Sewing machine

Abstract

A sewing machine includes a needle, a holding frame having a stitchable area within which the needle is operable to perform stitching, storing means for storing sewing data on various embroidery patterns, indicating means for indicating, within the stitchable area, positions on the workpiece that is held by the holding frame, stitching region setting means for setting a stitching region in accordance with the positions indicated by the indicating means, embroidery pattern creating means for creating, in accordance with a position and a size of the stitching region, and based on the sewing data, embroidery pattern data on an embroidery pattern having a size that is fittable within the stitching region, and control means for controlling the needle and the holding frame to form the embroidery pattern on the workpiece within the stitching region in accordance with the embroidery pattern data.

1 . A sewing machine comprising:
 a needle movable in a vertical direction;   a holding frame operable to hold a workpiece and movable in a horizontal direction, the holding frame having a stitchable area within which the needle is operable to perform stitching;   storing means for storing sewing data on various embroidery patterns;   indicating means for indicating, within the stitchable area, a plurality of positions on the workpiece that is held by the holding frame;   stitching region setting means for setting a stitching region in accordance with the plurality of positions indicated by the indicating means;   embroidery pattern creating means for creating, in accordance with a position and a size of the stitching region set by the stitching region setting means, and based on the sewing data stored in the storing means, embroidery pattern data on an embroidery pattern having a size that is fittable within the stitching region; and   control means for controlling, in accordance with the embroidery pattern data created by the embroidery pattern creating means, the needle and the holding frame to form the embroidery pattern on the workpiece within the stitching region.   
   
   
       2 . The sewing machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising display means having a display region corresponding to the stitchable area of the cloth holding frame,
 wherein the display means is operable to display, on the display region, at least one of a point corresponding to one of the positions on the workpiece indicated by the indicating means, the stitching region set by the stitching region setting means, and the embroidery pattern corresponding to the embroidery pattern data created by the embroidery pattern creating means.   
   
   
       3 . The sewing machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the indicating means comprises a light source from which a light is irradiated toward a point right below the needle. 
   
   
       4 . A sewing machine comprising:
 a needle movable in a vertical direction;   a holding frame operable to hold a workpiece and movable in a horizontal direction, the holding frame having a stitchable area within which the needle is operable to perform stitching;   storing means for storing sewing data on various embroidery patterns;   stitching region setting means for moving the workpiece to designate a plurality of positions on the workpiece, which are moved to a point right below the needle, and for setting a stitching region in accordance with the plurality of positions designated;   embroidery pattern creating means for creating, in accordance with a position and a size of the stitching region set by the stitching region setting means, and based on the sewing data stored in the storing means, embroidery pattern data on an embroidery pattern having a size that is fittable within the stitching region; and   control means for controlling, in accordance with the embroidery pattern data created by the embroidery pattern creating means, the needle and the holding frame to form the embroidery pattern on the workpiece within the stitching region.   
   
   
       5 . The sewing machine according to  claim 4 , further comprising display means having a display region corresponding to the stitchable area of the cloth holding frame,
 wherein the display means is operable to display, on the display region, at least one of a point corresponding to one of the positions designated by the stitching region setting means, the stitching region set by the stitching region setting means, and the embroidery pattern corresponding to the embroidery pattern data created by the embroidery pattern creating means.   
   
   
       6 . A sewing machine comprising:
 a needle;   a sewing machine motor operable to move the needle in the vertical direction;   a holding frame operable to hold a workpiece, the holding frame having a stitchable area within which the needle is operable to perform stitching;   a sewing machine frame having a bed portion on which the holding frame is disposed;   a pulse motor coupled to the holding frame to move the holding frame in a horizontal direction;   a memory in which sewing data on various embroidery patterns are stored;   an indicator operable to visually indicate, on the workpiece, a point right below the needle;   a movement instructing portion operable to instruct the pulse motor to move the cloth holding frame upon manually operating the movement instructing portion, the movement instructing portion being disposed on the sewing machine frame;   a designating portion operable to designate positions of the cloth holding frame corresponding to at least two points on the workpiece indicated by the indicator upon manually operating the designating portion, the designating portion being disposed on the sewing machine frame;   a control portion operable to calculate and set a stitching region in accordance with the positions designated by the designating portion, and to create, in accordance with a position of the stitching region within the stitchable area and a size of the stitching region, and based on the sewing data stored in the memory, embroidery pattern data on an embroidery pattern having a size that is fittable within the stitching region; and   control means for controlling, in accordance with the embroidery pattern data, the sewing machine motor and the pulse motor to form the embroidery pattern on the workpiece within the stitching region.   
   
   
       7 . The sewing machine according to  claim 6 , further comprising a display having a display region corresponding to the stitchable area of the cloth holding frame,
 wherein the display is operable to display, on the display region, at least one of a point corresponding to one of the positions designated by the designating portion, the stitching region, and the embroidery pattern corresponding to the embroidery pattern data.   
   
   
       8 . The sewing machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the indicator comprises a light source from which a light is irradiated toward the point right below the needle, and wherein the movement instructing portion relatively moves the cloth holding frame with respect to the point toward which the light is irradiated from the light source upon manually operating the movement instructing portion. 
   
   
       9 . A sewing machine comprising:
 a needle;   a sewing machine motor operable to move the needle in the vertical direction;   a holding frame operable to hold a workpiece, the holding frame having a stitchable area within which the needle is operable to perform stitching;   a sewing machine frame having a bed portion on which the holding frame is disposed;   a pulse motor coupled to the holding frame to move the holding frame in a horizontal direction;   a memory in which sewing data on various embroidery patterns are stored;   a movement instructing portion operable to instruct the pulse motor to move a portion of the workpiece, which is held the cloth holding frame, to a point right below the needle upon operating the movement instructing portion, the movement instructing portion being disposed on the sewing machine frame;   a designating portion operable to designate positions of at least two portions of the workpiece, which are moved to the point right below the needle by the movement instructing portion, upon operating the designating portion, the designating portion being disposed on the sewing machine frame;   a control portion operable to calculate and set a stitching region in accordance with the positions designated by the designating portion, and to create, in accordance with a position of the stitching region within the stitchable area and a size of the stitching region, and based on the sewing data stored in the memory, embroidery pattern data on an embroidery pattern having a size that is fittable within the stitching region; and   control means for controlling, in accordance with the embroidery pattern data, the sewing machine motor and the pulse motor to form the embroidery pattern on the workpiece within the stitching region.   
   
   
       10 . The sewing machine according to  claim 9 , further comprising a display having a display region corresponding to the stitchable area of the cloth holding frame,
 wherein the display is operable to display, on the display region, at least one of a point corresponding to one of the positions designated by the designating portion, the stitching region, and the embroidery pattern corresponding to the embroidery pattern data.