Sewing device and sewing method

Abstract

This invention provides a sewing apparatus and sewing method that can perform switching gripping actions more efficiently than before in the following situation: after sewing begins with a retaining mechanism assembled to an assembly part, another retaining mechanism different from the first retaining mechanism is assembled to another assembly part different from the first retaining mechanism, and subsequent sewing is performed. The sewing apparatus acquires first sewing data and second sewing data. The sewing apparatus forms a first stitch according to the first sewing data and a second stitch according to the second sewing data. After the formation of the first stitch begins and before the formation of the second stitch, the sewing apparatus performs a switching gripping process based on the first switching gripping data (S44-S47). After S44 and before S46, the sewing apparatus switches the second assembly part to a retaining state in a second retaining position, causing the second assembly part to engage with the engaged portion of the second retaining mechanism. After S44 and before the formation of the second stitch begins, the second assembly part is switched from the retaining state to the releasing state in a second releasing position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sewing apparatus and a sewing method. Background Technology

[0002] The sewing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a needle bar mechanism, a shuttle mechanism, a moving mechanism, and multiple assembly parts. The needle bar mechanism has a needle bar to which a machine needle can be mounted, and the needle bar mechanism enables the needle bar to move up and down. The shuttle mechanism is located below the needle bar mechanism and has a shuttle. The moving mechanism moves the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism along a first direction and a second direction parallel to the horizontal direction. For the sewing apparatus, multiple holding mechanisms are provided. After sewing, one holding mechanism is assembled into one of the multiple assembly parts, and sewing is performed. Then, another holding mechanism, different from the first holding mechanism, is assembled into another assembly part, different from the first assembly part, and subsequent sewing is performed. Using this sewing apparatus, the operator can, while sewing within the sewing area of ​​one holding mechanism assembled into one assembly part, place the sewing object into another holding mechanism to be used for subsequent sewing. When sewing within a sewing area larger than the movable range in the second direction of the multiple assembly parts, the sewing apparatus performs a switching gripping action to change the position of the holding mechanism of the assembly part.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-122723 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the past, when sewing devices performed the switching gripping action, there was a problem that the sewing time became longer in proportion to the switching gripping action.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a sewing device and a sewing method that enables a switching gripping action to be performed more efficiently than before in the following situation: after a retaining mechanism is assembled into an assembly part and sewing begins, a different retaining mechanism is assembled into a different assembly part and subsequent sewing is performed.

[0009] Solution for solving the problem

[0010] Technical solution 1 of the present invention provides a sewing device comprising: a needle bar mechanism having a needle bar, a needle being mounted at the lower end of the needle bar, the needle bar mechanism being capable of moving the needle bar up and down; a shuttle mechanism disposed below the needle bar mechanism and having a shuttle; a moving mechanism for moving the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the sewing object along a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a conveying mechanism for conveying a holding mechanism along a third direction parallel to the horizontal direction and intersecting the first direction and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, the holding mechanism holding the sewing object and having a plurality of... The sewing device has at least one engaged portion on one side of the end in the first direction and the end in the second direction. The sewing device moves the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the holding mechanism along the first and second directions via the moving mechanism. The conveying mechanism conveys the holding mechanism along the third and fourth directions. The shuttle and the needle bar operate synchronously to sew the object being sewn. The conveying mechanism has a first assembly portion and a second assembly portion located at different positions in the first direction, and a support member supporting the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion. The support member is conveyed along the third and fourth directions. The first assembly portion and the second assembly portion are each capable of switching to engage with one of the plurality of engaging portions of the retaining mechanism, within the movable range of the support member, thereby maintaining the retaining mechanism in a holding state and releasing the engagement with the engaging portion, thereby releasing the retaining mechanism in a released state. The sewing device includes: an acquisition portion that acquires first sewing data forming a first stitch in the sewing area of ​​the first retaining mechanism, which is the retaining mechanism assembled to the first assembly portion, and data forming a first stitch in the sewing area of ​​the retaining mechanism assembled to the second assembly portion. The second sewing data forms a second stitch within the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism; a first sewing control unit drives the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the shuttle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism to form the first stitch within the sewing area of ​​the first holding mechanism according to the first sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit; a second sewing control unit, after the first sewing control unit starts sewing, drives the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the shuttle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism to form the second stitch within the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism according to the second sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit;A first switching gripping control unit performs a first switching gripping process after the first sewing control unit starts forming the first stitch and before the second sewing control unit starts forming the second stitch. This first switching gripping process includes: a first transport control process, which moves the support member to a first release position while the first assembly is engaged with the engaged portion of the first holding mechanism; a first release control process, which switches the first assembly from the holding state to the release state after the support member has moved to the first release position; a first reversal control process, which moves the support member to a first holding position in the fourth direction after the first release control process, while the first assembly is not engaged with the first holding mechanism; and a first holding control process, which moves the support member to a first holding position in the fourth direction, after the first release control process. After the support member moves to the first holding position, the first assembly is switched from the released state to the holding state, so that the first assembly engages with the first holding mechanism; and a shortening control unit performs a shortening process, which is a process performed after the first transport control process begins. The shortening process includes: a shortening holding control process, which, before the first reversal control process begins, switches the second assembly from the released state to the holding state at a second holding position in a third direction relative to the first holding position, so that the second assembly engages with the engaged portion of the second holding mechanism; and a shortening releasing control process, which, after the first reversal control process begins and before the second sewing control unit begins forming the second stitch, switches the second assembly from the holding state to the releasing state at a second releasing position in a fourth direction relative to the second holding position. In the sewing device of technical solution 1, a shortening process is performed. Therefore, compared to devices that do not perform a shortening process, the switching gripping action can be performed more efficiently in the following situation: after the first holding mechanism is held at the first assembly and sewing begins, the second holding mechanism is held at the second assembly and subsequent sewing is performed.

[0011] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 2 of the present invention, the switching gripping control unit performs the first switching gripping process based on the first sewing data, and the shortening control unit performs the shortening process based on the first sewing data and the second sewing data. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 2, the operator is spared the effort of inputting instructions to perform the shortening process separately from the first and second sewing data.

[0012] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 3 of the present invention, after the first sewing control unit finishes forming the first stitch and before the second sewing control unit starts forming the second stitch, the first switching gripping control unit performs the shortening process based on the first sewing data and the second sewing data. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 3, compared to an apparatus that starts performing the shortening process midway through the formation of the first stitch, it is possible to ensure a longer time for the sewn object to be positioned on the second holding mechanism.

[0013] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 4 of the present invention, the first sewing data includes first stitch data indicating the formation position of the first stitch and first switching grip data indicating the execution of the first switching grip process. When the first sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit includes first switching grip data indicating that the first switching grip process is executed multiple times after the formation of the first stitch, the shortening control unit performs at least the shortening retention control process in the shortening process during the execution period of the first switching grip process which is the last one in the execution sequence. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 4, compared with an apparatus that performs at least the shortening retention control process in the shortening process during the execution period of the first switching grip process which is not the last one in the execution sequence of the first switching grip process after the formation of the first stitch, it is possible to ensure that the sewn object is placed in the second holding mechanism for a longer period of time.

[0014] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 5 of the present invention, the second sewing data includes second stitch data indicating the formation position of the second stitch, start data, and second switching grip data. The start data is data indicating the execution of a start processing, which includes: a second transport control process, through which, before the formation of the second stitch begins, the support member is moved to the second holding position while the second assembly is not engaged with the second holding mechanism; and a second holding control process, through which, after the support member is moved to the second holding position, the second assembly is switched from the released state to the holding state. The second switching grip data is data indicating the execution of a second switching grip process, which includes: a second reversal control process, through which, the second... The reversal control process involves moving the support member to the second release position while the second assembly part is engaged with the second holding mechanism, following the second holding control process. The second release control process involves switching the second assembly part from the holding state to the release state after the support member has moved to the second release position, thus releasing the engagement between the second assembly part and the second holding mechanism. The shortening control unit, based on the first and second sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit, performs the shortening process if it determines that the shortening process can be performed to replace the second switching gripping process; otherwise, it performs the second switching gripping process after performing the first switching gripping process if it determines that the shortening process cannot be performed to replace the second switching gripping process. In the sewing device of technical solution 5, the shortening process can be performed based on a determination result that the shortening process can be performed based on the first and second sewing data. In the sewing device, based on the first and second sewing data, the operator is spared the effort of editing the program used to perform the shortening process.

[0015] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 6 of the present invention, the third-direction upward position of the first release position is the same as the third-direction upward position of the second holding position. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 6, the process of positioning the support member in the second holding position can be omitted. Therefore, compared with the apparatus where the first release position and the second holding position are different, the time required for the process of moving the second holding mechanism in the fourth direction before the second stitch begins to be formed can be shortened.

[0016] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 7 of the present invention, the third-direction upward position of the first holding position is the same as the third-direction upward position of the second releasing position. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 7, the process of positioning the support member in the second releasing position can be omitted. Therefore, compared with the apparatus where the first holding position and the second releasing position are different, the time required for the process of moving the second holding mechanism in the fourth direction before the second stitch begins to be formed can be shortened.

[0017] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 8 of the present invention, an input unit is further provided. When the shortening control unit acquires completion information indicating that the configuration operation of the sewing object of the second holding mechanism has been completed before the first switching gripping process begins, the shortening process is executed. If the completion information is not acquired before the first switching gripping process begins, the shortening process is not executed. After the first switching gripping process is executed, the second switching gripping process is performed. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 8, it is possible to switch between executing the shortening process and executing the second switching gripping process based on whether completion information has been acquired.

[0018] In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 9 of the present invention, the retaining mechanism has multiple sets of pairs of engaging portions respectively arranged at the ends in the first direction and the second direction. The first assembly portion and the second assembly portion are respectively capable of engaging with the pair of engaging portions of the multiple sets of pairs of engaging portions of the retaining mechanism that are within the movable range of the support member, thereby maintaining the retaining mechanism in the retaining state and releasing the engagement with the pair of engaging portions, thereby releasing the retaining mechanism in the releasing state. In the sewing apparatus of technical solution 9, compared with the case where either the end of the retaining mechanism in the first direction or the end in the second direction has an engaging portion, the retaining mechanism can be stably maintained.

