EP0477473B1 - Procedure and sewing machines for producing sewing patterns - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a sewing machine for performing the method.

From DE-A-32 35 078 an electronically controlled sewing machine is known, which has a memory with direct access (RAM), in which different access data from individual sewing patterns stored in a permanent memory (ROM) of the sewing machine can be stored in different order, in order then to be able to sew in this order. This sewing machine can be used to carry out a sewing process in which one or more forward or backward stitches, which are also available in the permanent memory, can be inserted between two successive individual sewing patterns, in order in this way to generate new pattern structures which differ from the existing individual sewing patterns. With the known sewing machine and the described method, only combination patterns can be produced, the width of which is essentially limited to the width of the largest possible design of the stored individual sewing pattern. In contrast, wider sewing pattern combinations can only be achieved with this by repeatedly sewing the set combination pattern in parallel, which not only requires considerable effort, but above all also results in a shift in the side-by-side patterns due to different transport behavior of the sewing machine and inaccurate guidance by the seamstress .

With the device described in US-A-4 326 473, only combination patterns can also be produced, the total width of which does not exceed the maximum executable stitch width of the needle bar rocker of the sewing machine, since there is no possibility of carrying out a lateral displacement of the sewing material transversely to the normal fabric feed.

From US-A-4 187 794 an electronically controlled sewing machine is known, in which a sewing pattern is produced by advancing the sewing material in the normal sewing direction, the width of the sewing pattern being controllable by swinging out the needle during the active phase of the fabric pusher. In this sewing machine, the control pulses for the zigzag drive can be diverted to the drive for the swinging-out movement of the needle by means of a switching device, the latter control pulses being active during the pierced phase of the needle. As a result, the needle takes over the actual feed of the sewing material, while the fabric pusher controls the sewing pattern width. The sewing pattern is thus created across the normal sewing direction. Switching the control pulses only allows the production of a predetermined sewing pattern either in the sewing direction or across it. Modifications of the stored sewing pattern for the production of new, wider surface patterns by a sensible combination of the control of the sewing pattern in two coordinate directions with simultaneous superimposition of zigzag stitches by the needle cannot be realized with this device.

The invention has for its object to easily generate combination patterns from the existing individual sewing patterns, the width of which is in principle not subject to any restrictions.

This object is achieved by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1. As a result, new combination patterns or borders can now be produced in a simple manner from the existing individual sewing patterns, which have a limited width, the width of which merely depends on the wishes of the seamstress or the width of the sewing material to be processed.

An advantageous development of the method and an advantageous design of a sewing machine for carrying out the method result from the subclaims.

Fig. 1

die Ansicht einer Nähmaschine mit elektronischer Steuerung;

Fig. 2

eine vergrößerte schaubildliche Darstellung des Antriebsaggregates zum Antrieb des Stoffschiebers;

Fig. 3

ein Blockschaltbild des Steuersystems der elektronisch gesteuerten Nähmaschine;

Fig. 4

die Richtung und Stichlänge der eingespeicherten Einzelstiche in stark vergrößerter Darstellung;

Fig. 5 u. 6

schematische Darstellungen von erfindungsgemäßen Kombinationsmuster.

In the drawing, an embodiment of the sewing machine according to the invention is shown. Show it:

Fig. 1

the view of a sewing machine with electronic control;

Fig. 2

an enlarged perspective view of the drive unit for driving the slider;

Fig. 3

a block diagram of the control system of the electronically controlled sewing machine;

Fig. 4

the direction and stitch length of the stored individual stitches in a greatly enlarged representation;

Fig. 5 u. 6

schematic representations of combination patterns according to the invention.

The sewing machine shown in FIG. 1 has an arm 1 which is connected to a base 3 via a stand 2. The base 3 is supported by a base plate 4 and is widened towards the front relative to the stand 2 and the arm 1. It is equipped with a fabric support arm 5 which is displaced rearward with respect to the central axis of the base 3 and in which the lower stitch-forming tools, in particular the Gripper of the sewing machine are stored.

A main shaft 6 mounted in the arm 1 of the sewing machine drives a lower shaft 9 (see also FIG. 2) via a toothed wheel 7 and a toothed belt 8, which shaft serves to drive the hook in a known manner, not shown.

