Claims
- 1. A sewing machine, comprising:
- a needle bar to which a sewing needle conveying a sewing thread is secured;
- a loop catcher which catches a loop of the sewing thread conveyed by the sewing needle;
- a catcher shaft which is fixed to said loop catcher;
- a first drive device which includes an output shaft and which rotates said catcher shaft about an axis thereof and thereby rotates said loop catcher;
- a supporting device which is not rotatable, and which supports said catcher shaft such that the catcher shaft is rotatable about said axis thereof relative to said supporting device and is not movable in an axial direction thereof relative to the supporting device; and
- coupling means for connecting said catcher shaft to said output shaft of said first drive device such that a drive force of said first drive device is transmitted to said loop catcher via the output shaft, said coupling means and the catcher shaft, wherein the catcher shaft is movable in said axial direction thereof relative to the output shaft while a phase of the catcher shaft relative to the output shaft is substantially maintained.
- 2. A sewing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a main shaft to which said needle bar is connected, and a second drive device which rotates said main shaft and thereby reciprocates said needle bar, said first drive device being independent of said second drive device.
- 3. A sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises a first connecting member which is fixed to said output shaft of said drive motor and which includes a drive-force output portion, a second connecting member which is fixed to said catcher shaft fixed to said loop catcher and which includes a drive-force input portion, and a buffer member which is provided between said drive-force output and input portions.
- 4. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein said buffer member is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a rubber and a resin.
- 5. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein one of said first and second connecting members which is fixed to a corresponding one of said output shaft and said catcher shaft includes an engaging portion which engages the other one of the output shaft and the catcher shaft such that said other shaft is not movable relative to said engaging portion in a direction perpendicular to said axial direction of the catcher shaft, so that the output shaft and the catcher shaft are concentrically connected to each other.
- 6. A sewing machine according to claim 5, wherein said engaging portion comprises at least one of an engaging hole and an engaging projection.
- 7. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein said first connecting member includes said drive-force output portion extending parallel to said output shaft, said second connecting member includes said drive-force input portion extending parallel to said catcher shaft and being opposed to said drive-force output portion in a direction perpendicular to said axial direction of the catcher shaft, and said buffer member is sandwiched between said drive-force output and input portions.
- 8. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein said first connecting member additionally includes one of (a) a first engaging portion including a circular portion having a first outer diameter and a first part-doughnut portion which has a first inner diameter equal to the first outer diameter and a second outer diameter greater than the first inner diameter and which is integral with said circular portion and extends over a first angle smaller than 180.degree. and (b) a second engaging portion including a second part-doughnut engaging portion which has the first inner diameter and the second outer diameter and which extends over a second angle which is greater than 180.degree. and adds to the first angle to provide 360.degree., and said second connecting member additionally includes the other of said first and second engaging portions, said first and second engaging portions engaging each other such that the first and second engaging portions are not movable relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to said axial direction of the catcher shaft, so that the output shaft and the catcher shaft are concentrically connected to each other.
- 9. A sewing machine according to claim 3, wherein said first connecting member includes said drive-force output portion which engages a first engaging portion of said buffer member such that the buffer member is not movable relative to the drive-force output portion in a direction perpendicular to said axial direction of said catcher shaft, and said second connecting member includes said drive-force input portion which engages a second engaging portion of the buffer member such that the buffer member is not movable relative to the drive-force input portion in said direction perpendicular to said axial direction and which is opposed via the buffer member to the drive-force output portion in said axial direction.
- 10. A sewing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a position adjusting device which is operable for moving said catcher shaft in said axial direction thereof and thereby adjusting a position of the catcher shaft relative to said output shaft of said drive motor in said axial direction.
- 11. A sewing machine according to claim 10, further comprising a housing in which said catcher shaft and said output shaft of said drive motor are accommodated, wherein said position adjusting device comprises a rotatable adjusting member which is supported by said housing such that said adjusting member is rotatable about an axis line thereof and which has a first engaging portion which is eccentric with respect to said axis line, a case member which is movable relative to said housing in said axial direction of the catcher shaft and which has a second engaging portion which is engaged with said first engaging portion, and at least one bearing which is fixed to said case member and which bears the catcher shaft while permitting the rotation thereof and inhibiting the movement thereof relative thereto in said axial direction.
- 12. A sewing machine, comprising:
- a needle bar to which a sewing needle conveying a sewing thread is secured;
- a loop catcher which catches a loop of the sewing thread conveyed by the sewing needle;
- a catcher shaft which is fixed to said loop catcher;
- a drive device which includes an output shaft and which rotates said catcher shaft about an axis thereof and thereby rotates said loop catcher, said catcher shaft being integrally connected to said output shaft of said drive device, so that a drive force of said drive device is transmitted to said loop catcher via the output shaft and the catcher shaft, the catcher shaft being movable in an axial direction thereof together with said loop catcher and the output shaft of the drive device; and
- a position adjusting device which is operable for moving said catcher shaft and said output shaft of said drive device integrally connected to each other, in said axial direction of the catcher shaft, and thereby adjusting a position of said loop catcher in said axial direction.
- 13. A sewing machine according to claim 12, wherein said drive device comprises an electric motor including a rotor and a stator, said output shaft including a first portion fixed to said rotor, and a pair of bearings which bear a second and a third portion of said output shaft on both sides of said first portion thereof, respectively, while permitting the rotation of the output shaft and the movement thereof with said catcher shaft in said axial direction.
