Method for automatically cutting portions of a patterned fabric
AssigneeLectra Systems
InventorJean-Louis Bercaits
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ideal layout for the pieces on the patterned fabric is determined and stored. Monitoring is performed on the real fabric (20) by detecting any offset between the real pitch of the pattern (M) on the fabric as spread out and the ideal pitch used to determine the layout. The layout is modified as a function of the detected offset so that the layout matches the real pitch on the spread-out fabric before the fabric is cut. Monitoring the fabric is performed by taking images of portions of the spread-out fabric by means of a camera (60), and by verifying the images as taken to see whether the locations corresponding to the stored information occupy the desired positions relative to the real pattern on the spread-out fabric.
Claims11
A method for cutting pieces from a fabric having a repetitive pattern with a pitch, the distance between successive patterns, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. determining an ideal layout for the pieces on the fabric having an ideal pitch for its repetitive pattern;
- b. selecting a characteristic point of the repetitive pattern of the fabric with the ideal pitch, the position of which point is repeated in the same way as the pattern;
- c. defining the position of at least one reference point coinciding with a characteristic point of the pattern of the fabric with the ideal pitch;
- d. storing the location of the reference point for the ideal layout of the pieces on the fabric with the ideal pitch;
- e. spreading at least one layer of fabric having a repetitive pattern with a real pitch to be cut;
- f. monitoring the spread fabric by taking an image of a portion of the spread fabric including a point whose location on the spread fabric corresponds to the stored location of the reference point;
- g. detecting from the image any offset between the point whose location on the spread fabric corresponds to the stored location of the reference point and the nearest characteristic point of the pattern on the spread fabric;
- h. modifying, when necessary, the ideal layout as a function of the detected offset to produce a modified layout which matches the ideal layout to the real pitch of the spread fabric;
- g. cutting pieces of the modified layout.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.