[0019] Technical solution 10 of the present invention provides a sewing method executed by a control unit of a sewing device. The sewing device includes: a needle bar mechanism having a needle bar at its lower end, capable of mounting a machine needle, and the needle bar mechanism enabling the needle bar to move up and down; a shuttle mechanism disposed below the needle bar mechanism and having a shuttle; a moving mechanism that moves the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the sewing object along a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a conveying mechanism that conveys a holding mechanism along a third direction parallel to the horizontal direction and intersecting the first direction and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, the holding mechanism holding the sewing object and... The sewing device has multiple engaging portions located at least on one side of the ends in the first direction and the second direction. A moving mechanism moves the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the holding mechanism along the first and second directions. A conveying mechanism conveys the holding mechanism along the third and fourth directions. The shuttle and the needle bar operate synchronously to sew the object being sewn. The conveying mechanism has a first assembly portion and a second assembly portion located at different positions in the first direction, and a support member supporting the first assembly portion and the second assembly portion. The conveying mechanism moves the support member along... The third direction and the fourth direction are conveyed, and the first assembly part and the second assembly part are each capable of switching to engage with one of the plurality of engaging parts of the retaining mechanism that is within the movable range of the support member, thereby maintaining the retaining mechanism in a holding state and releasing the engagement with the engaging part, thereby releasing the retaining mechanism in a released state. The sewing method includes: an acquisition step, in which first sewing data is acquired in the sewing area of ​​the first retaining mechanism, which is the retaining mechanism assembled to the first assembly part, forming a first stitch, and in the sewing area of ​​the second retaining mechanism, which is the retaining mechanism assembled to the second assembly part, forming... The second stitch is formed in the sewing area of ​​the first holding mechanism according to the first stitch data obtained in the acquisition step; the second stitch is formed in the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism according to the first stitch data obtained in the acquisition step; the second stitch is formed in the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism according to the first stitch data obtained in the acquisition step after sewing is started by the first sewing control step.The first switching gripping control step is performed after the formation of the first stitch is initiated by the first sewing control step and before the formation of the second stitch is initiated by the second sewing control step. This first switching gripping process includes: a first transport control step, in which, while the first assembly is engaged with the engaged portion of the first holding mechanism, the support member is moved to a first release position; a first release control step, in which, after the support member is moved to the first release position, the first assembly is switched from the holding state to the release state; a first reversal control step, in which, after the first release control step, while the first assembly is not engaged with the first holding mechanism, the support member is moved to a first holding position in the fourth direction relative to the first release position; and a first holding control step, in which, after the first release control step, the support member is moved to the first holding position in the fourth direction relative to the first release position. After the support member moves to the first holding position, the first assembly part is switched from the released state to the holding state, so that the first assembly part engages with the first holding mechanism; and a shortening control step, which is a step executed after the first conveying control process begins, wherein a shortening process is performed, the shortening process including: a shortening holding control step, wherein, before the first reversal control process begins, at a second holding position in a third direction relative to the first holding position, the second assembly part is switched from the released state to the holding state, so that the second assembly part engages with the engaged part of the second holding mechanism; and a shortening releasing control step, wherein, after the first reversal control process begins and before the formation of the second stitch begins by the second sewing control process, at a second releasing position in a fourth direction relative to the second holding position, the second assembly part is switched from the holding state to the releasing state. The sewing method of technical solution 10 is executed by a sewing device, thereby achieving the same effect as the sewing device of technical solution 1. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional view of the sewing device 1.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional view of the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional view of the sewing device 1.

[0023] Figure 4 (A) is a top view of a pair of second assembly parts 97 in a held state. Figure 4(B) is a top view of a pair of second assembly parts 97 in the loosened state.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the sewing device 1.

[0025] Figure 6 This is the flowchart for the main processing.

[0026] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the sewing process related to the Mth retaining mechanism.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the switching and gripping process.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a diagram illustrating typical switching and gripping processes.

[0030] Figure 11 This is an explanatory diagram of the switching gripping process for shortening.

[0031] Figure 12 This is an explanatory diagram of the first sewing data E3 and the second sewing data E4.

[0032] Figure 13 This is an explanatory diagram of the sewing device 1 in variation example 1.

[0033] Figure 14 These are explanatory diagrams for variations 2 and 3.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0035] 1. Sewing device; 6. Needle bar mechanism; 7. Shuttle mechanism; 9. Moving mechanism; 10. Conveying mechanism; 16. CPU; 63. Needle bar; 65. Needle; 73. Shuttle; 81, 82. Input section; 84, 841-844. Engaging section; 89L. First holding mechanism; 89R. Second holding mechanism; 96. First assembly section; 97. Second assembly section. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The physical structure of a sewing device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, arrows are used to indicate left and right, front and back, and up and down in the accompanying drawings. Figure 3 , Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 13 The diagrams of support sections 3 and 4, beam section 5, and needle rod mechanism 6 are omitted. Figures 1-4As shown, the sewing device 1 is a gate-type sewing device, comprising a base section 2, support sections 3 and 4, a beam section 5, a needle bar mechanism 6, an upper and lower mechanism 66, a shuttle mechanism 7, holding mechanisms 89L and 89R, and a moving mechanism 9 (see reference). Figure 5 ), conveying mechanism 10 (refer to) Figure 5 ), Operation unit 14, Input units 81, 82 (refer to) Figure 5 , Figure 10 In the sewing device 1, a mounting mechanism 120 is arranged in front of the sewing device 1, and a mounting mechanism 130 is arranged behind the sewing device 1. The mounting mechanism 120 has a mounting section 121 and a frame 122. The mounting section 121 is a rectangular plate arranged in front of the mounting sections 22 and 76 on the same plane as the mounting sections 22 and 76. The mounting sections 22 and 76 will be described later. The frame 122 is a lattice-shaped structure that supports the mounting section 121 from below. The mounting mechanism 130 has the same structure as the mounting mechanism 120, having a mounting section 131 and a frame 132. The left and right lengths of the mounting sections 22, 76, 121, and 131 are the same.

[0037] The base portion 2 includes a base 21, mounting portions 22 and 76, openings 24 and 25, ventral sections 26 and 27, a frame 28, a lower rail 29, and a pair of guide rails. The base 21 is generally rectangular. The mounting portion 22 forms the upper surface of the base 21 and is a plate extending parallel to the horizontal plane. The mounting portion 22 has an opening 23 extending in the left-right direction. The mounting portion 76 is located in front of the mounting portion 22 of the base portion 2, arranged on the same plane as the mounting portion 22, and is a rectangular plate. The opening 24 extends in the front-rear direction near the left end of the mounting portion 22. The opening 25 extends in the front-rear direction near the right end of the mounting portion 22. Openings 24 and 25 are portions that extend continuously upwards in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, between the front and rear ends of the mounting portion 22. Ventral sections 26 and 27 cover openings 24 and 25, respectively. The frame 28 has a lattice-shaped structure and supports the base 21 from below. The lower rail 29 extends horizontally below the mounting section 22. The lower rail 29 supports the shuttle mechanism 7 in a manner that allows it to move horizontally. The base section 2, below the mounting section 22, houses the lower conveyor belt 94 (described later), the lower spline shaft 34, and the shuttle mechanism 7. A pair of guide rails are located below the bellies 26 and 27. The pair of guide rails support the connecting parts 78 and 79 of the conveying mechanism 10 in a manner that allows them to move horizontally.

[0038] The support sections 3 and 4 are each approximately quadrangular prisms. Support section 3 extends upward from the left end of the base section 2, slightly forward of the center in the front-rear direction. Support section 4 extends upward from the right end of the base section 2, slightly forward of the center in the front-rear direction. Support sections 3 and 4 are separated in the left-right direction so that the mounting section 22 rests between them. The synchronization mechanism 31 is a mechanism for synchronously driving the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7, and includes a sewing machine motor 32 (see reference). Figure 5 The sewing machine motor 32 is supported by the support column 3. The upper spline shaft 33 and the lower spline shaft 34 extend in the left-right direction between the support columns 3 and 4. The transmission mechanism of the synchronization mechanism 31 is housed in the support column 3, and this transmission mechanism transmits the power of the sewing machine motor 32 to the upper spline shaft 33 and the lower spline shaft 34. The moving mechanism 9 enables the shuttle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 to move relative to the sewing object in the left-right direction parallel to the horizontal direction. The moving mechanism 9 has an upper conveyor belt 93, a lower conveyor belt 94, and an X motor 95 (see below). Figure 5 The sewing apparatus 1 of this embodiment holds the sewing object by holding mechanisms 89L and 89R. The X motor 95 is a pulse motor and is supported by the support column 4. The transmission mechanism of the moving mechanism 9 is housed in the support column 4, and this transmission mechanism transmits the power of the X motor 95 to the upper conveyor belt 93 and the lower conveyor belt 94. The upper conveyor belt 93 is fixed to the back of the needle bar mechanism 6. The lower conveyor belt 94 is fixed to the back of the shuttle mechanism 7. The shuttle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 move left and right in response to the rotation of the X motor 95.

[0039] A beam 5 is mounted between support sections 3 and 4. The beam 5 supports the needle bar mechanism 6 on one side (rear side) relative to the needle bar mechanism 6 in a direction parallel to the horizontal, allowing the needle bar mechanism 6 to move horizontally. The beam 5 extends continuously horizontally between support sections 3 and 4. The beam 5 has a housing 51, a snake-belly 52, and an upper rail 53. The housing 51 extends continuously between the upper ends of each of support sections 3 and 4 and between the rear ends of each of support sections 3 and 4. The snake-belly 52 is mounted at the front ends of each of support sections 3 and 4, the housing 51, and the left and right ends of the needle bar mechanism 6 (described later). The upper rail 53 is a rod-shaped structure extending horizontally and is mounted between support sections 3 and 4. The upper rail 53 supports the needle bar mechanism 6 in a direction allowing it to move horizontally. The housing 51 covers the upper rail 53 and the upper spline shaft 33 of the synchronization mechanism 31 on the upper and rear sides. The snake belly 52 covers the front side of the upper rail 53 and the upper spline shaft 33. The snake belly 52 extends and retracts in response to the left and right movements of the needle bar mechanism 6.

