JP2004113429A - sewing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to prevent a member constituting a threading mechanism from being damaged by restricting movement of a sewing needle in a state where a thread does not pass through an eye of a sewing needle.
A needle movement regulating mechanism includes a projection 137b also serving as a regulation member for regulating the downward movement of the sewing needle 50, and a coil spring for urging the projection 137b forward. In the state in which the needle thread 57 is not mounted on the sewing needle 50, the upper thread 57 is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle 50, and the protrusion 137b is held at the regulated position by the urging force of the coil spring. When the movement is restricted and the thread cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the protrusion 137b is pressed by the thread cassette and the protrusion 137b is switched from the restriction position to the restriction release position, and the movement restriction state of the sewing needle 50 is set. It is released.
[Selection diagram] FIG.

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sewing machine and, more particularly, to a sewing machine capable of restricting movement of a sewing needle in a state where a thread does not pass through an eye of the sewing needle.
[0002]
2. Description of the Related Art Various sewing machines provided with a threading mechanism for passing a thread through an eye of a sewing needle have been proposed. For example, a threading mechanism for a sewing machine proposed by the applicant of the present application includes a threading shaft that is vertically movable and rotatably disposed adjacent to a needle bar that holds a sewing needle at a lower end portion, and the threading shaft. And a threading hook which is attached to the lower end of the sewing needle and which hooks a thread located in the vicinity of the eye through the eye of the sewing needle.
[0003]
In this sewing machine, when an operator mounts a thread cassette containing a thread supply source such as a thread spool on a cassette mounting portion of the sewing machine main body, the threading shaft rotates in a predetermined direction in conjunction with the mounting operation. At the same time, the threading hook is inserted through the eye, and the thread located near the eye is hooked on the threading hook. Further, when the thread cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the threading shaft is rotated back in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction, and the threading hook is also rotated with the threading shaft. The eye is pulled out from the eye, and the threading operation through the eye is completed. Here, before the thread is passed through the eye by the threading mechanism, the vertical movement of the needle bar (sewing needle) is not particularly restricted, and the needle bar is moved up and down by manually operating a hand pulley or the like. When it is moved, the sewing needle moves freely in the vertical direction.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-191884 (pages 5 to 6, FIGS. 5 to 10, FIGS. 14 to 15, FIGS. 17, 19)
[0005]
However, in the sewing machine, before the thread is passed through the eye hole by the threading mechanism, the vertical movement of the sewing needle is not restricted and the sewing needle is free to move in the vertical direction. When the various members constituting the threading mechanism such as the threading hook are in a position where the threading can be performed, for example, when the threading hook has entered the eye hole. If the vertical position of the sewing needle is greatly changed, the sewing needle may come into contact with the members constituting the threading mechanism, and these members may be damaged. Alternatively, in a sewing machine in which the threading mechanism does not operate normally when the sewing needle is not at a predetermined vertical position, the sewing needle is moved up and down carelessly, and the sewing needle is displaced from the predetermined position and is not suitable for threading. If the sewing needle is located at a wrong position, it may be necessary to adjust the vertical position of the sewing needle.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to restrict the vertical movement of the sewing needle in a state where the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle, and to prevent a member constituting the threading mechanism from being damaged.
[0007]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sewing machine comprising: a needle vertical movement mechanism for driving a sewing needle up and down; and a threading mechanism for passing a thread through an eye of the sewing needle. A needle movement regulating mechanism for regulating the vertical movement of the sewing needle when the thread is not passed through the eye hole by a mechanism.
[0008]
During sewing in a state where a thread is passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, the sewing needle is driven up and down by the needle up / down movement mechanism, and a stitch is formed on the work cloth to be sewn. On the other hand, when the thread is not passed through the eye hole by the threading mechanism, the needle movement regulating mechanism regulates the vertical movement of the sewing needle.
[0009]
In the sewing machine according to the second aspect, in the invention according to the first aspect, the threading mechanism is configured to be inserted into the eye hole and engage with a thread located near the eye hole, and to be pulled from the eye hole. A threading hook movable over the withdrawn retracted position, and switching means for switching the threading hook between the engagement position and the retracted position; and When the thread is not passed through the eye hole by the threading mechanism, the threading hook is switched from the retracted position to the engagement position and held.
