Patent Grant
7584709
The present invention relates to a sewing frame for extending and holding a cloth to be embroidered with a sewing machine, and a sewing frame drive mechanism to drive the sewing frame.
In the aforementioned sewing frame drive mechanism such as a related art sewing frame drive mechanism 900 shown in
There has been a well-known mechanism structured to apply the sewing cloth to a sewing window formed in the cylindrical sewing frame via an interliner, and to allow the frame drive mechanism of the embroidery sewing machine to move the sewing frame in the longitudinal direction and to rotate the sewing frame around the axis in the longitudinal direction to embroider the sewing cloth.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-326049, the longitudinally long sewing window is formed in the cylindrical sewing frame to hold the interliner which covers the sewing window at the sewing frame with the interliner holding member which is longer than the sewing window such that the tubular sewing cloth such as socks, wrist bands or the like is applied to the interliner. The similarly structured frame is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2004-91974.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-7-109660, the longitudinally short sewing frame is supported at the cylindrical inner frame internally to suppress jumping or deformation of the hat held by the sewing frame.
In Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2004-49548, the cylindrical frame is divided into a pair of front and rear cylindrical elements in the longitudinal direction to form the sewing window therebetween having substantially entire periphery opened, and the longitudinal position of one of those elements is adjusted to allow the length of the sewing window to be changed.
The structure shown in
It is therefore an object of the present invention to suppress hanging down of the front end of the sewing frame.
In the sewing frame disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-326049 or No. JP-A-7-109660, the embroidery range on the sewing cloth is defined by the size of the sewing window. When the large embroidery pattern long in the longitudinal direction and wide in the lateral direction is formed on the long tubular cloth like jeans, the sewing window becomes large in accordance with the size of the embroidery pattern. If the sewing window is enlarged in the generally employed cylindrical frame, the interliner (interlining paper) is set on the sewing frame, on which the sewing cloth is applied for the purpose of compensating the reduction in the force for holding the sewing cloth. Upon processing of the long and heavy material such as the jeans and the golf bag, the sewing frame is required to be long. The front end of the cylindrical frame hangs downward with the sewing frame and the sewing material, resulting in deteriorated accuracy for processing the embroidery pattern.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sewing frame capable of enlarging the embroidery range without reducing the force for holding the sewing cloth, applying the sewing cloth easily without interliner, and processing the embroidery pattern on the long tubular cloth with high accuracy by preventing the front hanging of the sewing frame.
The sewing frame disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-326049 holds only the front and rear ends of the interliner holding member. If the length of the interliner holding member is increased, the force for holding the interliner around the intermediate area of the sewing window becomes insufficient. The impact caused by the needle drop may deform the interliner, and accordingly, slack or wrinkles may occur in the sewing cloth, resulting in deteriorated accuracy in processing the embroidery pattern.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the processing accuracy in the embroidery pattern with the long sewing frame with a longitudinally long sewing window by preventing deformation of the interliner which covers the sewing window.
In the sewing frame disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-326049, the sewing window is formed on the peripheral wall of the sewing frame. In the case where the embroidery pattern which is long in the longitudinal direction is processed on the long tubular cloth, for example, the sleeve of the outer wear, the trousers (jeans) and the like, the cylindrical frame has to be replaced. In the cylindrical frame disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2004-49548 allows adjustment of the length of the sewing window. However, as the sewing window is widely opened in the peripheral direction of the cylindrical frame, the force for holding the sewing cloth becomes insufficient especially when the long embroidery pattern is processed on the lateral area of the long tubular cloth, resulting in lack of practicality.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sewing frame for processing the embroidery which allows accurate processing of various embroidery patterns in the lateral direction while being long in the longitudinal direction on the long tubular cloth.
The sewing frame disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-326049 or No. JP-A-2004-91974 has the disadvantage in the weight resulting from the elongated sewing frame, and has the sewing window formed into the rectangular shape. In the case where the irregularly shaped cloth having a narrow portion, for example, boot-cut jeans is processed, the sewing frame with the diameter which can be inserted into the narrow portion is required. However, as the width of the sewing window becomes insufficient for processing the large pattern on the wide portion, the sewing frame has to be replaced with the large-diameter sewing frame having the wide sewing window, resulting in the disadvantage of requiring two kinds of cylindrical frames for processing a single cloth. As the tubular cloth is applied onto the sewing window with the embroidery pattern to be processed being cylindrically curved, the embroidering process may be limited owing to difficulty in stitching of the cord and sequin.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sewing frame capable of efficiently processing the embroidery patterns with different sizes with respect to the narrow portion and the wide portion of the long cloth using the light-weight sewing frame. It is another object of the present invention to provide the light and flat plate-like sewing frame capable of efficiently processing the embroidery pattern on the tubular cloth in accordance with an arbitrary embroidery method.
In order to achieve the object, a sewing frame of a sewing machine according to the present invention comprises supported portions each provided at a front end and a rear end of the sewing frame. The supported portions are supported at a front frame side portion and a rear frame side portion of a rectangular support frame so as to be movable in a lateral direction. The “movable in a lateral direction” represents that at least a part of the sewing frame is movable in the lateral direction. More specifically, the case where the flat sewing frame is movable in parallel with the lateral direction, and the upper portion of the cylindrical sewing frame for extending/holding the sewing cloth is movable in the lateral direction accompanied with the rotation of the frame may be exemplified, which will apply to the description to be explained as follows.
The sewing frame drive mechanism of the sewing machine for driving a sewing frame for extending and holding a sewing material according to the present invention comprises a rectangular support frame which is movable in a longitudinal direction and not movable in the lateral direction, and support mechanisms each provided at a front frame side portion and a rear frame side portion of the support frame. The support mechanisms support a front end and a rear end of the sewing frame, respectively, so that the front and rear end of the sewing frame are movable in a lateral direction.
