Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2001-10-02
Grant, William (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C112S102500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298276
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an embroidery data processing apparatus, particularly to a technology in which swelling of seams and cutting of thread are prevented by resolving concentration of stitch positions at a stitch position concentrated portion of a seam stop or the like of an embroidery pattern.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
Conventionally, according to an electronic control type embroidery machine for household use, an embroidery data memory installed to a ROM (nonvolatile memory) in a control device, is stored with practically-used patterns of linear seam, zigzag seam and the like, letter patterns of hiragana and katakana, and pattern data of a plurality of embroidery patterns of symbols, marks and various patterns. Therefore, patterns are displayed on a display, a desired pattern is searched while switching a display screen and a desired embroidery pattern is selected and, in the meantime, cloth for fabrication is mounted on an embroidery frame, a machine motor is driven by operating only an embroidery start switch and the selected pattern can be simply sewn by moving the embroidery frame respectively in an X-direction and a Y-direction.
Meanwhile, a finish point of embroidery data of the embroidery pattern is provided with seam stop data including stitch position data of several stitches in which an X-direction feed amount and a Y-direction feed amount are respectively set to very small amounts (for example, in a range of 0 to 0.05 mm) for concentrating stitch positions. Thereby, even after a thread is cut in finishing sewing the embroidery pattern, embroidery thread is prevented from coming loose owing to the seam stop. That is, the seam stop is carried out by forming densely-aggregated seams by concentrating several stitch positions substantially at one location. Further, depending on an embroidery pattern, even at a middle portion of embroidery data, an X-direction feed amount or a Y-direction feed amount may be very small and a portion of densely-aggregated embroidery seam may be included.
As mentioned above, when embroidery sewing is carried out based on seam stop data for producing a seam stop provided at a finish point of an embroidery pattern or data of a seam provided at a middle portion of embroidery data where stitch positions are densely aggregated, several stitch positions are concentrated substantially at the same location. As a result, there exist problems in which the seam is swollen in a so-called “dumpling shape.” The seam looks poor in appearance, embroidery thread of an already-formed seam is susceptible to being cut due to damage by the needle by later stitching, and thread loops remain on the lower side of the cloth since a thread tightening operation cannot be carried out sufficiently. This is caused because moving resistance received from the cloth in the thread tightening operation of an upper thread loop formed by a thread ring catching shuttle by a needle thread take-up is increased owing to concentration of seams.
Here, for reference, there has been proposed an embroidery data editing apparatus in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 8-71274 in which cutting of embroidery thread is prevented by searching respective stitch position data of embroidery data and editing the embroidery data such that seams each having a very small amount of movement where both of an X-direction feed amount and a Y-direction feed amount are 0.3 mm or less, are omitted.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to prevent cutting of thread or swelling of a seam and sufficiently carry out thread tightening operation by resolving stitch position concentration at a stitch position concentrated portion included in embroidery data.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an embroidery data processing apparatus for receiving and processing embroidery data, which is an aggregation of stitch position data for moving a cloth to be sewn independently in two orthogonal directions for embroidery sewing. The embroidery data processing apparatus includes a stitch position concentration detector that detects, by analyzing the embroidery data, a stitch position concentrated portion where sewing operation in which moving amounts of the cloth become predetermined small amounts or less is repeated, and an embroidery data change processor that performs change processing on the sewing operation based on stitch position data at the stitch position concentrated portion detected by the stitch position concentration detector to resolve concentration of stitch positions.
The stitch position concentration detector analyzes embroidery data for sewing and detects a stitch position concentrated portion where sewing operations involving moving amounts of a cloth that are a predetermined small amount or less is repeated. Accordingly, the embroidery data change processor changes the sewing operation based on the stitch position data at the stitch position concentrated portion detected by the stitch position concentration detector such that a moving amount of the cloth is increased in order to resolve the stitch position concentration.
That is, the stitch positions are dispersed by which the stitch position concentration at the stitch position concentrated portion is resolved. Accordingly, not only cutting of thread or swelling of the seam can be prevented but also the tightening operation can sufficiently be carried out by reducing moving resistance of embroidery thread in tightening the thread and a beautiful seam can be formed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an embroidery data processing apparatus wherein the stitch position concentration detector detects a portion where the sewing operation in which the moving amounts of the cloth become the predetermined small amounts or less is continued a predetermined number of times as the stitch position concentrated portion.
According to the present invention, the stitch position concentration detector detects the portion where the sewing operation in which the moving amounts of the cloth that are a predetermined small amount or less is continued a predetermined number of times as the stitch position concentrated portion. Accordingly, concentration of the stitch positions which continue the predetermined number of times with the moving amounts of the predetermined small amounts can firmly be resolved.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an embroidery data processing apparatus wherein the embroidery data change processor processes a change in the sewing operation within a range by which a sewing speed need not change when the stitch position concentrated portion is detected by the stitch position concentration detector. According to the present invention, when the stitch position concentrated portion is detected, the sewing operation is changed such that, for example, the moving amounts at an n-th stitch and thereafter of the stitch position concentrated portion is partially changed within a range whereby the sewing speed need not change or the moving amounts in at least one of two directions orthogonal to each other are changed. Therefore, the change processing of the sewing operation is simplified. Further, the sewing speed is not changed by the change processing and accordingly, the speed control can also be simplified.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an embroidery data processing apparatus wherein the sewing operation is processed to change with a maximum moving amount in the range by which the sewing speed need not change. According to the present invention, the sewing operation is changed with a maximum moving amount within a range by which the sewing speed need not change and therefore, the stitch position concentration can maximally be resolved without changing the sewing speed.
Further, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an embroidery data processing apparatus wherein the stitch position concentration port
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Gain, Jr. Edward F.
Grant William
Oliff & Berridge PLC.
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