JP4017195B2 - Embroidery sewing machine that can display the seam forming range - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial application fields]
The present invention relates to an embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying a seam forming range.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Sewing machines that can store stitch data for forming a pattern in a storage device and can perform embroidery sewing based on the data are widely used.
In such a sewing machine, it has become possible to store complicated pattern data in accordance with an increase in the capacity of a storage device in recent years, and embroidery sewing can be performed by combining such complicated patterns. The number of stitches for embroidery stitching is increasing.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, with the increase in the number of stitches, there is a problem that the bobbin thread often disappears during execution of embroidery sewing. If the bobbin thread runs out during embroidery, it is necessary to stop the sewing machine and return the pattern to several tens of stitches from the stop position, replenish the bobbin thread, and restart the machine. It was.
In order to improve such drawbacks, the lower thread remaining amount is displayed or the lower thread remaining amount is indicated by Japanese Patent Application No. 4-334987, Japanese Patent Application No. 4-146665, Japanese Patent Application No. 4-163652, etc. The present applicant has already proposed a sewing machine capable of warning shortage.
An object of the present invention is to further develop these inventions and provide an embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying a seam forming range.
[0004]
[Means and Actions for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying the seam formable range according to the present invention has means for forming stitches corresponding to a plurality of selectable patterns and providing pattern data for displaying the patterns. Means for selecting a desired pattern from means for providing the pattern data and obtaining corresponding pattern data; means for forming a seam based on the pattern data of the plurality of selected patterns; and patterns of the plurality of selected patterns Means for displaying a plurality of patterns on the basis of data, means for giving data representing the amount of lower thread necessary to form the selected pattern, means for detecting the remaining amount of lower thread attached to the sewing machine, , Means for calculating a seam formable range of the selected pattern from the data indicating the remaining amount of the lower thread from the detecting means and the necessary lower thread amount, and the sewing calculated by the calculating means. Means for displaying a stitch formable range on the display means, and the means for forming the stitches does not form a stitch for a pattern that is not entirely included in the stitchable range, and the pattern before that The problem has been solved by providing an embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying a seam-formable range characterized in that the sewing operation is stopped after the seam is formed.
Further, the embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying the seam formable range according to the present invention can display the seam formable range in which the pattern that is not included in the seam formable range is not displayed as the seam formable range. The problem was solved by using a simple embroidery sewing machine.
Further, the embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying the seam formable range of the present invention forms means for forming stitches corresponding to a plurality of selectable patterns, and provides pattern data for displaying the patterns, and the pattern data Means for selecting a desired pattern from the giving means and obtaining corresponding pattern data; means for forming a seam based on the pattern data of the selected pattern or patterns; and pattern data of the selected pattern or patterns Means for displaying one or a plurality of patterns based on the above, means for giving data representing the amount of lower thread necessary to form the selected pattern, and means for detecting the remaining amount of lower thread attached to the sewing machine And a means for calculating a seam formable range of the selected pattern from the lower thread remaining amount from the detecting means and the data representing the necessary lower thread amount, and calculated by the calculating means A means for displaying the formed seam formable range on the display means, and the selected pattern is formed from a plurality of pattern blocks, and the display means includes all of the seam formable range. No pattern block is not displayed as a seam-formable range, and the seam forming means does not form a seam for a pattern that is not included in the seam-formable range and does not perform seam formation after the previous pattern seam is formed. The problem has been solved by providing an embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying a seam-formable range characterized in that the operation is stopped.
Further, the embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying the seam formable range according to the present invention solves the problem by making the display means an embroidery machine capable of displaying the seam formable range by displaying the seam formable range by color coding. did.
[0005]
【Example】
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In FIG. 1, the pattern data storage unit 1 stores stitch data for forming a plurality of patterns and display data for displaying the patterns on the display unit 6. This pattern can be selected by the pattern selection means 2, and is configured so that one or a plurality of patterns can be selected. The display data of the pattern selected by the pattern selection means 2 is sent to the display control means 5 and displayed on the display means 6. Further, the stitch data of the pattern is sent to the stitch formation mechanism control means 3, and the embroidery stitch of the pattern is executed by the stitch formation mechanism 4.
When a single pattern is composed of a plurality of pattern blocks, the pattern data is stored separately for each pattern block, and each pattern block is calculated when calculating the seam-forming range as described later. It is desirable to determine whether or not it is within a range where a seam can be formed.