[0040] The needle bar mechanism 6 is positioned forward relative to the beam 5. The needle bar mechanism 6 includes a housing 60, an upper shaft 61, a transmission mechanism 62, a needle bar 63, a presser foot 64, and a presser foot motor 68 (see reference). Figure 5 The needle bar mechanism 63 can move up and down. The housing 60 is box-shaped and houses the upper shaft 61. The back of the housing 60 is connected to the upper conveyor belt 93, and the housing 60 is supported by the upper rail 53. The needle bar mechanism 6 can move left and right along the upper rail 53 inside the beam 5 by the drive of the moving mechanism 9. The upper shaft 61 extends in the left and right direction. The transmission mechanism 62 transmits the power of the upper spline shaft 33 to the upper shaft 61. The needle bar 63 extends in the up and down direction and can be fitted with a needle 65 at its lower end. The needle bar 63 is connected to the upper shaft 61 and moves up and down by the drive of the sewing machine motor 32. The presser foot 64 has a through hole through which the up and down movement of the needle 65 and the needle bar 63 corresponds, and the presser foot 64 intermittently presses the sewing object from the top. The presser foot motor 68 is a pulse motor fixed to the housing 60, which makes the presser foot 64 and the needle bar 63 move up and down synchronously.

[0041] The lifting mechanism 66 enables the needle bar mechanism 6 to move to the lower and upper positions. The lifting mechanism 66 includes a cylinder 67 (see reference). Figure 5 The needle bar mechanism 6 is driven by a cylinder 67 to move up and down. When the needle bar mechanism 6 is in the lower position, the needle 65 can pass through the needle receiving hole 75 when the needle bar 63 moves up and down, and can sew the object being sewn. When the needle bar mechanism 6 is in the upper position, the needle bar 63 does not move up and down, and the lower end of the needle 65 and the lower end of the presser foot 64 are both above the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R described later.

[0042] The shuttle mechanism 7 is located below the needle bar mechanism 6 and inside the base section 2. The shuttle mechanism 7 includes a housing 70, a lower shaft 71, a transmission mechanism 72, and a shuttle 73. The housing 70 is box-shaped and has a needle plate 74 at its upper left end. The needle plate 74 has a needle-receiving hole 75 through which a needle 65 can be inserted. The needle-receiving hole 75 is located below the needle bar 63. The back of the housing 70 is connected to the lower conveyor belt 94. A lower spline shaft 34 passes through the housing 70. The housing 70 is supported by a lower rail 29. The shuttle mechanism 7, located below the needle bar mechanism 6, has a shuttle 73. The shuttle mechanism 7 can move left and right synchronously with the needle bar mechanism 6 along the lower rail 29 via the drive of the moving mechanism 9. The transmission mechanism 72 transmits power from the lower spline shaft 34 to the lower shaft 71. The shuttle 73 is connected to the lower shaft 71, and the shuttle 73 rotates synchronously with the up and down movement of the needle bar 63 driven by the sewing machine motor 32.

[0043] The first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R are capable of holding the sewn object. The holding mechanisms 89L and 89R have a symmetrical structure. Hereinafter, [the following will be described...] Figure 1The structure of the retaining mechanism 89R will be described based on its top view, and the description of the structure of the retaining mechanism 89L will be omitted. The retaining mechanism 89R includes an outer frame 180, a middle frame 179, a lower plate 181, a connecting part 183, a holding part 185, and four sets of a pair of engaging parts 841-844 (see reference). Figure 10 , Figure 11 The holding mechanism 89R holds the sewing object between the lower plate 181 and the middle frame 179. The outer frame 180 is a rectangular frame that is longer in the front-to-back direction. The inner side of the outer frame 180 is connected to the outer periphery of the lower plate 181, which is a rectangular plate that is longer in the front-to-back direction. The lower plate 181 is a rectangular plate that is longer in the front-to-back direction and has a rectangular hole 187 that runs vertically through it. The middle frame 179 is disposed inside the outer frame 180 and is a rectangular frame that is longer in the front-to-back direction. The middle frame 179 and the lower plate 181 overlap vertically inside the outer frame 180. The lower plate 181 is located above the mounting portions 22, 76, 121, and 131. The sewing device 1 has a sewing area R2 inside the hole 187 (which is [missing information] in the holding mechanism 89L). Figure 10 The sewing area R1) forms a stitch. A connecting portion 183 is provided on the left side of the outer frame 180. The connecting portion 183 consists of four hinges arranged at approximately equal intervals along the front-to-back direction. The connecting portion 183 is connected to the outer frame 180 in a manner that allows the middle frame 179 to open and close relative to the lower plate 181. A holding portion 185 is fixed to the upper surface of the right front portion of the middle frame 179. The holding portion 185 has a through hole, which is held by the operator when the middle frame 179 is to be opened and closed relative to the lower plate 181.

[0044] like Figure 1 , Figure 10 Thus, the four sets of engaging portions 841-844 are cylindrical protruding upwards. The four sets of pairs of engaging portions 841-844 are arranged at approximately equal intervals from front to rear. The front-rear distance between adjacent engaging portions 84 in the front-rear direction (e.g., the front-rear distance between engaging portion 844 and engaging portion 843) is shorter than the length of the movable range H in the front-rear direction of the support member 77 described later in the conveying mechanism 10, and longer than half the length of the movable range H. When referring to each pair of engaging portions 841-844 collectively or without specifying any particular pair, they are simply referred to as engaging portions 84. One engaging portion 84 in a pair is located on the left side of the outer frame 180, and the other engaging portion 84 in a pair is located on the right side of the outer frame 180. That is, a pair of engaging parts 84 are provided at the left and right ends of the second retaining mechanism 89R.

[0045] The conveying mechanism 10 enables the first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R, which hold the sewing object, to move back and forth relative to the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7. The conveying mechanism 10 includes a support member 77, connecting portions 78 and 79, a pair of first mounting portions 96, and a pair of second mounting portions 97. The support member 77 is a rectangular plate extending in the left-right direction above the mounting portion 22. The connecting portion 78 is connected to the left end of the support member 77, and the lower left end of the connecting portion 78 is positioned on a guide rail at the opening 24 of the base portion 2. The connecting portion 79 is connected to the right end of the support member 77, and the lower right end of the connecting portion 79 is positioned on a guide rail at the opening 25 of the base portion 2. The conveying mechanism 10 conveys the support member 77 forward and backward.

[0046] like Figure 3 , Figure 10 Thus, the left-right positions of the pair of first assembly parts 96 and the pair of second assembly parts 97 are different. The pair of first assembly parts 96 are arranged in the left-right direction, positioned to the left of the center of the support member 77. The pair of second assembly parts 97 are arranged in the left-right direction, positioned to the right of the center of the support member 77. Of the pair of first assembly parts 96, the left first assembly part 96 is fixed to the front surface of the left end of the support member 77, and the right first assembly part 96 is fixed to the back surface of the central portion of the support member 77. The left-right spacing of the pair of first assembly parts 96 is the same as the left-right spacing of the pair of second assembly parts 97. Of the pair of second assembly parts 97, the left second assembly part 97 is fixed to the back surface of the central portion of the support member 77, and the right second assembly part 97 is fixed to the front surface of the right end of the support member 77. When referring to the pair of first assembly parts 96 collectively or without specifying a particular one, they are simply referred to as first assembly parts 96; when referring to the pair of second assembly parts 97 collectively or without specifying a particular one, they are simply referred to as second assembly parts 97. The first assembly part 96 and the second assembly part 97 are respectively assembled with the first retaining mechanism 89L and the second retaining mechanism 89R in a detachable manner. The first assembly part 96 and the second assembly part 97 each have a pair of left and right clamping members 98. Figure 4 Thus, the pair of left and right clamping members 98 have a symmetrical structure, with recesses 99 on their opposite surfaces. The recesses 99 are tapered, narrowing in width towards the opposite side in the front-rear direction. The engaging portion 84 located on the left side of the outer frame 180 is held by the left-side second mounting portion 97. The engaging portion 84 located on the right side of the outer frame 180 is held by the right-side second mounting portion 97. The front-rear positions of the pair of engaging portions 84 held simultaneously by the pair of second mounting portions 97 are correspondingly different from the front-rear positions of the pair of second mounting portions 97.

[0047] The second assembly part 97 has a cylinder 92. The lower surface of the cylinder 92 is connected to a pair of left and right clamping members 98 of the second assembly part 97. The pair of clamping members 98 of the second assembly part 97 can move along the lower surface of the cylinder 92 in a direction that moves closer to each other and in a direction that moves further away from each other using the power of the cylinder 92. Figure 4 As shown in (A), by moving a pair of clamping members 98 toward each other, the second assembly part 97 can clamp the engaged portion 84 of the second holding mechanism 89R in the left-right direction. When the pair of clamping members 98 clamp the engaged portion 84 in the left-right direction, the left front and left rear portions of the engaged portion 84 abut against the recess 99 of one of the clamping members 98, and the right front and right rear portions of the engaged portion 84 abut against the recess 99 of the other clamping member 98. Figure 4 As shown in (B), by moving the pair of clamping members 98 of the second assembly 97 in a direction away from each other, the second assembly 97 can release the clamping of the engaged portion 84 of the second retaining mechanism 89R. When the pair of clamping members 98 release the clamping of the engaged portion 84, the left-right distance between the pair of clamping members 98 is greater than the diameter of the engaged portion 84. By clamping the engaged portion 84 with the second assembly 97, the sewing device 1 assembles the second retaining mechanism 89R; by releasing the clamping of the engaged portion 84 with the second assembly 97, the operator can remove the second retaining mechanism 89R from the sewing device 1. Figure 10 As shown, when the sewing device 1 assembles the second holding mechanism 89R to the second assembly part 97, it can form a second stitch in the sewing area R2 within the outer frame 180 of the second holding mechanism 89R.

