Patent Application
20230043017
This patent specification is based on Japanese patent application, No. 2021-128999 filed on Aug. 5, 2021 in the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a thread standing device and a sewing machine having the thread standing device.
In a lock stitch sewing machine, seams are formed by entangling an upper thread with a lower thread. The upper thread is wound around a thread reel and the thread reel is placed on a spool pin provided on a thread standing device of the sewing machine
Conventionally, a thread standing device having a plurality of spool pins is known. In such a thread standing device, the sewing can be performed using a plurality of upper threads and an upper thread for replacement can be preliminarily placed. In addition, a thread standing device capable of storing the spool pins is proposed to downsize the sewing machine during storage. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a thread standing device having a plurality of spool pins attachable to an upper lid of the sewing machine. In the above described thread standing device, the spool pins can be stored so that the upper lid can be closed during the storage of the sewing machine.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-208548
In the thread standing device of Patent Document 1, in order to switch the spool pins from a stored state to a usage state (deployed state) where the thread reels can be placed on the spool pins, an operator should pull up each of a plurality of spool pins. Thus, there is a room for improvement in operability.
The present invention provides a thread standing device capable of switching a plurality of spool pins between a stored state and a deployed state and a sewing machine having the thread standing device to improve the operability of the switching operation.
In the present invention, a thread standing device of a sewing machine capable of switching a plurality of spool pins between a stored state and a deployed state, the thread standing device including: an operation portion related to a switching operation of the plurality of spool pins, wherein the plurality of spool pins are switched from the stored state to the deployed state when the operation portion is operated.
In the above described thread standing device, it is preferred that the thread standing device further includes a base which swingably supports the spool pins; a slider which is slidably supported by the base; and an elastic body which energizes the spool pins in a direction of switching from the stored state to the deployed state, wherein the slider includes a stopper and an actuating portion which makes the slider slide when the operation portion is operated, the spool pins include a stored locking portion configured to be engaged with the stopper in the stored state and a deployed locking portion configured to be engaged with the stopper in the deployed state, and the slider is configured to slide for releasing an engagement between the stored locking portion and the stopper and swinging the spool pins kept in the stored state by the elastic body and the deployed locking portion is configured to be engaged with the stopper to keep the spool pins in the deployed state when the operation portion is operated.
In the above described thread standing device, it is preferred that the plurality of spool pins are configured to be simultaneously switched from the stored state to the deployed state when the operation portion is operated.
In the above described thread standing device, it is preferred that the plurality of spool pins are configured to be sequentially switched from the stored state to the deployed state when the operation portion is operated.
In addition, the present invention also relates to the sewing machine including any one of the above described thread standing devices.
By using the thread standing device and the sewing machine having the thread standing device of the present invention, a plurality of spool pins is switched from the stored state and the deployed state when the operation portion is operated. Thus, the operability is improved.
Hereafter, an embodiment of the thread standing device and an embodiment of the sewing machine having the thread standing device of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, the explanation will be made using the directions of right, left, front, rear, up, down, X, Y and Z shown in the drawings for convenience.
The base plate 3 includes a base plate body 3a, two long holes 3b penetrating through the base plate body 3a and extending in the left-right direction and three slider pins 3c protruded upward from the base plate body 3a. In addition, the base plate 3 includes an operation rod rotating shaft 3d located on the right part of the base plate body 3a so as to be protruded upward and an operation rod stopper 3e located near the operation rod rotating shaft 3d so as to be protruded upward. Although the reference numeral is omitted in
As illustrated, the right shaft plate 4 and the left shaft plate 5 have the same shape. The right shaft plate 4 and the left shaft plate 5 include shaft plate bodies 4a, 5a having an L-shape and spool pin rotating shafts 4b, 5b protruded rearward from the shaft plate bodies 4a, 5a respectively. As illustrated, the right shaft plate 4 and the left shaft plate 5 are mounted on the base plate 3 by the screws 31.
The right slider 6 includes a right slider body 6a having a plate shape. The right slider body 6a is provided with a right stopper 6b formed by folding the right slider body 6a upward. In addition, the right slider 6 includes two slider pins 6c protruded downward from the right slider body 6a so that the slider pins 6c are inserted into the long holes 3b.
After the slider pins 6c are inserted into the long holes 3b, the E-rings 32 are fitted around the slider pins 6c. Thus, the right slider 6 can be slidably mounted on the base plate 3. In addition, the right slider 6 includes a spring pin 6d protruded downward from the right slider body 6a and a right actuating pin 6e protruded upward from the right slider body 6a.
