Sewing Machine Engraving Needle Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in accurately determining the mounting height of an engraving needle in a sewing machine for parchment craft, relying on subjective judgment, which is time-consuming and wasteful, especially for those with less experience, as the process requires multiple trial runs and scrapping of test workpieces.
Innovation Solution
A sewing machine equipped with a heightwise position adjusting mechanism, an imaging unit, a detection unit, and an informing unit that analyzes images of engraved marks to determine the needle's position relative to a reference value, allowing for automatic adjustment and eliminating the need for subjective assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If users adjust the mounting height of the engraving needle based on subjective judgment, then the adjustment process becomes simple in terms of device complexity, but the manufacturing precision and time consumption worsen due to reliance on user experience and multiple trial runs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual subjective judgment method with an automated optical measurement system. A camera captures images of engraved marks, and image processing algorithms automatically analyze the marks to determine the optimal needle mounting height, substituting mechanical adjustment based on human perception with an automated vision-based measurement system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the engraved marks through imaging and displays them on a display unit. Users can observe the actual engraved marks produced by the needle and adjust the mounting height based on this visual feedback rather than subjective judgment, enabling precise adjustment without requiring extensive experience.
2Manufacturing precision
If users perform multiple trial runs to determine the correct needle height, then the manufacturing precision improves, but the productivity and time consumption worsen due to the need to scrap test workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the camera captures images of engraved marks produced during adjustment, the system processes these images to evaluate mark quality, and the results are displayed to guide further adjustment. This closed-loop feedback allows users to make informed adjustments without needing multiple trial runs and scrapping workpieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-measurement and self-evaluation by automatically capturing images of the engraved marks, processing them through image analysis algorithms, and providing evaluation results. This eliminates the need for external measurement tools and manual assessment, enabling rapid iteration and adjustment.
3Ease of operation
If users rely on subjective judgment for needle height adjustment, then the device operation remains simple, but the ease of operation worsens for users with less experience due to the difficulty in determining correct mark size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement system consisting of a camera and image processing unit that objectively measures the engraved mark size. This intermediary provides accurate quantitative measurement data that mediates between the user's adjustment actions and the actual mark quality, enabling both simplicity and precision simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the visual appearance changes of engraved marks (such as color or luminance variations) as indicators of mark quality and needle mounting height. The imaging system captures these visual changes, and the display unit presents them to users, allowing intuitive assessment of adjustment quality without requiring subjective judgment about abstract concepts like 'correct size'.
Data Source
AI summary
A sewing machine includes a needle bar to which an engraving needle is attached and is capable of executing an engraving process of forming an engraved pattern on a workpiece. The sewing machine further includes a heightwise position adjusting mechanism adjusting a mounting heightwise position of the engraving needle relative to the needle bar, a unit imaging the engraved marks formed on the workpiece by the engraving needle, thereby obtaining an image of each engraved mark, a detection unit extracting a region of each engraved mark from the image to detect a size of each engraved mark, a determination unit comparing the size of each engraved mark with a reference value stored, determining a mounting heightwise position of the engraving needle, and a unit informing of information for adjusting the mounting heightwise position of the engraving needle according to determination made by the determination unit.