GB2584456A

GB2584456A - Embroidery

Info

Publication number: GB2584456A
Application number: GB1907942.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Stuart Corneloues Andrew
Original assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Current assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Priority date: 2019-06-04
Filing date: 2019-06-04
Publication date: 2020-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 2039-06-04
Also published as: GB201907942D0; GB2584456B

Abstract

Method of modifying properties of the stitches of embroidered product comprising 1) obtaining an embroidered stitch in a material, the produced by a first automated process, 2) applying a substance to the stitch by a second automated process wherein the position of the stitch recorded in the pre-determined pattern is used to determine the position of the in the embroidered product and directs the application of the substance. The substance may be applied according to a pre-determined design and the design may be smaller than the stitch. The substance may be only applied to the stitch and only a portion of the stitch may be modified. The substance may modify the colour of the stitch. The method may comprise fixing the position of the material to a structure prior to embroidering and using the stitch as a registration datum mark for identifying the location of the stitch in the embroidery to provide location information for applying the substance. Also claimed is a method where a substance is applied to a material onto which embroidery is applied.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GII1907942.5 RTM Date:12 November 2019 The following terms are registered trade marks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document:

AMAYA MIMAKI

Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.gov.uk /ipo Embroidery

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to methods for modifying the stitches and/or material of a piece of embroidery. The present invention also relates to manufacture of products according to these methods. Methods for modifying the stitches and/or material of a piece of embroidery are described, wherein the stitches are placed by automatic means according to a pre-determined pattern and the pattern is used again in a subsequent process that alters the colour or characteristics of the stitches and/or material of the embroidery. The present invention also relates to manufacture of products according to these methods. Products of methods of the invention are for inclusion in a vehicle interior.

Background to the Invention

Material has been decorated by embroidering with thread since prehistoric times -indeed the invention of the needle with an eye counts as one of the first human tools and its associated specialised craft. Usually, embroidery is carried out by passing a filament, normally a thread, from back to front through the piece of material (or substrate) being embroidered and then from the front to the back leaving a length of thread (a stitch) displayed on the front surface of the material wherein the stitch is held in place by friction from the passage of the thread through the material at either end of the stitch.

A multiplicity of stitches can be built up into a decorative design and this design can be enhanced by the use of different coloured filaments or threads to yield different coloured stitches and thus multicoloured designs.

Latterly embroidered pieces made to larger and more complex designs have been produced using pre-programmed sewing machines according to a pre-determined pattern machines and latterly computer-controlled sewing machines according to a pre-determined pattern stored by the sewing machine. -2 -

The level of detail achievable by sewing pieces of embroidery according to the known art is limited by the size of the stitch and the ability to place stitches of different types (e.g. colours) each other or within very close proximity. In addition the number of colours or shades that can be used in a design is limited to the thread colours that are available.

These disadvantages of automated embroidery production can be partially addressed in ameliorated by using appliqué techniques. However, the use of appliqué is generally bespoke and necessarily it is time-consuming, expensive and unsuitable for large-scale or mass production of products. Furthermore, appliqué pieces cannot generally be embroidered directly on their eventual product. That is, appliqué pieces must be made separately and are then applied to their ultimate product by sewing or otherwise fixing them thereto. This adds to the expense and complexity of decorating materials using appliqué.

The use of appliqué is also difficult in that the bespoke character of appliqué means that it is effectively impossible to produce multiple identical appliqué pieces matching designs.

Hence, there is a need for a method of producing decorative embroidery products wherein the detail/resolution of the designs depicted by the embroidery products is finer or greater than that provided for by the sizes of the individual stitches making up the embroidery piece. In addition, there is a need to be able to produce such an embroidery product to any desired functional or aesthetic design. Furthermore, there is a need that such embroidery pieces can produced on a large scale, preferably mass produced in particular for interior decoration in automobiles.

Object of the Invention An object of the present invention is to provide improved, automated methods for producing modified decorative or functional embroidered products. A specific object of the invention is to provide products for interior decoration in automobiles, preferably cars, and methods for producing these products. -3 -

Summary of the Invention

Accordingly, the invention provides a method for modifying the properties of the stitches of an embroidered product comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining an embroidered product comprising a stitch in a material, wherein the embroidery has been produced by a first automated process according to a pre-determined pattern; and (b) applying a substance to the stitch by a second automated process, wherein the position of the stitch recorded in the pre-determined pattern is used to determine the position of the stitch in the embroidered product and to direct the application of the substance thereto, and wherein the substance modifies the characteristics of the stitch.