Preferably, the sewing frame drive mechanism is provided with a front hang preventive mechanism which prevents the front frame side portion of the support frame from hanging downward with respect to the rear frame side portion. Preferably, the front hang preventive mechanism includes left and right protruding portions of a table which protrude relatively forward by forming a recess portion from a front side of the table rearward, and left and right frame side portions of the support frame movably disposed in a longitudinal direction above the left and right protruding portions. However, they are not limited to those described above. Preferably, the slide member for reducing the sliding friction is interposed between the lateral protrusion and the lateral frame side portion.
Preferably, the sewing frame drive mechanism is provided with a guide mechanism which guides a longitudinal movement of the support frame so as not to move in a lateral direction to prevent a lateral shaking. Preferably, the guide mechanism is formed of left and right inner end surfaces of a recess portion formed from a front side of a table rearward, and a guide roller attached to left and right frame side portions of the support frame allowed to roll in abutment against the inner end surfaces. However, they are not limited to those described above.
The guide mechanism is not limited to the specific structure. Preferably, however, the guide mechanism includes a position adjustment mechanism which adjusts a position of the guide roller in a lateral direction. It is preferable to attach the guide roller to the top end portion of the protruding member having the base portion fixed to the support frame and the top end portion attached to the protruding member protruding into the support frame, and further preferable to combine the long hole laterally extending through the base portion of the protruding member with a screw for fixing the long hole with the support frame.
It is preferable to use the sewing frame drive mechanism when the longitudinal length of the sewing frame is 30 cm or longer, and more preferably, when it is in the range from 50 to 100 cm. As the sewing frame becomes longer, the need for the drive mechanism is heightened. The upper limit of the length is set because excessively long frame may deteriorate the practical usability.
Various kinds of trousers, for example, jeans may be exemplified as the sewing cloth. However, it is not limited to those described above.
When the sewing frame is cylindrical, the sewing frame includes a cylindrical inner frame inserted into the sewing frame and supported at a rear frame side portion of the support frame so as not to be rotated. The supported portion which is supported at a front frame side portion of the support frame is formed at a front end of the inner frame. An opening with a size which allows an operator's hand to be inserted into the inner frame is formed in a front end thereof.
In the sewing frame drive mechanism, front and rear ends of each of a plurality of the sewing frames are supported at front and rear frame side portions of the support frame by the support mechanisms, and a lateral intermediate portion of the front frame side portion of the support frame is supported by a front frame side support mechanism so as to be movable in a longitudinal direction, and so as not to have a front portion hang downward. The front frame side support mechanism is not limited to the specific structure. Preferably, however, it includes a longitudinally extending support shaft which is provided movably in the longitudinal direction with the support frame, and supports a lateral intermediate portion of the front frame side portion at the front end. The above structure prevents the front end of the support shaft which directly supports the support frame from projecting forward of the support frame so as not to become the obstacle to the entire front frame side support mechanism.
It is preferable to connect the rear end of the support shaft to the lateral intermediate position of the rear frame side portion of the support frame for the purpose of further stabilizing the support shaft. However, it is not limited to the one as described above.
The front frame side support mechanism includes a support frame fixed to a sewing machine frame and a support shaft with which the support frame is movably provided in the longitudinal direction. A front end of the support shaft is provided with a support portion for supporting the lateral intermediate portion of the front frame side portion. A front end of the support frame is provided with an antivibrating device in contact with at least an upper surface of the support shaft for regulating vibration of the shaft.
The antivibration member is not limited to the specific member. For example, the slide member which is slidably in contact with the support shaft, or the rolling member which is rolling in contact with the support shaft may be used. The slide member or the rolling member may be brought into contact with the upper surface of the support shaft so as to suppress the vertical vibration of the shaft from one side. The slide member or the rolling member may be brought into contact with the upper and the lower surfaces of the support shaft so as to restrict the vertical vibration of the shaft from both sides.
The front frame side support mechanism may be structured to include a link member linked to the lateral intermediate portion of the support frame and a bearing member for bearing the link member movably in the longitudinal direction at a lower side of the support frame. The bearing member may be connected to the sewing machine frame, disposed on the floor surface, or supported at the sewing machine frame and the floor surface. It is preferable to provide the bearing member having its height adjustable.
Various modes of the sewing frame may include the following.
[A] The sewing frame has a longitudinally long cylindrical shape and includes a cylindrical inner frame to be inserted into the sewing frame. A longitudinally long sewing window is formed in the sewing frame for defining an embroidery range to be processed on a sewing cloth. A rear end of the sewing frame is provided with a link portion linked to a rotating drive mechanism on the support frame. A longitudinally long needle hole through which a sewing needle of en embroidery sewing machine pierces is formed in the inner frame. A rear end of the inner frame is provided with an attachment portion attached to a fixing portion on the support frame. A front end of one of the sewing frame and the inner frame is provided with a support portion supported at a front frame of the support frame.
[B] The sewing frame has a cylindrical shape, and includes the sewing window for defining an embroidery range to be processed on a sewing cloth formed therein. An interliner which covers the sewing window is used to hold the sewing cloth along an outer surface of the sewing frame. An interliner holding member for pressing the interliner against the sewing frame is provided. Front and rear ends of the interliner holding member are held at the sewing frame to front and rear portions of the sewing window. A pressure member for pressing an intermediate portion of the interliner holding member against the sewing frame at a longitudinal intermediate portion of the sewing window is provided.
The interliner holding member is not limited to the specific member. For example, the band-like member, bar-like member, the rigid member, the elastic member and the like each having substantially the same length as that of the sewing frame may be used. A pair of left and right interliner holding members may be provided at the left and right sides of the sewing frame. One of the front and rear ends of the interliner holding member may be fixedly held at the sewing frame, while holding the other end to be detachable with respect to the sewing frame so as to allow easy replacement of the interliner.
