US 11,015,276 B2Granted

Multi-sensor sewing machine with automatic needle speed adjustment

AssigneeHandi Quilter, Inc.

InventorGary J. Konzak

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Multi-sensor sewing machine with automatic needle speed adjustment. In some embodiments, a sewing machine may include a frame, a needle bar, a motor, a first sensor configured to emit first electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency in order to sense relative movement of the fabric and the frame, a second sensor configured to emit second electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, that is different from the first frequency, in order to sense relative movement of the fabric and the frame, and a processor. The processor may be configured to control a speed of the motor, determine a translational relative movement of the fabric and the frame based on the sensed relative movement of the first sensor and/or based on the sensed relative movement of the second sensor, and, in response to the determined translational relative movement, alter the speed of the motor.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A sewing machine comprising:

a frame;
a needle bar configured to have a needle threaded with a thread;
a motor configured to cause the needle bar to reciprocate the needle with respect to the frame and into and out of a fabric;
a first sensor configured to emit first electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency, that is in the range of visible light having a first color, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
a second sensor configured to emit second electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, that is different from the first frequency and that is in the range of visible light having a second color, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
and
a processor configured to:
control a speed of the motor in order to control a speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric;
determine a translational movement of the fabric relative to the frame, or of the frame relative to the fabric, based on the sensed movement of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor;
and
in response to the determined translational movement, alter the speed of the motor in order to alter the speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric.

8 more elements

A sewing machine comprising:

a frame;
a needle bar configured to have a needle threaded with a thread;
a motor configured to cause the needle bar to reciprocate the needle with respect to the frame and into and out of a fabric;
first and third sensors configured to emit first electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency that is in the range of visible light having a first color, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
second and fourth sensors configured to emit second electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, that is different from the first frequency and that is in the range of visible light having a second color, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
and
a processor configured to:
control a speed of the motor in order to control a speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric;
determine a translational movement of the fabric relative to the frame, or of the frame relative to the fabric, based on the sensed movement of one or more of the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, or the fourth sensor;
determine a rotational movement of the fabric relative to the frame, or of the frame relative to the fabric, based on the sensed movement of the first sensor and of the third sensor, based on the sensed movement of the second sensor and of the fourth sensor, or based on the sensed movement of the first sensor and of the third sensor and on the sensed movement of the second sensor and of the fourth sensor;
and
in response to the determined translational movement and the determined rotational movement, alter the speed of the motor in order to alter the speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric.

9 more elements

A sewing machine comprising:

a frame;
a needle bar configured to have a needle threaded with a thread;
a motor configured to cause the needle bar to reciprocate the needle with respect to the frame and into and out of a fabric;
a first sensor configured to emit first electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency, that is in the range of visible light, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
a second sensor configured to emit second electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, that is different from the first frequency and that is not in the range of visible light, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
and
a processor configured to:
control a speed of the motor in order to control a speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric;
determine a translational movement of the fabric relative to the frame, or of the frame relative to the fabric, based on the sensed movement of one or more of the first sensor or the second sensor;
and
in response to the determined translational movement, alter the speed of the motor in order to alter the speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric.

8 more elements

A sewing machine comprising:

a frame;
a needle bar configured to have a needle threaded with a thread;
a motor configured to cause the needle bar to reciprocate the needle with respect to the frame and into and out of a fabric;
first and third sensors configured to emit first electromagnetic radiation at a first frequency, that is in the range of visible light, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
second and fourth sensors configured to emit second electromagnetic radiation at a second frequency, that is different from the first frequency and that is not in the range of visible light, in order to sense movement of the fabric relative to the frame or of the frame relative to the fabric;
and
a processor configured to:
control a speed of the motor in order to control a speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric;
determine a translational movement of the fabric relative to the frame, or of the frame relative to the fabric, based on the sensed movement of one or more of the first sensor, the second sensor, the third sensor, or the fourth sensor;
determine a rotational movement of the fabric relative to the frame, or of the frame relative to the fabric, based on the sensed movement of the first sensor and of the third sensor, based on the sensed movement of the second sensor and of the fourth sensor, or based on the sensed movement of the first sensor and of the third sensor and on the sensed movement of the second sensor and of the fourth sensor;
and
in response to the determined translational movement and the determined rotational movement, alter the speed of the motor in order to alter the speed of the needle reciprocating into and out of the fabric.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/266,759Filed 4 Feb 2019
Published: US 2020/0248348 A16 Aug 2020
Granted: 25 May 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

D05B 19/14
Characterised by control of operation of machine: control of needle movement, e.g. varying amplitude or period of needle movement
D05B 3/02
Sewing apparatus or machines with mechanism for lateral movement of the needle or the work or both for making ornamental pattern seams, for…
D05B 3/04
Sewing apparatus or machines with mechanism for lateral movement of the needle or the work or both for making ornamental pattern seams, for…
D05B 11/00
Machines for sewing quilts or mattresses