The object of the invention is to modify the stitches of on embroidered product. This is achieved in two stages. First, by preparing an embroidery using an automated (machine) embroidery system according to a pre-determined pattern that is followed by the embroidery machine. Secondly, the positional information of the predetermined pattern is reused or adapted to direct the modification of the stitches by applying a modifying substance thereto.

The modifying substance may be applied only to the stitch. That is the modifying substance may be applied so that it does not affect the material of the embroidery that the stitch is in. The accuracy of placement of the modifying substance on the stitch equally allows for accuracy of placement in order to avoid dispensing the modifying substance anywhere other than on a stitch.

Hence the invention also provides a method for modifying the properties of the base material of an embroidered product comprising carrying out the following steps in this order: (a) obtaining an embroidered product comprising a stitch in a base material, wherein the embroidery has been produced by a first automated process according to a pre-determined pattern; and (b) applying a substance specifically to the material by a second automated process, wherein the position of the stitch recorded in the pre-determined -4 -pattern is used to determine the position of the stitch in the embroidered product and to direct the application of the substance to the base material, and wherein the substance modifies the characteristics of the material.

Hence the modifying substance may be applied specifically to the stitches while excluding application to the material of the embroidery or the modifying substance may be applied to the material of the embroidery while excluding application to the stitches.

Automated (machine) embroidery is advantageous in the context of the present invention because the allied stitching and modification processes require exceedingly tight and consistent mechanical tolerances to make a stitch according to a defined pattern at high resolution that can then be used to track or find the stitch for application of a modifying substance and then carry out alteration of the stitch effectively without erroneously altering other stitches. A single failure would produce an incorrectly altered stitch and thus alter the aesthetic, or physical characteristics of the embroidery and might compromise the usefulness of the pieces of embroidery.

Various forms of stitches can be formed by machine embroidery, these include lock stitches, tatami stitches, Satin stitch, run stitch, fill stitch, straight stitch and column stitch. Further stitch and embroidery types in the context of machine computer embroidery are described by Ripka, G. et a/. in "The analysis of machine embroidery stitches types classification" Teka. Commission of Motorization and Energetics in Agriculture-2014, Vol. 14, No.2, 120-126.

Furthermore, advantageously the stitches described above can be used to produce a multitude of designs and can be layered or patterned to create further stitch types and embroidery effects. Accordingly, the design may comprise textured stitching effects and flat stitching effects alone or in combination. The position of each stitch is defined in the pre-determined pattern. Different widths of stitching may be used to produce different stitch effects. The location of stitches of different widths is recorded in the pre-determined pattern. -5 -

The height or depth of the embroidery standing above the material may be a maximum of 1 mm, 0.9 mm, 0.8 mm, 0.75 mm, 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.2 mm or 0.1 mm. Limiting the extent to which the stitches of the embroidery project away from or above the face of the material accommodates automated methods of applying the modifying substance to the stitches, e.g. printing.

Thus the embroidery may be flat enough for a print head of an automated printer to pass over whilst still being able to accurately supply the modifying substance to the correct stitches or portions thereof.

The modifying substance may be applied according to the form of a pre-determined design or element of a design. The design might be decorative or functional. A decorative design may be a picture or other aesthetic work. A functional design may be, for example, a label, code, colour code, barcode or matrix barcode, e.g. a QR code. In this way the advantages of the resilience and long life yielded by making and using embroidery labels are combined with the flexibility of use (i.e. ease of changing label or design) and the high resolution of printed labels.

The pre-determined design or element of a design can be scaled to match or suit the size of the stitch or stitches of the embroidery that it is to be applied to. This has the advantage of being able to partially or completely uncouple the design of the embroidery pattern from the design or image that is applied to the embroidery. Accordingly, it is then possible to easily apply alternative designs to a single embroidery design or pattern. Furthermore the design processes for the embroidery and design are not constrained to be on the same scale as the dimensions of the design or the embroidery can be changed to match the other before producing the embroidery. This allows greater flexibility and adaptability in the design and production process.