In the arm 1, a stepping motor 10 is provided, which is connected to a needle bar pendulum 13 via a crank 11 and a connecting rod 12. The needle bar pendulum 13 is articulated with a bolt in the arm 1 and carries a vertically movable needle bar 14 with a needle 15. The needle bar 14 is fixedly connected to a pin 16, on which a link 17 engages, which acts on one on the main shaft 6 attached crank 18 is articulated.

A step motor 20 (see FIG. 2) is fastened in the base 3, the shaft 21 of which drives a toothed segment 24 fastened on an adjusting shaft 23 via a pinion 22. On the free end of the actuating shaft 23, a link guide 25 is attached.

An eccentric 30 is fastened on the shaft 9 and is gripped by an eccentric rod 31 which is articulated in the central part of a push rod 32. This is connected at one end via a pin 33 to a sliding block 34 which is rotatably mounted on the pin 33 and which interacts with the sliding block guide 25 in a known manner. The other end of the push rod 32 is connected to a swing arm 35a of a feed rocker 35 which is supported by an axle 36 mounted in the forearm 3.

An axis 37 is fastened in a bore of the feed rocker 35 by means of screws 38. A carrier 39 is pivotally and displaceably mounted on the axis 37 via eyes 39a. The carrier 39, which is supported on a lifting eccentric 41 fastened to the shaft 9, is firmly connected to a fabric slide 42.

For the transport of sewing material, the fabric pusher 42 is equipped with transport webs 42a which act on the sewing material through cutouts 43 (see also FIG. 1) in a stitch plate 44 covering the fabric support arm 5 in the area of the stitch formation point. The cutouts 43 are designed in such a way that the transport webs 42a of the fabric pusher 42 can perform displacement movements both in the feed direction and transversely to the feed direction.

In a plate 45 carried by the fabric support arm 5 (FIG. 1), a stepper motor 46 is screwed, on the output shaft 47 of which a pinion 48 is fastened. This is in drive connection with a toothed segment 50a of a rocker 50 which is mounted on a pin 51 fastened on the plate 45. A rotation of the rocker 50 surrounding the pin 51 is designed as an eccentric 52, the axis of which extends outside the axis of the pin 51. A sleeve 53 is rotatably mounted on the eccentric 52, against which a side surface 39b of the carrier 39 bears under the action of a tension spring 56. This is suspended on one end on a pin 57 fastened to the carrier 39 and on the other end on a bolt 58 which is fastened in the axis of the eccentric 52.

A microcomputer 61 (FIG. 3) is accommodated in the housing of the sewing machine and is connected via lines 62 to a pulse generator 63 driven synchronously by the main shaft 1 of the sewing machine. The pulse generator 63 sends a pulse to the microcomputer 61 each time the machine rotates when the needle 15 has left the sewing material and the stepping motor 10 can adjust the needle bar position; also when the feed pusher 42 has finished its feed movement and the stepper motors 20 and 46 can control a new feed amount. A stitch position control unit 65 is connected to the microcomputer 61 via lines 64 and is connected to the stepping motor 10 via lines 66. The microcomputer 61 is connected via lines 67 a forward / reverse feed control unit 68 and this is connected to the stepping motor 20 via lines 69. Finally, the microcomputer 61 is connected via lines 70 to a cross feed control unit 71 for executing a cross feed and this is connected via lines 72 to the stepper motor 46.

A permanent memory (ROM) 74 is connected to the microcomputer 61 via lines 73, a working memory (RAM) 76 is connected via lines 75 and a display unit 78 is connected via lines 77. In addition, a selection unit 80 is connected via lines 79, a program input key 82 via a line 81 and a repeat key 84 via a line 83 to the microcomputer 61.

The three stepper motors 10, 20 and 46 are identical in their construction and in their basic control. The stepper motor 10 is used to control the lateral movement of the guide rocker 13, the stepper motor 20 to control the sliding movement of the fabric pusher in its normal feed direction and the stepper motor 46 to control the sliding motion of the fabric pusher 42 transversely to its normal feed device.