[0010]
When the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle, the threading hook is held in a state where the threading hook is switched to the engagement position where the thread is inserted into the eye by the switching means. When the thread is guided near the eye hole, the thread engages with the threading hook, and the threading hook is switched from the engagement position to the retracted position by the switching means. The thread is threaded. As described above, when the thread is not passed through the eye, the threading hook is inserted through the eye.However, at this time, the vertical movement of the sewing needle is regulated by the needle movement regulating mechanism. The sewing needle does not move relative to the threading hook.
[0011]
A sewing machine according to a third aspect of the present invention is the sewing machine according to the first or second aspect, wherein the needle movement regulating mechanism includes a regulating member that regulates the downward movement of the sewing needle. When the thread does not pass through the eye of the sewing needle, the downward movement of the sewing needle is regulated by the regulating member to prevent the sewing needle from moving relatively downward with respect to the member constituting the threading mechanism.
[0012]
In a sewing machine according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the third aspect, the regulating member is movable between a regulating position that regulates downward movement of the sewing needle and a regulation release position that does not regulate the movement of the sewing needle. An urging member is provided and urges the restricting member to the restricting position. Therefore, when the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, the regulating member is urged by the urging member to be at the regulating position, and the regulating member restricts the downward movement of the sewing needle. From this state, when the thread is passed through the eye by the threading mechanism, the regulating member moves to the regulation releasing position against the urging force of the urging member in conjunction with the threading operation, and the sewing needle is moved. It can move freely downward.
[0013]
A sewing machine according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the sewing machine according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a thread cassette which has a thread supply source and is detachably attached to a cassette attaching portion of the sewing machine. Is configured such that the regulating member is pressed by the thread cassette to switch from the regulating position to the regulation releasing position. When the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, the regulating member is urged by the urging member to be in the regulating position, and the regulating member restricts the downward movement of the sewing needle. When the thread cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion from this state, the regulating member is pressed by the thread cassette, the regulating member is switched to the regulation releasing position against the urging force of the urging member, and the sewing needle is moved downward. Will be able to move freely.
[0014]
In the sewing machine according to the sixth aspect, in the invention according to the fifth aspect, the state in which the thread does not pass through the eye hole is a state in which the thread cassette is not mounted on the cassette mounting portion. Therefore, in a state where the thread cassette is not mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the downward movement of the sewing needle is restricted by the regulating member. From this state, when the thread cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the threading operation is stopped. The thread is passed through the eye by the mechanism, and the regulating member is switched to the regulation releasing position in conjunction with the attaching operation of the thread cassette, so that the sewing needle can freely move downward.
[0015]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a household embroidery sewing machine which can sew various embroidery patterns on a cylindrical work cloth forming a sleeve of a garment or the like. In addition, since the worker performs various operations from left to right in FIG. 1, the following description will be made assuming that the left side (foreground as viewed from the worker) in FIG.
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the embroidery sewing machine M includes a horizontal base 1, a pillar 2 erected at a rear end portion of the base 1, and a horizontal front from the pillar 2. The extended cylinder bed 3 is supported on the upper end of the pillar 2 so as to be switchable between a forwardly horizontally sewn position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2 and a retracted position retracted upward as indicated by a chain line in FIG. An arm 4 and a head 5 provided at the front end of the arm 4 are provided.
[0017]
In this embroidery sewing machine M, before starting sewing, a cylindrical work cloth is set on a cloth holding frame 34 fitted to the cylinder bed 3 by an operator. Since the sewing needle 50, the threading mechanism 55, and the like may hinder the work of setting the work cloth, the arm unit 4 must be horizontal so that the worker can easily perform the work of setting the work cloth. The sewing position is switched to the upper retreat position. After the work cloth is set on the cloth holding frame 34 by the operator in a state where the arm section 4 is in the retracted position, the arm section 4 is switched to the sewing position again, and in this state, the embroidery sewing work on the work cloth is performed. .
