U.S. patent application number 12/911462 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-26 for embroidery workstation utility cart.
This patent application is currently assigned to Vistaprint Technologies Limited. Invention is credited to Anthony A. Breen, Kristen R. Frias, David A. Goldman.
Application Number | 20120097081 12/911462 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44629420 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120097081 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Breen; Anthony A. ; et
al. |
April 26, 2012 |
EMBROIDERY WORKSTATION UTILITY CART
Abstract
An embroidery workstation utility cart for optimizing the
positioning of supports for the embroidery machine, thread spool
rack, monitor, workpiece queue, and other accessories desired for
optimal embroidery processing.
Inventors: |
Breen; Anthony A.; (Walpole,
MA) ; Goldman; David A.; (Bedford, MA) ;
Frias; Kristen R.; (Haverhill, MA) |
Assignee: |
Vistaprint Technologies
Limited
|
Family ID: |
44629420 |
Appl. No.: |
12/911462 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
112/78 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D05B 43/00 20130101;
D05C 11/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
112/78 |
International
Class: |
D05C 3/00 20060101
D05C003/00 |
Claims
1. An embroidery workstation utility cart, comprising: a thread
spool rack support configured to support a thread spool rack; and a
monitor support configured to support a monitor in one or more
positions relative the thread spool rack support; and wherein the
thread spool rack and the monitor support are integrated into a
single unit.
2. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 1, wherein the
monitor support comprises an adjustable arm which allows a monitor
supported thereon to be moved to a plurality of different
positions.
3. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 2, wherein the
adjustable arm is configured to raise and lower a monitor supported
thereon in a space above an embroidery machine when the embroidery
machine is situated adjacent the embroidery workstation utility
cart.
4. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 1, comprising:
a frame integrating the embroidery machine support, the monitor
support, and the thread spool rack support as a single unit.
5. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 4, wherein the
frame comprises one or more wheels positioned at the bottom of the
frame and configured to allow the cart to be rolled from one
position to another.
6. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 4, wherein the
frame comprises a steel frame.
7. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 1, further
comprising one or more trays configured to support one or more
accessories.
8. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 1, further
comprising a bar for hanging one or more garments.
9. The embroidery workstation utility cart of claim 1, further
comprising: an embroidery machine support configured to hold the
embroidery machine.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to embroidery
workstation efficiency, and more particularly to an embroidery
workstation utility cart designed for optimal embroidery processing
efficiency and operator ergonomics.
[0002] Methods, systems, and techniques for computer-assisted
embroidery are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,695 to Goldman,
U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,756 to Goldman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,947,808 to
Goldman, U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,757 to Goldman, U.S. Pat. No.
7,587,256 to Goldman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,573 to Goldman, U.S. Pat.
No. 6,397,120 to Goldman, U.S. Patent Application Publication No.
US 2010-0191364 A1 to Goldman, U.S. Patent Application Publication
No. US 2007-0118245 A1 to Goldman et al., U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. US 2010-0017011 A1 to Goldman et al., U.S. Patent
Application Publication No. US 2008-0079727 A1 to Goldman et al.,
each of which is incorporated by reference herein for all that they
teach.
[0003] Modern embroidery is commonly created on sewing equipment
that pairs a sewing mechanism with a means for synchronously moving
a textile beneath that sewing mechanism. More specifically, a
textile is moved in forward, back, left, or right directions while
the sewing mechanism embeds stitches of thread within that textile
having locations dictated by the aforementioned movements. Thus, as
the process progresses a pattern of stitching emerges that is
designed to represent a particular image or graphic. Embroidered
designs are quite common on a wide variety of garments or products
such as baseball caps, sweaters, or golf shirts. Furthermore, these
designs are often produced such that they contain a variety of
different thread colors to best represent the aesthetics of the
graphic being depicted. For example, an embroidery design depicting
the image of a basketball might use orange thread stitching to
depict the round circular area of the ball and then use smaller
black thread stitching to depict the outline and other black lines
that are present within the ball's image. Thus, two different
thread colors, orange and black, are utilized to create embroidery
representing the basketball design. As designs become more complex
or sophisticated, designs may require an even greater number of
different thread colors. In fact, many embroidery designs may
require more than a dozen unique colors of thread to be produced,
where each different part of the design is embroidered using a
different thread color.