[0006]
The remaining amount of the currently installed lower thread in the stitch formation mechanism 4 is detected by the lower thread remaining amount detecting means 8. In this embodiment, the lower thread remaining amount detecting means 8 detects the remaining amount of the lower thread attached to the bobbin of the stitch forming mechanism 4 and is disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-126996. Are using things.
[0007]
The necessary lower thread amount of the pattern selected by the pattern selecting unit 2 is configured to be output from the necessary lower thread amount data adding unit 7. In this embodiment, a necessary amount predicted in advance corresponding to the pattern is stored in the necessary lower thread amount data adding unit 7, and the necessary lower thread amount of the pattern selected by the pattern selecting unit 2 can be set as a seam forming range. The data is output to the calculation means 9.
In addition, when one pattern is comprised from several pattern blocks, it is desirable to comprise so that a required lower thread amount data output means 7 may be output for every pattern block.
The necessary lower thread amount data adding means 7 may be integrated with the pattern data storage means 1 so as to store the required lower thread amount data attached to the pattern data.
Further, the necessary lower thread amount data adding means 7 may be configured not to store the necessary lower thread amount directly, but to store the number of stitches of the pattern and calculate and output the necessary lower thread amount therefrom. Is possible. That is, it is also possible to determine the necessary amount of bobbin thread required for one stitch in advance and multiply this by the number of stitches for calculation. It is also possible to obtain the sewing thread distance by accumulating the relative movement amount of the stitch data and multiplying this by a predetermined constant to obtain the necessary amount of lower thread.
[0008]
The seam formable range calculating means 9 compares the required lower thread amount from the required lower thread amount data giving means 7 with the lower thread remaining amount from the lower thread remaining amount detecting means 8, and the lower thread remaining amount detecting means 8. It is determined whether or not the stitch data can be formed in the selected pattern or its pattern block based on the remaining amount of the lower thread detected in. Alternatively, it may be determined whether or not a stitch can be formed from the lower thread remaining amount in which the selected pattern or pattern block is detected.
When there are a plurality of patterns, a comparison is made in the order in which the patterns are arranged.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, a pattern in which three patterns, a pattern in which an A character pattern 52 is inserted in a square frame pattern 50 and a round frame pattern 51, and a triangular pattern 53 are selected and combined is formed. Will be described. The round frame pattern 51 and the A character pattern 52 are stored in the pattern data storage means 1 as a pattern block in one pattern.
The seam formable range calculating means 9 compares the necessary lower thread amount and the lower thread remaining amount from the square frame pattern 50 in order from the left side, for example, and determines how far the square frame pattern 50 can form a seam. If all the patterns are possible, then the required lower thread amount of the square frame pattern 50 and the required lower thread amount of the round frame pattern 51 are accumulated, and this is compared with the remaining lower thread amount to determine how far the seam can be formed. to decide. In this manner, the stitch formation possible range is determined for each pattern or pattern block in a predetermined order, and the determination result is output to the display control means 5. In FIG. 5A, the hatched portion is a portion where it is determined that the seam can be formed, and it is determined that the seam can be formed up to the center of the triangular pattern 53.
[0009]
In this embodiment, the display control means 5 displays the seam formable range based on the determination of the seam formable range from the seam formable range calculation means 9 in this embodiment. Display examples are shown in FIGS. In (B), the range where the seam can be formed as shown in (A) is displayed as it is by color coding, and about half of the square frame pattern 50, the round frame pattern 51, the A character pattern 52 and the triangular pattern 53 are displayed by color coding. The range in which the seam can be formed is visible to the user as it is.
In (C), when all the patterns are not included in the range in which the seam can be formed, the color-coded display is not performed, and since the triangular pattern 53 can form up to half of the seams, the triangular pattern 53 can be displayed in the color-coded manner. Instead, only the rectangular frame pattern 50, the round frame pattern 51, and the A character pattern 52 are displayed in different colors. When the display of (C) is performed, the stitch formation possible range calculation means 9 simply determines whether or not the pattern can be formed with the lower thread remaining amount as described above.
The display of the range where the seam can be formed is not color-coded, but various forms such as display shading, diagonal lines, painting, luminance change or blinking can be adopted.
[0010]
FIG. 6 shows an example in which it is determined whether or not a seam can be formed by a pattern block in one pattern. As shown in (A), it is determined by the seam formation possible range calculation means 9 that the seam can be formed halfway through the A character pattern 52, and only the square frame pattern 50 and the round frame pattern 51 are color-coded as shown in (B). It has come to be.