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 2, the pillar 2 has a main body frame 10. The main body frame 10 includes a sewing machine motor 11 and a sewing needle 50 provided on the head portion 5 for rotating the power of the sewing machine motor 11. A main part of the driving force transmission mechanism 12 that transmits the force to the balance 51 is provided. The driving force transmission mechanism 12 includes a main shaft 14, transmission shafts 13 and 15, belts 16, 17 and 18, gears 19 and 20, and the rotational driving force of the sewing machine motor 11 is first transmitted via the belt 16. The power is transmitted to the shaft 13, then transmitted from the transmission shaft 13 to the main shaft 14 via the gears 19 and 20, and the rotational driving force transmitted to the main shaft 14 is transmitted to the transmission shaft 15 via the belt 17. . A driving force is transmitted from the transmission shaft 15 to the sewing needle 50 and the balance 51 via the belt 18. The main shaft 14 is provided with a needle position detection sensor 162 (see FIG. 18) for detecting the position of the sewing needle 50 in the vertical direction. A hand pulley 21 is also provided for allowing the operator to manually rotate the main shaft 14 to move the sewing needle 50 up and down.
[0019]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cylinder bed 3 is formed of a cylindrical synthetic resin cover member 30 extending in the front-rear direction, and a needle plate 33 is attached to an upper end of a front end portion of the cover member 30. Notch hole 30a is formed. Inside the cylinder bed 3, a vertical shuttle 31 and a shuttle shaft 32 for rotatably driving the outer shuttle of the vertical shuttle 31 are rotatably accommodated. A needle plate 33 is provided on the upper side of the vertical shuttle 31. A needle hole through which the sewing needle 50 passes is formed in the needle plate 33, and when the sewing needle 50 descends through the needle hole of the needle plate 33, the needle plate 33 On the lower side, the upper thread 57 is hooked by the blade point of the outer hook, the upper thread 57 and the lower thread are entangled, and a stitch is formed on the work cloth on the upper side of the needle plate 33. The rotary drive force of the sewing machine motor 11 is transmitted to the shuttle shaft 32 from the main shaft 14 via a gear (not shown), and the rotary drive force drives the outer shuttle to rotate.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cloth holding frame 34 for holding a work cloth is slidably fitted to the front half of the cylinder bed 3. On the other hand, a movable body 35 that supports the cloth holding frame 34 is disposed in the rear half portion of the cylinder bed 3 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction with respect to the cylinder bed 3. A front-rear movement drive motor 36 for driving the movable body 35 in the front-rear direction is provided above the sewing machine motor 11 in the main body frame 10.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 2, an annular driving ring 38 is pivotally mounted on a mounting plate 37 integrally provided at the front end of the movable body 35 with respect to the movable body 35 about a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. The cloth holding frame 34 is integrally attached to the drive ring 38 at the front end of the drive ring 38. A rotary drive motor 39 for rotating the drive ring 38 is mounted on the rear surface of the mounting plate 37.
[0022]
During the sewing, when the movable body 35 is moved by a predetermined amount in the longitudinal direction by the longitudinal movement drive motor 36, the cloth holding frame 34 supported by the movable body 35 via the drive ring 38 is also integrated with the movable body 35. When the drive ring 38 is moved in the front-rear direction and the drive ring 38 is driven to rotate by a predetermined amount by the rotation drive motor 39, the cloth holding frame 34 also rotates integrally with the drive ring 38, and the work cloth held by the cloth holding frame 34 is moved. The embroidery pattern is applied to the work cloth by moving to a predetermined position.
[0023]
The rear end of the arm frame 40 of the arm 4 is rotatably and slidably fitted to a pair of left and right bearings 41 that rotatably support the transmission shaft 15 with respect to the main body frame 10. 2 can be rotated between a sewing position indicated by a solid line and a retracted position indicated by a chain line in FIG. An arm cover 42 (see FIG. 1) that covers the arm 4 is formed with a protrusion 43 that projects substantially horizontally to the right, and a liquid crystal display 160 (see FIG. 18) is provided on the upper surface of the protrusion 43. On the upper surface of the liquid crystal display 160, various patterns such as a pattern selection key for selecting an embroidery pattern and a cassette discharge key 163 (see FIG. 18) for taking out the thread cassette 60 from the cassette mounting section 61 are provided. A touch panel 161 (see FIG. 18) having operation keys is also provided. Here, in order to make it easier for a worker in front to operate the touch panel 161, the protruding portion 43 is slightly inclined forward and downward.