It is envisaged that a design is intrinsically visually non-random. However, a pre-30 determined random image or pattern may also be applied to an embroidery as described herein. -6 -

Accordingly, the embroidered product may comprise a multiplicity of stitches allowing larger and more complex designs to be embroidered. Furthermore, the multiplicity of stitches may be modified independently of one another. This has the advantage of allowing larger and more complex designs or pictures to be presented as part of an embroidery.

The complete design might be a larger image made up of smaller parts or elements. Hence the present disclosure encompasses modifying multiple stitches in an embroidery in order to accommodate a design feature that presented in a form that is larger than a single stitch by rendering sub-features of the overall design on different individual stitches in order to yield a larger overall image. Accordingly, an image or feature crossing a stitch may comprise an element, line or shape that is smaller than the stitch even though it is part of a larger design.

Hence the pre-determined design element may be smaller than the stitch that it is applied to. In this context a smaller design element smaller than the stitch is one where such that multiple design elements may be applied to a single stitch.

This invention is enabled because the degree of accuracy in dispensing the modifying substance onto a specific stitch or portion thereof has now been achieved.

Accordingly, a portion of the stitch may be modified rather than the whole stitch and thus designs having smaller sub design elements than a single stitch can be rendered in the form of embroidery.

In line with the ability to modify a portion of the stitch rather than the whole stitch the portion of the stitch portion of the stitch projecting above the material may be modified and/or only the visible portion of the stitch may be modified. This has the advantage of being able to produce multiple embroideries made to the same pattern with the ability to modify the visual appearance of each in a different manner. Thus the creation of an embroidery is decoupled into two stages. The first is the creation of shape and structure and the second is colouration, tone and shading. Advantageously the first stage can now be optimised separate from the second stage. This advantage allows the development of embroideries with desirable -7 -textures, structures or properties, such as resistance to wear, without necessarily having to consider or expend resources on the aesthetic appearance of the embroidery, which can then be adapted to be unique to the embroidery in the second stage.

When the intention is to render images on the embroidered stitch or stitches the modification may be the addition of a substance to the stitch in order to change its colour. As the colour gamut of dyes and pigments is so much greater than the colour range of the embroidery threads that are available then the methods disclosed herein allow modification of the stitches in line with the full range of colours that can be produced. Thus, these techniques can yield an effectively infinite colour palette. This has the advantage of being able to form the texture and structure of the embroidery using a single colour thread and then modify the embroidery to add colour in a second stage. As noted above, the colour palette available for adding colour (the available gamut) in the second stage is much larger than that possible than if the skilled person must rely on the range of coloured thread that is available. Accordingly and advantageously the colour palette available enables the production of embroideries using colours that can be as subdued or as bright as necessary and can enable transitions between colours in a design that are simply not possible when using the discrete elements/blocks of colour that stitches of coloured thread naturally form. With this increased colour palette and the available effects, water colour-like effects and other phased changes in colours are enabled for embroidery. Thus a product with the texture of an embroidery but the colour range and accuracy of a photograph can be produced.

Accordingly, the filament used to produce the stitch or stitches of the embroidery may be neutral or white in colour in order to lessen or minimise the effect of the colour of the embroidery thread on the process of changing the colour of the thread.

Alternatively or in addition, the modification may be the addition of a substance that modifies, preferably increases, the resistance of the stitch or embroidery material to wear, fading or other damage. Similarly, the modification may be the addition of a substance that increases the resistance to staining of the stitch or embroidery -8 -material, e.g. Scotchgard®. As noted above, advantageously, the methods disclosed herein allow modifying substances to be applied to stitches or material of embroidery only. This has the advantage of being modifying the physical properties of stitches or material using a substance that might be incompatible for use with the part of the embroidery that can be left specifically untreated.

Accordingly, the present disclosure also enables one or more of a multiplicity of substances to be sequentially or simultaneously applied to the stitch in order to modify a multiplicity of the characteristics of the stitch or embroidery material as described above.

Known types of material that are suitable for automated machine embroidery may be used in the context of the present invention. Suitable materials include woven fabrics, felted fabrics, velvet, satin, silk, felt, denim, cotton, neoprene, carbon infused fabrics, blended fabrics, knitted fabrics, leathers, plastics material or a soluble backing material (e.g. PVA-based).