[0048] Similarly, the first assembly part 96 has a cylinder 91. The lower surface of the cylinder 91 is connected to a pair of left and right clamping members 98 of the first assembly part 96. The pair of clamping members 98 of the first assembly part 96 can move along the lower surface of the cylinder 91 in a direction that approaches or moves away from each other using the power of the cylinder 91. By clamping the engaged part 84 with the first assembly part 96, the sewing device 1 is equipped with a first retaining mechanism 89L. By releasing the clamping of the engaged part 84 with the first assembly part 96, the operator can remove the first retaining mechanism 89L from the sewing device 1. The CPU 16 separately drives and controls the cylinders 91 and 92. Figure 10 As shown, when the sewing device 1 is assembled with the first holding mechanism 89L to the first assembly part 96, it can form a first stitch in the sewing area R1 within the outer frame 180 of the first holding mechanism 89L. The left-right extension ranges of the sewing areas R1 and R2 are different from each other. The front-back length J of the sewing areas R1 and R2 is longer than the length of the movable range H of the support member 77 in the front-back direction.

[0049] The conveying mechanism 10 has a Y motor 101 below the mounting section 22 (see reference). Figure 5 The conveying mechanism 10 transmits power from the Y motor 101 to a pair of conveyor belts fixed to the connecting parts 78 and 79. The first mounting part 96 and the second mounting part 97 provided on the support member 77 move back and forth along a pair of guide rails on the base part 2 in response to the rotation of the Y motor 101.

[0050] The sewing device 1 has dividing portions 139 and 140 on the upper surfaces of the mounting portions 22, 76, 121, and 131. The dividing portions 139 and 140 extend linearly in the front-back direction and are detachably fixed to the upper surfaces of the mounting portions 22, 76, 121, and 131 using screws. The dividing portions 139 and 140 divide the space in the left-right direction into two sewing areas R1 and R2, respectively, corresponding to the two sets of assembly portions 96 and 97. The vertical length of the dividing portions 139 and 140 is less than the vertical length (thickness) of the outer frame 180 of the first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R. In the left-right direction, the area between a pair of dividing portions 139 is called the left side range, and the area between a pair of dividing portions 140 is called the right side range. Sewing area R1 is located in the left side range, and sewing area R2 is located in the right side range. The front-back length J of sewing areas R1 and R2 is greater than the length of the movable range H in the front-back direction of the assembly portions 96 and 97.

[0051] The operation unit 14 is supported by the left end of the mounting unit 76. The operation unit 14 includes a switch assembly 12 and a display unit 13. The switch assembly 12 inputs various instructions in response to the operator's actions. The display unit 13 is a liquid crystal display screen capable of displaying various images. An input unit 81 is located at the left front end of the mounting unit 76, and an input unit 82 is located at the right front end of the mounting unit 76. The input unit 81 inputs first completion information in response to the operator's actions. The input unit 82 inputs second completion information in response to the operator's actions.

[0052] Reference Figure 5 The electrical structure of the sewing device 1 will be explained below. The control unit 15 of the sewing device 1 includes a CPU 16, a ROM 17, a RAM 18, a storage device 19, an input interface 35, an output interface 36, and drive circuits 45-50, 58, and 59. The CPU 16 comprehensively controls the operation of the sewing device 1. The ROM 17 pre-stores programs for executing various processes. The RAM 18 temporarily stores various information generated during the execution of various processes. The storage device 19 consists of an HDD and flash memory, is non-volatile, and stores various setting values.

[0053] Each drive circuit 45-50, 58, and 59 is connected to the output interface 36. Drive circuit 45 is connected to the sewing machine motor 32 of the synchronization mechanism 31, and drives the sewing machine motor 32 using control commands from the CPU 16. Drive circuit 46 is connected to the X motor 95 of the moving mechanism 9, and drives the X motor 95 using control commands from the CPU 16. Drive circuit 47 is connected to the Y motor 101 of the conveying mechanism 10, and drives the Y motor 101 using control commands from the CPU 16. Drive circuit 48 is connected to the cylinder 67 of the up-down mechanism 66, and drives the cylinder 67 using control commands from the CPU 16. Drive circuit 49 is connected to the display unit 13, and displays various information on the display unit 13 using control commands from the CPU 16. Drive circuit 50 is connected to the presser foot motor 68, and drives the presser foot motor 68 using control commands from the CPU 16. Drive circuits 58 and 59 are connected to cylinders 91 and 92, and drive cylinders 91 and 92 using control commands from the CPU 16.

[0054] Power switch 20, encoders 55-57, switch group 12, input units 81 and 82, etc., are connected to input interface 35. Power switch 20 connects the sewing device 1 to the power supply. Encoder 55 detects the rotational position and speed of the output shaft of sewing machine motor 32 and inputs the detection results to input interface 35. The detection results of encoder 55 indicate the vertical position of needle bar 63 and needle 65. Encoder 56 detects the rotational direction, position, and speed of the output shaft of X motor 95 and inputs the detection results to input interface 35. The detection results of encoder 56 indicate the horizontal position of needle bar mechanism 6 and shuttle mechanism 7. Encoder 57 detects the rotational direction, position, and speed of the output shaft of Y motor 101 and inputs the detection results to input interface 35. The detection results of encoder 57 indicate the front-back position of first assembly unit 96 and second assembly unit 97. Switch group 12 detects various indicators and inputs the detection results to input interface 35.

[0055] Reference Figures 6 to 11The main processing is described below. The main processing alternately performs a first sewing and a second sewing. The first sewing is a process of forming a stitch in the sewing area R1 according to first sewing data matching the shape of the hole 187 of the first holding mechanism 89L fitted to the first assembly 96. The first sewing data is generated to match the shape of the hole 187 of the first holding mechanism 89L and is pre-stored in the storage device 19. The second sewing is a process of forming a stitch in the sewing area R2 according to second sewing data matching the shape of the hole 187 of the second holding mechanism 89R fitted to the second assembly 97. The second sewing data is generated to match the shape of the hole 187 of the second holding mechanism 89R and is pre-stored in the storage device 19. During the main processing of this embodiment, the sewing device 1 sets the holding position at the center F in the front-rear direction of the movable range H of the first assembly 96 and the second assembly 97 (refer to...). Figure 10 The position is located at the front. The holding position is where the first assembly 96 clamps the engaged portion 84, the sewing device 1 holds the first holding mechanism 89L, and the second assembly 97 clamps the engaged portion 84, the sewing device 1 holds the second holding mechanism 89R. During the main processing in this embodiment, the sewing device 1 switches the first assembly 96 between a holding state and a released state, and switches the second assembly 97 between a holding state and a released state. The main processing is initiated when the operator operates the switch group 12 from the menu displayed on the display unit 13 and specifies the first and second sewing data, and then inputs a start instruction indicating the start of processing. As an example, when the operator specifies... Figure 7 The following describes the situation where a start instruction is input after the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2. When a start instruction is detected, the CPU 16 reads the main processing program from the ROM 17 into the RAM 18 for main processing.

[0056] CPU 16 performs initialization processing (S1). For example, CPU 16 resets various variables in S1. CPU 16 retrieves the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 included in the start instruction from storage device 19 (S2). The first sewing data E1 is the data that forms the first stitch within the sewing area R1 of the first holding mechanism 89L, which engages with the first assembly part 96. For example... Figure 7 In this way, the first sewing data E1 includes the start data, the first stitch data, the switching grip data, and the end data in the order of reading. Figure 7V and K are natural numbers indicating the reading order. The data in the first sewing data E1 are executed in the reading order. The start-up data of the first sewing data E1 is data indicating the execution of a start-up process, which includes: moving the support member 77 to the holding position before the first assembly 96 is engaged with the first holding mechanism 89L, before the formation of the first stitch begins; and switching the first assembly 96 from the released state to the holding state after the support member 77 has been moved to the holding position. Through the start-up process, the last pair of engaging parts 844 of the four sets of engaging parts 841-844 of the first holding mechanism 89L is held by the first assembly 96. The first stitch data is data indicating the formation position of the first stitch in the sewing area R1, and is data represented by coordinates in a coordinate system that drives the moving mechanism 9 and the conveying mechanism 10.

[0057] The switching gripping data of the first sewing data E1 is data that instructs the execution of switching gripping processes related to the first holding mechanism 89L. The switching gripping processes related to the first holding mechanism 89L include: moving the support member 77 in the transport direction and positioning it in a first release position while the first assembly 96 is engaged with the engaged portion 84 of the first holding mechanism 89L; switching the first assembly 96 from a holding state to a release state after moving the support member 77 to the first release position; moving the support member 77 to a first holding position further in the reversing direction than the first release position while the first assembly 96 is not engaged with the first holding mechanism 89L after switching the first assembly 96 from the holding state to the release state; and switching the first assembly 96 from the release state to the holding state and engaging it with the first holding mechanism 89L after moving the support member 77 to the first holding position. The switching gripping data of the first sewing data E1 includes specific information regarding the transport direction, reversing direction, first holding position, and first release position. The conveying direction is indicated by switching gripping data as either forward or backward, and the reversing direction is the opposite of the conveying direction. In the sewing device 1 of this embodiment, the operator changes the sewing object at a position forward of the beam 5. Therefore, the switching gripping data read before the first stitch is formed is set as follows: the conveying direction is set to backward, the first release position is set at a position further backward than the center F in the forward-backward direction of the movable range H of the support member 77, and the first holding position is set at a position further forward than the center F. The switching gripping data read before the first stitch is formed in the switching gripping data of the first sewing data E1 is also referred to as the third switching gripping data. On the other hand, the switching gripping data after the first stitch is formed is set as follows: the conveying direction is set to forward, the first release position is set at a position further forward than the center F in the forward-backward direction of the movable range H of the support member 77, and the first holding position is set at a position further backward than the center F. The switching grip data read after the first stitch is formed in the switching grip data of the first sewing data E1 is also called the first switching grip data.

