the position of the marker 110 in the captured image displayed on the LCD 15 by a panel operation. In this case, the controller 2 may detect the position of the marker 110 in the captured image based on the panel operation detected by the touch panel 26. The marker 110 may be provided on a head of a pin. The marker 110 may be a figure that is written on the sewing workpiece C with a tailor's chalk and so on. In this case, the sewing machine 1 may omit the stopping process of S17 or the deceleration process of S29 for peeling off the marker 110 from the sewing workpiece C.
(B) The program including the command for performing the main process of
(C) Each step of the main process of the sewing machine 1 is not limited to being performed by the controller 2, and some or all of the steps may be performed by another electronic device (for example, an ASIC). Each step of the main process may be processed in a distributed manner by a plurality of electronic devices (for example, a plurality of CPUs). The order of the steps of the main process may be changed, and some steps may be omitted or added as necessary. A mode in which an operating system (OS) and so on that is operating on the sewing machine 1 performs a part or all of the main process based on a command from the controller 2 is also included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the following modifications may be appropriately made to the main process.
The controller 2 of the above-described embodiment may not incline the forming direction of the end point portion in S12 with respect to the front-rear direction which is the feed direction of the sewing workpiece C by the feed dog 24. A method of setting the position of the end point EP of the marker 110 in S12 may be changed as appropriate. The controller 2 may set the end point EP of the end point portion to a position separated from the center point 111 of the marker 110 by a particular distance in a particular direction, or may set the end point EP of the end point portion to a position of the intersection of a straight line passing through the center point 111 of the marker 110 and extending in the left-right direction and a straight line passing through the current needle drop point and extending in the front-rear direction. The controller 2 may not incline the forming direction of the end point portion in S12 with respect to the front-rear direction which is the feed direction of the sewing workpiece C by the feed dog 24. In the above-described embodiment (
In the second modification (
The condition acquired in S2 or S21 may be changed as appropriate. The shape of the tapering portion may be selectable from some of the right-tapered shape, the center-tapered shape, and the left-tapered shape. The shape of the tapering portion may be not selectable. The shape of the tapering portion may be other than the three types described above. The controller 2 may acquire the length of the utility pattern between the start point portion and the end point portion in S2 or S21. In this case, after starting the sewing of the utility pattern J, the controller 2 may generate a display image including an image representing a tapering pattern including an end point portion in a case where the end point portion is sewn after the utility pattern J of the acquired length is sewn, and control the LCD 15 to display the generated display image. In this case, the user can check whether the tapering pattern is sewn at the desired position based on the display image displayed on the LCD 15, before starting the sewing of the tapering pattern. The figure indicating the formation range of the stitches of the tapering pattern may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the shape of the tapering pattern. The tapering pattern TP may not include the start point portion G1. In S12 or S23, the controller 2 may generate an image in which an image representing a tapering pattern in a predetermined form is arranged at a planned sewing position of the tapering pattern in a planned sewing size. The controller 2 may select the shape of the image representing the start point portion G1 in the same manner as the end point portion, and in S5 may generate the display image in which an image representing the start point portion G1 in the selected shape is arranged at the planned sewing position of the start point portion G1 in the planned sewing size. The controller 2 may appropriately omit a part or all of the processing for sewing the start point portion G1 in S3 to S9 and S30. The number of stitches per unit length in the feed direction (the thread density in the feed direction) of the start point portion and the end point portion may be different from the number of stitches per unit length in the feed direction of the utility pattern that is continuous with the start point portion or the end point portion. The above-described modifications may be appropriately combined within a range in which no contradiction occurs.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2022-013495 | Jan 2022 | JP | national |
This is a Continuation Application of International Application No. PCT/JP2023/002041 filed on Jan. 24, 2023, which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-013495 filed on Jan. 31, 2022. The entire content of each of the prior applications is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2023/002041 | Jan 2023 | WO |
Child | 18744850 | US |