The pressing member is not limited to the specific member. For example, the member for pressing the interliner holding member against the sewing frame using elasticity of its own, or the member for pressing the interliner holding member against the sewing frame using the attracting force of the magnet may be used. The pressing member may be provided movably on the sewing frame between the operational position and the non-operational position so as to easily release the pressing force applied to the interliner holding member upon replacement of the interliner. Specifically, the pressing member is rotatably or slidably attached to the sewing frame so as to be movable between the operational position overlapped with the interliner holding member and the non-operational position remote from the interliner holding member. The number of the pressing members is not limited to the specific value, which may be set to one or more.
[C] The sewing frame includes a base frame attached to a frame drive unit of an embroidery sewing machine and a longitudinally long cloth application frame to which a sewing cloth is applied. The base frame is provided with a front support portion for supporting a front end of the cloth application frame and a rear support portion for supporting a rear end of the cloth application frame. A sewing window for defining an embroidery range to be processed on the sewing cloth is formed between the front end and the rear end of the cloth application frame. A plurality of cloth application frames each having differently shaped sewing window are replaceably attached to the base frame (in the state in which the cloth application frames extend between the front and rear support portions of the base frame).
The following structures with respect to the base frame and the cloth application frame may be employed.
Preferably, the sewing frame may be structured as described below.
The following structures may be employed for fixing the periphery of the embroidery range on the tubular cloth.
The following structures may be employed for the sewing frame.
According to an aspect of the present invention, basically, the front and rear ends of the sewing frame are supported at the front and rear frame side portions of the rectangular support frame such that the front end of the sewing frame is unlikely to hang downward.
In addition to the aforementioned basic effect, the following effects may be obtained from another aspect of the present invention.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the opening is formed in the front end of the inner frame of the sewing frame. Besides the basic effect, this may provide the advantage for the operator to be allowed to insert the hand through the opening to easily replace the bobbin of the sewing machine bed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the front end of the sewing frame is supported at the support frame such that the lateral intermediate portion of the support frame is supported so as not to have the front end hang downward.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the antivibration member in contact with the support shaft is attached to the support frame fixed to the sewing machine frame to suppress the vibration of the support shaft and the support frame, thus processing the long sewing cloth on the sewing frame with high accuracy.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the bearing member is provided to bear the link member linked to the support frame from its lower side. This makes it possible to process the heavy sewing cloth on the long sewing frame with high accuracy.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the long inner frame is inserted into the long sewing frame to support the sewing cloth from the inside of the sewing window as the double frame structure including the outer and inner frames. The sewing window may be widely opened in the longitudinal and circumferential directions of the sewing frame without reducing the holding force applied to the sewing cloth to ensure sufficient embroidery range for the large pattern to be processed on the long tubular cloth. Also, the use of the interliner is unnecessary, and thus cloth application may be simply performed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the pressure member presses the intermediate portion of the interliner holding member against the sewing frame. The force for holding the interliner around the intermediate portion of the sewing window may be intensified to make it sure to prevent slack of the interliner. If the length of the interliner holding member is increased for embroidering the long tubular cloth, deformation of the interliner may be prevented, and the sewing cloth may be held while being appropriately kept along the outer peripheral surface of the sewing frame, thus processing the embroidery pattern with high accuracy.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the base frame supports the cloth application frame at the front and the rear ends, which allows the length of the sewing window to be increased along the substantially whole length of the cloth application frame. The cloth application frame is replaceably attached to the base frame such that the shape of the sewing window and the opening area are appropriately selected in accordance with the embroidery patterns. The embroidery may be processed with high accuracy in the longitudinal long and laterally various patterns of the long tubular sewing cloth.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the sewing window is formed to be longitudinally long in the flat plate-like sewing frame. This allows the entire sewing frame to be lighter than the cylindrical frame upon embroidery process on the long sewing cloth, resulting in the high speed processing of the embroidery patterns. The reinforcing rib is disposed along the longitudinal edge of the sewing window to prevent deformation of the sewing frame and to appropriately support the sewing cloth on the horizontal plane. The narrow portion and the wide portion are formed at the front and the rear portions of the sewing window. This may eliminate the replacement of the frame upon processing of the irregularly configured sewing product, for example, the boot-cut jeans, thus allowing the efficient processing of the different sizes of the embroidery patterns on the different portions of the sewing cloth using a single sewing frame.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the long and narrow sewing window is formed in the long and narrow flat plate-like sewing frame. The tubular cloth which covers the embroidery range may be stretched flat over the sewing window. The structure may be adaptable for the arbitrary embroidery method. The flat frame may be made lighter than the cylindrical frame upon processing of the embroidery on the tubular sewing cloth, which is advantageous for the high-speed processing of the embroidery patterns.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the operator is allowed to position the sewing start point to the needle drop hole easily based on the contour of the opening of the positioning jig.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a single flat frame is adaptable to the tubular sewing cloth with different width and embroidery range. Besides the maximum embroidery range, according to another aspect of the present invention, the single flat frame is adaptable to the processing of the irregularly configured sewing product such as the boot-cut jeans without requiring the frame replacement.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the strength may be ensured by the sewing frame or the holding frame. The structure which has an influence on the embroidery area may be simplified, which is adaptable to the processing of the long tubular sewing cloth, for example, the trousers, sleeves of the outer ware and the like.
Referring to
The bed 7 is provided to protrude from the sewing machine frame 1f to the rear of or the downward of the recess portion 6h into or downward thereof. The bed 7 is inserted into an inner frame 9 which is inserted into the sewing frame 8. The inner frame 9 is a cylindrical frame with both ends opened. The rear end is supported at a rear frame side portion 11a of a support frame 11 provided for the sewing frame drive mechanism 10 so as not to be rotated. A slit hole 9h is formed in the upper portion of the inner frame 9 in the longitudinal direction such that the needle drop point P on the bed 7 is constantly exposed even if the inner frame 9 displaces in the longitudinal direction. The inner frame 9 is displaceable together with the sewing frame 8 in the longitudinal direction.
