Sewing machine

• US 6,016,758 A
• Filed: 09/23/1998
• Issued: 01/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tomita, Shintaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nerbun, Peter
• Application Number:
  US09/159,102
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 112/470.04, 112/470.01, 112/470.02, 112/470.06, 112/102.5, 112/445, 112/456, 112/458, 112/275, 112/277, 702/115, 702/185, 702/182, 702/183, 702/184
• US Class Current: 112/470.04
• CPC Class Codes: D05B 19/04 characterised by memory aspects
• CPC Class Codes: D05D 2205/18 Screens

Abstract

A sewing machine is provided with: a stitch forming device; a driving device for driving the stitch forming device; a controller for controlling the driving device; an inputting device for inputting peculiar information, which is related to management of the sewing machine and peculiar to the sewing machine; a memory for storing the peculiar information inputted by the inputting device; and a displaying device for displaying the peculiar information stored in the memory.

Claims

1. A sewing machine comprising:

a stitch forming device;

a driving device that drives said stitch forming device;

a controller that controls said driving device;

an inputting device that inputs peculiar information, which is related to management of said sewing machine and peculiar to said sewing machine;

a memory that stores the peculiar information inputted by said inputting device;

a displaying device that displays the peculiar information stored in said memory; and

a key or button that inputs an operation command to perform a predetermined operation when said key or button is operated in one manner and that inputs an operation command to display the peculiar information stored in said memory when said key or button is operated in another manner.

2. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein said memory comprises a non-volatile type memory.

3. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the peculiar information comprises history information, which indicates a history of said sewing machine.

4. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein the history information comprises repair history information, which indicates a history of a repair of said sewing machine.

5. A sewing machine according to claim 4, wherein the repair history information comprises information indicating contents of a plurality of operations performed for said sewing machine until an occurrence of a failure of said sewing machine.

6. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein the history information comprises information related to a purchase of said sewing machine.

7. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein the history information comprises information indicating a serial number of said sewing machine.

8. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein the history information comprises information indicating a sewing time which indicates a total time duration of a sewing process performed by said sewing machine until a time of displaying the peculiar information.

9. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein

the peculiar information comprises repair history information, which indicates a history of a repair of said sewing machine, and

said memory comprises a non-volatile type memory for storing only the repair history information among the peculiar information.

10. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein

said displaying device comprises a display panel, and

said inputting device comprises a touch panel integrated with said display panel so that said touch panel can be operated on a picture plane of said display panel.

11. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein said inputting device comprises an interface device through which the peculiar information is inputted from an external device.

12. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein said inputting device comprises an interface device through which an operation command to display the peculiar information is inputted from an external device.

13. A sewing machine according to claim 1, further comprising an interface device through which the peculiar information stored in said memory is outputted to an external device.

14. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein said displaying device comprises a display panel on which an operation command to select a pattern of sewing is inputted.

15. A sewing machine according to claim 1 wherein the operation command to perform the predetermined operation is inputted when said key or button is operated for a first time duration and

the operation command to display the peculiar information is inputted when said key or button is operated for a second time duration longer than the first time duration.

16. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein

said displaying device comprises a display panel, and

said key or button comprises a key or button on a touch panel integrated with said display panel so that said key or button can be operated on a picture plane of said display panel.

17. A sewing machine comprising:

a stitch forming means;

a driving means for driving said stitch forming means;

a controlling means for controlling said driving means;

an inputting means for inputting peculiar information, which is related to management of said sewing machine and peculiar to said sewing machine;

a memory means for storing the peculiar information inputted by said inputting means;

a displaying means for displaying the peculiar information stored in said memory means; and

key or button means for inputting an operation command to perform a predetermined operation when said key or button means is operated in one manner and for inputting an operation command to display the peculiar information stored in said memory when said key or button means is operated in another manner.

18. A sewing machine according to claim 17, wherein the peculiar information comprises repair history information, which indicates a history of a repair of said sewing machine.

19. A sewing machine comprising:

a stitch forming device;

a driving device that drives said stitch forming device;

a controller that controls said driving device;

an inputting device that inputs peculiar information, which is related to management of said sewing machine and peculiar to said sewing machine;

a memory that stores the peculiar information inputted by said inputting device;

a displaying device that displays the peculiar information stored in said memory; and

a key or button that inputs an operation command to display the peculiar information stored in said memory, which is disposed at a position inaccessible in a normally operating status of said sewing machine.