The left slider 7 includes a left slider body 7a having a plate shape. The length of the left slider body 7a is longer than that of the right slider 6. The left slider body 7a is provided with a left stopper 7b formed by folding the left slider body 7a upward and three long holes 7c extended in the left-right direction so that the slider pins 3c are inserted into the long holes 7c. After the long holes 7c are inserted around the slider pins 3c, the E-rings 32 are fitted around the slider pins 3c. Thus, the left slider 7 can be slidably mounted on the base plate 3. In addition, the left slider 7 includes a spring pin 7d protruded downward from the left slider body 7a and a left actuating pin 7e protruded upward from the left slider body 7a.
Note that the above described right stopper 6b and left stopper 7b correspond to “stopper” of the present specification and the right actuating pin 6e and the left actuating pin 7e correspond to “actuating portion” of the present specification.
One end portion of the right tension spring 8 is hooked on the above described not illustrated spring pin provided on the base plate 3 and the other end portion is hooked on the spring pin 6d of the right slider 6. Consequently, an energizing force is applied to the right slider 6 in the direction directed from right to left (the direction of arrow mark D shown in
One end portion of the left tension spring 9 is hooked on the above described spring pin provided on the base plate 3 and the other end portion is hooked on the spring pin 7d of the left slider 7. Consequently, an energizing force is applied to the left slider 7 in the direction directed from left to right (the direction of arrow mark B shown in
The operation lever 10 includes an operation lever body 10a located below and held by the operation rod 11 and a knob portion 10b protruded upward from the operation lever body 10a.
The operation rod 11 includes an operation rod body 11a having a plate shape. The operation rod body 11a is provided with a right pressing portion 11b and a left pressing portion 11c formed by folding the operation rod body 11a upward and a shaft hole 11d so that the operation rod rotating shaft 3d is inserted into the shaft hole 11d.
As illustrated, the above described operation lever 10 is mounted on the operation rod 11 by the screw 31. As illustrated, the operation rod 11 is rotatably mounted on the base plate 3 by inserting the shaft hole 11d around the operation rod rotating shaft 3d while interposing the operation rod coil spring 12 and fitting the E-rings 32 around the operation rod rotating shaft 3d. After the operation rod 11 is mounted, an energizing force is applied to the operation rod 11 by the operation rod coil spring 12 in a clockwise direction in a plan view (the direction of arrow mark A shown in
The right spool pin 13 includes a right rod-shaped portion 13a having a circular shape in a cross-section of an XZ plane and a right fixing portion 13b provided on one end portion of the right rod-shaped portion 13a. As shown in a partially enlarged view of
The left spool pin 14 includes a left rod-shaped portion 14a, a left fixing portion 14b, a base portion 14c, a protruded portion 14d, a deployed locking portion 14e, a deployed stopper portion 14f, a stored locking portion 14g, a pushing-out cam 14h and a shaft hole 14j which have the same configurations as those of the above described right spool pin 13. Note that the left spool pin 14 has the same shape as the right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 is rotated by 180 degrees around the vertical axis when compared to the right spool pin 13. Namely, although the shapes of the positons of the components forming the left spool pin 14 are same as those of the right spool pin 13, the explanation will be made by using different reference numerals for convenience.
The right spool pin 13 is rotatably mounted on the right shaft plate 4 by inserting the shaft hole 13j around the spool pin rotating shaft 4b while interposing the right-winding coil spring 15 and fitting the E-rings 32 around the spool pin rotating shaft 4b. After the right spool pin 13 is mounted, an energizing force is applied to the right spool pin 13 by the right-winding coil spring 15 in a clockwise direction in a viewpoint viewed from rear to front (the direction of arrow mark A shown in
The left spool pin 14 is rotatably mounted on the left shaft plate 5 by inserting the shaft hole 14j around the spool pin rotating shaft 5b while interposing the left-winding coil spring 16 and fitting the E-rings 32 around the spool pin rotating shaft 5b. After the left spool pin 14 is mounted, an energizing force is applied to the left spool pin 14 by the left-winding coil spring 16 in a counter-clockwise direction in a viewpoint viewed from rear to front (the direction of arrow mark C shown in
The thread standing device 1 composed of the above described components is operated as shown in
First, in the state shown in
In the above described state, the right slider 6 is moved leftward by an energizing force of the right tension spring 8 and the right actuating pin 6e is in contact with the right pressing portion 11b. In addition, the left slider 7 is moved rightward by an energizing force of the left tension spring 9 (shown in
In the above described state, the stored locking portion 13g of the right spool pin 13 is pressed against the right stopper 6b of the right slider 6 and the stored locking portion 14g of the left spool pin 14 is pressed against the left stopper 7b of the left slider 7. Thus, the right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 are stopped in a horizontally inclined posture (posture where the right rod-shaped portion 13a and the left rod-shaped portion 14a are directed in the left-right direction.