The sewing frame 8 has the cylindrical body with a bottom and is structured to have the front end provided with an end surface 8a. The inner frame 9 is inserted into the sewing frame 8 so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction. A sewing window 8h is formed in the upper portion of the sewing frame 8 for extending/holding the sewing cloth (not shown) between the sewing machine head (not shown) and the needle drop point P. A shaft 8b serving as the supported portion that is to be rotatably supported to the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11 extends from the center of the end surface 8e forward at the front end of the sewing frame 8. An engagement portion 8a to be rotatably supported as the supported portion is disposed at the rear end of the rear frame side portion 11a. The longitudinal length L1 of the sewing frame 8 disposed in the multi-headed sewing machine 1 is in the range from 70 to 80 cm, excluding the length of the shaft 8b.
The sewing frame drive mechanism 10 is formed of: a rectangular support frame 11 in which plural pairs of the sewing frame 8 and the inner frame 9 are arranged so as to be supported; rear end support mechanisms 12 which rotatably connect the rear ends of the sewing frames 8 to the rear frame side portion 11a of the support frame 11 so as to be supported; front end support mechanisms 17 which rotatably link the front ends of the sewing frames 8 to the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11 so as to be supported; engagement mechanisms 22 which engage the rear frame side portion 11a of the support frame 11 with the beds 7 so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction; front hang preventive mechanisms 32 which prevent the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11 from hanging downward with respect to the rear frame side portion 11a; and guide mechanisms 42 which prevent the lateral vibration by guiding the longitudinal displacement of the support frame 11 so as not to be displaced.
In the support frame 11, the rear frame side portion 11a is supported at the longitudinal drive units 51 allowed to be longitudinally driven. Accordingly, the rear frame side portion 11a serves as the drive frame for longitudinally driving the sewing frames 8. The lateral drive unit 52 is disposed on the rear frame side portion 11a. Meanwhile, the front frame side 11b, left and right frame sides 11c, 11d of the support frame 11 serve as the front end support frames for supporting each front end of the sewing frames 8. The front frame side 11b is linked to the front ends of the left and right frame side portions 11c, 11d so as to be replaced via a link portion 11x.
The rear end support mechanism 12 is formed of: a perpendicular plate 13 which hangs downward from the rear frame side portion 11a; a circular drive ring 14 which supports a base end (engagement portion 8a) of the sewing frame 8; and a plurality of support rollers 15 which grip the drive ring 14 rotatably from the outer periphery. The perpendicular plate 13 includes a shaft hole (not shown) in the center through which the bed 7 is inserted. The rear end of the inner frame 9 is supported outward of the hole so as not to be rotated. Meanwhile, the front end support mechanism 17 is formed of the shaft 8b attached to the front end of the sewing frame 8 and a support portion 18 protruding downward from the front frame side portion 11b to rotatably support the shaft 8b.
The engagement mechanism 22 is formed of an upper engagement portion 23 formed at the upper portion and the periphery of the bed 7, and a lower engagement portion 26 formed at the lower portion and the periphery of the bed 7. The upper engagement portion 23 is formed of an upper guide groove 24 which is a thin and long recess portion longitudinally extending at the upper portion of the bed 7, and a guided member 25 attached to the rear frame side portion 11a to be longitudinally movably engaged with the upper guide groove 24. Meanwhile, the lower engagement portion 26 is formed of a lower guide groove 27 which is a thin and long recess portion longitudinally extending at the lower portion of the bed 7, and a guided member 28 attached to the perpendicular plate 13 of the rear end support mechanism 12 to be longitudinally movably engaged with the lower guide groove 27.
The front hang preventive mechanism 32 is formed of: lateral protrusions 33 of the table 6 at the left and right of the recess portion 6h, which protrude relatively forward caused by forming the recess portion 6h in the table 6; a felt 34 which is thin and long to be longitudinally applied on the lateral protrusions 33 along the recess portion 6h as the slide members for reducing the sliding friction; and the left and right frame side portions 11c, 11d of the support frame 11 disposed on the felt 34.
The guide mechanism 42 is formed of: longitudinally extending guide surfaces 43 formed on the left and right end surfaces of the recess portions 6h; protruding members 44 having the base portion fixed to the support frame 11 and having the leading end protruding into the support frame 11; and guide rollers 45 supported at the end portion of the protruding member 44 so as to roll in contact with the guide surface 43. In the guide mechanism 42, the guide rollers 45 abut against the opposite guide surfaces 43 so as to prevent the lateral deformation and deviation of the support frame 11.
The protruding member 44 has a base portion 44a that is attached to the upper surface of the support frame 11. A bent portion 44c bent downward from the base portion 44a to the leading end 44b is formed at the intermediate position between the base portion 44a and the leading end portion 44b such that the level of the leading end 44b is lower than the level of the upper surface of the support frame 11. The guide roller 45 is rotatably supported at the rotating axis 45x which protrudes from the lower surface of the leading end portion 44b of the protruding member 44. The respective numbers of the guide rollers 45 and the protruding members 44 which support the guide rollers 45 are set to one each at the left and right sides, in the first embodiment.
The guide mechanism 42 includes a position adjusting mechanism 46 for adjusting the position of the guide roller 45 in the lateral direction. The position adjusting mechanism 46 is formed of a long hole 47 formed in the base portion 44a of the protruding member 44 extending in the lateral direction, and a screw 48 for fixing the long hole 47 to the left or right frame side portion 11c, 11d.