The filament that is used to make a stitch may be a thread. Alternatively the filament may be a monofilament thread or fibre. Preferably the thread is sewing thread, more preferably the thread is made of any of the following materials: cotton, a cotton/polyester mix (polycotton), linen, nylon, polyester, rayon, silk or wool. The filament may be white or of a neutral colour. The filament may be of a single colour or multiple colours. Different portions of the design may use different thread types or colours Preferably the threads are made of nylon, polyester, polyamide or a combination thereof. Polycotton (a combination of polyester and cotton), cotton and silk threads can also both be used in the context of the invention.

The means of application of the modifying substance to the stitch may be via an apparatus with a dispenser for applying the substance to the stitch, wherein the dispensing position is defined by using the position of the stitch recorded in the predetermined pattern to determine the position of the stitch in the embroidered product. -9 -

The dispenser is preferably has a dispenser than can be moved to target and dispense to a specific location. In addition the dispenser is preferably capable of dispensing a multiplicity of modifying substances.

The means of application of the modifying substance to the stitch may be a printer.

The printing resolution of the printer may be 300dots per inch (dpi), 600 dpi, 720 dpi, 900 dpi, 1200 dpi, 1440 dpi, 1200x1440, 2400 dpi, 2880 dpi or 2400x2880 dpi. Suitably, the printing means may be an inkjet printer.

The modifying substance applied may be a dye, ink or pigment. Preferably the modifying substance applied from the dispenser is a liquid at room temperature and pressure. Textile inks may be used such as textile pigment dyes, acid dye inks and sublimation inks. Preferably, inks suitable for printing textiles for furniture are dispensed onto the stitches to alter their colours. The inks used may be curable by the application of UV light. Alternatively, the dyes or pigments may be supplied in a solvent base or carrier such that the dye or pigments cure and/or are fixed by evaporation or removal of the solvent base. Alternatively acid etch dyes may be used, which are set by heat and pressure (e.g. by ironing).

However, it is also envisaged that the modifying substance might be applied as a gas. For example, a dye sublimation printer or similar technology might be used to dispense the modifying substance onto the stitches or material. This may be by using sublimation inks to print an image on transfer paper that can then be located on the embroidered area before the ink is applied to the embroidery by heating the ink and transferring it to the embroidery.

The method may also comprise the further step of fixing the position of the material in or on to a structure prior to embroidering the stitch into the material.

The method may also comprise the further step of using the stitch as a registration datum mark for identifying the location of the stitch in the embroidery in order to provide location information for applying the modifying substance to the stitch or to another stitch comprised in the embroidery.

-10 -The structure may be substantially rigid. The structure may be a frame or other supporting structure in which the material for embroidery may be stretched before, during or after the stitching process, preferably before the stitching process. The structure may also be configured to be compatible with the automated stitching or modifying-substance dispensing apparatus as described elsewhere herein. In this sense the structure may be placed in a defined location within either of these apparatuses for ease of carrying out the stitching and modification processes, respectively. It is further envisaged that features of the apparatus carrying out these processes will accommodate the structure in precisely the same way in for ease of transfer of the embroidery to the modification apparatus. Accordingly, a feature of the structure or frame itself may be used as the datum position for the subsequent addition of the modifying substance to at least one stitch of the embroidery.

The position of the stitch or group of stitches providing a datum coordinate for directing the modification of the embroidery may be recognised by an artificial intelligence program. Artificial intelligence programs have been integrated into embroidery design software in order to recognise the areas of a piece of material that have been embroidered. Such technologies may be used or adapted to recognise the datum position and hence to control the modification process of the embroidery thereafter. Use of artificial intelligence in this way has the advantage of largely or completely automating the transition process between finishing the creation of the embroidery and then further modifying the embroidery by the application of specific substances to the stitches or material of the embroidery.

The method may also comprise the step of applying a piece of low tack film over the embroidery area before printing directly onto the embroidery. In this way a trial print can be applied to the low-tack film to check the alignment of the printer and the registration of the print pattern with the embroidery piece. The trial print run may be an outline image in monochrome ink (i.e. black or a single colour). When the printer and the embroidery piece are aligned satisfactorily then the film may be removed and the ink applied by the printer to provide the coloured embroidery piece. Using low-tack film has the advantage of not damaging the embroidery when it is removed.

The method may also comprise removing sections of the film rather than the whole of the film applied. This has the advantage of allowing printing of different sections of the embroidery at different times while other areas of the embroidery remain protected or masked from the printing process. In this way multiple printing techniques can be applied to a single embroidery piece while protecting non-printed areas or areas with incompatible printing techniques.

