Sewing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060221-B2
Application number	US-201916460484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2019
Priority date	Jul 3, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A sewing machine determines a pattern from multiple patterns, as a first pattern. The sewing machine generates a projection image including a first image representing a sewing image of the first pattern in a sewing expected size thereof. The sewing machine projects the generated projection image onto a projection area. The sewing machine sews the first pattern on a workpiece in the sewing expected size based on pattern data for the first pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sewing machine, comprising:
a bed;
a feed unit including a feed dog disposed at the bed, the feed unit configured to drive the feed dog to feed a workpiece in a feeding direction;
a sewing unit including a needle bar, the sewing unit configured to form stiches by moving a needle held by the needle bar up and down relative to the workpiece fed by the feed unit, the stitches representing a pattern including pieces of a design that are repeatedly arranged in the feeding direction, the design including a plurality of line segments, at least one of which extends in a direction crossing the feeding direction;
a projector configured to project a projection image onto a projection area on the bed; and
a controller configured to control the feed unit, the sewing unit, and the projector; the controller configured to perform steps comprising:
determining a pattern from multiple patterns, as a first pattern;
generating the projection image including a first image representing a sewing image of the first pattern in a sewing expected size thereof, the first image being located toward an upstream side in the feeding direction from a position corresponding to a needle drop position in the feeding direction;
causing the projector to project the generated projection image onto the projection area; and
controlling the feed unit and the sewing unit to sew the first pattern on the workpiece in the sewing expected size based on pattern data for the first pattern.

2. The sewing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform:
receiving a first instruction for designating a sewing expected size of the first pattern; and
wherein the generating the projection image generates the projection image including the first image in the sewing expected size designated by the first instruction.

3. The sewing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform:
determining a pattern from the multiple patterns as a second pattern which is either before or after the first pattern with respect to a predetermined order; and
wherein the generating the projection image generates the projection image including the first image and a second image representing a sewing image of the second pattern.

4. The sewing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform:
receiving a second instruction for changing the first pattern in accordance with the predetermined order; and
wherein the determining a pattern from the multiple patterns as the first pattern determines another pattern from the multiple patterns as the first pattern based on the second instruction; and
the determining a pattern from the multiple patterns as the second pattern determines a pattern, as the second pattern, which is either before or after, with respect to the predetermined order, the other pattern determined as the first pattern.

5. The sewing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the generating the projection image generates the projection image including the second image in a sewing expected size thereof, in addition to the first image.

6. The sewing machine according to claim 3 , wherein the generating the projection image generates the projection image including the first image, and the second image that does not overlap with the first image in a width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction.

7. The sewing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform:
obtaining a first initial position of the first image and a second initial position of the second image on the projection image;
determining whether the first image located at the first initial position and the second image located at the second initial position overlap with each other;
based on determining that the first image and the second image do not overlap with each other, locating the first image at the first initial position and the second image at the second initial position; and
based on determining that the first image and the second image overlap with each other, locating the first image at the first initial position and the second image at a particular position away from the first image in the width direction relative to the second initial position of the second image; and
wherein the generating the projection image generates the projection image including the first image located at the first initial position and the second image located at one of the second initial position and the particular position.

8. The sewing machine according to claim 7 , wherein the first initial position of the first image in the width direction is located at a position corresponding to a position of the first pattern with its reference position matching with a reference position of the projection image;
the second initial position of the second image in the width direction is located at a position corresponding to a position of the second pattern with its reference position matching with a position spaced by a predetermined value in the width direction from the reference position of the projection image; and
based on the determining that the first image and the second image overlap with each other, locating the second image, relative to the second initial position, at the particular position away from the first image in the width direction by an amount that the first image and the second image overlap with each other in the width direction.

9. The sewing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform:
obtaining a first initial position of the first image and a second initial position of the second image on the projection image;
determining whether the second image located at the second initial position fits in the projection image in the width direction;
based on determining that the second image located at the second initial position fits in the projection image in the width direction, locating the first image at the first initial position and the second image at the second initial position; and
based on determining that the second image located at the second initial position does not fit in the projection image in the width direction, locating the second image at a particular position closer to the first image in the width direction relative to the second initial position, so as not to overlap with the first image; and
wherein the generating the projection image generates the projection image including the first image located at the first initial position and the second image located at one of the second initial position and the particular position.

10. The sewing machine according to claim 9 , wherein the first initial position of the first image in the width direction is located at a position corresponding to a position of the first pattern with its reference position matching with a reference position of the projection image;
the second initial position of the second image in the width direction is located at a position corresponding to a position of the second pattern with its reference position matching with a position spaced by a predetermined value in the width direction from the reference position of the projection image; and
based on determining that the second image located at the second initial position does not fit in the projection image in the width direction, locating the second image at the particular position closer to the first image in the width direction relative to the second initial position, so as not overlap with the first image, such that an amount of the second image that does not fit in the projection image in the width direction becomes equal to or closer to zero.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Minematsu Yoshihiro
• Yamanashi Yoko

Classifications

• D05B19/10

  Arrangements for selecting combinations of stitch or pattern data from memory {; Handling data in order to control stitch format, e.g. size, direction, mirror image} · CPC title

• D05B79/00

  Incorporations or adaptations of lighting equipment · CPC title

• D05B35/12

  Indicators for positioning work, e.g. with graduated scales · CPC title

• D05B19/08 Primary

  Arrangements for inputting stitch or pattern data to memory {; Editing stitch or pattern data} · CPC title

• D05B19/12 Primary

  characterised by control of operation of machine · CPC title