[0058] The end data of the first sewing data E1 is data indicating the execution of an end-of-life process, which includes: moving the support member 77 to a released position after the first stitch is formed, while the first assembly 96 is engaged with the first holding mechanism 89L; and switching the first assembly 96 from a held state to a released state after the support member 77 is moved to the released position. In this embodiment, the holding position indicated by the start data and the release position indicated by the end data are the same position. Through the end-of-life process, the last pair of engaged portions 844 of the four sets of engaged portions 841 to 844 of the first holding mechanism 89L is released by the first assembly 96.

[0059] Similarly, the second sewing data E2 includes start data, second stitch data, switching grip data, and end data in the order of being read. Each piece of data in the second sewing data E2 is executed in the order of being read. The start data of the second sewing data E2 is data indicating the execution of a start-up process, which includes: moving the support member 77 to the holding position before the second stitch begins to form, with the second assembly 97 not engaged with the second holding mechanism 89R; and switching the second assembly 97 from the released state to the holding state after the support member 77 has been moved to the holding position. Through the start-up process, the last pair of engaging parts 844 of the four sets of engaging parts 841-844 of the second holding mechanism 89R is held by the second assembly 97. The second stitch data is data indicating the formation position of the second stitch in the sewing area R2, and is data represented by coordinates in a coordinate system that drives the moving mechanism 9 and the conveying mechanism 10.

[0060] The switching gripping data of the second sewing data E2 is data that instructs the execution of switching gripping processes related to the second holding mechanism 89R. The switching gripping processes related to the second holding mechanism 89R include: a process of moving the support member 77 in the transport direction and positioning it in a second release position while the second assembly 97 is engaged with the engaged portion 84 of the second holding mechanism 89R; a process of switching the second assembly 97 from a holding state to a release state after moving the support member 77 to the second release position; a process of moving the support member 77 to a second holding position further in the reversing direction than the second release position while the second assembly 97 is not engaged with the second holding mechanism 89R after switching the second assembly 97 from the holding state to the release position; and a process of switching the second assembly 97 from the release state to the holding state and engaging it with the second holding mechanism 89R after moving the support member 77 to the second holding position. The switching gripping data of the second sewing data E2 includes specific information regarding the transport direction, reversing direction, second holding position, and second release position. The switching grip data read before the formation of the second stitch in the switching grip data of the second sewing data E2 is also referred to as the second switching grip data, and the switching grip data read after the formation of the second stitch is referred to as the fourth switching grip data. The end data of the second sewing data E2 is data indicating the execution of end processing, which includes: after the formation of the second stitch, moving the support member 77 to the release position while the second assembly 97 is engaged with the second holding mechanism 89R; and after moving the support member 77 to the release position, switching the second assembly 97 from the holding state to the release state.

[0061] CPU16 determines whether the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 acquired in S2 satisfy a first condition (S3). The first condition is set to determine whether a first shortening process can be performed when a first stitch is formed on the sewing object held by the first holding mechanism 89L based on the first sewing data E1, and a second stitch is to be formed on the sewing object held by the second holding mechanism 89R based on the second sewing data E2. The first shortening process is at least a part of the process in the switching gripping process after the formation of the first stitch, in which the support member 77 is moved from the first release position to the first holding position, and the second holding mechanism 89R is moved to the second release position based on the switching gripping process before the formation of the second stitch. When the first sewing data E1 contains the first switching gripping data after the first sewing data E1 used to sew the first stitch with the last sewing sequence, and the second sewing data E2 contains the second switching gripping data before the second stitch data used to sew the second stitch with the first sewing sequence, CPU16 determines that the first condition is satisfied.

[0062] When the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 do not satisfy the first condition (S3: No), the CPU 16 performs the processing described later in S5. Since the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 in Specific Example 1 satisfy the first condition (S3: Yes), the CPU 16 sets a first shortening condition (S4) as the implementation condition for the shortening process. The CPU 16 sets this condition based on the condition that the number of times the first shortening process is implemented using the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 is maximized. If the number of second switching grasp data is less than the number of first switching grasp data, the CPU 16 sets the first shortening process to a switching grasp process based on the last first switching grasp data read in the order of read. Figure 7 Thus, in Specific Example 1, the number of first switching grasp data is 1, the same as the number of second switching grasp data. Therefore, CPU 16 sets the first shortening condition C1 to the first switching grasp data.

[0063] CPU 16 determines whether the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 satisfy the second condition (S5). The second condition is set to determine whether a second shortening process can be performed after a second stitch is formed on the sewing object held by the second holding mechanism 89R based on the second sewing data E2, and when a first stitch is to be formed on the sewing object held by the first holding mechanism 89L based on the first sewing data E1. When the second sewing data E2 contains fourth switching gripping data and the first sewing data E1 contains third switching gripping data, CPU 16 determines that the second condition is satisfied.

[0064] If the first and second sewing data do not satisfy the second condition (S5: No), the CPU 16 performs the processing described later in S7. Since the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 in Specific Example 1 satisfy the first condition (S5: Yes), the CPU 16 sets a second shortening condition as an implementation condition for the shortening process (S6). The CPU 16 sets the condition based on the condition that the number of times the second shortening process is implemented on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 is maximized. If the number of third switching grasp data is less than the number of fourth switching grasp data, the CPU 16 sets the second shortening process to a switching grasp process based on the fourth switching grasp data that is read last in the order. Similar to the processing in S4, the CPU 16 sets the second shortening condition C2 to the fourth switching grasp data that is included after the second stitch data that is read last in the order.

[0065] CPU 16 determines whether first completion information has been acquired (S7). If the operator has completed the task of placing the sewing object in the first holding mechanism 89L, the operation input unit 81 inputs the first completion information. If the first completion information is acquired (S7: Yes), CPU 16 performs sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L (S8). The sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L involves forming a first stitch on the sewing object held by the first holding mechanism 89L based on the first sewing data E1 acquired in S2. If the first completion information is not acquired (S7: No), CPU 16 determines whether second completion information has been acquired (S11). If the operator has completed the task of placing the sewing object in the second holding mechanism 89R, the operation input unit 82 inputs the second completion information.

[0066] Upon receiving the second completion information (S11: Yes) or after S8, CPU 16 performs sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R (S9). The sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R involves forming a second stitch on the sewing object held by the second holding mechanism 89R based on the second sewing data E2 obtained in S2. After S9, CPU 16 returns the processing to S8. Thus, CPU 16 alternately executes the processing of forming a first stitch on the sewing object held by the first holding mechanism 89L and the processing of forming a second stitch on the sewing object held by the second holding mechanism 89R.

[0067] If the second completion information is not obtained (S11: No), CPU 16 determines whether an end instruction has been obtained (S12). If the operator wants to end the main processing, they operate switch group 12 to input the end instruction. If no end instruction is obtained (S12: No), CPU 16 returns the processing to S7. If an end instruction is obtained (S12: Yes), CPU 16 ends the main processing.

[0068] Taking the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L in S8 as an example, we will explain the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L in S8 when the variable M is one, and the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R in S9 when the variable M is two. The explanation of the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R in S9 is omitted. Figure 8 In this way, CPU 16 sets variable N to the quantity obtained by adding variable Q to 1, and sets variable Q to 1 (S21). Variable N is a variable used to read the data contained in the Mth sewing data in the reading order. The initial value of variable Q is set to 0 in S1. CPU 16 sets the main assembly and other assemblies (S21). In the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L in S8 when variable M is one, the main assembly is the first assembly 96, and the other assemblies are the second assembly 97. In the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R in S9 when variable M is two, the main assembly is the second assembly 97, and the other assemblies are the first assembly 96.

[0069] CPU 16 retrieves the Nth data in the Mth sewing data read order (S22). CPU 16 determines whether the Nth data retrieved in S22 is stitch data (S23). If the Nth data is stitch data (S23: Yes), CPU 16 forms the Mth stitch based on the Nth stitch data (S24). CPU 16 increments the variable N by 1 (S28) and determines whether the Nth data is the data used to form the Mth stitch, which is the last stitch in the sewing order (S29). If the Nth data is not the last data used to form the Mth stitch, which is the last stitch in the sewing order (S29: No), CPU 16 returns the process to S22.

[0070] If the Nth data obtained in S22 is not trace data (S23: No), CPU16 determines whether the Nth data is switch-and-grab data (S25). If the Nth data is switch-and-grab data (S25: Yes), CPU16 performs switch-and-grab processing based on the Nth data (S26) and then performs the processing in S28. Figure 9 Thus, during the switching gripping process, CPU 16 sets the conveying direction and reversing direction based on the Nth data (S41). When the Nth data is the first switching gripping data, CPU 16 sets the forward direction as the conveying direction and the backward direction as the reversing direction.

[0071] CPU16 determines whether shortening processing W can be performed in the current switching gripping process (S42). When the Nth data is the first switching gripping data and is the switching gripping data with the first shortening condition C1 set, CPU16 determines that shortening processing W can be executed (S42: Yes). When shortening processing W can be executed (S42: Yes), CPU16 determines whether second completion information has been obtained for the second holding mechanism 89R, which is the object of the next sewing process executed in the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L (S43).

[0072] When the shortening process W cannot be performed (S42: No) or when completion information regarding the holding mechanism for the next sewing sequence has not yet been obtained (S43: No), the CPU 16 performs the normal switching gripping process without the accompanying shortening process W (S49-S52). Specifically, the CPU 16 drives the conveying mechanism 10, causing the support member 77 to move in the conveying direction (S49). When the Nth data is the third switching gripping data, and the rear is set to the conveying direction and the front is set to the reversing direction, through the processing of S49, while the first assembly part 96, which is the assembly part, holds the pair of engaged parts 841-844 located at the rearmost position, the support member 77 moves from... Figure 10 The first holding position of (A) towards Figure 10 Move the first release position of (B).

[0073] CPU16 switches the first assembly part 96 of this assembly unit from the holding state to the releasing state (S50). CPU16 drives the conveying mechanism 10 to move the support member 77 in the reversing direction (S51). Through the process of S51, in the state where the first assembly part 96 no longer holds any pair of engaged parts 841 to 844, the support member 77 moves from... Figure 10 (B) First release position towards Figure 10 The first holding position of (C) is moved. The CPU 16 switches the first assembly 96 from the released state to the holding state (S52). Through the processing of S52, the first assembly 96 holds the second pair of engaging parts 843 located from the rear among the pair of engaging parts 841 to 844. The CPU 16 ends the switching gripping process at this point and returns the processing to Figure 8 The sewing process related to the M-th retaining mechanism.

