Patent Grant
7438011
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sewing machines of a type which sews an elongated sewn material, such as a tape or cord, to an object of sewing (typically, fabric) through lock stitching. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for cutting an elongated sewn material, for example, at the end of sewing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been known sewing machines of a type which includes a vertically driven needle bar, a sewing needle fixed to a lower end portion of the needle bar, a rotary member mounted concentrically with the needle bar and freely rotatable about the axis, and a guide fixed to the rotary member, for guiding an elongated sewn material (e.g., string-shaped embroidering member, such as a tape or cord) to a sewing position of the sewing needle. The sewing machines of the type operate to sew the string material to a fabric through lock stitching, by the rotation of the rotary member being appropriately controlled in accordance with a moving direction of a fabric based on embroidery data and by the orientation of the guide being appropriately varied to optimize the direction in which the string material is guided to the sewing position of the sewing needle. One example of such sewing machines is known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication (Kokai) No. H04-163361. The No. H04-163361 publication discloses a cutting apparatus which cuts a string material in a sewing machine of the above-mentioned type. Brief description will now be given of the cutting apparatus disclosed in the No. H04-163361 publication. This cutting apparatus is comprised of a support member which is moved to a retracted position which does not interfere with sewing operation and an advanced position near the sewing position of the sewing needle, and a hook member which is provided on the support member and movable forward and backward so as to hook the string material thereon. The support member always lies at the retracted position during sewing, and when it is necessary to cut the string material having been used for sewing, for example, at the end of sewing, the support member can be moved to the advanced position. When the support member lies at the advanced position, the hook member is moved forward and backward to hook thereon the string material at the sewing position and draw the string material to the support member, and then the string material is cut. In this case, an upper thread as well as the string material is cut at the same time.
In the conventionally-known cutting apparatuses like the one as disclosed in the No. H04-163361 publication, a drive source for moving the support member to the retracted position and the advanced position, and a drive source for moving the hook member forward and backward are separately provided as individual dedicated drive sources. However, there has been the problem that, since such a cutting apparatus driven by a plurality of drive sources is expensive and large in size, the sewing machine is also expensive and making the sewing machine compact is difficult. There have also been known cutting apparatuses of a type which is provided with the third drive source for driving a cutting blade which actually cuts a string material, but the cutting apparatuses of this type would suffer from the inconveniences that the cost and size are further increased.
Further, in sewing a string material (elongated sewn material), it is necessary to pull a certain amount of the string material out of the guide and to leave a certain amount of the upper thread at a tip of the sewing needle so that the string material can be reliably sewn onto a fabric at the beginning of sewing. However, in the conventionally-known cutting apparatuses like the one disclosed in the No. H04-163361 publication, after the support member is moved from the retracted position to the advanced position near the sewing position of the sewing needle, the string material at the sewing position as well as the upper thread is drawn to the support member and then cut. Thus, after the string material and the upper thread are cut, only a slight amount of the string material is out of the guide, and only a slight amount of the upper thread remains at the tip of the sewing needle. In such a case, in performing sewing again after cutting the string material and the upper thread, it is necessary to pull out the slight amount of the string material out of the guide and the slight amount of the upper thread remaining at the tip of the sewing needle need by certain amounts. Particularly in multi-head sewing machines of a type which is provided with a plurality of machine heads, the string material and the upper thread must be pulled out in each machine head, which is very troublesome.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cutting apparatus which can be caused to move from a retracted position to a cutting position and caused to hook a string material (elongated sewn material) by a single drive source.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cutting apparatus whose cutting blade is driven by the drive source which drives the cutting apparatus from the retracted position to the cutting position.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cutting apparatus and method which can pull a greater amount of string material (elongated sewn material) out of a guide unit after the string material is cut, as compared with the conventional art.