[0004] Modern embroidery equipment exists to easily produce
multiple thread color designs by allowing more than one thread
color to be loaded onto the equipment at a single time. In fact,
many machines allow 6 or more different spools of uniquely colored
thread to be placed on the equipment allowing it to automatically
transition to embroidering with a different thread color at varying
times during the production of a design. However, it is impractical
for such embroidery equipment to hold (or have loaded) an unlimited
number of thread colors and modern embroidery equipment usually
does not allow more than approximately 15 unique thread colors to
be loaded at a single time. This instigates an issue where from a
potentially infinite palette of colors, thread manufactures have
created many hundreds of unique thread colors, no more than a very
limited set of those colors can be loaded onto embroidery equipment
at a single time (e.g. perhaps 15 thread colors at once).
Subsequently, producing designs that use a larger number of thread
colors than can be loaded onto equipment is significantly more
difficult or impractical. Furthermore, if one embroidery design
requires a specific subset of thread colors to be loaded onto the
machine, a different embroidery design may require a different
subset of thread colors. While those two subsets of thread colors
may overlap (i.e., both subsets may contain a black thread color
for example), the differences in the subsets will require certain
spools of thread to be removed from the equipment so that new
spools of different colors may be loaded such that the different
embroidery design may be produced.
[0005] Within many typical manufacturing environments the subset of
thread colors loaded onto embroidery equipment is constantly
changing to meet the requirements of the specific embroidery
designs being produced. For example, if an embroidery machine can
only hold two different thread colors at once and is producing a
basketball design that uses orange and black colored thread, if the
next design is one of a baseball design requiring white and red
colored thread, both the black and orange colored threads must be
removed from the machine and replaced with white and red colored
threads before that baseball design may be produced.
[0006] The replacement of a thread color currently loaded onto a
machine with a different new thread color is typically a manual
process whereby a machine operator (i.e., a person in charge of
running the equipment) must remove a spool of thread currently
sitting within a holder and threaded into the mechanics of the
equipment and then put a new spool of thread in its place such that
it then feeds into those same mechanics. For example, referring to
FIG. 1, there is depicted an embroidery equipment operator 2
present to maintain and operate an embroidery machine 10 and to
prepare textile workpieces 4 (such as t-shirts) for embroidery by
the embroidery machine 10. Preparation of the workpieces 4 may
involve mounting workpieces in frames or hoops 6 which hold taut
areas of the textile to be embroidered. The operator 2 also
monitors and changes out thread spools between a thread spool rack
20 and spindles on the embroidery machine.
[0007] Referring to FIG. 1, an embroidery machine 10 typically
holds spools of thread 30 using some organization of spindles, for
example on spool spindles 12. A thread spool rack 20 for storing
thread spools 30 on dowels or spindles 22 may be located nearby to
allow the operator to switch out spools of thread of colors not
being used in current or upcoming embroidery jobs with spools 30
needed by the embroidery machine 10 in current and upcoming
embroidery jobs. Notably, the thread spool rack 20 is located
independent of the embroidery machine and embroidery job operations
screen.
[0008] In industrial embroidery manufacturing, various embroidery
manufacturing jobs are managed by a computerized
scheduler/controller 90. The scheduler/controller 90 may be a
complex multi-user computing system or a single user device such as
a personal computer, workstation, laptop, notepad, tablet, PDA,
cellular phone, or other such device. In general, the
scheduler/controller 90 receives multiple embroidery jobs
corresponding to orders for various embroidered items, determines
which embroidery machines on a manufacturing floor (not shown) get
which jobs and in what order, and sends embroidery jobs to a local
computerized workstation 50 corresponding to the embroidery machine
10 that is to perform a corresponding embroidery job.
[0009] While typical manufacturing embroidery workstations include
the necessary components (i.e., an embroidery machine, thread spool
rack, job monitor 50, hoops 6, workpieces 4, and work area) for
processing an embroidery job, such components are generally
collected and set up according to the types of components, and
typically without much regard to operator ergonomics. The use of a
separate thread spool rack and monitor space drives a large
workstation footprint and less efficient work space for each
embroidery machine. Furthermore, there is no additional
functionality for storage of workpiece queue, storage of PC
peripherals, or mounting of the monitor.
