Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS PATTERN OF ONE HEAD QUILTING MACHINE COMPENSATION

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for correcting quilted patterns using a one-head quilting machine, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for correcting quilted patterns using a one-head quilting machine, which uses a camera mounted on the one-head quilting machine and match design patterns formed on a fabric with quilted patterns stored in a control computer to form the quilted patterns so that productivity can be enhanced according to automation of a high-quality quilted product and a production cost can be reduced.

[2]

Background Art

[3] In general, a one-head quilting machine is used to form constant quilted patterns on a fabric with no pattern.

[4] That is, when sewing is carried out by rotation of a main axis, a control computer acts to move a transfer device with a fixing device where a fabric is fixed in a Y-axis direction and move a sewing device carrying out sewing in an X-axis direction based on graphic forms composed of direct lines and circular arcs which are already input in a control computer, so that quilted patterns are formed on the fabric fixed to the fixing device.

[5]

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[6] According to the conventional one-head quilting machine, the machine simply forms a quilted pattern on a fabric based on a quilted pattern stored in a computer, so that it was very difficult to form the quilted pattern in accordance with a design pattern formed on a surface of high-quality fabric where a printed pattern or a embroidery pattern is formed.

[7] Accordingly, the high-quality fabric product where a printed pattern or a embroidery pattern is formed needs quilting by hand, which uses a general sewing machine to individually carry out the quilting operation in accordance with the printed pattern or the embroidery pattern formed on the fabric, so that productivity was reduced, and labor costs were increased due to an increased manpower, which led to an increased production cost.

[8] In addition, the quilting operation must be carried out while the fabric is moved in

several directions, so that persons skilled in the quilting operation are often injured such that a needle penetrates a finger of the person while the quilting operation is carried out, which thus requires a desperate measure.

[9]

Technical Solution

[10] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for correcting a quilted pattern on a one-head quilting machine, which comprises and sequentially carrying out: a fist step of storing, in a control computer of the one-head quilting machine, a position of a quilting reference point B 1 which is a reference when a quilted pattern and a pattern are to be formed; a second step of fixing a fabric formed with a design pattern which is the same as the quilted pattern stored in the control computer, to a fixing device 20 of the quilting machine; a third step of moving a sewing device 40 with a camera 401 and a transfer device 30 by means of the control computer to position the camera 401 above the design pattern of the fabric in the order of the quilting reference points stored in the control computer; a fourth step of simultaneously outputting the design pattern of the fabric of which an image is picked up by the camera 401, the quilted pattern and the quilting reference point stored in the control computer, on a monitor 60; a fifth step of allowing an operator to visually check whether the design pattern of the fabric output on the monitor 60 is matched to the quilted pattern, and allowing the operator to adjust the control computer to correct the position of the quilting reference point to be matched to the design pattern of the fabric output on the monitor 60; and a sixth step of automatically carrying out a quilting operation using the control computer after completely setting the reference points.

[11] Meanwhile, the number of the quilting reference points which is a reference of the quilted pattern, may be increased or decreased in accordance with a size of a fabric or a shape of a design pattern to be formed on the fabric.

[12] In addition, the second to fifth steps may be repeatedly carried out by the number of the quilting reference points.

[13] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for correcting a quilted pattern of a one-head quilting machine, which comprises: a fixing device 20 for fixing a fabric; a transfer device 30 coupled to the fixing device and mounted at a lower portion of a main body 10 and capable of moving in a Y-axis direction, that is, a front or back direction; a head beam 50 with a sewing device 40 mounted at a higher portion of the main body 10 and capable of moving in a right or left direction, that is, an X-axis direction; a camera 401 with its lens downward mounted on one side of the sewing device 40 mounted in the head beam 50; a monitor 60 in cooperation with a control computer and allowing an image picked up by the camera 401 and data stored

in the control computer to be simultaneously output; and a control panel 70 mounted below the monitor 60 and allowing a position of a quilting reference point of the quilted pattern stored in the control computer to be changed.

Advantageous Effects

[14] According to the present invention, an operation of forming a quilted pattern according to a design formed on a fabric can be automatically carried out by a one- head quilting machine, so that a quilted quality of quilted cushiony products recognized as high-quality products can be enhanced, productivity can be significantly enhanced in accordance with the automation, and a resultant production cost can be reduced at the same time. [15]

Brief Description of the Drawings [16] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a one-head quilting machine of the present invention.

[17] FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a design formed on a fabric.

[18] FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a quilted patterned and a quilted reference point stored in a control computer. [19] FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an example of a design pattern, a quilted pattern, and a quilting reference point which are simultaneously output on a monitor of the present invention. [20] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state that design pattern, a quilted pattern, and a quilting reference point are matched to each other and displayed on a monitor of the present invention. [21] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state that a design of a fabric is matched to a quilted pattern in accordance with the present invention. [22] FIG. 7 is a view illustrating another example of a deformed design pattern of a fabric, a quilted pattern, and a quilting reference point which are simultaneously output on a monitor of the present invention. [23] FIG. 8 is a view illustrating an example that a quilted pattern is changed in accordance with a change in position of a quilting reference point in accordance with the present invention. [24] FIG. 9 is a view illustrating another state that a design pattern of a fabric is matched to a quilted pattern in accordance with the present invention. [25] FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a quilting machine in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. [26]

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[27] FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a one-head quilting machine of the present invention, which includes a fixing device 20 for fixing a fabric at a lower portion of a main body 10, and a transfer device 30 for transferring the fixing device 20 in a Y- direction (i.e., a front or back direction).

