Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-11
2001-02-20
Barlow, Jr., John E. (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Combined
C347S106000, C347S043000, C427S288000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189989
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ink jet printing and, more particularly, to ink jet printing for dyeing embroidery thread and to embroidering using thread dyed by ink jet printing.
2. Related Background Art
Apparatus for embroidering a medium such as cloth in accordance with a design generated using a personal computer is known. Such apparatus is advantageous in that it is easy to generate the design and embroidering a complex design can be readily accomplished.
However, the color of the embroidered design depends on the color of thread in the embroidery apparatus. Therefore, when embroidery is carried out using different color threads, the thread used in the apparatus must be changed each time a different color is to be embroidered. To change the thread, the thread currently in the apparatus must be cut and removed, and another thread having a different color must be set in the apparatus and passed through the hole of an embroidery needle. This slows down the embroidery operation and makes it more costly.
Embroidery apparatus for industrial use and sewing machines capable of embroidering are known. However, it is necessary to change an upper thread corresponding to the designated color, so that when multi-color embroidery is performed, it is necessary to design the embroidery pattern taking into account the available colors, and then to embroider in such colors by exchanging the upper thread, as needed. Accordingly, a great deal of time and work is required to embroider in different colors using this technique. In addition, since many threads of various colors must be used, the colors are limited to the number of threads used, and therefore it is difficult to embroider in a large number, say five, colors. For example, when embroidering in colors varying continuously from dark green to yellow, it is necessary to provide threads of numerous colors and change them in accordance with the desired color, and therefore the ability of such embroidery techniques to express color variations is limited.
In recent years, textile printing using ink jet printing techniques has been put to practical use and fine printed material has been readily produced. However, it is difficult with such techniques to provide the three-dimensional effects possible with embroidery.
On the other hand, there is known a thread coloring technique in which warp threads are printed while being transferred from a bobbin to a weaving section to be woven with woof threads. Japanese Patent Publication Kokoku No. Sho 59-42093 discloses an example of such an ink jet thread printing technique. According to this document, an ink discharge nozzle having a diameter of 80 &mgr;m discharges ink onto a warp thread utilizing a pressure difference or energy of an electric field or the like to discharge the ink, and the dyed warp threads are then woven with woof threads. In that document, the diameter of the discharged ink droplet is larger than the diameter of the warp thread. As a result, due to overflow and blotting of the ink, the desired fine printing cannot be performed. Moreover, ink cannot be attached on the warp threads uniformly because the ink is applied only when the warp threads are in an upper position relative to the woof threads. In other words, the up-and-down movement of the warp threads significantly affects the precision with which the ink is applied thereto. In addition, the number of ink jet nozzles corresponds to the number of warp threads, making the apparatus large.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is designed to overcome the problems in the above-identified conventional structure.
In accordance with a feature of the present invention, an ink jet printing apparatus for printing an image using printing means to discharge ink onto a thread as the thread and the printing means move relative to each other comprises detecting means for detecting the speed of relative movement between the thread and the printing means, and control means for controlling an amount of ink discharged from the printing means and deposited on the thread per unit time in accordance with the detected speed of relative movement between the thread and the printing means.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, an ink jet printing method for printing an image using printing means to discharge ink onto a thread as the thread and the printing means move relative to each other comprised the steps of detecting the speed of relative movement between thread and printing means and controlling an amount of ink discharged from the printing means and deposited on the thread per unit time in accordance with the detected speed of relative movement between the thread and the printing means.
In accordance with still another feature of the present invention, an embroidering apparatus comprises an ink jet printer for discharging ink onto a single-thread printing medium, control means for controlling the discharge of ink discharged from the ink jet printer onto the printing medium in accordance with pattern information, and embroidering means for embroidering the printing medium onto an embroidering medium to form a pattern corresponding to the pattern information.
In accordance with yet another feature of the present invention, an embroidering method comprises the steps of providing a printer for printing on a single-thread printing medium, controlling the discharge of ink from the printer onto the printing medium in accordance with pattern information, and embroidering the printing medium onto an embroidering medium to form a pattern corresponding to the pattern information.
In accordance with a yet further feature of the present invention, an ink jet printing and embroidering apparatus comprises transferring means for transferring a thread to be embroidered on a base medium, ink jet printing means for discharging ink onto the thread in accordance with pattern information as the thread is transferred relative to the printing means, sensing means for sensing an amount of the thread that has been transferred relative to the ink jet printing means, embroidery means for embroidering the printing medium onto the base medium to form a pattern corresponding to the pattern information, and detecting means for detecting an amount of thread non-usable for embroidering the pattern based on a distance the thread must travel from the ink jet printing means to the embroidery means.
In accordance with a still further feature of the present invention, an embroided product comprises a base medium having a pattern embroided thereon with a single-thread printing medium having different colors along the length thereof.
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Hirabayashi Hiromitsu
Inoue Tetsuro
Matsubara Miyuki
Miyake Hiroyuki
Sugama Sadayuki
Barlow Jr. John E.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Gordon Raquel Yvette
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