Dyeing apparatus, dyeing unit, dyeing/embroidery system, and adjustment method in dyeing apparatus

A dyeing unit configured to be connected to an embroidery unit, the dyeing unit comprising:

• a dyer configured to dye a thread;
• a conveying path in which a path length of the thread from the dyer to the embroidery unit is changed according to an operation of the embroidery unit;
• and
• circuitry configured to adjust a conveyance speed of the thread in the conveying path, according to a change in the path length, wherein
• the dyer dyes the thread at a dyeing speed that matches the adjusted conveyance speed,
• the conveying path includes
• an inlet nip roller provided upstream with respect to the dyer in a conveying direction of the thread, the inlet nip roller being an upstream end of the conveying path,
• an outlet nip roller provided adjacent to the embroidery apparatus, the outlet nip roller being a downstream end of the conveying path, and
• a dancer roller provided adjacent to an upstream side of the outlet nip roller and configured to be raised and lowered vertically,
• the inlet nip roller conveys the thread at the conveyance speed controlled by the circuitry,
• the outlet nip roller conveys the thread such that the thread is pulled by an amount corresponding to an amount of the thread consumed at the embroidery apparatus,
• the path length changes as the dancer roller is raised or lowered according to a difference between a cumulative consumption length of the thread consumed at the embroidery apparatus and a cumulative conveyance length of the thread conveyed by the inlet nip roller, and
• the circuitry is further configured to
• cause a position detector to detect a vertical position of the dancer roller in a vertical direction,
• calculate the path length based on the vertical position of the dancer roller, at a detection timing that approaches every time a conveyance amount of the thread conveyed by the inlet nip roller reaches a predetermined length,
• calculate a change amount of the path length calculated at a current detection timing from a path length calculated at a previous detection timing,
• calculate a deviation amount of the path length calculated at the current detection timing from a path length initial value calculated at an embroidery starting point,
• calculate and invoke an assumed thread consumption amount used at the embroidery apparatus between the detection timings, and
• adjust the conveyance speed at the inlet nip roller for a next detection timing, according to the change amount of the path length, the deviation amount of the path length from the path length initial value, and the assumed thread consumption amount used between the previous detection timing and the current detection timing.

A dyeing/embroidery system comprising:

• a dyeing apparatus configured to dye a thread;
• and
• an embroidery apparatus configured to perform embroidery on a cloth using the thread fed from the dyeing apparatus, wherein
• the dyeing apparatus includes:
• a dyer configured to dye the thread;
• a conveying path in which a path length of the thread from the dyer to the embroidery apparatus is changed according to an operation of the embroidery apparatus;
• and
• circuitry configured to adjust a conveyance speed of the thread in the conveying path according to a change in the path length, wherein
• the dyer dyes the thread at a dyeing speed that matches the adjusted conveyance speed,
• the conveying path includes
• an inlet nip roller provided upstream with respect to the dyer in a conveying direction of the thread, the inlet nip roller being an upstream end of the conveying path,
• an outlet nip roller provided adjacent to the embroidery apparatus, the outlet nip roller being a downstream end of the conveying path, and
• a dancer roller provided adjacent to an upstream side of the outlet nip roller and configured to be raised and lowered vertically,
• the inlet nip roller conveys the thread at the conveyance speed controlled by the circuitry,
• the outlet nip roller conveys the thread such that the thread is pulled by an amount corresponding to an amount of the thread consumed at the embroidery apparatus,
• the path length changes as the dancer roller is raised or lowered according to a difference between a cumulative consumption length of the thread consumed at the embroidery apparatus and a cumulative conveyance length of the thread conveyed by the inlet nip roller, and
• the circuitry is further configured to
• cause a position detector to detect a vertical position of the dancer roller in a vertical direction,
• calculate the path length based on the vertical position of the dancer roller, at a detection timing that approaches every time a conveyance amount of the thread conveyed by the inlet nip roller reaches a predetermined length,
• calculate a change amount of the path length calculated at a current detection timing from a path length calculated at a previous detection timing,
• calculate a deviation amount of the path length calculated at the current detection timing from a path length initial value calculated at an embroidery starting point,
• calculate and invoke an assumed thread consumption amount used at the embroidery apparatus between the detection timings, and
• adjust the conveyance speed at the inlet nip roller for a next detection timing, according to the change amount of the path length, the deviation amount of the path length from the path length initial value, and the assumed thread consumption amount used between the previous detection timing and the current detection timing.

An adjustment method performed in a dyeing apparatus configured to be connected to an embroidery apparatus, the dyeing apparatus including:

• a dyer configured to dye a thread;
• and
• a conveying path in which a path length of the thread from the dyer to the embroidery apparatus is changed according to an operation of the embroidery apparatus,
• the conveying path including
• an inlet nip roller provided upstream with respect to the dyer in a conveying direction of the thread, the inlet nip roller being an upstream end of the conveying path,
• an outlet nip roller provided adjacent to the embroidery apparatus, the outlet nip roller being a downstream end of the conveying path, and
• a dancer roller provided adjacent to an upstream side of the outlet nip roller and configured to be raised and lowered vertically,
• the inlet nip roller conveying the thread at the conveyance speed,
• the outlet nip roller conveying the thread such that the thread is pulled by an amount corresponding to an amount of the thread consumed at the embroidery apparatus,
• the path length changing as the dancer roller is raised or lowered according to a difference between a cumulative consumption length of the thread consumed at the embroidery apparatus and a cumulative conveyance length of the thread conveyed by the inlet nip roller,
• the adjustment method comprising:
• detecting the path length every time the thread is conveyed by a predetermined length or every time a predetermined time approaches;
• adjusting a conveyance speed of the thread in the conveying path, according to a change in the path length;
• dyeing, by the dyer, the thread at a dyeing speed that matches the adjusted conveyance speed,
• detecting a vertical position of the dancer roller in a vertical direction,
• calculating the path length based on the vertical position of the dancer roller, at a detection timing that approaches every time a conveyance amount of the thread conveyed by the inlet nip roller reaches a predetermined length,
• calculating a change amount of the path length calculated at a current detection timing from a path length calculated at a previous detection timing,
• calculating a deviation amount of the path length calculated at the current detection timing from a path length initial value calculated at an embroidery starting point,
• calculating and invoking an assumed thread consumption amount used at the embroidery apparatus between the detection timings, and
• adjusting the conveyance speed at the inlet nip roller for a next detection timing, according to the change amount of the path length, the deviation amount of the path length from the path length initial value, and the assumed thread consumption amount used between the previous detection timing and the current detection timing.