[0024]
Next, the head section 5 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 2, the head section 5 includes a sewing needle 50, a balance 51 supported swingably back and forth by the arm frame 40, a needle vertical movement mechanism 52 for driving the sewing needle 50 up and down, and a work cloth from above. The presser foot 53 to be pressed, the thread tension mechanism 54 for adjusting the thread tension of the upper thread 57, the threading mechanism 55 for passing the upper thread 57 through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50, and the upper thread 57 not passing through the eye 50a by the threading mechanism 55. A needle movement regulating mechanism 56 (see FIGS. 10 to 13) for regulating the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 in the state is provided.
[0025]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the head unit 5 includes a cassette mounting unit 61 for mounting a yarn cassette 60 containing a yarn spool 64 as a yarn supply source, and a cassette mounting unit 61 for mounting the yarn cassette 60. Also provided is a thread cassette lock mechanism 62 (see FIGS. 6 to 9) for setting a lock state that cannot be removed from the thread cassette. The thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61 from the front, and the upper thread 57 is passed through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 by the threading mechanism 55 in conjunction with the mounting operation. Further, as described later, the upper thread 57 is stretched between the thread breakage detecting body 75 and the thread holes 76a, 77a of the thread guide members 76, 77, so that the upper thread 57 is also attached to the balance 51 and the thread tension mechanism 54. It can be hung. Here, a cassette detection switch 164 (see FIG. 18) for detecting a mounted state of the yarn cassette 60 is attached to a rear end portion of the yarn guiding member 123.
[0026]
The thread cassette lock mechanism 62 holds the thread cassette 60 in a locked state so that the thread cassette 60 does not come off from the cassette mounting section 61. The thread cassette lock mechanism 62 is unlocked by the thread tension motor 102 of the thread tension mechanism 54. Therefore, the thread cassette lock mechanism 62 will be described after the thread tension mechanism 54.
[0027]
First, the cassette mounting section 61 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, a first engagement member 65 having a lower half bent in a substantially inverted U-shape is fixed to the lower end of the left wall 40 a near the front end of the arm frame 40. A first engagement portion 65 a is formed at a lower end of the first engagement member 65. Further, a lower end of the right wall portion 40b of the arm frame 40 is fixed to a second engagement member 66 having a lower half bent in a substantially U-shape, and is fixed to the lower end of the second engagement member 66. A second engagement portion 66a is formed. A coil spring 67 that urges the thread cassette 60 mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61 forward is provided on a rear portion of the first engagement member 65.
[0028]
Next, the yarn cassette 60 mounted on the cassette mounting section 61 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the thread cassette 60 includes a cassette case 70 made of synthetic resin, and a transparent synthetic resin cover member 71 partially covering the upper side of the cassette case 70. . The cassette case 70 has a cylindrical spool holder 72 for accommodating the spool 64, and a long swing in the front-rear direction adjacent to the spool holder 72 to allow the balance 51 to swing in the front-rear direction. A passage 73 and a sewing operation chamber 74 are formed adjacent to the swing passage 73 for accommodating sewing components such as the sewing needle 50 and the presser foot 53 and performing a sewing operation.
[0029]
A thread breakage detector 75 for detecting a thread breakage of the upper thread 57 is rotatably supported at the rear left end side of the cassette case 70. Further, at the rear end of the cassette case 70, a first thread guide member 76, a second thread guide member 77, a third thread guide member 78 for guiding the upper thread 57 led out from the thread spool 64, Are provided on the right side of the rear of the cassette case 70, and a thread guide portion 70a formed by a notch directed forward is formed. Further, on the right side of the front end of the cassette case 70, an upper thread holding member 80 for elastically holding the free end of the upper thread 57 is also provided.
[0030]
Here, the yarn path of the upper thread 57 extending from the thread spool 64 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper thread 57 fed from the thread spool 64 firstly receives the guide shaft 75 a of the thread breakage detector 75, the thread hole 76 a of the first thread guide member 76 and the second thread guide. The thread is passed through the thread hole 77a of the member 77, the third thread guide member 78, the thread guide member 79, and the thread guide portion 70a in order, and is finally held by the thread holding member 80.