The plural longitudinal drive units 51 each having a thin and long shape are provided in the longitudinal direction above the rear frame side portion 11a, and the rear frame side portion 11a is supported by the longitudinal drive units 51 from above so as to be driven in the longitudinal direction. The lateral drive unit 52 having the thin and long shape is provided in the lateral direction above the rear frame side portion 11a to drive all the sewing frames 8 to be rotated by rotating the drive rings 14.
According to the first embodiment, the front and rear ends of the sewing frame 8 are supported at the front and rear frame side portions 11b, 11a of the support frame 11 such that the sewing frame 8 becomes unlikely to displace with respect to the support frame 11 in the vertical and lateral directions. The support frame 11 which supports the sewing frame 8 becomes unlikely to hang downward by providing the front hang preventive mechanism 32. The support frame 11 becomes unlikely to displace in the lateral direction by providing the guide mechanism 42. The sewing frame 8 becomes unlikely to displace with respect to the support frame 11 in the vertical and lateral directions, and the support frame 11 becomes unlikely to hang downward and to displace in the lateral direction. Accordingly the sewing frame 8 is allowed to be unlikely to hang downward and to displace in the lateral direction. The quality of the sewing cloth may be improved.
The guide mechanism 42 guides the displacement of the support frame 11 along the inner side surface of the recess portion 6h of the table 6 requiring no exclusive rail, thus simplifying the structure and reducing the cost. As the sewing frame 8 is supported at two points, the sewing frame 8 may be formed to be compact.
The respective numbers of the guide rollers 45 and the protruding members 44 which support the guide rollers currently set to two at both sides may be increased to three, four and the like.
Rather than providing the end surface 8e and the shaft 8b at the front end of the sewing frame 8 to rotatably support the shaft 8b, the similar end surface and the shaft may be provided at the front end of the inner frame 9 such that the shaft is supported so as not to be rotated. Thereby, the front end of the sewing frame 8 is rotatably supported via the inner frame 9.
The second embodiment shown in
For replacement of the front support mechanism 77, the front frame side portion 11b is removed by operating the link portion 11x and a front frame side portion 71b having the front end support mechanism 77 is attached.
The rear end support mechanism 72 is formed of a rear end 68a of the sewing frame 68 serving as the supported portion which is supported at the rear frame side portion 11a movably in the lateral direction, and a rear end support member 73 that supports the rear end 68a by linking it to the lateral drive unit 52 so as to be driven in the lateral direction.
The front end support mechanism 77 is formed of: a front end 68b of the sewing frame 68 serving as the supported portion to be movably supported at the frame side portion 71b in the lateral direction; a front end support portion 78 extending rearward from the front frame side portion 11b; and a front end support member 79 having the rear end attached to the front end 68b of the sewing frame 68 and the front end gripping the rear end of the front end support portion 78 slidably from the vertical direction to the lateral direction. A felt 80 is interposed between the rear end of the front end support portion 78 and the front end of the front end support member 79 which grips the rear end of the front end support portion 78.
According to the second embodiment, the flat sewing frame 68, instead of the cylindrical frame, may be supported only by replacing a part of the sewing frame drive mechanism 10 according to the first embodiment. This ensures to prevent the front portion of the sewing frame 68 from hanging downward.
The third embodiment shown in
The sewing frame 8 has a long cylindrical shape with the front and rear ends opened (see
A cup-like fixture member 9a is attached to the rear end of the inner frame 9, which is fixedly supported at the perpendicular plate 13 of the rear end support mechanism 12 with a screw 85 (see
A pair of rollers 81 engaged with the inner peripheral edge of the ring 8b are provided at the upper portion of the terminal plate 9b for rotatably supporting the front end of the sewing frame 8 around the axis of the cylindrical inner frame 9. The terminal plate 9b is provided with a bracket 82 as the supported portion at the front end of the sewing frame 8 which protrudes forward in parallel with the axis of the cylindrical inner frame 9 between the pair of rollers 81. An opening 83 which is large enough to allow the access of the operator's hand into the inner frame 9 is formed in the terminal plate 9b below the bracket 82.
The bracket 82 has the base end attached to the terminal plate 9b with the bolt 84 (see
A support piece 92 is provided at the lower end of the support 86 to protrude rearward, and a plate spring 93 for pressing the top end of the bracket 82 against the support piece 92 is attached to the upper surface thereof. An open hole 94 having substantially the same width as that of the plate spring 93 is formed in the top end of the bracket 82. The bent portion 93a of the plate spring 93 is fit with the open hole 94 such that the bracket 82 is supported at the support 86 at a set position in the lateral direction. The terminal plate 9b of the inner frame 9 includes a plurality of cushioning media 95 adhered to the surface opposite the ring 8b of the sewing frame 8.
With the sewing frame 8 according to the third embodiment, the supported portion attached to the front end of the inner frame 9 is supported at the support frame 11. This ensures to prevent the front portion of the sewing frame 8 from hanging downward in the same way as the first embodiment. Likewise the first embodiment, the inner frame 9 covers the inner surface of the sewing window 8h of the sewing frame 8 to support the sewing cloth at the cylindrical surface that is brought very close to the cylindrical surface of the sewing frame 8. The sewing window 8h may be largely opened to allow processing of the large embroidery pattern to the wide range of the long sewing cloth such as jeans with high accuracy. As the opening 83 is formed in the front end of the inner frame 9, the operator's hand is allowed to access inside of the inner frame 9 through the opening 83 (see arrow in
The fourth embodiment shown in
The plural longitudinal drive units 51 are arranged in the lateral direction. Each longitudinal drive unit 51 is formed of: a longitudinally extending support frame 51f; a support rail 51a attached to the support frame 51f to extend longitudinally; and a rear frame link member 51b which supports the rear frame side portion 11a at the support rail 51a linked thereto movably in the longitudinal direction.
