U.S. patent application number 12/114951 was filed with the patent office on 2009-11-05 for sewing machine capable of projecting a sample design.
This patent application is currently assigned to Zeng Hsing Industrial Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Shui-Chun Tseng.
Application Number | 20090272305 12/114951 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41256283 |
Filed Date | 2009-11-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090272305 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tseng; Shui-Chun |
November 5, 2009 |
SEWING MACHINE CAPABLE OF PROJECTING A SAMPLE DESIGN
Abstract
A sewing machine includes: a memory unit for storing design
pattern information corresponding to different design patterns, and
stitch type information corresponding to different types of stitch
patterns; a selecting unit operable so as to output a control
signal corresponding to a selected design pattern and a selected
type of the stitch pattern; a processing unit coupled to the memory
and the selecting unit, and responsive to the control signal from
the selecting unit to output an image signal; and a projector
receiving the image signal from the processing unit and operable so
as to project an image corresponding to the image signal. The image
shows a picture corresponding to the selected design pattern and
having a contour formed by the selected type of the stitch
pattern.
Inventors: |
Tseng; Shui-Chun; (Taichung
Hsien, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HAMMER & ASSOCIATES, P.C.
3125 SPRINGBANK LANE, SUITE G
CHARLOTTE
NC
28226
US
|
Assignee: |
Zeng Hsing Industrial Co.,
Ltd.
|
Family ID: |
41256283 |
Appl. No.: |
12/114951 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
112/470.04 ;
112/470.05 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D05D 2205/12 20130101;
D05B 19/02 20130101; D05C 13/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
112/470.04 ;
112/470.05 |
International
Class: |
D05B 19/02 20060101
D05B019/02; D05B 23/00 20060101 D05B023/00 |
Claims
1. A sewing machine comprising: a housing unit including a bed
portion having a top surface mounted with a needle plate thereon,
an upright column portion extending upwardly from said top surface
of said bed portion and having a top end, and an arm portion
extending laterally from said top end of said column portion to
confront said bed portion and having a head disposed above said
needle plate; a stitching unit mounted on said head of said arm
portion of said housing unit; a memory unit disposed in said
housing unit for storing design pattern information corresponding
to a plurality of different design patterns, and stitch type
information corresponding to a plurality of different types of
stitch patterns; a selecting unit mounted on said housing unit and
operable so as to output a control signal corresponding to a
selected one of the different design patterns of the design pattern
information and a selected one of the different types of the stitch
patterns of the stitch type information; a processing unit disposed
in said housing unit, coupled to said memory unit and said
selecting unit, and responsive to the control signal from said
selecting unit to output an image signal; and a projector mounted
on said arm portion of said housing unit, and coupled to said
processing unit for receiving the image signal therefrom, said
projector being operable so as to project an image corresponding to
the image signal onto said top surface of said bed portion of said
housing unit; wherein the image projected by said projector shows a
picture corresponding to the selected one of the different design
patterns of the design pattern information and having a contour
formed by the selected one of the different types of the stitch
patterns of the stitch type information.
2. The sewing machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a
display unit mounted on said housing unit and coupled to and
controlled by said processing unit for displaying the different
design patterns available for selection and the different types of
the stitch patterns available for selection, and for indicating the
selected one of the different design patterns of the design pattern
information and the selected one of the different types of the
stitch patterns of the stitch type information.
3. The sewing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said display
unit includes a liquid crystal display.
4. The sewing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selecting
unit includes a keypad having a plurality of operating keys.
5. The sewing machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an
adjusting unit mounted on said housing unit, coupled to said
processing unit, and operable so as to output a control signal to
said processing unit, said processing unit being responsive to the
control signal from said adjusting unit to cause said projector to
project the image with a size corresponding to the control signal
from said adjusting unit.
6. The sewing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said projector
is mounted on said head of said arm portion of said housing unit so
that the image corresponding to the image signal is projected by
said projector onto said needle plate on said top surface of said
bed portion of said housing unit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to a sewing machine, more particularly
to a sewing machine capable of projecting a sample design.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A conventional sewing machine is generally controlled by a
user to perform a stitching operation based on the user's
experience in stitching. Accordingly, it may occur that patterns
stitched on a workpiece are found undesirable. However, it is
impossible to alter the patterns stitched on the workpiece such
that stitching of desired patterns on another workpiece is
required. Therefore, if a sample design can be provided as a
reference prior to stitching, the abovementioned situation can be
effectively avoided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide
a sewing machine that can project a sample design as a reference
prior to stitching a pattern on a workpiece.
[0006] According to the present invention, a sewing machine
comprises:
[0007] a housing unit including a bed portion having a top surface
mounted with a needle plate thereon, an upright column portion
extending upwardly from the top surface of the bed portion and
having a top end, and an arm portion extending laterally from the
top end of the column portion to confront the bed portion and
having a head disposed above the needle plate;
[0008] a stitching unit mounted on the head of the arm portion of
the housing unit;
[0009] a memory unit disposed in the housing unit for storing
design pattern information corresponding to a plurality of
different design patterns, and stitch type information
corresponding to a plurality of different types of stitch
patterns;
[0010] a selecting unit mounted on the housing unit and operable so
as to output a control signal corresponding to a selected one of
the different design patterns of the design pattern information and
a selected one of the different types of the stitch patterns of the
stitch type information;
[0011] a processing unit disposed in the housing unit, coupled to
the memory unit and the selecting unit, and responsive to the
control signal from the selecting unit to output an image signal;
and
[0012] a projector mounted on the arm portion of the housing unit,
and coupled to the processing unit for receiving the image signal
therefrom, the projector being operable so as to project an image
corresponding to the image signal onto the top surface of the bed
portion of the housing unit.