The present invention provides a cutting apparatus for cutting an elongated sewn material when sewing of the sewn material is completed in a sewing machine including a guide unit that guides the sewn material to a sewing position of a sewing needle, the sewing machine sewing the guided sewn material onto an object of sewing, the cutting apparatus comprising. The cutting apparatus is comprised of: a main body including a hook section for hooking thereon the sewn material; a fixed blade fixed to a predetermined position of the main body; a cutting blade that cuts the sewn material by moving toward the fixed blade; and a drive device that moves the main body between a predetermined retracted position that does not interfere with sewing operation and a predetermined cutting position for cutting the sewn material. In sewing the sewn material, the main body is held at the retracted position, and in cutting the sewn material, the main body is caused to move from the retracted position to the cutting position by the drive device. The hook section is provided in the main body and at such a location as to hook thereon the sewn material as the main body moves to the cutting position. The cutting blade cuts the sewn material in a state in which the hook section hooks thereon the sewn material.
With this arrangement, the same drive device can drive the main body to move from the retracted position to the cutting position and cause the sewn material to be hooked on the hook section. Thus, the cutting apparatus has to be provided with only one drive source, and therefore, the cutting apparatus can be reduced in cost and size.
Preferably, the cutting blade is configured to move in response to movement of the main body and to move toward the fixed blade in cutting the sewn material. Also preferably, in cutting the sewn material, the cutting blade moves toward the fixed blade by being driven by the drive device.
Still preferably, the cutting apparatus is further comprised of: a connecting mechanism that connects the drive device and the cutting blade to each other; a first regulating member that regulates movement of the main body, having moved toward the cutting position by being driven by the drive device, at a first predetermined position so as to define the cutting position; and a second regulating member that regulates movement of the connecting mechanism having been moved in response to driving operation of the drive device, wherein the second predetermined position is a position which the connecting mechanism reaches when the drive device is driven after the movement of the main body is regulated at the first predetermined position, and after the movement of the main body is regulated at the first predetermined position and before movement of the connecting mechanism is regulated at the second predetermined position, the cutting blade is caused to move toward the fixed blade of the main body by being further driven by the drive device and cut the sewn material.
With this arrangement, the single drive source can drive the main body to move from the retracted position to the cutting position, cause the sewn material to be hooked on the hook section, and drive the cutting blade to move in response to driving operation of the drive device. Thus, the cutting apparatus can be further reduced in cost and size.
In a preferred form of the present invention, the cutting apparatus is disposed a predetermined distance away from the sewing position of the sewing needle. In this case, control is performed such that, when sewing of the sewn material is completed, the object of sewing onto which the sewn material has been sewn is moved the predetermined distance toward the location at which the cutting apparatus is disposed, and thereafter, the drive device is driven to cause the main body to move to the cutting position and cut the sewn material.
By thus moving the object of sewing (fabric) with the sewn material sewn thereon to the position which is the predetermined distance away from the sewing position of the sewing needle, an excess amount of the sewn material can be pulled out of the guide unit. It is therefore possible to pull a sufficient amount of the sewn material out of the guide unit even after the sewing material is cut.
Further, the present invention provides a cutting method for cutting an elongated sewn material when sewing of the sewn material is completed in a sewing machine including a guide unit that guides the sewn material to a sewing position of a sewing needle, the sewing machine sewing the guided sewn material onto an object of sewing. The cutting method is comprised of the steps of disposing a cutting apparatus for cutting the sewn material a predetermined distance away from a sewing position of the sewing needle; when sewing of the sewn material is completed, moving an object of sewing onto which the sewn material has been sewn the predetermined distance toward the position at which the cutting apparatus is disposed; and causing the cutting apparatus to cut the sewn material.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof.
In addition to such machine heads H, a support member 1 is fixed, via bolts or the like, to a predetermined position of the front surface of the machine frame M. As seen mainly from
Support plate 4 is fixed to the support member 1 in such a manner that it projects toward a position above the bobbin 3. Proximal end portion of the support plate 4 is rotatably supported by a motor shaft of a drive motor 5 fixed to the support member 1. Driving pulley 6 is fixed to the motor shaft of the drive motor 5 fixed to the support member 1. The driving pulley 6 and the support member 1 inhibit the movement of the support plate 4 along the axis of the drive motor 5. Driven pulley 7 is rotatably provided on a distal end portion of the support plate 4, and a round belt 8 is wound on and operatively connect the driven pulley 7 and driving pulley 6. The driven pulley 7 is fixed to one end of a shaft 9 rotatably supported on a distal end portion of the support plate 4, and a rotary pulley 10 is fixed to the other end of the shaft 9. The rotary pulley 10 is held in abutment against the string material A wound on the bobbin 3. Thus, as the driving pulley 6 rotates by being driven by the drive motor 5, the rotation of the driving pulley 6 is transmitted via the round belt 8 to the driven pulley 7, which rotates the rotary pulley 10 fixed to the same shaft 9 as the driven pulley 7. Namely, the rotational force produced from the drive motor 5 is sequentially transmitted to the driving pulley 6, round belt 8, driven pulley 7, shaft 9 and rotary pulley 10 in response to driving operation of the drive motor 5, so that, ultimately, the bobbin 3 can be rotated by the thus-transmitted rotational force.