In addition, it is possible to handle one pattern as one pattern instead of dividing and determining one pattern into pattern blocks. However, what can be divided into blocks is a block as much as possible. It is desirable to handle them every time, which is preferable in terms of effective use of the lower thread.
[0011]
With reference to FIG. 2, a specific configuration example when the above embodiment is realized by using a microcomputer will be described.
The central processing unit 20 controls the sewing machine motor driving circuit 23 and the XY motor driving circuit 40 to drive the stitch forming mechanism 24 while driving the X direction motor 41 and the Y direction motor 42, and to store pattern data storage means. 21 and the stitches of the pattern selected by the pattern selection button 22 are formed. The speed of the sewing machine motor drive circuit 23 is controlled by the speed controller 44, and the X-direction motor 41 and the Y-direction motor 42 move the embroidery frame 43 shown in FIG. 3 in the xy direction to realize embroidery stitching. ing.
[0012]
The central processing unit 20 causes the display device 26 to display the selected pattern via the display control device 25, and the display device 26 is attached to the arm portion of the sewing machine body X as shown in FIG. Is provided.
The display device 26 is provided with the pattern selection button 22 as a touch panel, and the pattern displayed on the display device 26 can be selected by the touch panel.
[0013]
The pattern data storage means 21 stores a plurality of patterns with a pattern code added thereto, and each pattern data is composed of stitch data and display data. In this embodiment, bobbin thread amount data necessary for each pattern or pattern block is stored.
Further, the stitch forming mechanism 24 is provided with a lower thread remaining amount detection sensor 28, which detects the remaining amount of the lower thread of the bobbin that is currently mounted and inputs it to the central processing unit 20.
The central processing unit 20 can form stitches based on the program stored in the stitch formation range calculation program storage device 30 based on the input lower thread remaining amount and the necessary lower thread amount stored in the pattern data storage means 21. This range is calculated to determine whether or not a seam can be formed. In this embodiment, it is determined only whether or not all the stitches of the pattern or pattern block can be formed from the remaining amount of the lower thread, and if the seam can be formed up to the middle of the pattern, it is treated as a pattern in which the seam cannot be formed. It has become.
The range where the seam can be formed is displayed on the display device 26 via the display control device 25, and is displayed as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG.
In this embodiment, a seam formable range display selection button 29 is provided, and when the user operates the seam formable range display selection button 29, the seam formable range is calculated and displayed.
[0014]
In this embodiment, a printing device 32 is further provided so that the pattern displayed on the display device 26 and the range where the seam can be formed can be printed out.
Reference numeral 31 denotes a temporary storage device.
[0015]
The operation will be described with reference to FIG.
When the pattern selection button 22 is operated, the pattern is selected, and the pattern selection is finished (steps S1 and S2), it is checked whether or not the stitch formation possible range display selection button 29 has been operated (step S3). Processing is executed (step S4). When the stitch formable range display selection button 29 is operated, the lower thread remaining amount detection value detected by the lower thread remaining amount detection sensor 28 is input (step S5), and the first pattern is stored in the pattern data storage means 21. The required lower thread amount is compared (step S6). If the lower thread remaining amount is larger than the necessary lower thread amount, the pattern code of the pattern is stored in the temporary storage device 31 (step S7). Then, the necessary lower thread amount relating to the next pattern is added and compared with the remaining lower thread amount (step S8). If the remaining lower thread amount is large, the next pattern code is similarly stored in the temporary storage device 31 (step S8). S9). If the remaining amount of lower thread is less than step S8, the process jumps to step S13. When all the selected patterns are finished (step S10), the process proceeds to step S13.
If the remaining amount is less than the required amount in step 6, the central processing unit 20 causes the display device 26 to display a warning indicating that the lower thread is insufficient and to prompt replacement (step S11). It is determined whether or not the formable range display selection button 29 has been operated (step S12). If it has been operated, the process returns to step 5. If not operated, the process jumps to Step 13.
[0016]
When the display of the range where the stitches of the pattern can be formed is finished and the user operates the speed controller 44 to issue a sewing start command (step S13), the central processing unit 20 uses the pattern code stored in the temporary storage device 31. A check is made (step S14), and it is determined whether or not the pattern is within the range where the color-separated seam can be formed. If the pattern is a color-coded pattern, the stitch formation mechanism 24 is caused to execute the stitch formation (step S15), and when the stitch formation is completed, the finished pattern code is stored in the temporary storage device 31 (step S16). Then, the operation from step 14 is repeated for all patterns (step S17).