- 14. A sewing machine according to claim 12, further comprising a housing in which said catcher shaft and said output shaft of said drive motor are accommodated, and a rotary encoder including a rotary plate which has a plurality of slits and which is fixed to said output shaft and said catcher shaft integrally connected to each other, and a light emitter and a light receiver which are fixed to said housing and are opposed to each other via said rotary plate, said light emitter emitting a light toward said light receiver, said light receiver receiving the light emitted by the light emitter and transmitted through each of the slits of the rotary plate, said light emitter and receiver being remote from each other by a distance which defines a greatest possible distance over which said loop catcher is movable in said axial direction.
- 15. A sewing machine according to claim 12, wherein said catcher shaft and said output shaft of said drive device are provided by a single shaft member.
- 16. A sewing machine, comprising
- a needle bar to which a sewing needle conveying a sewing machine thread is secured;
- a loop catcher which catches a loop of the sewing thread conveyed by the sewing needle;
- a catcher shaft which is fixed to said loop catcher;
- a drive device which includes an output shaft connected to said catcher shaft and which rotates the catcher shaft about an axis thereof and thereby rotates said loop catcher;
- a supporting device which is not rotatable, and which supports said catcher shaft, wherein the catcher shaft is rotatable about said axis thereof relative to said supporting device and is not movable in an axial direction thereof relative to the supporting device; and
- a position adjusting device which is operable for moving said supporting device in said axial direction of the catcher shaft and thereby adjusting a position of said loop catcher in said axial direction.
- 17. A sewing machine according to claim 16, further comprising a housing in which said catcher shaft and said output shaft of said drive motor are accommodated, wherein said supporting device comprises a case member which is movable relative to said housing in said axial direction of the catcher shaft, and at least one bearing which is fixed to said case member and which bears the catcher shaft while permitting the rotation thereof and inhibiting the movement thereof relative thereto in said axial direction.
- 18. A sewing machine according to claim 17, wherein said position adjusting device comprises a rotatable adjusting member which is supported by said housing such that said adjusting member is rotatable about an axis line thereof and which has a first engaging portion which is eccentric with respect to said axis line, and a second engaging portion of said case member which is engaged with said first engaging portion.
- 19. A sewing machine according to claim 18, wherein said position adjusting device further comprising a fastening device which fastens said case member to said housing to inhibit the movement of the case member in said axial direction of said catcher shaft and unfastens the case member from the housing to permit the case member to be moved in the axial direction of the catcher shaft as a result of rotation of said rotatable adjusting member.
- 20. A sewing machine according to claim 19, wherein said fastening device comprises an engaging surface of said case member, and an externally threaded member which is threadedly engaged with an internally threaded hole of said housing and which is engageable with said engaging surface to fasten the case member to the housing.
- 21. A sewing machine according to claim 18, wherein said position adjusting device further comprising a fastening device which fastens said rotatable adjusting member to said housing to inhibit the rotation of the adjusting member and thereby inhibit the movement of said case member in said axial direction of said catcher shaft and unfastens the adjusting member from the housing to permit the adjusting member to be rotated to move the case member in the axial direction of the catcher shaft.
- 22. A sewing machine according to claim 21, wherein said fastening device comprises an externally threaded member, an engaging portion of said housing which is engageable with a base portion of said rotatable adjusting member, and an internally threaded hole of the housing in which said base portion of the adjusting member is provided and with which said externally threaded member is threadedly engaged to press the adjusting member against said engaging portion of the housing so as to fasten the adjusting member to the housing.
- 23. A sewing machine according to claim 16, further comprising a housing in which said catcher shaft and said output shaft of said drive motor are accommodated, wherein said supporting device comprises a case member which is movable relative to said housing in said axial direction of the catcher shaft, and at least one bearing which is fixed to said case member and which bears the catcher shaft while permitting the rotation thereof and inhibiting the movement thereof relative thereto in said axial direction, and wherein said position adjusting device comprising a rotatable adjusting member which is supported by said housing such that said adjusting member is rotatable about an axis line thereof and which has engaging projection which is eccentric with respect to said axis line, and an engaging elongate hole of said case member which is engaged with said engaging projection.
- 24. A sewing machine according to claim 16, further comprising coupling means which connects said catcher shaft to said output shaft of said drive device such that a drive force of said drive device is transmitted to said loop catcher via the output shaft, said coupling device and the catcher shaft, and such that the catcher shaft is movable in said axial direction thereof relative to the output shaft while a phase of the catcher shaft relative to the output shaft is substantially maintained.
- 25. A sewing machine according to claim 16, wherein said catcher shaft is integrally connected to said output shaft of said drive device so that a drive force of said drive device is transmitted to said loop catcher via the output shaft and the catcher shaft, the catcher shaft being movable in said axial direction thereof together with the output shaft as well as said loop catcher.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8-083352 |
Mar 1996 |
JPX |
|
8-085917 |
Mar 1996 |
JPX |
|
8-118506 |
Apr 1996 |
JPX |
|
9-054012 |
Feb 1997 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part application from the patent application Ser. No. 08/813,297, filed on Mar. 10, 1997 (Attorney Docket No. JAO 39372), now U.S. Pat. No. 5,718,183.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
B2-60-21750 |
May 1985 |
JPX |
A-3-234291 |
Oct 1991 |
JPX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
813297 |
Mar 1997 |
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