A front frame side support mechanism 120 is provided to extend the longitudinal drive unit 51 at the lateral center forward. The rear portion of the front frame side support mechanism 120 is partially overlapped with the front portion of the longitudinal drive unit 51. Specifically, the front frame side support mechanism 120 is formed of: a support frame 122 to extend the support frame 51f further forward; a support rail 121 attached to the support frame 122 to further extend the support rail 51a forward; a support shaft 123 having the front end provided with a front frame side support member 131 for supporting the substantial center of the front frame side portion 11b in the lateral direction, and the rear end connected to the substantial center of the rear frame side portion 11a in the lateral direction via the rear frame link member 51b; and a front frame support member 128 which supports the longitudinal intermediate portion of the support shaft 123 which is linked to the support rail 121 movably in the longitudinal direction.
The longitudinal drive units 51 drive the rear frame link member 51b and the front frame support member 128 in the longitudinal direction to drive the support frame 11 longitudinally. The lateral drive unit 52 disposed above the rear frame side portion 11a drives the drive ring 14 of the rear end support mechanism 12 to be rotated such that the sewing frame 8 is driven to be rotated.
According to the fourth embodiment, the rear frame side portion 11a, and the left and right frame side portions 11c, 11d of the support frame 11 are supported movably in the longitudinal direction at the longitudinal drive units 51 and the front hang preventive mechanism (lateral frame support mechanism) 32. The front frame side portion 11b is also supported at the front frame side support mechanism 120 movably in the longitudinal direction. Even if the support frame 11 protrudes from the front end of the lateral protruding portion 33 to the great degree, the front frame side portion 11b is unlikely to hang downward with respect to the rear frame side portion 11a. Accordingly, the front end of the sewing frame 8 supported at the support frame 11 is unlikely to hang downward with respect to the rear end. Therefore, the sewing frame 8 may be smoothly driven, thus improving the quality of the sewing cloth. In the above-described structure, the front end of the support shaft 123 which directly supports the front frame side portion 11b does not protrude forward of the front frame side portion 11b. As the front frame side support mechanism 120 exhibits good storage capability as a whole, it is unlikely to become an obstacle.
If the number of heads of the sewing machine head 4 is increased, the number of the front frame side support mechanism 120 may be increased.
The fifth embodiment shown in
The sixth embodiment shown in
The upper front frame side support mechanism 120 has substantially the same structure as the one described in the fourth embodiment, including the support frames 122 and 51f which are long in the longitudinal direction. The rear end of the front frame side support mechanism 120 is attached to a rear beam 104 of the sewing machine frame 1f with a bracket 105, and the intermediate portion is attached to a front beam 106 with a bracket 107. A switch box 124 disposed on the upper surface of the front end of the support frame 122 includes a start/stop switch 125 and an emergency stop switch 126 for the multi-headed sewing machine 1 on the front surface. The respective switches 125 and 126 are arranged to be accessed by the hand of the operator who stands in front of the sewing machine 103 when the support frame 11 displaces to the forefront position.
A belt 112 and support rails 51a, 121 of the longitudinal drive unit 51 are provided on the support frame 122 between the front and rear ends. A shaft 114 for rotating a drive pulley (not shown) of the belt 112 is supported at the rear end of the support frame 122. The front frame side support member 131 is attached to the front end of the support shaft 123 to support the intermediate portion of the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11 in the lateral direction.
An antivibration unit 132 formed of a rigid resin block which slides on the upper surface of the support shaft 123 is fit with the lower surface of the front end of the support frame 122. The support shaft 123 displaces in the longitudinal direction with the support frame 11 accompanied with the rotation of the belt 112. The antivibration unit 132 regulates the vibration of the support shaft 123 from above such that the shaft 123 is guided while being held on the horizontal plane. Accordingly, the upper front frame side support mechanism 120 prevents the front portion of the support frame 11 from hanging downward with the support frame 122 and the support shaft 123, as well as regulates the vibration of the support frame 11 using the antivibration unit 132 so as to accurately process the embroidery on the sewing cloth on the long sewing frame 8.
Note that as the antivibration unit, the slide member shown in
Meanwhile, the lower front frame side support mechanism 141 shown in
The bearing member 143 includes a longitudinally long rail 149 at the inside of the channel steel with the open upper surface. The lower block 147 of the front frame link member 142 is connected to a slider 150 supported at the rail 149 with the bolt 151. The mount frame 144 includes a pair of front and rear screw type adjusters 152 for adjusting the height of the bearing member 143 on a horizontal frame 144a at the upper end, and the height adjuster 153 as described above and a vibration absorbing pad 154 at the lower end. The connector frame 145 has the rear end fixed to the leg portion 108 of the sewing machine frame 1f, and the front end connected to the mount frame 144 to be separative with a connector 155. The structure of the lower front frame side support mechanism 141 allows the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11 to be supported at the bearing member 143 at the lower side such that the front frame side portion does not hang downward, thus suppressing the vertical vibration of the front frame side portion 11b with the link member 142. This makes it possible to accurately process the embroidery on the heavy sewing cloth such as jeans which is applied to the long sewing frame 8.
The seventh embodiment shown in
The sewing window 8h is formed to have a circumferentially wide open area with the same length as that of the connector element 8f which is to be excluded from the open area. The shaft 8b supported at the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11 is formed on the front end surface of the front cylindrical element 8c to protrude therefrom. A connector portion 8a linked to the rotating drive mechanism 52a is provided at the rear end of the rear cylindrical element 8d. The bracket serving as the support portion 18 is attached to the front frame side portion 11b of the support frame 11, and a bearing 20 which supports the shaft 8b at the bracket.