A control plate 85 (FIG. 1) is attached to the front of the housing of the sewing machine. The display unit 78 is accommodated in this. It consists of a section 86 with two display elements and a section 87 with eleven display elements. In section 86, the sewing patterns to be called up are indicated by a two-digit number. In section 86, two rocker buttons 88 and 89 are assigned, which form the selection unit 80. The right rocker button 89 is used to switch the number formed from both display elements up (+) or down (-). The left rocker button 88 is used to independently up (+) or down (-) the number formed with the left display element.

Among the rocker buttons 88 and 89 is the program input button 82 and the Repeat button 84 arranged.

The display elements of the display unit 78 are connected via lines 77 to the microcomputer 61, which can switch them to a program memory formed by part of the main memory 76.

The electronic control part of the sewing machine is designed so that the control commands for the stepper motors 10, 20 and 46 of each individual sewing pattern are stored in coded form in the permanent memory 74 of the microcomputer 61 as control segments and from there via the pattern number in the desired order in the memory 76 contained program memory can be entered.

To select a desired combination of individual sewing patterns, the decimal number taken from a table and assigned to the first individual sewing pattern is set with the two rocker buttons 88 and 89 in the display elements of section 86 of display unit 78. Immediately after the setting process, the basic data corresponding to the selected individual sewing pattern are taken over from the permanent memory 74 into the main memory 76 by the microcomputer 61. When the program input key 82 is actuated, this pattern number is entered into the program memory part of the main memory 76. In the same way, further individual sewing patterns can be called up from the permanent memory 74 and stored in the program memory part by the program input key 82. In this way, sewing sequences can be saved with any consecutive individual sewing patterns.

After completion of the storage, the machine is switched to the "sewing the stored sewing pattern" mode by pressing the repeat button 84 and at the same time the content of the stored pattern numbers is displayed by the section 87 of the display unit 78.

When sewing are then in a known manner after each call Pattern number by the microcomputer 61 the coded control data contained in the control unit of the individual sewing pattern in question successively. The microcomputer 61 controls the stepping motor 10 for the lateral pendulum movements of the guide rocker 13 via the stitch position control unit 65, the stepping motor 20 for the normal feed movement of the fabric pusher 42 via the forward / backward feed control unit 68, and the stepping motor via the transverse feed control unit 71 46 for the transverse movement of the fabric slide 42 according to the programmed sequence, which is then repeated.

To carry out the stitch formation, the stepping motor 10 pivots the guide rocker 13 into the new stitch position for the needle 15 as soon as it has left the material, via the crank 11 and connecting rod 12. The stepper motor 20 adjusts the link guide 25 via the pinion 22 and the toothed segment 24. When the bolt 33 swings out through the eccentric rod 31, the link block 34 is pushed back and forth in the link guide 25. Corresponding to the angle setting of the link guide 25, which is predetermined by the stepping motor 20, the link block 34 pivots the feed rocker 35 via the push rod 32 and thus gives the feed pusher 42 feed movements, the size and direction of which depends on the angular position of the link guide 25.

In synchronism with the rotation of the main shaft 6, the lifting eccentric 41 is driven via the shaft 9 and gives the fabric slide 42 lifting movements.

To shift the sewing material transversely to the normal fabric feed, the stepper motor 46 drives the rocker 50 via the pinion 48, whereby the eccentric 52 laterally displaces the carrier 39 against the action of the tension spring 56 via the sleeve 53. The transport webs 42a of the associated fabric pusher 42 then take the sewing material with them transversely to the normal feed direction when they are shifted to the side. This shift takes place in synchronism with the normal feed movement of the fabric pusher 42, ie during the phase of the transport webs 42a of the fabric pusher 42 raised over the needle plate 44.

In addition to a large number of sewing patterns consisting of a plurality of individual stitches, the individual stitches of which are generated from combinations of the lateral oscillation of the needle and the transport of the sewing material in the feed direction or at the same time in the feed direction and transverse to the feed direction, the permanent memory 74 contains so-called offset stitches. These offset stitches consist of 8 individually selectable single stitches V1 to V8 (Fig. 4), the feed in the normal feed direction is zero or 1 mm forwards or backwards and the feed in the transverse direction is also zero or 1 mm to the right or left. There are thus two single stitches V1 and V5 in or opposite to the normal feed direction, two single stitches V3 and V7 transverse to the normal feed direction as well as four single stitches V2, V4, V6 and V8, the last ones each from a combination of the drive of the fabric pusher 42 in the normal feed direction and perpendicular to this. The respective single stitch and the necessary feed of the sewing material correspond to the connecting line between a first needle insertion point (filled circle in FIG. 4) and a second needle insertion point (one of the empty circles in FIG. 4).