The method may be for producing a product for a vehicle. The vehicle may be an automobile including, cars, trains, aeroplanes, motorcycles, trucks, buses, trams, ships and boats, preferably a car. Vehicles may also include bicycles, tricycles, wagons, and pedicabs. Accordingly, the invention also provides an embroidered product mounted in a vehicle. Preferably the embroidered product is comprised in an element of a car interior.

Accordingly, the invention also provides an embroidered product manufactured according to a method of the invention.

The present invention is particularly advantageous in the context of vehicles wherein bespoke decoration and/or ornamentation and/or labelling are required. As noted above, decoration using appliqué is possible but is limited because the appliqué patch must be mounted on a supporting piece of material -such as an element of a car interior. In contrast, and advantageously, the present invention allows the creation of embroideries at least as detailed, and generally more detailed, than appliqué that are made directly as part of the material of the elements of the car interior. This has the advantage of a more efficient manufacturing process and a more aesthetically pleasing result. Furthermore, as noted above, the methods of the present invention yield more consistent and similar products than are achieved by the unique products that are generally yielded by using appliqué techniques.

In addition, embroidery created according to a method of the invention have the above-mentioned advantages but are advantageously more resilient and/or longer lasting than appliqué embroideries as embroideries of the present invention are -12 -stitched directly into the material to be mounted in the vehicle; there is no need for an applique piece to be mounted to the material before it is mounted in the vehicle.

A further advantage of producing embroidered material according to the present invention, rather than mounting appliqué pieces on material for mounting, means that the forces applied during the stretching or bending of the material can be distributed evenly during the mounting process. Accordingly, one or more dimensional proportions of the embroidered design can be altered so that the overall form of the embroidery and can be better and more evenly adapted to follow the contours and/or edges of the intended three-dimensional form.

Thus the proportions of the embroidery design need not be significantly altered in the transition from two dimensional creation to three dimensional presentation. This significantly simplifies the design process for the embroidery as it is simpler to produce a design in two dimensions for two dimensional presentation which can now be more conveniently adapted for three-dimensional presentation. Furthermore, a single embroidery design can be more simply applied to a greater number of three-dimensional objects without distortion and maintaining the overall appearance of the design by using a single overarching two-dimensional design that is adapted to being presented on multiple objects.

Shaping the embroidered two dimensional material to have a three dimensional form may comprise stretching the material in at least one dimension and may comprise stretching the material in two dimensions.

At least two dimensional proportions of the embroidered design on the two dimensional embroidered material may be maintained following shaping the embroidered two dimensional leather to have a non-planar three dimensional form. Preferably these proportions may be considered with reference to are x and y (Cartesian) axes but might also be considered with respect to radial axes (r and e).

Accordingly, the three dimensional object on which an embroidery of the invention is mounted may be an automotive part and may be within the cabin of an automobile.

-13 -In particular, the three dimensional object may be a vehicle ceiling headliner, interior door panel, dashboard insert and/or fascia, partition wall, centre consoles and console lids, rear centre seat armrests, door armrests and side armrests, carpet, mat, interior cabin panel, seat, (e.g. head rest, back rest and/or waterfall area of the seats) and/or steering wheel cover.

The waterfall area of the seat of the automobile is the area between the two rear seats. It often has the shape of a waterfall and is thus so named. This is an area of the automobile upholstery that is normally subject to low wear. Consequently, it is an area that is particularly suitable for embroidery, which might be more susceptible to wear than non-embroidered areas.

The automotive part may be a panel in the interior of the cabin of an automobile.

Similarly to the waterfall area of the upholstery, some internal panels are low wear areas and thus are particularly suitable for embellishment with embroidery.

In addition embroidered products of the invention may also include items of clothing or other garments, footwear, trainers or sneakers, luggage, furniture, flags or other embroidered decorative items.

Furthermore, the invention provides a system for modifying the properties of a stitch within an embroidered product, comprising: (a) a storage medium containing a pre-determined pattern recording the position of a stitch comprised in the embroidered product; (b) a storage medium containing a pre-determined design to be applied to the stitch of the embroidered product; (c) a processor arranged in use to carry out the following steps: i. identifying the stitch of the embroidered product in the pre-determined pattern; and ii. determining the design element to be applied to the stitch from the pre-determined design, and (d) means for applying a modifying substance to the stitch -14 -The means for applying a modifying substance to the stitch may be using one of the methods or apparatuses set out herein.