The inner frame 9 is formed by connecting a short pipe 9b to the rear end of the long pipe 9a with substantially the same length as that of the sewing frame 8. A slit 9h with substantially the same length as that of the sewing window 8h, extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the circumferential wall of the long pipe 9a, through which an embroidery needle (needle for the embroidery sewing machine) 5 of the embroidery sewing machine 1 pierces. Meanwhile, an end plate 9c (see
Note that the structure for supporting the front end of the sewing frame 8 at the support frame 11 is not limited to the embodiment as shown in
The eighth embodiment shown in
The material, such as the cardboard and the nonwoven fabric, that exhibits relatively high rigidity and thickness sufficient to hold the shape of the sewing cloth W may be used as the interliner 160.
A pair of left and right band-like pieces 161 are fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the sewing frame 8 to extend along the longitudinal edge of the sewing window 8h. The bearing member 162 is formed between the band-like pieces 161. The bearing member 162 is formed like an arch to allow the interliner 160 to be supported within the same cylindrical surface as that of the sewing frame 8, and fit with the screw hole 165 of the band-like piece 161 with the screw 164 at the attachment portion 163 such that the longitudinal position is selectable. The interliner holding member 166 is disposed at the lower side of the left and right band-like pieces 161 to allow the interliner holding member 166 to press the interliner 160 against the sewing frame 8. The band-like pieces 161 prevents lack of the interliner 160 (see
Referring to
The pressure member 176 is provided at the lower side of the left and right interliner holding member 166 at the intermediate position of the sewing window 8h in the longitudinal direction. The pressure member 176 is formed of the strip-like plate spring and has the base end pivotally attached to the sewing frame 8 using the screw 177 and the nut 178, and the leading end provided with a bent pressure portion 179 for pressing the intermediate portion of the interliner holding member 166 against the sewing frame 8. The operator operates the pressure member 176 to rotate between the operational position at which the pressure portion 179 is overlapped with the outer surface of the interliner holding member 166 (indicated by the solid line in
In the case where the above-structured sewing frame 8 is used for processing the embroidery pattern on the long tubular cloth W like jeans, the pressure member 176 is rotated to the non-operational position to open the interliner holding member 166 such that the sewing window 8h is covered with the interliner 160 as shown in
Then the interliner 160 is covered with the sewing cloth W such that the sewing cloth W and the interliner 160 are tightened to the sewing frame 8 together with the interliner holding member 166 using the band 180 (see
The embodiment may be modified for the practical use as described below.
The ninth embodiment shown in
In the structure of the ninth embodiment, three sewing windows 8h1, 8h2 and 8h3, and the same number of reinforcing walls 8w1, 8w2 and 8w3 are formed on the sewing frame 8. This makes it possible to reduce the weight of the long sewing frame 8 without deteriorating its rigidity. As the three sewing windows 8h1, 8h2 and 8h3 form the large opening as a whole in the circumferential direction of the sewing frame 8, the respective sewing windows 8h1, 8h2 and 8h3 are selectively set as the sewing position of the embroidery sewing machine 1 by the rotating drive mechanism 52a so as to greatly enlarge the embroidery range covered by the sewing frame 8. Accordingly, the longitudinally long embroidery pattern may be easily processed on the respective portions of jeans, for example, in the circumferential direction without applying the sewing cloth W again.
The tenth embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment except that the cylindrical sewing frame 8 includes a base frame 8m and a plurality of cloth application frames 182 each having the differently shaped sewing window, which are replaceably attached to the base frame 8m. The explanation of the first embodiment may be used for the other structures that are similar to those of the first embodiment.
Referring to
A shaft 8b is formed on the front end surface of the front element 8c to protrude therefrom. A front support portion 8j for supporting the front end 182a of the cloth application frame 182 is attached to the peripheral wall of the front element 8c. A flange 170 is fixed to the rear element 8d which is provided with an engagement portion (attachment portion) 8a attached to the rotating drive mechanism 52a to the rear of the flange 170. A rear support portion 8k for supporting the rear end 182b of the cloth application frame 182 is formed to the front of the flange 170.
The cloth application frame 182 is formed into the semi-cylindrical shape through the sheet metal processing, and includes a sewing window 182h which defines the embroidery range on the sewing cloth W, a connector 182c connected to the link element 8f of the base frame 8m at the left and right sides of the sewing window 182h, and an opening 182d which opens the connector 182c in the lateral direction below the sewing window 182h within the cylindrical body having substantially the same diameter as that of the base frame 8m. The cloth application frame 182 is attached to the base frame 8m with a plurality of screws 183 (see
The plural cloth application frames 182 each having the differently shaped sewing window 182h are prepared for the sewing frame 8. The cloth application frame 182A shown in
Each of the sewing windows 182Ah to 182 Dh extends to be long between the front end 182a and the rear end 182b of each of the cloth application frames 182A to 182D, such that the series of embroidery patterns in the longitudinal direction are processed on the sewing cloth W. In the state where the front and rear ends 182a and 182b are set at the corresponding front and rear support portions 8j and 8k of the base frame 8m, each of the cloth application frames 182A to 182D is replaceably held at the base frame 8m. The sewing cloth W is held at the sewing frame 8 with a belt 184 (see
The use of the sewing frame 8 for the embroidering process according to the tenth embodiment provides the following functions and effects.
The eleventh embodiment shown in
The cloth application frame 182 is formed into a cylindrical shape having entire circumference closed and has the sewing window 182h in the cylindrical surface with substantially the same diameter as that of the base frame 8m for defining the embroidery range to be processed on the sewing cloth W. The front end 182a of the cloth application frame 182 is inserted into the front support portion 8j of the base frame 8m, and the rear end 182b is inserted into the rear support portion 8k. Referring to
The use of the sewing frame 8 for the embroidery processing according to the eleventh embodiment provides the following effects.