[0010] Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a more
ergonomically-correct embroidery workstation that includes
strategically-positioned workspace for the embroidery machine, a
thread spool rack, a monitor, and a workpiece queue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] An embroidery workstation utility cart for optimizing the
positioning of supports for the embroidery machine, thread spool
rack, monitor, workpiece queue, and other accessories desired for
optimal embroidery processing.
[0012] In an embodiment, an embroidery workstation utility cart
includes a thread spool rack support configured to support a thread
spool rack and a monitor support configured to support a monitor in
one or more positions relative the thread spool rack support. The
thread spool rack and the monitor support are integrated into a
single unit. The embroidery workstation utility cart may include
additional features including workspace and utility trays, bars for
hanging garments, hoops, and tools for facilitating a physical work
queue for the embroidery workstation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] A more complete appreciation of this invention, and many of
the attendant advantages thereof, will be readily apparent as the
same becomes better understood by reference to the following
detailed description when considered in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which like reference symbols indicate the
same or similar components, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art embroidery
workstation set up for a manufacturing floor;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a front view of an exemplary embroidery
workstation utility cart implemented in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the embroidery workstation
utility cart of FIG. 2; and
[0017] FIGS. 4-6 are respective top-down, side, and front views of
the embroidery workstation utility cart of FIGS. 2 and 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Embodiments of the embroidery workstation utility cart
described herein exemplify more efficient use of labor within an
embroidery operator station. The embroidery workstation utility
cart provides direct and quick access to necessary thread spools,
queued materials and monitor which provides manufacturing based
instruction on spool changes, status of machines, required actions
etc.
[0019] Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate an
exemplary embroidery workstation utility cart 100 implemented in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As shown therein,
the embroidery workstation utility cart 100 includes a thread spool
rack support 110 configured to support a thread spool rack 111 and
a monitor support 120 configured to support a monitor 125 in one or
more positions relative the thread spool rack support 110.
[0020] The embroidery workstation utility cart 100 is preferably
also configured with one or more trays 130, 140 for supporting
materials required for processing embroidery workpieces. For
example, the embroidery workstation utility cart 100 may include a
workspace tray 130 which is preferably positioned so as to be
ergonomically correct for the operator. For example, for a standing
operator, the workspace tray 130 is level close to operator-waist
high. For a seated operator, the workspace tray 130 is configured
at an ergonomically correct height relative to the seated operator.
Such height will depend in the first case on the height of the
operator, and in the second case on the height of both the operator
and the seat on which the operator is sitting. The workspace tray
130 may be configured as a flat tabular surface, as shown, and may
further include a raised lip 131 to assist in preventing items
situated on the tray 130 from falling off the tray 130. The
workspace tray may be further configured with a dowel or bar 132
for allowing garments, hoops, or other embroidery processing items
to be hung via hangars or simply by draping over the bar 132. The
use and positioning of the tray and bar in the exemplary embodiment
allows intuitive and ergonomically efficient means of managing a
work queue of physical products for the embroidery machine. For
instance, in one embodiment the tray is used to rest framed caps
(within steel cap frame devices) ordered according to the correct
embroidery job production order. Alternatively, the bar 132 is used
to position hooped garments (where such hoops have been
appropriately modified with hooks for hanging) in a scheduled or
optimal production order.
[0021] The one or more trays provided by the embroidery workstation
utility cart 100 may also include one or more utility trays (shown
singly at 140) additional trays that may be utilized to hold
embroidery processing materials (such as hoops, garments, labels,
packaging, tools, etc.) and/or operator tools and equipment (such
as a keyboard and mouse, power strip(s), scissors, manuals, etc.
While the one or more trays 130, 140 are depicted as flat work
surfaces or flat storage surfaces with (131, 141) or without a lip
for preventing materials from falling off the respective tray(s),
the trays 130, 140 may be otherwise variously implemented. For
example, the lower tray(s) 140 may be configured as storage areas
such as baskets, bins, shelves, cabinets (with or without a door),
etc.