Since the support plate 4 is pivotally supported on the motor shaft of the drive motor 5, the distal end portion of the support plate 4 is caused to pivot in a clockwise direction (downward as viewed in
Guide member 11 for guiding the string material paid out from the bobbin 3 downward is provided below the bobbin 3. The guide member 11 is fixed to a guide base 12 which is fixed, via bolts or the like, to a part of the support member 1 below the arm section thereof to which the bobbin shaft 2 is fixed and extending horizontally toward the front surface of the embroidering sewing machine (right side as viewed in
Also, as shown in
Holder 25 is fixed via a bracket 29 to a front surface (i.e., a surface closer to the reader of
Now, the construction of the machine head H will be described in detail with primary reference to
Engagement member 42 is fixed to the rotary bush 37 and extends downward therefrom, and the engaging member 42 has, at its distal end, an engagement section 42a engaged in a groove 36a formed vertically in the outer periphery of the fabric holder 36. Thus, the fabric holder 36 is vertically movable along and rotatable about the axis of the needle bar 30 together with the rotary bush 37. Interlocking member 43 is provided along the outer periphery of the rotary bush 37 in such a manner that it is vertically movable and rotatable together with the rotary bush 37. Ring 44 vertically movable via a not-shown drive source is provided in a groove formed in the outer periphery of the interlocking member 43. Further, a guide lever 45 (e.g. zigzag swing lever) is rotatably provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary bush 37. The guide lever 45 is connected with the interlocking member 43 so as to pivot in response to the vertical movement of the interlocking member 43, and a pipe-shaped guide 46 for guiding the string material A to the sewing position of the sewing needle 28 is fixed to the lower end of the guide lever 45.
Referring next to
As seen from
The following paragraphs describe how the embroidering sewing machine constructed as described above operates to sew the string material A to a not-shown fabric, not shown, by lock stitching.
First, the string material A wound on the bobbin 3 is paid out and guided to the sewing position of the sewing needle 29 via the guide member 11, back side of the rod 14, first tube 26, second tube 27, and guide 46, as explained above. Then, control is performed, on the basis of embroidery data, such that the not-shown fabric is moved in X- and Y-axis directions and the needle bar 30 is vertically driven to perform the well-known lock stitching by the sewing needle 29 in conjunction with a not-shown rotary hook. During that time, the fabric holder 36 is driven vertically, in predetermined timing relative to the vertical movement of the needle bar 30, to perform the fabric holding function, as well known in the art. Further, the ring 44 is driven vertically, in predetermined timing relative to the vertical movement of the needle bar 30, in response to which the interlocking member 43 is vertically moved to cause the guide lever 45 to pivot. As a consequence, the string material A, having been guided to the sewing position of the sewing needle 29 by the guide 46 fixed to the lower end of the guide lever 45, is swung to the left and right of the sewing position, for example, per vertical reciprocation (i.e., per stitch) of the needle bar 30. In this way, the string material A can be sequentially sewn onto the fabric by so-called “zigzag switching”.
During that time, the rotary bush 37 is rotated by the motor 39 via the driving pulley 40, timing belt 41, and timing pulley 38, in response to which the guide 46 is controlled to be positioned forward in a direction of relative movement of the machine head H based on the movement of the fabric. In this way, the string material A can be appropriately guided to the sewing position of the sewing needle 29. If the rotary bush 37 is rotated 360 degrees or more, the second tube 27 might get undesirably entwined around the machine head H; thus, it is necessary that the embroidery data be made so as not to rotate the rotary bush 37 360 degrees or more.
As the string material A is sequentially sewn onto the fabric in the above-described manner, the rod 14 is pulled forward by the string material A, and in accordance with the movement of the rod 14, the pivot arms 15 and 16 are caused to pivot. When the pivot arm 15 is caused to pivot, the magnetic sensor 18 detects this pivotal movement, and the drive motor 5 is operated to rotate the bobbin 3 for a period of time set by the timer 21 based on the detected pivotal movement, so that the string material A is paid out from the bobbin 3. After that, when the pivot arms 15 and 16 have pivoted again as the string material A is sequentially sewn onto the fabric, the same operation as the above described one is performed to cause the bobbin 3 to rotate to pay out the string material A. Thus, in sewing the string material A onto the fabric, by repeating the rotation and termination of the rotation of the bobbin 3 in accordance with the tension of the string material A, it is possible to smoothly and appropriately pay out the string material A to the sewing position of the sewing needle 29.
The following paragraphs describe how the string material A is cut by the cutting apparatus S after sewing of the string material A is completed.
After sewing of the string material A onto the fabric is completed, the fabric with the string material A sewn thereon is displaced in the X- and Y-axis directions (typically, an embroidery frame holding the fabric is displaced) in such a manner that the final position on the fabric at which the string material A is finally sewn is displaced from the sewing position of the sewing needle 29 to a sewing end point E shown in
Even after the knife base 53 has been caused to pivot to the cutting position (see
After the string material A (and the upper thread) is cut, the rotary actuator 50 is rotated backward to pivot the drive lever 52 in a counterclockwise direction. Until the drive lever 52 is caused to pivot from the position indicated in
In the embodiment of the embroidering sewing machine, as described above, the knife base 53 is caused to pivot from the retracted position to the cutting position, so that the string material A is hooked on the hook section 53a of the knife base 53 and guided to the cutting concave section 53b so as to be cut. Thus, the single rotary actuator 50 can drive the cutting apparatus S to move from the retracted position to the cutting position and cause the string material A to be hooked on the hook section 53a. Also, the rotary actuator 50 also causes the pivotable knife 56 to pivot. Thus, the cost of the cutting apparatus S can be reduced, and the cutting apparatus S can be made compact. Further, the cutting apparatus S is disposed away from the sewing needle 29, and in cutting the string material S, the fabric is moved to newly pull out so that predetermined amount of the string material S (and the upper thread) can be newly pulled out. Thus, in sewing the string material A again, the user does not have to take the trouble to pull out the string material A of the guide 46 (and the upper thread remaining at the tip of the sewing needle 29).
In a variation example of the above described embodiment, as shown in
It should be noted that in the above described embodiment and variation, the position at which the cutting apparatus S is disposed may be set at any position insofar as a sufficient amount of the string material A enough to perform sewing again can be pulled out of the guide 46 (and the upper thread remaining at the tip of the sewing needle 29) after the string material A is cut.
The pneumatically driven rotary actuator 50 may be another type of actuator such as a pulse motor.
There may be provided a bearing member which supports a distal end portion of the rotary shaft 51 of the rotary actuator 50.
Although in the above described embodiment, the pivotable knife 56 is pivotally supported on the knife base 53, the present invention is, of course, not so limited, but the pivotable knife 56 may be configured to be slidable and may cut the string material A by sliding.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-260589 | Sep 2005 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1292784 | Hughes, Jr. | Jan 1919 | A |
| 2126521 | Weis | Aug 1938 | A |
| 2572143 | Hazelton | Oct 1951 | A |
| 3163136 | Pickett | Dec 1964 | A |
| 3747548 | Brophy et al. | Jul 1973 | A |
| 4438714 | Smith et al. | Mar 1984 | A |
| 4892047 | Fieschi | Jan 1990 | A |
| 5722335 | Kamewada et al. | Mar 1998 | A |
| 6032598 | Yu | Mar 2000 | A |
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| 6523488 | Lee | Feb 2003 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1893381 | Feb 1964 | DE |
| 10115384 | Nov 2001 | DE |
| 04-163361 | Jun 1992 | JP |
| 2001-353385 | Dec 2001 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20070062427 A1 | Mar 2007 | US |