[0074] In Specific Example 1, when the formation of the first trace is completed and the second completion information regarding the second holding mechanism 89R has been acquired (S43: Yes), the CPU 16 drives the conveying mechanism 10, causing the support member 77 to move in the conveying direction (S44). Through the processing of S44, while the first assembly part 96 holds the second pair of engaging parts 843 (located from the rearmost position) of the pair of engaging parts 841 to 844, the support member 77 moves towards... Figure 11 The first release position of (A) is moved. In this embodiment, the first release position of the first switching grip data is the same as the second holding position of the second switching grip data in the front-back direction and is forward of the center F of the front-back direction of the movable range H of the support member 77.

[0075] CPU 16 switches the first assembly part 96, which is part of this assembly, from the holding state to the releasing state, and switches the second assembly part 97, which is part of another assembly, from the releasing state to the holding state (S45). CPU 16 drives the conveying mechanism 10 to move the support member 77 in the reversing direction (S46). Through the processing of S46, in the state where the first assembly part 96 does not hold any of the pairs of engaged parts 841 to 844 and the second assembly part 97 holds the pair of engaged parts 841 to 844 located at the rearmost position, the support member 77 moves from... Figure 11 The first release position of (A) towards Figure 11 The first holding position of (B) moves. In this embodiment, the first holding position of the first switching grip data is the same as the second release position of the second switching grip data in the front-back direction and is located behind the center F of the front-back direction of the movable range H of the support member 77.

[0076] CPU 16 switches the first assembly part 96, which is part of this assembly part, from the released state to the held state, and switches the second assembly part 97, which is part of another assembly part, from the held state to the released state (S47). Through the processing of S52, the first assembly part 96 holds the state of the last pair of engaged parts 844 among the pairs of engaged parts 841 to 844, and the second assembly part 97 does not hold any pair of engaged parts 841 to 844. CPU 16 increments variable Q by variable P and updates Q (S48). In this embodiment, variable P is 1. CPU 16 ends the switching gripping process and returns the processing to Figure 8 The sewing process related to the M-th retaining mechanism. Figure 8 In the sewing process related to the M-th holding mechanism, when the N-th data is not the switching gripping data (S25: No), the CPU16 performs other processing based on the N-th data (S27) and performs processing S28.

[0077] When the Nth data is the last data read in the order of reading (S29: Yes), the CPU 16 drives the conveying mechanism 10 based on the Nth data, causing the support member 77 to move towards the holding position (S31). Through the processing in S31, the support member 77 moves towards the holding position while the first assembly 96 holds the last pair of engaged parts 841-844 and the second assembly 97 does not hold any pair of engaged parts 841-844. Figure 11 The holding position of (C) is moved. The CPU16 determines whether an end instruction to end the main process has been obtained (S32). When the operator wants to end the main process, the operator operates the switch group 12 to input the end instruction. When the end instruction has been obtained (S32: Yes), the CPU16 switches the first assembly unit 96 of this assembly unit from the holding state to the releasing state (S38), thus ending the main process.

[0078] If no end instruction has been received (S32: No), CPU 16 determines whether second completion information related to the second holding mechanism 89R, which is the next holding mechanism in the sewing sequence, has been obtained (S33). If completion information has been obtained (S33: Yes), CPU 16 switches the first assembly 96, which is part of this assembly, from the holding state to the releasing state, and switches the second assembly 97, which is part of another assembly, from the releasing state to the holding state (S34). CPU 16 then ends the sewing process related to the Mth holding mechanism and returns to the previous state. Figure 6 The main processing unit.

[0079] If completion information has not yet been obtained (S33: No), CPU16 will switch from the holding state to the releasing state as the first assembly unit 96 of this assembly unit (S35) and standby until the second completion information related to the second holding mechanism 89R, which is the next in the sewing sequence, is obtained (S36: No). When completion information is obtained (S36: Yes), CPU16 will switch from the releasing state to the holding state as the second assembly unit 97 of another assembly unit (S37). CPU16 then ends the sewing process related to the Mth holding mechanism and returns the process to Figure 6 The main processing unit.

[0080] After CPU 16 performs sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L based on the first sewing data E1 (S8), when performing sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R based on the second sewing data E2 (S9), it starts processing from the third data in the second sewing data E2 that was set in S21. When CPU 16 performs sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R based on the second sewing data E2 (S9), if the Nth data is the fourth switching gripping data (S25: Yes), it performs processing S44 to S48 based on the second shortening condition C2 (S42: Yes) and the condition that the first completion information has been obtained (S43: Yes). After CPU 16 performs sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R based on the second sewing data E2 (S9), when performing sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L based on the first sewing data E1 (S8), it starts processing from the third data in the first sewing data E1 that was set in S21.

[0081] Reference Figure 12 For the first sewing data E3 and the second sewing data E4 in Specific Example 2, the first shortening condition C3 of S4 and the second shortening condition C4 of S6 during the main processing are explained. The types of data contained in the first sewing data E3 and the second sewing data E4 in Specific Example 2 are the same as the types of data contained in the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 in Specific Example 1. Figure 12 U and G are natural numbers representing the read order. In S4, CPU16 sets the condition for maximizing the number of times the first shortening process is executed, based on the first sewing data E3 and the second sewing data E4. For example... Figure 12 Thus, in Specific Example 2, the number of first switch grab data is 3, which is greater than the number of second switch grab data, which is 2. Therefore, CPU 16 sets the first shortening condition C3 to the last (K+3)th first switch grab data and the (K+2)th first switch grab data before it in the three first switch grab data. Similarly, in Specific Example 2, the number of fourth switch grab data is 2, which is greater than the number of third switch grab data, which is 1. Therefore, CPU 16 sets the second shortening condition C4 to the last (G+2)th fourth switch grab data in the two fourth switch grab data.

[0082] In the above embodiments, the sewing device 1, needle bar mechanism 6, shuttle mechanism 7, moving mechanism 9, conveying mechanism 10, needle bar 63, needle 65, shuttle 73, support member 77, first holding mechanism 89L, second holding mechanism 89R, first assembly part 96, and second assembly part 97 are examples of the sewing device, needle bar mechanism, shuttle mechanism, moving mechanism, conveying mechanism, needle bar, needle, shuttle, support member, first holding mechanism, second holding mechanism, first assembly part, and second assembly part of the present invention, respectively. The CPU 16 executing S2 is an example of the acquisition part of the present invention. S2 is an example of the acquisition process. The CPU 16 executing S24, which involves sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L, is an example of the first sewing control part of the present invention. S24, which involves sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L, is an example of the first sewing control process of the present invention. The CPU 16 executing S24, which involves sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R, is an example of the second sewing control part of the present invention. S24, the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R, is an example of the second sewing control process of the present invention. CPU 16, which executes processes S44 to S47, is an example of the first switching gripping control unit of the present invention. Processes S44 to S47 are an example of the first switching gripping control process of the present invention. Processes S45 to S47 are an example of the shortening control process of the present invention.

[0083] The sewing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment includes a needle bar mechanism 6, a shuttle mechanism 7, a moving mechanism 9, and a conveying mechanism 10. The needle bar mechanism 6 has a needle bar 63, to which a needle 65 can be mounted, and the needle bar mechanism 6 enables the needle bar 63 to move up and down. The shuttle mechanism 7 is disposed below the needle bar mechanism 6 and has a shuttle 73. The moving mechanism 9 moves the shuttle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 relative to the sewing object along a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The conveying mechanism 10 conveys holding mechanisms 89L and 89R in a front and rear direction parallel to the horizontal direction and intersecting the left and right directions. These holding mechanisms 89L and 89R hold the sewing object and have multiple engaging portions 84 provided on at least one side of the right and left ends. The sewing device 1 moves the shuttle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 relative to the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R in the left-right direction via the moving mechanism 9. The conveying mechanism 10 conveys the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R in the front-back direction. The shuttle 73 and the needle bar 63 move synchronously to sew the object being sewn. The conveying mechanism 10 has a first assembly part 96 and a second assembly part 97 with different positions in a first direction, and a support member 77 that supports the first assembly part 96 and the second assembly part 97. The conveying mechanism 10 conveys the support member 77 in the front-back direction. The first assembly part 96 and the second assembly part 97 can each switch to engage with one of the multiple engaging parts 84 of the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R that is within the movable range of the support member 77, thereby maintaining the holding state of the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R, and to release the engagement with the engaging part 84, thereby releasing the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R. CPU 16 acquires first sewing data E1, which forms a first stitch in the sewing area R1 of the first holding mechanism 89L, which is a holding mechanism assembled in the first assembly 96, and second sewing data E2, which forms a second stitch in the sewing area R2 of the second holding mechanism 89R, which is a holding mechanism assembled in the second assembly 97 (S2). In the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L, CPU 16 drives the moving mechanism 9, the conveying mechanism 10, the shuttle mechanism 7, and the needle bar mechanism 6 according to the first sewing data E1 acquired in S2, thereby forming a first stitch in the sewing area R1 of the first holding mechanism 89L (S24). After the first sewing begins, in the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R, CPU 16 drives the moving mechanism 9, the conveying mechanism 10, the shuttle mechanism 7, and the needle bar mechanism 6 according to the second sewing data E2 acquired in S2, thereby forming a second stitch in the sewing area R2 of the second holding mechanism 89R (S24).After the first trace is formed and before the second trace is formed, the CPU16 performs the following process: with the first assembly 96 engaged with the engaged portion 84 of the first retaining mechanism 89L, the support member 77 is moved to the first release position (S44). After the support member 77 is moved to the first release position, the first assembly 96 is switched from the retaining state to the release state (S45). After the process of S45, with the first assembly 96 not engaged with the first retaining mechanism 89L, the support member 77 is moved to the first retaining position further back than the first release position (S46). After the support member 77 is moved to the first retaining position, the first assembly 96 is switched from the release state to the retaining state, and the first assembly 96 is engaged with the first retaining mechanism 89L (S47). In the process executed after the start of process S44, before the start of process S46, at a second holding position preceding the first holding position, CPU 16 switches the second assembly 97 from the released state to the holding state, engaging the second assembly 97 with the engaging portion 84 of the second holding mechanism 89R (S45). After the start of process S44 and before the formation of the second stitch, at a second release position preceding the second holding position, CPU 16 switches the second assembly 97 from the holding state to the release state (S47). The sewing device 1 performs the shortening process W, thereby enabling a more efficient switching gripping operation compared to a device that does not perform the shortening process W, namely, a switching gripping operation where, after the first holding mechanism 89L is held at the first assembly 96 and sewing begins, the second holding mechanism 89R is held at the second assembly 97 and subsequent sewing is performed.