[28] In addition, the one-head quilting machine includes at a higher portion of the main body 10 a head beam 50 for moving a sewing device 40 carrying out sewing in an X- axis direction (i.e., a right or left direction) in order to form a quilted pattern on a fabric.

[29] Accordingly, positions of the transfer device 30 and the sewing device 40 are adjusted by a main axis rotated by a position control motor, and the position control motor is controlled by a control computer.

[30] Meanwhile, a camera 401 with its lens is downward is mounted on one side of the sewing device 40 mounted in the head beam 50, and the camera 401 picks up an image of a surface of a fabric to be output to a monitor 60, which outputs not only the image but a quilted pattern stored in the control computer at the same time, so that an operator can simultaneously identify the image picked up by the camera 401 and an image transmitted from the control computer through the monitor 60.

[31] The operator then checks whether a design pattern of the fabric picked up by the camera 401 is matched to the image of the quilted pattern transmitted from the control computer while watching the monitor 60, and carries out the next setting or directly carries out the quilting operation when there exists a matching. However, when there is no matching, the operator makes the design pattern of the fabric matched to the image of the quilted pattern transmitted from the control computer and then carries out the quilting operation.

[32] That is, the control computer of the one-head quilting machine already stores the quilted pattern for which an quilting operation is carried out along a printed pattern or an embroidery pattern formed on the fabric, and position data of a quilting reference point which is a reference when the quilted pattern needs to be matched to the design pattern as shown in FIG. 2.

[33] When the quilting machine is operated after the fabric formed with the design pattern which is the same as the quilted pattern stored in the control computer is fixed to the fixing device 20 and the fixing device 20 is fixed to the transfer device 30, the sewing device 40 having the camera 401 and the transfer device 30 move in accordance with the order of the quilting reference points stored in the control computer so that the camera 401 is positioned above the design pattern of the fabric.

[34] As such, when the camera 401 mounted on one side of the sewing device 40 is positioned above the design pattern of the fabric, the camera 401 picks up an image of the design pattern of the fabric and outputs the image on the monitor 60 as shown in

FIG. 4, and the size of the image picked up by the camera has approximately a resolution of 640 x 480 dpi, however, the resolution may be changed in accordance with a type of the monitor 60 or the camera 401.

[35] When the image picked up by the camera 401 is output on the monitor 60, the control computer receives the image signal and then simultaneously overlaps and outputs the quilting pattern and the quilting reference point already stored in the computer with the image on the monitor 60 in accordance with the already input order.

[36] Accordingly, the operator checks whether the design pattern of the fabric output on the monitor 60 is matched to the quilted patterned, and adjusts a control pattern in cooperation with the control computer to move the position of the quilting reference point which is the reference of the quilted pattern so as match the quilted pattern to the design pattern of the fabric output on the monitor 60 when the design pattern of the fabric is not exactly matched to the quilted pattern, and stores such settings in the control computer.

[37] In addition, when the design pattern of the fabric formed on the fabric and the quilting reference point stored in the control computer are plural, the operation of matching the design pattern of the fabric to the quilted pattern is repeatedly carried out, and the number of the quilting reference points which is the reference of the quilted pattern may be increased or decreased in accordance with a size of the fabric or a shape of the design pattern to be formed on the fabric, so that the number of operation of matching the design pattern of the fabric to the quilted pattern is also increased or decreased.

[38] When the procedure as described above is finished, the quilting operation using the control computer is automatically carried out, so that the quilted pattern can be exactly formed in accordance with the design pattern such as a printed pattern or an embroidery pattern formed on the fabric as shown in FIG. 6.

[39] Meanwhile, FIGS. 7 to 9 are views illustrating another embodiment of the present invention, while the design pattern of the fabric and the quilted pattern stored in the control computer are simultaneously output on the monitor 60 and checked as shown in FIG. 7, when one side of the fabric is deformed to cause a shape of the design pattern A of the fabric to be deformed or scattered after the fabric is fixed to the fixing device, the quilting reference point B 1 which is the reference of the quilted pattern B is moved from an original position to match the design pattern A of the fabric as shown in FIG. 8, so that the corresponding quilting pattern near the quilting reference point is enlarged or reduced instead of the whole quilted pattern being moved along the quilting reference point, which thus allows the quilted pattern to be rapidly changed to the design pattern of the fabric. When such settings are completed, the resultant quilted pattern is formed, which facilitates simple and easy adjustment with respect to de-

formation due to the fixed state of the fabric.

[40] In addition, the camera 401 is preferably mounted on the one side of the sewing device 40 as described herein, however, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[41] That is, since a main part moving along the whole area of the fabric in the one-head quilting machine is the sewing device 40, so that it is the most preferable to mount the camera 401 on the one side of the sewing device 40, however, the camera 401 is moved using the sewing device 40, so that the camera 401 may be moved by a separate movement unit instead of the sewing device 40 if necessary.

[42] FIG. 10 illustrates such an example, which allows the one-head quilting machine to always use at least two fixing devices 20.

[43] That is, the fabric is fixed to a second fixing device 20b in an operation table 80 mounted on a front side of the one-head quilting machine and waits for a quilting operation while another quilting operation is carried out in a fist fixing device 20a.

[44] However, in consideration of the productivity of the quilting operation rather than the increase in production unit cost of the machine, when the camera 401a is mounted on the operation table 80, the fabric is fixed by the second fixing device 20b of the operation table 80 and an quilting correcting operation is completely carried out on an operation computer 90b while the quilting operation is carried out on the first fixing device 20a, and then an amount of correction is communicated to a computer 90a of the quilting machine through a communication cable 100 when the quilting operation needs to be initiated on the second fixing device 20b, which thus allows a time taken for correcting the pattern to be reduced to enhance productivity.