[0013] The image projected by the projector shows a picture
corresponding to the selected one of the different design patterns
of the design pattern information and having a contour formed by
the selected one of the different types of the stitch patterns of
the stitch type information.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings,
of which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit block diagram illustrating the
preferred embodiment of a sewing machine according to the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing the preferred
embodiment when a projector thereof projects a sample design;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view showing an example of the
sample design projected by the projector onto a bed portion of a
housing unit of the preferred embodiment; and
[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic top view showing another example of
the sample design projected by the projector onto the bed portion
of the housing of the preferred embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of a
sewing machine according to the present invention is shown to
include a housing unit 1, a stitching unit 2, a memory unit 4, a
selecting unit 61, a processing unit 3, a projector 5, a display
unit 7, and an adjusting unit 62.
[0020] The housing unit 1 includes a bed portion 11 having a top
surface 110 mounted with a needle plate 111 thereon, an upright
column portion 12 extending upwardly from the top surface 110 of
the bed portion 11 and having a top end, and an arm portion 13
extending laterally from the top end of the column portion 12 to
confront the bed portion 11 and having a head 131 disposed above
the needle plate 111.
[0021] The stitching unit 2 is mounted on the head 131 of the arm
portion 13 of the housing unit 1.
[0022] The memory unit 4 is disposed in the housing unit 1 (not
shown in FIG. 2) for storing design pattern information
corresponding to a plurality of different design patterns, such as
flower and heart patterns, and stitch type information
corresponding to a plurality of different types of stitch patterns,
such as a linear stitch, a saw-tooth stitch, a lock stitch,
etc.
[0023] The selecting unit 61 is mounted on the arm portion 13 of
the housing unit 1, and is operable so as to output a control
signal corresponding to a selected one of the different design
patterns of the design pattern information and a selected one of
the different types of the stitch patterns of the stitch type
information. In this embodiment, the selecting unit 61 includes a
keypad having a plurality of operating keys 611.
[0024] The processing unit 3 is disposed in the housing unit 1 (not
shown in FIG. 2), is coupled to the memory unit 4 and the selecting
unit 61, and is responsive to the control signal from the selecting
unit 61 to output an image signal.
[0025] The display unit 7, such as a liquid crystal display, is
mounted on the arm portion 13 of the housing unit 1, and is coupled
to and is controlled by the processing unit 3 for displaying the
different design patterns available for selection and the different
types of the stitch patterns available for selection, and for
indicating the selected one of the different design patterns of the
design pattern information and the selected one of the different
types of the stitch patterns of the stitch type information, for
example, such as by marking or underlining.
[0026] The projector 5 is preferably mounted on the head 131 of the
arm portion 13 of the housing unit 1, is disposed behind the
stitching unit 2, and is coupled to the processing unit 3 for
receiving the image signal therefrom. The projector 5 is operable
so as to project an image corresponding to the image signal onto
the needle plate 111 on the top surface 110 of the bed portion 11
of the housing unit 1. In other embodiments, the projector 5 can be
mounted on the arm portion 13 of the housing unit 1 such that the
projector 5 projects the image corresponding to the image signal
from the processing unit 3 onto the top surface 110 of the bed
portion 11 of the housing 1 but not on the needle plate 111. Since
the feature of the invention does not reside in the configuration
of the projector 5, which is conventional, details of the same are
omitted herein for the sake of brevity.
[0027] The image projected by the projector 5 shows a picture
serving as a sample design, corresponding to the selected one of
the different design patterns of the design pattern information,
and having a contour formed by the selected one of the different
types of the stitch patterns of the stitch type information.
[0028] The adjusting unit 62 is mounted on the arm portion 13 of
the housing unit 1, is coupled to the processing unit 3, and is
operable so as to output a control signal to the processing unit 3.
The processing unit 3 is responsive to the control signal from the
adjusting unit 62 to cause the projector 5 to project the image
with a size corresponding to the control signal from the adjusting
unit 62.
[0029] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate respectively two examples of the
sample design 20, 20' projected by the projector 5. In the sample
design 20 of FIG. 3, an irregular pattern is used as the selected
design pattern while a linear stitch is used as the selected type
of the stitch pattern. In the sample design 20' of FIG. 4, a heart
pattern is used as the selected designed pattern while a saw-tooth
stitch is used as the selected type of the stitch pattern.
[0030] It is noted that, if a workpiece 10 to be stitched, such as
a piece of cloth, is placed on the needle plate 111 (see FIGS. 3
and 4), the sample design projected by the projector 5 is shown on
the workpiece 10 that can be used as a reference prior to stitching
of the workpiece 10.
[0031] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *