The embodiments disclosed herein relate to a motorized thread tensioner for a sewing machine.
Sewing machines, such as standard lockstitch sewing machines, generally function to form a row of stitches in one or more layers of fabric using a combination of thread from a spool, also known as top thread, and thread from a bobbin, also known as bottom thread. In order to form a row of stitches that are uniform on both sides of the one or more layers of fabric, consistent and controllable tensions must be applied to the top thread and to the bottom thread so that appropriate amounts of top thread and bottom thread flow from the spool and the bobbin simultaneously during the operation of the sewing machine. Achieving consistent tensions in the top and bottom threads is generally accomplished by running the top and bottom threads through one or more tension devices of the sewing machine, sometimes known as thread tensioners. Some thread tensioners are fixed and others are adjustable.
A typical thread tensioner for the top thread on a sewing machine includes a knob that can be manually rotated by a user in order to vary the tension on the top thread. Typically, as the knob is rotated in one direction, the tension on the top thread increases, and as the knob is rotated in the other direction, the tension on the top thread decreases.
One common difficulty faced by the user of a typical thread tensioner is knowing how many rotations and/or partial rotations of the knob are necessary to achieve optimal tension on the top thread. This difficulty is due in part to threads of different types requiring different tensions. Since the thread tensioner may need adjustment as the user switches from one type of thread to another, replicating an optimal tension on a particular type of thread may require the user to track the number of rotations and/or partial rotations of the knob, for example, and then remember this number of rotations and/or partial rotations the next time the same particular type of thread is used. This can be a cumbersome process fraught with errors. It may therefore be difficult for the user of a typical thread tensioner to achieve optimal tension on the top thread while operating a sewing machine.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.
In general, example embodiments described herein relate to a motorized thread tensioner for a sewing machine. The example motorized thread tensioner disclosed herein may include first and second disks between which a thread may be positioned, a spring configured to exert a force against the second disk to cause friction on the thread, and an electric motor. The electric motor may be configured to compress the spring to apply increased friction to the thread or to decompress the spring to apply decreased friction to the thread. The friction applied to the thread between the first and second disks then correlates with the longitudinal tension on the thread when the thread is pulled through the first and second disks. The electric motor may be controlled by preset tension controls to allow a user to easily achieve optimal tensions as the user switches from one type of thread to another. The example motorized thread tensioner disclosed herein may therefore enable a user to easily achieve optimal tension on the top thread while operating a sewing machine.
In one example embodiment, a motorized thread tensioner for a sewing machine may include a first disk, a second disk positioned next to the first disk, a spring configured to apply friction to a thread that is positioned between the first disk and the second disk by exerting a force against the second disk, a shaft having a head on a proximal end and threads on a distal end, a nut threaded onto the threads of the shaft, and an electric motor. The shaft may be through the first disk, the second disk, and the spring. The electric motor may be coupled to the nut and configured to rotate the nut in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction. The rotation of the nut in the first rotational direction may cause the shaft to travel toward the electric motor which causes the spring to compress to apply increased friction to the thread. The rotation of the nut in the second rotational direction may cause the shaft to travel away from the electric motor which causes the spring to decompress to apply decreased friction to the thread.
In another example embodiment, a motorized thread tensioner for a sewing machine may include a first disk, a second disk positioned next to the first disk, a spring configured to apply friction to a thread that is positioned between the first disk and the second disk by exerting a force against the second disk, an electric motor, an electronic display device, one or more processors, and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. The motor may be configured to cause the spring to compress to apply increased friction to the thread. The electric motor may be further configured to cause the spring to decompress to apply decreased friction to the thread. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media may store one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to generate and visually present, on the electronic display device, a first graphical user interface (GUI) tension preset control and a second GUI tension preset control. The first GUI tension preset control may be configured to store a first preset tension and the second GUI tension preset control may be configured to store a second preset tension that is different than the first preset tension. The first GUI tension preset control may be configured, upon receipt of a first input from a user, to send a first electronic signal to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to cause the spring to compress or decompress to apply the first preset tension to the thread. The second GUI tension preset control may be configured, upon receipt of a second input from the user, to send a second electronic signal to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to cause the spring to compress or decompress to apply the second preset tension to the thread.
In another example embodiment, a sewing machine may include a needle bar configured to have a needle attached thereto and configured to reciprocate the needle having a thread threaded thereon into and out of a fabric, and a motorized thread tensioner. The motorized thread tensioner may include a first disk, a second disk positioned next to the first disk, a spring configured to apply friction to the thread, a portion of which being positioned between the first disk and the second disk, by exerting a force against the second disk, a shaft having a head on a proximal end and threads on a distal end, the shaft being positioned through the first disk, the second disk, and the spring, a nut threaded onto the threads of the shaft, an electric motor, an electronic display device, one or more processors, and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. The electric motor may be coupled to the nut and may be configured to rotate the nut in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction. The rotation of the nut in the first rotational direction may cause causing the shaft to travel toward the electric motor which causes the spring to compress to apply increased friction to the thread. The rotation of the nut in the second rotational direction may cause the shaft to travel away from the electric motor which causes the spring to decompress to apply decreased friction to the thread. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media may store one or more programs that are configured, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to generate and visually present, on the electronic display device, a first graphical user interface (GUI) tension preset control and a second GUI tension preset control. The first GUI tension preset control may be configured to store a first preset tension and the second GUI tension preset control may be configured to store a second preset tension that is different than the first preset tension. The first GUI tension preset control may be configured, upon receipt of a first input from a user, to send a first electronic signal to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to rotate the nut in the first or second rotational direction to apply the first preset tension to the thread. The second GUI tension preset control may be configured, upon receipt of a second input from the user, to send a second electronic signal to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to rotate the nut in the first or second rotational direction to apply the second preset tension to the thread.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.
Example embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
As disclosed in
The threading of the needle 110 with the top thread 113 may be accomplished as follows. First, a spool 112 of the top thread 113 may be placed on a spool holder 114, which in the illustrated embodiment is known as a spool pin. Next, the top thread 113 may be passed through an eyelet 116 of a thread mast 118, a thread guide 120, and a three-hole thread guide 122. Then, the top thread 113 may be positioned between opposing disks of the example motorized thread tensioner 200 by “flossing” the top thread 113 between the opposing disks. Next, the top thread 113 may be passed through a take-up spring 124, a stirrup 126, a take-up lever 128, a thread guide 130, and a thread guide 132. Finally, the top thread 113 may be threaded through the eye of the needle 110.
Although not shown in
During operation of the sewing machine 100, the user may employ the handlebars 140 or the handlebars 142 to move the sewing machine 100 over the stationary layers of fabric during operation of the sewing machine 100. The motor 104 may be configured to reciprocate the threaded needle 110 having the top thread 113 threaded thereon into and out of one or more layers of fabric (not shown). Simultaneously, the motor 104 may be configured to repeatedly drive the bobbin hook to catch the top thread 113 (which has been driven through the one or more layers of fabric) and loop the top thread 113 around the bobbin to form a row of stitches of the top thread 113 and the bottom thread in the one or more layers of fabric. Also simultaneously, the hopping foot 111 may be reciprocated up and down, onto and off of the top of the one or more layers of fabric (i.e., in a “hopping” motion), to alternate between holding and compressing the one or more layers of fabric in place during the finalization of each stitch and releasing the one or more layers of fabric to facilitate the movement of the sewing machine 100 and/or the movement of the one or more layers of fabric between each stitch.
In order for this row of stiches to be uniform and balanced on both sides of the one or more layers of fabric, consistent tensions must be applied to the top thread 113 and to the bottom thread so that appropriate amounts of top thread 113 and bottom thread flow from the spool 112 and the bobbin simultaneously during operation of the sewing machine 100. Achieving consistent tension in the bottom thread may generally be accomplished using a bottom thread tensioner (not shown) that functions in connection with, and may be integral with, the bobbin case. Achieving consistent tension in the top thread 113 may generally be accomplished using the example motorized thread tensioner 200.
As discussed in greater detail below in connection with
Although the example sewing machine 100 of
The second disk 210 may be positioned next to the first disk 208, and a portion of the top thread 113 may be positioned between the first disk 208 and the second disk 210. The tensioner spring 202 may be configured to apply friction to the top thread 113 that is positioned between the first disk 208 and the second disk 210 by exerting a force against the second disk 210.
The shaft 204 may have a head 230 on a proximal end and threads 232 on a distal end. The shaft 204 may be positioned through the tensioner spring 202, the tensioner spring base 206, the first disk 208, the second disk 210, the holder 212, the check spring 214, the barrel 216, the guide collar 218, and the coupler nut 224.
The coupler nut 224 may include a proximal end that defines a threaded opening 234 that threads onto the threads 232 of the shaft 204. The coupler nut 224 may further include a distal end that defines a slot 236. The coupler nut 224 may further include rails 238 running between the proximal end and the distal end that define an open cavity 240 between the rails 238 into which the distal end of the shaft 204 may extend as the coupler nut 224 is threaded onto the threads 232 of the shaft 204.
The set screws 222 of the guide collar 218 may couple the guide collar 218 to the barrel 216. The guide pin 220 of the guide collar 218 may be positioned within a groove 242 defined in the shaft 204. The guide collar 218 and the barrel 216 may be fixed in place so that they cannot rotate, and the positioning of the guide pin 220 of the guide collar 218 within the groove 242 of the shaft 204 may prevent the shaft 204 from rotating.
The electric motor 226 may be an electric gearmotor and may include a shaft with flats 244 that extends into the slot 236 defined in the distal end of the coupler nut 224. The shaft with flats 244 may be configured to rotate in order to rotate the coupler nut 224. The control of the electric motor 226, including the rotation of the shaft with flats 244, may be controlled by electronic signals received from the example display device 134, as discussed in greater detail below in connection with
As disclosed in the progression from
The current tension applied by the tensioner spring 202 may be determined using a sensor 246 that is positioned proximate the open cavity 240. Although the sensor 246 is disclosed in
The sensor 246 may be employed, for example, to track the length LS of the shaft 204 that extends into the open cavity 240, the current position of the distal end of the shaft 204, how far the coupler nut 224 is threaded onto the threads 232 of the shaft 204, the number of rotations or partial rotations of the shaft with flats 244 of the electric motor 226 or of the coupler nut 224, or other relative positions or movements of the components of the example motorized thread tensioner 200, or some combination thereof. Tracking any of this data can allow this data to be used to calculate the current length of the tensioner spring 202, which can be used to determine the current amount of tension that is being exerted by the tensioner spring 202 against the second disk 210, which can be used to determine how much tension is currently applied to the top thread 113 that is flossed between the first disk 208 and the second disk 210. This determination may be made by the one or more processors 106, disclosed in connection with
In contrast, as disclosed in the reverse progression from
It is understood that the sensor 246 may additionally or alternatively be employed to track a relative motion a component, such as a number of rotations or partial rotations of the shaft with flats 244 of the electric motor 226 and/or of the coupler nut 224, which tracking may then be employed to calculate the current tension on the top thread 113. It is further understood that the sensor 246 may additionally or alternatively be a sensor that employs magnets, such as a Hall effect sensor, to track the number of rotations or partial rotations of the coupler nut 224. For example, one or more magnets may be positioned on the coupler nut 224, and a Hall effect sensor may track the number of rotations by tracking variations in a magnetic field of the magnets.
It is understood that the threads 232 of the shaft 204 and the threads of the threaded opening 234 of the coupler nut 224 may be reversed to where the first rotational direction is a counterclockwise direction and the second rotational direction is a clockwise direction. It is further understood that although the tensioner spring 202 is in direct contact with the head 230 of the shaft 204 and is only indirectly exerting a force against the second disk 210 through the tensioner spring base 206, this arrangement may be rearranged to where the tensioner spring 202 is in direct contact with the second disk 210 and/or is only indirectly exerting a force against the head 230 of the shaft 204.
The GUI 400 of
Although the GUI tension controls are disclosed in
The GUI 500 of
The embodiments described herein may include the use of a special-purpose or general-purpose computer, including various computer hardware or software modules, as discussed in greater detail below.
Embodiments described herein may be implemented using non-transitory computer-readable media for carrying or having computer-executable instructions or data structures stored thereon. Such computer-readable media may be any available media that may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable storage media including RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other storage medium which may be used to carry or store one or more desired programs having program code in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which may be accessed and executed by a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or virtual computer such as a virtual machine. Combinations of the above may also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.
Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or virtual computer such as a virtual machine to perform a certain method, function, or group of methods or functions. Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological steps, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps described above. Rather, the specific features and steps described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
As used herein, the term “program” may refer to software objects or routines that execute on a computing system. The different programs described herein may be implemented as objects or processes that execute on a computing system (e.g., as separate threads). While the GUIs described herein are preferably implemented in software, implementations in hardware or a combination of software and hardware are also possible and contemplated.
All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical objects to aid the reader in understanding the example embodiments and the concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically-recited examples and conditions.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/064,838, filed Oct. 16, 2014, and titled “MOTORIZED THREAD TENSIONER FOR A SEWING MACHINE,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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