Method and device for controlling and/or regulating a sewing machine, sewing machine, and computer software product

Abstract

A method for controlling and/or regulating a sewing machine, in particular an overlock sewing machine, for a sewing operation for mechanically producing a seam ( 1 ) within a base material ( 2 ), the method including the following steps: identifying a sewing operation or an upcoming sewing operation of the sewing machine ( 100 ); setting an upper sewing speed limit (v max ) of the sewing machine ( 100 ); setting a lower sewing speed limit (v max ) of the sewing machine ( 100 ); and carrying out the sewing operation at a sewing speed between the lower sewing speed limit (v min ) and the upper sewing speed limit (v max ). A device ( 10 ) for carrying out the method is provided, and for a sewing machine ( 100 ) having the device ( 10 ), and to a computer software product ( 70 ) for use in the device ( 10 ) or in the sewing machine ( 100 ), respectively, the computer software product ( 70 ) being configured for carrying out the method.

1 . A method for at least one of controlling or regulating a sewing machine ( 100 ) for a sewing operation for mechanically producing a seam ( 1 ) within a base material ( 2 ), said method comprising the following steps:
 identifying a sewing operation or an upcoming sewing operation of the sewing machine ( 100 );   setting an upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) of the sewing machine ( 100 );   setting a lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) of the sewing machine ( 100 ); and   carrying out the sewing operation at a sewing speed between the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) and the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ).   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising
 identifying at least one parameter of the seam ( 1 ) to be produced, of the base material ( 2 ) to be used, or of the sewing machine ( 100 ) used in the sewing operation, and   automatically setting the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) and the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) dependent on the at least one parameter identified.   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising
 identifying a manual modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) or a manual modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ), and   automatically modifying the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) dependent on the manual modification identified of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ), or automatically modifying the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) dependent on the manual modification identified of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ).   
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein
 the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) and the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ), respectively, are automatically modified according to at least one of the following:
 when the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is manually decreased by a defined value the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) is automatically decreased by the same defined value; 
 when the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is manually increased by a defined value the upper stitch specific sewing speed limit (v max ) is automatically increased by the same defined value; 
 when the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) is manually decreased by a defined value the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is automatically decreased by the same defined value; or 
 when the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) is manually increased by a defined value the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is automatically increased by the same defined value. 
   
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein
 in the case of the manual modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) remains unchanged when the manual modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) is carried out within a defined temporal period following a manual modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ), or in the case of the manual modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) remains unchanged when the manual modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is carried out within a defined temporal period following a manual modification of an upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ).   
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising
 identifying a temporal period of a sewing operation that is carried out following an automatic modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ), and in in the case of a subsequent manual modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) remains unchanged when the identified temporal period of the sewing operation is shorter than a defined temporal period or a temporal period of a sewing operation that is carried out following an automatic modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is identified, and in the case of a subsequent manual modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) remains unchanged when the identified temporal period of the sewing operation is shorter than a defined temporal period.   
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising
 setting a defined sewing speed range only in which the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) and the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) can be modified.   
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising
 triggering at least one of an acoustic or visual warning signal when at least one of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) or the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) exceed(s) or undershoot(s), respectively, a defined limit threshold value.   
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising
 triggering at least one of an acoustic or visual warning signal when a difference value between at least one of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) or the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) exceeds a defined difference threshold value.   
     
     
         10 . A device ( 10 ) for at least one of controlling or regulating a sewing machine ( 100 ) for a sewing operation for mechanically producing a seam ( 1 ) within a base material ( 2 ) configured to carry out the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , comprising an input device ( 20 ) configured to allow a user of the sewing machine ( 100 ) to manually set whether or not a manual modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) results in an automatic modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ), or a manual modification of the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) results in an automatic modification of the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ). 
     
     
         12 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein
 the device ( 10 ) is configured such that the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) remains unchanged when the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) is manually increased, or the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) remains unchanged when the upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) is manually decreased.   
     
     
         13 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a storage device ( 30 ,  40 ) configured to store at least one of various seam-specific, base-material specific, or sewing-machine specific upper sewing speed limits (v max ) and lower sewing speed limits (v min ). 
     
     
         14 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a storage device ( 30 ,  40 ) configured to store various user-specific upper sewing speed limits (v max ) and lower sewing speed limits (v min ). 
     
     
         15 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a storage device ( 30 ,  40 ) and an input device, the storage device is configured to store at least one of an upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) or a lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) by activating the input device. 
     
     
         16 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising an input device, and the storage device is configured to store at least one of the modified upper sewing speed limits (v max ) or the modified lower stitch-specific sewing speed limits (v min ), pertaining to at least one of a specific seam ( 1 ), a specific base material ( 2 ) or a specific sewing machine ( 100 ) by activating the input device. 
     
     
         17 . The device ( 10 ) as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the device ( 10 ) has a reset function by way of which at least one of the stored modified upper stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v max ) or the lower stitch-specific sewing speed limit (v min ) in the storage device  30 ,  40 ) can be deleted. 
     
     
         18 . A sewing machine ( 100 ) for mechanically producing a seam ( 1 ) within a base material ( 2 ), having the device as claimed in  claim 10 . 
     
     
         19 . A computer software product ( 70 ) stored on a fixed memory and configured to carry out the method as claimed in  claim 1  on a sewing machine ( 100 ) for production of a seam ( 1 ) within a base material ( 2 ).