[0084] The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 executes the processing steps S44 to S47 based on the first sewing data E1, and the CPU 16 executes the shortening process W (S45 to S47) based on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2. In the sewing device 1, the effort of separately instructing the execution of the shortening process W in addition to the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 can be saved.

[0085] After the formation of the first stitch is completed and before the formation of the second stitch begins, the CPU 16 performs a shortening process W based on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2. Compared with a device that starts performing the shortening process W midway through the formation of the first stitch, the sewing device 1 can ensure that the sewn object is positioned in the second holding mechanism 89R for a longer period of time.

[0086] The first sewing data E1 includes first stitch data indicating the formation position of the first stitch and first switching grip data indicating the execution of the first switching grip process. When the first sewing data E1 acquired in S2 includes first switching grip data indicating that multiple switching grip processes are performed after the formation of the first stitch, the CPU 16 performs at least S45 of the shortening process W during the execution period of the last first switching grip process. Compared to a device that performs at least S45 of the shortening process W during the execution period of a switching grip process that is not the last switching grip process after the formation of the first stitch, the sewing device 1 can ensure that the sewn object is positioned in the second holding mechanism 89R for a longer period.

[0087] The second sewing data E2 includes second stitch data indicating the formation position of the second stitch, start data, and second switching grip data. The start data is data indicating the execution of a start process, which includes the following processes: before the formation of the second stitch begins, moving the support member 77 to the second holding position while the second assembly 97 is not engaged with the second holding mechanism 89R; and after moving the support member 77 to the second holding position, switching the second assembly 97 from the released state to the holding state. The second switching grip data is data that instructs the CPU 16 to perform a second switching grip process, which includes the following processes: after the second holding control process, in the state where the second assembly 97 is engaged with the second holding mechanism 89R, the process of moving the support member 77 to the second release position (S44, S49); and after moving the support member 77 to the second release position, the process of switching the second assembly 97 from the holding state to the release state, thereby releasing the engagement between the second assembly 97 and the second holding mechanism 89R (S45, S50). Based on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 obtained in S2, the CPU 16 performs the shortening process W if it determines that the shortening process W can be performed, and performs the second switching grip process in the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L after performing the first switching grip process in the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L (S49 to S52) if it determines that the shortening process W cannot be performed instead of the second switching grip process. The sewing device 1 can perform the shortening process W based on a determination that the shortening process W can be performed based on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2. In the sewing device 1, based on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2, the operator can be spared the effort of editing the program for performing the shortening process W.

[0088] The position of the first release position in the front-back direction is the same as the position of the second holding position in the front-back direction. In the sewing device 1, the process of placing the support member 77 in the second holding position can be omitted. Therefore, compared with devices where the first release position and the second holding position are different, the time required for the process of moving the second holding mechanism 89R backward before the second stitch begins to be formed can be shortened.

[0089] The position of the first holding position in the front-back direction is the same as the position of the second releasing position in the front-back direction. In the sewing device 1, the process of placing the support member 77 in the second releasing position can be omitted. Therefore, compared with devices where the first holding position and the second releasing position are different, the time required for the process of moving the second holding mechanism 89R backward before the second stitch begins to be formed can be shortened.

[0090] The sewing device 1 includes input units 81 and 82. When the CPU 16 acquires second completion information indicating that the configuration operation of the sewing object for the second holding mechanism 89R has been completed before starting the switching gripping process based on the first switching gripping data in the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L (S43: Yes), it executes shortening processing W (S45-S47). If the second completion information is not acquired before starting the switching gripping process based on the first switching gripping data (S43: No), shortening processing W is not executed. After executing the switching gripping process based on the first switching gripping data in the sewing process related to the first holding mechanism 89L (S49-S52), switching gripping processing based on the second switching gripping data is performed in the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R. The sewing device 1 can automatically switch between executing shortening processing W and executing switching gripping processing based on the second switching gripping data in the sewing process related to the second holding mechanism 89R based on whether completion information has been acquired.

[0091] The retaining mechanisms 89L and 89R have multiple pairs of engaging portions 84 arranged in a first direction and a second direction, respectively. The first assembly portion 96 and the second assembly portion 97 can respectively engage with a pair of engaging portions 84 within the movable range of the support member 77 to maintain the retaining mechanisms 89L and 89R in a holding state, and release the engagement with the pair of engaging portions 84 to release the retaining mechanisms 89L and 89R in a released state. In the sewing device 1, compared to the case where the retaining mechanisms 89L and 89R have engaging portions 84 at either the right or left end, the retaining mechanisms 89L and 89R can be held more stably.

[0092] The sewing apparatus and sewing method of the present invention can be modified in various ways in addition to the embodiments described above. The structure of the sewing apparatus 1 can be modified appropriately. The sewing apparatus 1 may also omit the first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R. The structure of the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R can be modified appropriately. The holding mechanisms 89L and 89R may not be symmetrical to each other. The number of engaging portions 84 in the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R can be modified appropriately. In order to expand the sewing area set inside the outer frame 180 in the front-back direction, the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R can be configured with any number of engaging portions 84, such as six or eight. In addition, the front-back arrangement of the left and right pairs of engaging portions 84 may not be equally spaced, as long as the engaging portions 84 are arranged in parallel in a left-right pair, for example, different intervals such as 400mm, 200mm, 400mm, and 300mm. The locking part 84 may not be provided as a pair on the left and right sides, or it may be provided on either the left or right side of the outer frame 180. The first to fourth directions can be appropriately changed. The retaining mechanisms 89L and 89R are structures that hold the sewn object by clamping it between the lower plate 181 and the middle frame 179, but they are not limited to this. For example, the structure of holding the sewn object may also be adopted by using a mounting component.

[0093] In the above embodiments, the mounting positions of the first assembly part 96 and the second assembly part 97 relative to the support member 77 can be appropriately changed. For example, as Figure 13 Thus, a pair of first assembly parts 96 and a pair of second assembly parts 97 can also be mounted in front of the support member 77, respectively. Although not shown, a pair of first assembly parts 96 and a pair of second assembly parts 97 can also be mounted in the rear of the support member 77, respectively. Alternatively, a pair of first assembly parts 96 can be mounted in front of the support member 77, and a pair of second assembly parts 97 can be mounted in the rear of the support member 77. Alternatively, a pair of first assembly parts 96 can be mounted in the rear of the support member 77, and a pair of second assembly parts 97 can be mounted in front of the support member 77. The setting regarding whether to perform shortening processing can be performed automatically by the CPU 16 based on the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2, or it can be set by the operator.

[0094] The number of holding mechanisms 89 used simultaneously in the sewing device 1 can be appropriately changed. The work position where the operator changes the sewing object held by the first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R can be appropriately changed as long as it does not obstruct sewing processing of other holding mechanisms 89 based on the sewing device 1; for example, it could be behind the beam 5. In the sewing device 1, the work position for changing the sewing object at the first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R can also be on a different side relative to the beam 5. Completion information can be input by the operator via input units 81 and 82, or automatically input by the CPU 16 based on the detection results of whether the first holding mechanism 89L and the second holding mechanism 89R are in a specified position, based on optical sensors, etc. The setting positions of input units 81 and 82 can be appropriately changed according to the work position for changing the sewing object. When shortening conditions C1 and C2 are set regardless of whether completion information has been obtained, the CPU 16 can execute processing steps S44 to S47.

[0095] The first hold position, the first release position, the second hold position, and the second release position can be changed as appropriate. Figure 14 The diagram schematically illustrates the positional relationships in the front-back direction of the first holding position, first releasing position, second holding position, and second releasing position when the shortening process W is executed during the switching gripping process based on the first switching gripping data, with the same forward conveying direction as in Specific Example 1. Figure 14 Therefore, the forward and backward position of the first holding position can differ from the forward and backward position of the second releasing position. For example... Figure 14 As in (A), when the position in the front-rear direction of the first holding position is the same as the position in the front-rear direction of the second releasing position, and the position in the front-rear direction of the first releasing position is the same as the position in the front-rear direction of the second holding position, the shortening process W can be performed according to the above embodiment. Figure 14 As in (B), the first holding position can also be located further forward than the second releasing position, and the first releasing position can also be located further forward than the second holding position. Figure 14 As in (C), the first holding position can also be located further back than the second releasing position, and the first releasing position can also be located further back than the second holding position. The longitudinal distance between the first holding position and the first releasing position can also be different from the longitudinal distance between the second holding position and the second releasing position. Figure 14 (B) Figure 14In a variation of (C), the CPU 16 may move the support member 77 to the second holding position and switch the second assembly 97 from the loose state to the holding state after moving the support member 77 to the first loose position and switching the first assembly 96 from the holding state to the loose state, while the first assembly 96 holds the first holding mechanism 89L, and the second assembly 97 does not hold the second holding mechanism 89R. Alternatively, the CPU 16 may move the support member 77 to the first holding position and switch the first assembly 96 from the loose state to the holding state after moving the support member 77 to the second loose position and switching the second assembly 97 from the holding state to the loose state. In this way, excessive load is not applied to the Y motor 101 of the conveying mechanism 10, and unexpected actions such as reverse movement of the holding mechanisms 89L and 89R can be prevented.