If the pattern is not color-coded in step 14, that is, if the pattern is not included in the range where the seam can be formed, if other pattern sewing has been carried out before, the back-sewing is performed and then the sewing machine is executed. To stop. For the first pattern, simply stop the sewing machine. Then, the lower thread replacement warning is displayed on the display device 26, and the process jumps to Step S18 and Step 12.
[0017]
According to the embodiment described above, since the selected pattern or its pattern block is displayed by color coding on the display device 26 as to whether or not the stitch can be formed with the current remaining amount of lower thread, when the user finishes sewing which pattern It can be recognized whether the lower thread should be replaced, and the lower thread can be used efficiently. Further, when the amount of lower thread is insufficient for the first pattern sewing, a warning to that effect is given, so that the lower thread can be replaced before starting sewing. Furthermore, before the start of sewing of a pattern or pattern block in which a seam cannot be formed, back-sewing is automatically executed when sewing of the previous pattern is completed, and the sewing machine stops and a lower thread replacement warning is given. Therefore, it is possible to prevent accidents in which sewing is forgotten for changing the lower thread.
Furthermore, the pattern and the seam formable range displayed on the display device 26 are not only displayed, but also have an effect that they can be printed out by the printing device 32.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying the seam formable range according to the present invention has an effect of displaying the seam formable range on the selected pattern based on the current lower thread remaining amount. is there.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a determination operation and a display example of a range where a seam can be formed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a determination operation and a display example of a range where a seam can be formed according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: pattern data storage means, 2: pattern selection means, 3: stitch formation mechanism control means, 4: stitch formation mechanism, 5: display control means, 6: display means, 7: necessary lower thread amount data provision means, 8: Lower thread remaining amount detection means, 9: stitch formation possible range calculation means, 20: central processing unit, 21: pattern data storage means, 22: pattern selection button, 23: sewing machine motor drive circuit, 24: stitch formation mechanism, 25 : Display control device, 26: display device, 28: lower thread remaining amount detection sensor, 29: stitch formation range display selection button, 30: stitch formation range calculation program storage device, 31: temporary storage device, 32: printing device 40: XY motor drive circuit, 41: X direction motor, 42: Y direction motor, 43: embroidery frame, 44: speed controller, 50: square frame pattern, 51: round frame pattern, 52: A character pattern, 5 : Triangle pattern.

Claims (4)

  Means for forming stitches corresponding to a plurality of selectable patterns and providing pattern data for displaying the patterns; means for selecting a desired pattern from the means for providing the pattern data and obtaining corresponding pattern data; Means for forming seams based on the pattern data of the plurality of selected patterns; means for displaying a plurality of patterns based on the pattern data of the plurality of selected patterns; and necessary for forming the selected patterns Means for providing data representing the amount of the lower thread, means for detecting the remaining amount of the lower thread mounted on the sewing machine, data representing the remaining amount of the lower thread and the necessary lower thread amount from the detecting means, A means for calculating a seam formable range of the selected pattern; and a means for displaying the seam formable range calculated by the means for calculating on the display means. The seam forming range is characterized in that the seam is not formed for the pattern that is not included in the range in which the seam can be formed, and the sewing operation is stopped after the seam of the previous pattern is formed. Possible embroidery sewing machine.   The embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying the seam formable range according to claim 1, wherein the display means does not display a pattern that does not include all the seam formable range as the seam formable range. Means for forming stitches corresponding to a plurality of selectable patterns and giving pattern data for displaying the patterns; means for selecting a desired pattern from the means for giving the pattern data and obtaining corresponding pattern data; Means for forming a seam based on pattern data of the selected pattern or patterns, means for displaying a pattern or patterns based on the pattern data of the selected pattern or patterns, and the selected Means for providing data representing the amount of lower thread necessary to form the pattern, means for detecting the remaining amount of lower thread attached to the sewing machine, the remaining amount of lower thread from the detecting means and the required lower thread Means for calculating a seam formable range of the selected pattern from data representing a thread amount; and means for causing the display means to display the seam formable range calculated by the means for calculating. For example, the selected pattern formed from a plurality of patterns blocks, in said means for displaying, the pattern blocks do not include all the stitch forming extent possible with not listed as stitch forming range, to form the seam The seam forming range is characterized in that the seam is not formed for the pattern that is not included in the range in which the seam can be formed, and the sewing operation is stopped after the seam of the previous pattern is formed. Possible embroidery sewing machine. The embroidery sewing machine capable of displaying a seam-formable range according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the display means displays a seam-formable range by color coding.

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