The embroidery pattern and the pre-determined design may be positionally registered together.

The registration of the embroidery pattern and the pre-determined design may be achieved by: (a) identifying a common (reference or datum) point or element shared by both the embroidery pattern and the pre-determined design; and (b) transforming the positions of the embroidery pattern and/or the predetermined design so that the common points coincide.

The datum point may be a feature common to both the pre-determined embroidery pattern and the printing scheme derived from combining the pre-determined design and the pre-determined embroidery pattern.

The system may be suitable for carrying out a method of the invention as described 20 herein.

Examples and Description of the Drawings

The invention is now illustrated in the following specific embodiments with reference 25 to the accompanying drawings showing:-Fig. 1 An example colour design to be embroidered and coloured according to the invention.

Fig. 2 Photograph of the embroidery design sewn into the embroidered material using only white thread.

Fig. 3 Photograph of the material comprising the embroidery piece placed on a plastic frame that has a grid of squares marked thereon.

-15 -Fig. 4 Diagram showing that reference marks on the edge of the embroidery piece are used to indicate the centre of the embroidery, find the coordinates of this position and locate the leather/material into the correct position within the printer bed.

Fig. 5 Photograph of the application of a piece of low tack film over the embroidery area before printing (Fig. 5a). Photograph of an embroidery piece with low tack film applied thereto (Fig. 5b).

Fig. 6 Photograph of the result of a trial print of the design onto the low-tack film to check the alignment of the printer and the registration of the print pattern with the embroidery (Fig. 6a). Photographs showing the removal of the film following confirmation that the printer is aligned correctly and the printing correctly registered with the embroidery (Fig. 6b and Fig. 6c).

Fig. 7 Photographs of the final embroidery piece: Fig. 7a (whole design); and Fig. 7b (detail of design).

Example 1

An embroidery design process according to the invention may be provided in the following manner.

An embroidery design is prepared (Fig. 1) and digitised in order to produce a pattern or program for the design that is used to prepare a file containing the information for the embroidery. This file is input into a computerised sewing system (in the present example an Amaya embroidery machine is used with Wilcom embroidery software version E3). The design may comprise textured stitching effects and flat stitching effects alone or in combination. The position of each stitch is defined in the pattern stored in the computerised sewing system. Different widths of stitching may be used to produce different stitch effects. The location of stitches of different widths is also stored in the program in the computerised sewing system.

A piece of material is embroidered with the design using a computerised embroidery machine. The design is entirely sewn using neutral or white thread (Fig. 2) in order -16 -to provide a suitable and complementary background to the pigments dyes or other colours that are to be applied to the stitches.

The material comprising the embroidery piece is placed onto a plastic frame that has a regularly spaced grid of squares marked onto it (Fig. 3). Reference marks on the edge of the leather/ material are used to indicate the centre of the embroidery and are used to locate the leather/material onto the plastic grid (Fig. 4).

The embroidery is placed into the working volume (bed) of a Mimaki JFX 200-2513 inkjet printer and locating pins are used to accurately locate the embroidery therein.

The position of the embroidery in the frame is registered to the working coordinates of the inkjet printer with reference to the printing instructions that are intended to be used on the piece of embroidery that are derived from the previously used predetermined embroidery pattern. Normally, .the same image file prepared for the design is used on the printer later to ensure exact size and scale of the design is reproduced.

Fig. 4 shows how the printer operator can specify coordinates on the grid to define and locate the centre of the image for print registration. For example position 17/11 is shown in Fig. 4. In this way the position of the embroidery and material is registered to the working coordinates of the inkjet printer in order that the previously stored and the previously used embroidery pattern is then reused to generate a further programme or pattern for the inkjet printer in order that the inkjet printer can supply the correct colour and quantity of ink to the correct stitches and the correct areas of thereof.

Before printing directly onto the embroidery a piece of low tack film is applied over the embroidery area (Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b). The print operator then carries out a trial print onto the low-tack film to check the alignment of the printer and the registration of the print pattern with the embroidery Fig. 6a). The trial print run can simply be an outline image in monochrome (i.e. black) ink.