By combining one or more of the normal individual sewing patterns stored in the permanent memory 74, for example a diamond pattern R, each with a number of offset stitches, for example with ten individual stitches V2 and V8, as shown in FIG. 5, a very wide combination pattern can be produced without this combination pattern must be contained in the read-only memory 74.

The combination pattern shown in FIG. 5 is put together by successively programming the diamond pattern R and the individual stitches V2 and V8. To do this, the number 64 is the corresponds to the diamond pattern R, set by the selection unit 80 in section 86 of the display unit 78 and then entered into the working memory 76 with the program input key 82. Then the number 92, which corresponds to the single stitch V2, is set in a corresponding manner in section 86 and ten of these single stitches V2 are entered into the working memory 76 by pressing the program input key 82 ten times. This is followed by a further insertion of the diamond pattern R with subsequent input of new single stitches V2, etc., until the entire program sequence of the combination pattern has been created. After pressing the repeat button 84, the programmed combination pattern can then be sewn.

The further combination pattern shown as an exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6 is put together by successively programming the arch pattern B and the individual stitches V7 and V3 in a manner corresponding to the combination pattern described above.

By deliberately entering the individual stitches V1 to V8 together with the individual sewing patterns available in the permanent memory 74, combination patterns of any width can thus be generated, the combination patterns being able to be formed either from a sequence of the same individual sewing pattern interconnected by the individual stitches or from a sequence of different individual sewing patterns.

The execution of the individual stitches is of course not limited to the stitch length and direction of execution shown as an example in FIG. 4.

Claims (3)

1. Method of producing combination patterns, formed from a plurality of individual sewing patterns, by means of an electronically controlled sewing machine, which includes a feed mechanism (20-25, 30-39, 45-58) for driving a fabric slider (42) for the conveyance of sewing material in the normal feed direction, as well as transversely thereto, and a drive means (10-12) for driving a needle bar pendulum (13) for pivoting a needle (15) outwardly in the feed interval of the fabric slider (42) transversely relative to the normal feed direction, a storage unit (74) for storing the most varied individual sewing patterns and for storing a plurality of individual stitches with a different feed direction, at least one individual stitch being effected in a selectable manner between the formation of the last stitch of a first individual sewing pattern and the formation of the first stitch of a second individual sewing pattern, characterised in that, in order to produce a combination pattern which exceeds the normal stitch width of the needle bar pendulum (13), the conveyance of the sewing material, which is exclusively accomplished by the fabric slider (42), is effected at least partially transversely relative to the normal feed direction when there is a predeterminable number of individual stitches insertable between two individual sewing patterns.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that, for some of the individual stitches, the conveyance of the Sewing material is effected both in the normal feed direction and in a transverse direction thereto.
3. Sewing machine for accomplishing the method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the storage unit (74) is a hard memory, having a programable working memory (RAM) (76), in which the initial addresses of a selectable number of stored individual sewing patterns are successively storable by the operation of a program inputting key (82), having a microprocessor (61) for the successive read-out of the individual sewing patterns associated with the initial addresses, and having an arrangement for controlling a stitch forming means according to the control data of the individual sewing patterns read, the stitch forming means including a stitch position control unit (65) for driving the lateral movement of the needle (15), and both a forward/backward feed control unit (68) and a transverse feed control unit (71) for driving the fabric slider (42), a first stepping motor (10) controlling the stitch position control unit (65), a second stepping motor (20) controlling the forward/backward feed control unit (68), and a third stepping motor (46) controlling the transverse feed control unit (71), characterised in that the first stepping motor (10) exclusively produces the width of the individual sewing patterns, the second stepping motor (20) produces the length of the individual sewing patterns, and both the second stepping motor (20) and the third stepping motor (46) produce the offset arrangement of the individual sewing patterns.

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