[0022] In an embodiment, the cart 100 comprises a frame 101
integrating each of the thread spool rack support 110, the monitor
support 120, and tray(s) 140, 150 into a single unit. In an
embodiment, the frame is constructed from steel or other metal. In
alternative embodiments, the frame may be constructed from other
materials such as wood, heavy-duty plastics, etc. Preferably, the
frame 101 comprises one or more wheels 102 positioned at bottom
members 103 of the frame 101 and configured to allow the cart 100
to be rolled from one position to another.
[0023] The cart 100 may include one or more alignment members 160
that are configured to align with one or more areas of an
embroidery machine 190 for optimal ergonomics during processing.
For example, the embroidery workstation utility cart 100 shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3 includes a base frame member 161 that extends
laterally from the frame 101. The frame member 161 preferably
aligns with a portion of a embroidery machine base 195 such that
when the embroidery workstation utility cart 100 is positioned
adjacent the embroidery machine 190, the thread spool rack 110 is
adjacent the embroidery machine 190 and the monitor 125 is
positioned above the embroidery machine 190.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 2-6, the monitor support 120 in an
embodiment is implemented with an adjustable member such as a
movable arm 121. The arm 121 may be movably attached to the frame
101 and configured to move to one or more discrete positions using
a adjustable gear 123, or may be moved to any continuous position
between two end positions. Any means for adjusting a position of
the arm may be employed. In an embodiment, the movable arm 121
allows a monitor supported on the monitor support 120, for example
using a mounting bracket 122, to be moved to a plurality of
different positions between a raised position and lowered position
in a space adjacent to the thread spool rack support 112 and above
an area where the embroidery machine is supported.
[0025] In alternative embodiments, the embroidery workstation
utility cart further includes an embroidery machine support 195
configured to hold the embroidery machine. In an embodiment, not
shown, the embroidery machine support 195 is integrated into the
frame 101 such that the embroidery machine support 195, the thread
spool rack support 110, the monitor support 120, and tray(s) 140,
150 are all integrated into a single unit.
[0026] In further embodiments, a thread spool rack 111 is
integrated into the thread spool rack support 110. The thread spool
rack 111 may comprise a peg board assembly 112 with pegs 113
attached thereon for holding spools of thread.
[0027] The rod 132 included for hanging of garments and/or hoops
may be a steel rod, for example 5/8'' or so in diameter.
[0028] The frame 101 is preferably steel constructed and
counterbalanced, including four 2'' casters 102 positioned at each
of end of two base members 103. A support member 104 connected
between the two base members 103 provides support for the base
members 103 and assists in counterbalancing the monitor support 120
and monitor 125 (when mounted thereon).
[0029] The work space tray 130 may be used to seat a keyboard and
mouse for use in interacting with a manufacturing application
executing on a local PC that may be connected to the monitor 125. A
tray (not shown) may be implemented on the frame, for example
situated behind the thread spool rack 111 to support a personal
computer or thin client and other computer accessories utilized in
conjunction with the monitor 125. The utility tray(s) 140 may
include steel baskets for storing workpieces, hoops, etc.
[0030] As exemplified by embodiments described herein, the
embroidery workstation utility cart optimizes the positioning of
supports for the embroidery machine, thread spool rack, monitor,
workpiece queue, and other accessories desired for optimal
embroidery processing. Furthermore, the utility cart minimizes the
footprint of the cart, minimizes operator movement, provides
organized storage of computer components, and provides optimal
location(s) for queuing of embroidery materials. The embroidery
workstation utility cart allows an embroidery production process to
be more efficient than current embroidery manufacturing
processes.
[0031] Although this preferred embodiment of the present invention
has been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the
art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and
substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
Furthermore, while the term "embroidery" is used throughout this
application, the term "embroidery" encompasses traditional "sewing"
as well. Hence, the described and claimed embroidery workstation
utility cart may be utilized in similar operation with sewing
machines, and the terms "embroidery machine", "embroidery job", and
other uses of the term "embroidery" in the claims are also defined
herein to include "sewing machine", "sewing job", etc.
* * * * *