-17 -When the printer and the embroidery piece are aligned satisfactorily then the film is removed (Fig. 6b and Fig. 6c) and the ink is applied by the printer to provide the coloured embroidery piece.

The material is then removed from the printer and taken off the location grid and the printed embroidery piece is passed through a heat press to set the ink and produce the final embroidery piece (Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b).

In an alternative example, sublimation inks can also be used to print an image on 10 transfer paper that can then be located on the embroidered area before the ink is applied to the embroidery by heating the ink and transferring it to the embroidery.

The invention thus provides improved methods for producing embroidered products and the products made according to these methods.

Claims

-18 -Claims 1. A method for modifying the properties of the stitches of an embroidered product comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining an embroidered product comprising a stitch in a material, wherein the embroidery has been produced by a first automated process according to a pre-determined pattern; and (b) applying a substance to the stitch by a second automated process, wherein the position of the stitch recorded in the pre-determined pattern is used to determine the position of the stitch in the embroidered product and to direct the application of the substance thereto, and wherein the substance modifies the characteristics of the stitch.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the modifying substance is applied according to the form of a pre-determined design.
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, element wherein the pre-determined design comprises a design element that is smaller than the stitch that it is applied to.
4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the modifying substance is applied only to the stitch.
5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein a portion of the stitch is modified.
6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the substance modifies the colour of the stitch.
7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of a multiplicity of substances are applied to the stitch.
-19 - 8 A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the material is a woven fabric, a felted fabric, a velvet, a satin, a silk, denim, a cotton fabric, neoprene, a carbon infused fabric, a blended fabric, a knitted fabrics, a leather, a plastics material or a soluble backing material.
9. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the filament used for the stitch is neutral or white in colour.
10.A method according to any preceding claim, wherein applying the substance to the stitch is via an apparatus with a dispenser for applying the substance to the stitch, wherein the dispensing position is defined by using the position of the stitch recorded in the pre-determined pattern to determine the position of the stitch in the embroidered product.
11.A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the substance is applied to the stitch using a printer, preferably, wherein the printer is an inkjet printer.
12.A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the substance is a dye, ink or pigment.
13.A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method further comprises the steps of: (a) fixing the position of the material in or on to a structure prior to embroidering the stitch into the material; and (b) using the stitch as a registration datum mark for identifying the location of the stitch in the embroidery in order to provide location information for applying the modifying substance to the stitch or to another stitch comprised in the embroidery.
14.A method according to claim 13, wherein the structure is substantially rigid.
15.A method according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the position of the stitch providing a datum coordinate is recognised by an artificial intelligence program.
-20 - 16.A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the method is for producing a product for a vehicle.
17.A method according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle is an automobile, preferably a car.
18. An embroidered product manufactured according to a method of any of claims 117.
19.An embroidered product according to claim 18, wherein the embroidered product is for a vehicle.
20.An embroidered product according to claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the vehicle is an automobile, preferably a car.
21.A system for modifying the properties of a stitch within an embroidered product, comprising: (a) a storage medium containing a pre-determined pattern recording the position of a stitch comprised in the embroidered product; (b) a storage medium containing a pre-determined design to be applied to the stitch of the embroidered product; (c) a processor arranged in use to carry out the following steps: i. identifying the stitch of the embroidered product in the pre-determined pattern; and ii. determining the design element to be applied to the stitch from the pre-determined design, and (d) means for applying a modifying substance to the stitch.
22.A system according to claim 21, wherein the pre-determined pattern and the predetermined design are positionally registered together. -21 -
23.A system according to claim 21 or claim 22, wherein the registration of the embroidery pattern and the pre-determined design is done by: (a) identifying a common (reference or datum) point or element shared by both the embroidery pattern and the pre-determined design; and (b) transforming the positions of the embroidery pattern and/or the pre-determined design so that the common points coincide.
24.A system according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein the system is suitable for carrying out the methods of any of claims 1-17.
25.A method for modifying the properties of the base material of an embroidered product comprising carrying out the following steps in this order: (a) obtaining an embroidered product comprising a stitch in a base material, wherein the embroidery has been produced by a first automated process according to a pre-determined pattern; and (b) applying a substance specifically to the material by a second automated process, wherein the position of the stitch recorded in the pre-determined pattern is used to determine the position of the stitch in the embroidered product and to direct the application of the substance to the base material, and wherein the substance modifies the characteristics of the material.