Sewing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358754-B2
Application number	US-201715704536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2017
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A sewing system comprises a sewing machine, a camera that captures an image of a reference position for sewing, a robot arm that holds the sewing machine and the camera, and a controller. The controller controls operations of forming a first stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine, and forming a second stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine after rotating the sewing machine at a prescribed angle about a rotation axis that passes through a needle center position stored by the controller. The controller further performs calibration processing that calibrates the needle center position stored by the controller, based on each position of the first stitch position and the second stitch position within image capture ranges of capture images that are obtained by capturing images of the first stitch position and the second stitch position using the camera.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sewing system comprising:
a sewing machine;
a camera that captures an image of a reference position for sewing;
a robot aim that holds the sewing machine and the camera; and
a controller, wherein
the controller controls operations of:
forming a first stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine; and
forming a second stitch position that results from stitching of the sewing machine after rotating the sewing machine at a prescribed angle about a rotation axis that passes through a needle center position stored by the controller, and
the controller further performs calibration processing that calibrates the needle center position stored by the controller, based on each position of the first stitch position and the second stitch position within image capture ranges of capture images that are obtained by capturing images of the first stitch position and the second stitch position using the camera.

2. The sewing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the robot arm includes a first joint that causes the entire robot aim to rotate about an axis in a vertically upward and downward direction,
for a stitch position that is set to be a target, the controller controls operations of:
forming a third stitch position using the sewing machine after a positioning operation that results from rotation in a fixed direction in the first joint and forming a fourth stitch position using the sewing machine after a positioning operation that results from rotation in a direction opposite to the fixed direction in the first joint;
capturing images of the third stitch position and the fourth stitch position using the camera; and
acquiring an amount of backlash that occurs in the first joint, based on each position of the third stitch position and the fourth stitch position within image capture ranges, respectively.

Assignees

• Juki Kk

Inventors

• Sano Takahiro
• Sakaeda Toshiaki

Classifications

• D05B87/00

  Needle- {or looper-} threading devices · CPC title

• B25J15/0019

  End effectors other than grippers · CPC title

• D05B19/12

  characterised by control of operation of machine · CPC title

• B25J11/00

  Manipulators not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• D05B57/30

  Driving-gear for loop takers · CPC title