In the twelfth embodiment shown in
The front end 68b is provided with a front support portion 68j for supporting the front end 183a of the cloth application frame 183. The rear end 68a is provided with a rear support portion 68k for supporting the rear end 183b. The cloth application frame 183 includes a sewing window 183h which extends between the front end 183a and the rear end 183b to define the embroidery range to be processed on the sewing cloth. A plurality of cloth application frames 183 (183A, 183B) each having the different shape are set by fitting the respective front and rear ends 183a and 183b with the corresponding front and rear support portions 68j and 68k of the base frame 68m so as to be replaceably attached to the base frame 68m. The use of the flat sewing frame 68 allows the accurate processing of the longitudinally long and laterally various patterns to be processed on the long tubular sewing cloth.
The thirteenth embodiment shown in
The sewing frame 68 is formed of a narrow front portion 68e, a wide rear portion 68f, and a tapered intermediate portion 68g. The front end of the front portion 68e is provided with a link portion 68b linked to the slide plate 79, and the rear end of the rear portion 68f is provided with a connector portion 68a connected to the rear end support member 73. The sewing window 69 is formed to be longitudinally long in the sewing frame 68 in the area excluding the link portion 68b and the connector portion 68a. The sewing window 69 is formed of a narrow portion 69a contained in the front portion 68e of the sewing frame 68, a wide portion 69b contained in the rear portion 68f, and a taper portion 69c contained in the intermediate portion 68g. The embroidery range to be processed on the long tubular sewing cloth W (see
Referring to
Referring to
In the case where the sewing frame 68 is used for processing the embroidery pattern on the long tubular cloth W like jeans, the positioning jig 201 is removed from the sewing frame 68 as shown in
Referring to
Meanwhile, in the case where the embroidery pattern is processed on the wide portion (around hip portion of jeans) Wb of the long tubular sewing cloth W, the wide portion 69b of the sewing window 69 is covered with the wide portion Wb, and the left and right sides of the sewing cloth W are fixed with cloth stoppers 190, 192 with the clips 194 by positioning the sewing start point to the needle drop hole P. Thereafter, the embroidery sewing machine 1 is activated to form the relatively large embroidery pattern on the wide portion Wb. The frame replacement may be eliminated upon processing of the irregularly shaped cloth such as the boot-cut jeans. This makes it possible to efficiently process the embroidery patterns of different sizes on the narrow portion Wa and the wide portion Wb of the sewing cloth W, using only a single kind of the sewing frame 68. The entire length of the sewing window 69 may be effectively used to easily process the longitudinally long embroidery pattern without applying the sewing cloth W to the sewing frame 68 again.
The thirteenth embodiment may be modified to have the following structures.
In the fourteenth embodiment shown in
The longitudinal length and the lateral length of the sewing frame 68 formed of the flat steel plate range from 60 to 100 cm, and 12 to 25 cm, respectively, for example. The front end of the sewing frame 68 is provided with the link portion 68b for linking the front end support member (slide plate) 79, and the rear end is provided with the connector 68a connected to the rear end support member 73. The sewing frame 68 includes the sewing window 69 to be long in the longitudinal direction on the area excluding the link portion 68b and the connector 68a. The sewing window 69 defines the range of embroidery processed on the long tubular sewing cloth W (see
Referring to
Referring to
In the case where the above-structured sewing frame 68 is used for processing the embroidery pattern on the long tubular sewing cloth W as the trousers (jeans, for example), the positioning jig 201 is removed from the sewing frame 68 (the sewing window 69 may be covered with the thick interliner (not shown) if needed), and then the tubular sewing cloth W is placed on the sewing frame 68 from the front end so as to cover the sewing window 69. The sewing frame 68 covered with the sewing cloth W is further covered with the positioning jig 201 (see
Referring to
In the first modified example according to the fourteenth embodiment shown in
According to the example, the single sewing frame 68 covers the tubular sewing cloth with different width and embroidery range, thus, ensuring the maximum embroidery range. The sewing window is retractable while changing its shape between the rectangle and the trapezoid. Accordingly, the single sewing frame 68 may be used for processing the irregularly shaped cloth such as the boot-cut jeans without requiring the frame replacement.
The second modified example according to the fourteenth embodiment shown in
According to the example, in the case where the embroidery pattern is processed on the narrow portion of the tubular sewing cloth W (for example, the bottoms of trousers), it is applied to the narrow portion 69a. In the case where the embroidery pattern is processed on the wide portion of the tubular sewing cloth W (for example, the hip portion of the trousers), it is applied to the wide portion 69b. In this case, the processing of the irregularly shaped cloth such as the boot-cut jeans requires no frame replacement. The single kind of the sewing frame 68 may be used to efficiently process the embroidery pattern with different size for the narrow portion and the wide portion of the sewing cloth. The retraction of the sewing window 69 may provide the same effects as those of the first modified example.
The sewing frame 68 according to the third modified example of the fourteenth embodiment shown in
In the example, as the strength of the sewing frame 68 and the holding frame 211 may further be intensified, the structure of the side which is likely to be affected by the embroidery area is simplified, which may be applicable to the long tubular sewing cloth such as the trousers and the sleeve.
The fourteenth embodiment may be put into the practical use by modifying it as follows.
Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described above, and modifications within a range that does not depart from the spirit of the present invention are possible.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-128178 | May 2006 | JP | national |
| 2006-128179 | May 2006 | JP | national |
| 2006-129707 | May 2006 | JP | national |
| 2006-130823 | May 2006 | JP | national |
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| 2006-130901 | May 2006 | JP | national |
| 2006-192205 | Jul 2006 | JP | national |
| 2007-028854 | Feb 2007 | JP | national |
| 2007-028859 | Feb 2007 | JP | national |
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| Number | Date | Country |
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| 7-109660 | Apr 1995 | JP |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080110384 A1 | May 2008 | US |
