Workpiece holding frame

Abstract

A workpiece holding frame includes: a main body having a frame side; and a holding piece directly attracted by magnetic force towards the frame side. A sheet-like workpiece is sandwiched and held between the frame side and the holding piece to make the workpiece stretched taut at a lower surface of the holding frame. The workpiece is subjected to selectively both of printing and embroidery processes without having to change the resulting stretched-taut state. The holding piece has a groove for accommodating therein a permanent magnet. The frame side includes a flat portion and a rib extending perpendicularly along an inner edge thereof, and the holding piece is disposed so as to be accommodated in a space of the frame side which is formed by the flat portion and the rib. The workpiece is bent in contact with an end edge of the rib to be is stretched taut.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A workpiece holding frame which holds a workpiece such that the workpiece can be subjected to selectively both of printing and embroidery processes, the workpiece holding frame comprising:
 a holding frame main body having at least one frame side; and   at least one holding piece directly attracted by magnetic force towards the frame side of the holding frame main body,   wherein the workpiece in the form of a sheet is sandwiched and held between the frame side and the holding piece, causing the workpiece to be in a stretched taut state at a lower surface of the holding frame, thereby allowing the workpiece to be subjected to selectively both of printing and embroidery processes without having to change the stretched-taut state.   
     
     
         2 . The workpiece holding frame as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a permanent magnet is provided on at least one of the frame side of the holding frame main body and the holding piece, and the magnetic force of the permanent magnet directly penetrates the workpiece sandwiched between the frame side of the holding frame main body and the holding piece so as to act therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The workpiece holding frame as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the holding piece has a groove for accommodating therein the permanent magnet. 
     
     
         4 . The workpiece holding frame as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the frame side of said holding frame main body includes a flat portion and a rib extending approximately perpendicularly along an inner edge of the flat portion,   the holding piece is disposed so as to be accommodated in a space of the frame side which is formed by the flat portion and the rib, and   the workpiece sandwiched and held between the frame side and the holding piece is stretched taut on the holding frame main body in such manner that the workpiece is bent in a condition where the workpiece is in contact with an end edge of the rib.   
     
     
         5 . The workpiece holding frame as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a height of the rib is 5 mm or less.