Note that the rotation angle of the operation rod 11 in the stored state shown in
As described above, when the right slider 6 and the left slider 7 are slid, the right stopper 6b is separated from the stored locking portion 13g and the left stopper 7b is separated from the stored locking portion 14g. Therefore, the right spool pin 13 is rotated in a clockwise direction in a viewpoint viewed from rear to front by an energizing force of the right-winding coil spring 15 and the left spool pin 14 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction in a viewpoint viewed from rear to front by an energizing force of the left-winding coil spring 16.
When the right spool pin 13 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the deployed locking portion 13e is in contact with the right stopper 6b as shown in
When the operator releases a hand from the operation lever 10, the operation rod 11 is rotated in a clockwise direction in a plan view as shown in
The left spool pin 14 in the deployed state can be also switched to the stored state same as the right spool pin 13. Note that the right slider 6 and the left slider 7 of the present embodiment are independently operated when switched from the deployed state to the stored state. Accordingly, when switching the right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 from the deployed state to the stored state, it is possible to press down the right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 simultaneously or press down one of them to switch it to the stored state and then press down the other.
Next, the second embodiment of the thread standing device of the present invention will be explained with reference to
The thread standing device 1B includes a right slider 6B instead of the above described right slider 6 provided on the thread standing device 1. The right slider 6B is different from the right slider 6 in the position of the right actuating pin 6e with respect to the right slider body 6a.
The right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 provided on the thread standing device 1B is stopped in a horizontally inclined posture in the stored state shown in
Also in the thread standing device 1B of the present embodiment, when switching from the stored state to the deployed state, the operator operates the operation lever 10 (shown in
In a state that the operation rod 11 is rotated to the rotation angle θα, the right pressing portion 11b is moved rightward. Here, since the right pressing portion 11b and the right actuating pin 6e are originally separated from each other by the distance 6 which is approximately same distance between the position d0 to the position dα, the right pressing portion 11b is moved so as to be approximately in contact with the right actuating pin 6e as shown in
When the operator releases a hand from the operation lever 10 in this state, the operation rod 11 and the right slider 6 operated as shown in
On the other hand, in order to switch both the right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 to the deployed state, the operation rod 11 is rotated to a rotation angle θβ as shown in
As described above, in the thread standing device 1B, the right spool pin 13 and the left spool pin 14 can be sequentially switched from the stored state to the deployed state in accordance with an operation amount of the operation lever 10. Namely, the operator can select the number of the spool pins of the deployed state in accordance with the sewing operation of the sewing machine. Thus, the operability can be improved and the usability can be improved.
Although the embodiments realizing the present invention are exemplified above, the present invention is not limited to a specific embodiment. Unless particularly limited in the above described explanation, various modification and change are possible in the range of the scope of the present invention described in the claims. In addition, the above described effects of the embodiments merely exemplify the effects arisen from the present invention. The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above described effects.
For example, the thread standing device 1B shown in
In addition, the number of the spool pins to be switched from the stored state to the deployed state is two in the above described embodiment. However, it is also possible to switch three or more spool pins from the stored state to the deployed state by adding a new slider in addition to the right slider 6 and the left slider 7 and a new pressing portion in addition to the right pressing portion 11b and the left pressing portion 11c provided on the operation rod 11, for example.
Note that, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Although it is to those skilled in the art, the following are disclosed as the one embodiment of this invention.
Mutually substitutable members, configurations, etc. disclosed in the embodiment can be used with their combination altered appropriately.
Although not disclosed in the embodiment, members, configurations, etc. that belong to the known technology and can be substituted with the members, the configurations, etc. disclosed in the embodiment can be appropriately substituted or are used by altering their combination.
Although not disclosed in the embodiment, members, configurations, etc. that those skilled in the art can consider as substitutions of the members, the configurations, etc. disclosed in the embodiment are substituted with the above mentioned appropriately or are used by altering its combination.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the sprit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-128999 | Aug 2021 | JP | national |