[0096] The program containing instructions for instructing the sewing device 1 to perform main processing can be stored in the storage device 19 before the CPU 16 executes the program. Therefore, the method of obtaining the program, the acquisition path, and the device for storing the program can all be appropriately modified. Alternatively, the program executed by the CPU 16 can be received from another device via cable or wireless communication and stored in a non-volatile storage device. Furthermore, the CPU 16 can also obtain the first sewing data E1 and the second sewing data E2 from other devices via cable or wireless communication and perform main processing. Other devices include, for example, a PC or a server connected via a network.

[0097] Some or all of the processing performed by the sewing device 1 can also be performed by an electronic device (e.g., an ASIC) other than the CPU 16. The processing performed by the sewing device 1 can also be distributed by multiple electronic devices (e.g., multiple CPUs). The order of each step of the processing performed by the sewing device 1 can be changed, steps can be omitted, or additional steps can be added as needed. The scope of the invention also includes the following method: the operating system (OS) running on the sewing device 1 performs some or all of the processing using instructions from the CPU 16. The shortening process W can also be performed in the switching grip data before the first stitch formation ends. The processing of S44 to S47 can also be performed by only one of the sewing processing related to the first holding mechanism 89L in S8 and the sewing processing related to the second holding mechanism 89R in S9.

Claims

1. A sewing device, comprising: A needle bar mechanism having a needle bar at the lower end of which a machine needle can be mounted, and the needle bar mechanism enabling the needle bar to move up and down; A shuttle mechanism, which is disposed below the needle bar mechanism, has a shuttle; A moving mechanism that moves the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the sewing object along a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; as well as A conveying mechanism that conveys the holding mechanism along a third direction parallel to the horizontal direction and intersecting the first direction, and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction. The holding mechanism holds the sewn object and has at least one engaging portion on one side of a plurality of ends located in the first direction and the second direction. The sewing device uses a moving mechanism to move the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the holding mechanism along the first and second directions, and a conveying mechanism to convey the holding mechanism along the third and fourth directions. The shuttle and the needle bar move synchronously to sew the object being sewn. The sewing device is characterized in that... The conveying mechanism has a first assembly part and a second assembly part located at different positions in the first direction, and a support member supporting the first assembly part and the second assembly part. The conveying mechanism conveys the support member along the third direction and the fourth direction. The first assembly part and the second assembly part are each capable of switching to engage with one of the plurality of engaging parts of the retaining mechanism that is within the movable range of the support member, thereby maintaining the retaining mechanism in a holding state and releasing the engagement with the engaging part, thereby releasing the retaining mechanism in a released state. The sewing device has the following features: The acquisition unit acquires first sewing data in the sewing area of ​​the first holding mechanism, which is the holding mechanism assembled to the first assembly part, forming a first stitch, and second sewing data in the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism, which is the holding mechanism assembled to the second assembly part, forming a second stitch. The first sewing control unit drives the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the shuttle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism to form the first stitch within the sewing area of ​​the first holding mechanism according to the first sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit. After the first sewing control unit starts sewing, the second sewing control unit drives the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the shuttle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism to form the second stitch in the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism according to the second sewing data obtained by the acquisition unit. A first switching gripping control unit performs a first switching gripping process after the first sewing control unit starts forming the first stitch and before the second sewing control unit starts forming the second stitch. This first switching gripping process includes: a first transport control process, which moves the support member to a first release position while the first assembly part is engaged with the engaged portion of the first holding mechanism; and a first release control process, which switches the first assembly part from the holding state to the release state after the support member has moved to the first release position. The first reversal control process, after the first release control process, moves the support member to a first holding position in the fourth direction, which is further from the first release position, while the first assembly is not engaged with the first holding mechanism; and the first holding control process, after moving the support member to the first holding position, switches the first assembly from the release state to the holding state, engaging the first assembly with the first holding mechanism; and The shortening control unit performs a shortening process that is executed after the first transport control process begins. This shortening process includes: a shortening holding control process, which, before the first reversal control process begins, switches the second assembly from the released state to the holding state at a second holding position in a third direction relative to the first holding position, thereby engaging the second assembly with the engaged portion of the second holding mechanism; and a shortening releasing control process, which, after the first reversal control process begins and before the second sewing control unit begins forming the second stitch, switches the second assembly from the holding state to the releasing state at a second releasing position in a fourth direction relative to the second holding position.

2. The sewing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first switching gripping control unit executes the first switching gripping process based on the first sewing data. The shortening control unit performs the shortening process based on the first sewing data and the second sewing data.

3. The sewing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, After the first sewing control unit finishes forming the first stitch and before the second sewing control unit starts forming the second stitch, the first switching gripping control unit performs the shortening process based on the first sewing data and the second sewing data.

4. The sewing device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first sewing data includes first stitch data indicating the formation position of the first stitch and first switching grip data indicating the execution of the first switching grip process. When the first sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit includes first switching grip data indicating that multiple first switching grip processes are performed after the formation of the first stitch, the shortening control unit performs at least the shortening holding control process in the shortening process during the period when the first switching grip process is performed last in the execution sequence.

5. The sewing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second sewing data includes second stitch data indicating the formation position of the second stitch, start data, and second switching grip data. The start-up data is data indicating the execution of start-up processing, which includes: a second transport control process, through which the support member is moved to the second holding position before the second stitch begins to form, while the second assembly is not engaged with the second holding mechanism; and a second holding control process, through which the second assembly is switched from the released state to the holding state after the support member has been moved to the second holding position. The second switching grip data is data instructing the execution of a second switching grip process, which includes: a second reversal control process, through which, after the second holding control process, the support member is moved to the second release position while the second assembly part is engaged with the second holding mechanism; and a second release control process, through which, after the support member is moved to the second release position, the second assembly part is switched from the holding state to the release state, thereby releasing the engagement between the second assembly part and the second holding mechanism. Based on the first sewing data and the second sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit, the shortening control unit performs the shortening process if it determines that the shortening process can be performed to replace the second switching gripping process, and performs the second switching gripping process after performing the first switching gripping process if it determines that the shortening process cannot be performed to replace the second switching gripping process.

6. The sewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The third-party upward position of the first release position is the same as the third-party upward position of the second hold position.

7. The sewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The third-party upward position of the first held position is the same as the third-party upward position of the second released position.

8. The sewing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The sewing device also has an input section. The shortening control unit executes the shortening process when it obtains completion information indicating that the configuration operation of the sewing object of the second holding mechanism is completed before the first switching gripping process begins. If the completion information is not obtained before the first switching gripping process begins, the shortening process is not executed. After the first switching gripping process is executed, the second switching gripping process is performed.

9. The sewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The retaining mechanism has multiple pairs of the engaging portions respectively arranged at the ends in the first direction and the second direction. The first assembly part and the second assembly part can respectively switch to engage with one of the pairs of engaging parts in the plurality of sets of the holding mechanism that are within the movable range of the support member, thereby maintaining the holding state of the holding mechanism and releasing the engagement with the pair of engaging parts, thereby releasing the releasing state of the holding mechanism.

10. A sewing method, executed by a control unit of a sewing device, The sewing device has the following features: A needle bar mechanism having a needle bar at the lower end of which a machine needle can be mounted, and the needle bar mechanism enabling the needle bar to move up and down; A shuttle mechanism, which is disposed below the needle bar mechanism, has a shuttle; A moving mechanism that moves the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the sewing object along a first direction parallel to the horizontal direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; as well as A conveying mechanism that conveys the holding mechanism along a third direction parallel to the horizontal direction and intersecting the first direction, and a fourth direction opposite to the third direction. The holding mechanism holds the sewn object and has at least one engaging portion on one side of a plurality of ends located in the first direction and the second direction. The sewing device uses a moving mechanism to move the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the holding mechanism along the first and second directions, and a conveying mechanism to convey the holding mechanism along the third and fourth directions. The shuttle and the needle bar move synchronously to sew the object being sewn. The sewing method is characterized by... The conveying mechanism has a first assembly part and a second assembly part located at different positions in the first direction, and a support member supporting the first assembly part and the second assembly part. The conveying mechanism conveys the support member along the third direction and the fourth direction. The first assembly part and the second assembly part are each capable of switching to engage with one of the plurality of engaging parts of the retaining mechanism that is within the movable range of the support member, thereby maintaining the retaining mechanism in a holding state and releasing the engagement with the engaging part, thereby releasing the retaining mechanism in a released state. This sewing method has the following characteristics: The acquisition process involves acquiring first sewing data in which a first stitch is formed in the sewing area of ​​the first holding mechanism, which is the holding mechanism assembled to the first assembly part, and second sewing data in which a second stitch is formed in the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism, which is the holding mechanism assembled to the second assembly part. In the first sewing control process, the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the shuttle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism are driven to form the first stitch within the sewing area of ​​the first holding mechanism, according to the first sewing data obtained in the acquisition process. In the second sewing control process, after sewing is started by the first sewing control process, the moving mechanism, the conveying mechanism, the shuttle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism are driven to form the second stitch in the sewing area of ​​the second holding mechanism according to the second sewing data obtained in the acquisition process. A first switching gripping control step is performed after the formation of the first stitch is initiated by the first sewing control step and before the formation of the second stitch is initiated by the second sewing control step. This first switching gripping process includes: a first transport control step, in which, while the first assembly is engaged with the engaged portion of the first holding mechanism, the support member is moved to a first release position; a first release control step, in which, after the support member is moved to the first release position, the first assembly is switched from the holding state to the release state; a first reversal control step, in which, after the first release control step, while the first assembly is not engaged with the first holding mechanism, the support member is moved to a first holding position in the fourth direction relative to the first release position; and a first holding control step, in which, after the support member is moved to the first holding position, the first assembly is switched from the release state to the holding state, engaging the first assembly with the first holding mechanism; and The shortening control step is a step performed after the start of the first conveying control step. In this shortening control step, a shortening process is performed, which includes: a shortening holding control step, in which, before the start of the first reversal control step, at a second holding position in a third direction relative to the first holding position, the second assembly is switched from the released state to the holding state, so that the second assembly engages with the engaged portion of the second holding mechanism; and a shortening releasing control step, in which, after the start of the first reversal control step and before the formation of the second stitch begins by the second sewing control step, the second assembly is switched from the holding state to the releasing state at a second releasing position in a fourth direction relative to the second holding position.

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