[0031]
By the way, on the upper surface of the cover member 71, the first engaged portion having a substantially inverted L-shape in front view extending in the front-rear direction, that is, extending in the length direction of the arm portion 4, is located at a position on the right side of the center position in the left-right direction. The part 81 is formed integrally with the cover member 71. On the right side of the cassette case 70, a second engaged portion 82 extending in the front-rear direction protruding rightward, that is, extending in the length direction of the arm portion 4, is formed. Therefore, the first engaged portion 81 can be engaged with the first engaging portion 65a, and the second engaged portion 82 can be engaged with the second engaging portion 66a. Further, the cover member 71 is formed with an engagement hole 71a with which a holding member 110 described later is engaged. When the holding member 110 is engaged with the engagement hole 71a, the thread cassette 60 is attached to the cassette mounting portion 61. Is held in a locked state that cannot be removed from the camera.
[0032]
Next, the needle vertical movement mechanism 52 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the needle up / down movement mechanism 52 is rotatably pivotally attached to the arm frame 40 and a needle holder 90 for holding the sewing needle 50, a guide shaft 91 for guiding the needle holder 90 up and down. A rotating plate 92 and a link member 93 for connecting the rotating plate 92 and the needle holder 90 are provided. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the guide shaft 91 is fixedly provided on the arm frame 40 via the guide shaft holder 94, and the needle holder 90 is fitted on the guide shaft 91 so as to be vertically slidable. Have been. At the lower end of the needle holder 90, a protrusion 90a for receiving a hook support member 124 described below from below is formed so as to horizontally protrude rearward and extend. A pin 93a is provided at the upper end of the link member 93. The pin 93a is engaged with a guide groove 51a formed in the longitudinal direction of the balance 51 so as to be relatively movable with respect to the balance 51. The link member 93 is connected to the rotating plate 92 via 93a.
[0033]
Accordingly, when the rotation driving force of the sewing machine motor 11 is transmitted from the transmission shaft 15 of the driving force transmission mechanism 12 to the rotation plate 92 via the belt 18 and the rotation plate 92 is rotated by the rotation driving force, The link member 93 moves up and down, and the needle holder 90 and the sewing needle 50 also move up and down while being guided by the guide shaft 91. At the same time, the balance 51 swings back and forth in conjunction with the vertical movement of the link member 93.
[0034]
Next, the presser foot 53 will be described. The presser foot 53 is provided with a cutter (not shown) for cutting the upper thread 57. For example, when replacing the upper thread 57 such as when changing colors, the cloth holding frame 34 is rotated by the rotary drive motor 39. The upper thread 57 between the cloth holding frame 34 and the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 is moved to the cutter by being driven backward by the front-rear movement drive motor 36 while being moved, and the upper thread 57 is cut by the cutter. .
[0035]
Next, the thread tension mechanism 54 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the thread tension mechanism 54 includes a pair of upper and lower thread tension plates 100 and 101 capable of holding the upper thread 57 and a thread tension for moving a sliding member 105 a described later up and down. It has a motor 102 and a thread tension cam 103 for determining the vertical position of the sliding member 105a by the rotation of the thread tension motor 102.
[0036]
A thread tension frame 104 is fixed to a left wall portion 40a of the arm frame 40. A pair of thread tension plates 100 and 101 are formed to be bent horizontally to the left at the lower end of the thread tension frame 104. The upper thread tension plate 100 is attached to a thread tension shaft 105 erected on the plate mounting portion 104a, and the upper thread tension plate 100 is vertically movable with respect to the lower thread tension plate 101. The lower thread tension tray 101 is fixed to the lower end of a thread tension shaft 105 extending upward. A sliding member 105a is externally slidably fitted to the upper half portion of the thread tension shaft 105 so as to be vertically slidable. A coil spring 107 is attached to the thread tension shaft 105 between the thread tension plate 100 and the sliding member 105a. It is exterior.
[0037]
The upper and lower ends of the coil spring 107 are in contact with the sliding member 105a and the thread tension disc 100, respectively. The coil spring 107 is biased so that the elasticity of the coil spring 107 generates an urging force to close the thread tension discs 100 and 101 to each other. is set up. The thread tension motor 102 is formed of a stepping motor. The thread tension motor 102 is mounted on the right side of the upper half of the thread tension frame 104.
[0038]
The thread tension cam 103 is made of a disk-shaped member made of a synthetic resin. The thread tension cam 103 is rotatable by a pin 108 at a position slightly shifted obliquely downward and forward of the thread tension motor 102 in the thread tension frame 104. Is pivoted to. A gear portion 103a is formed on an outer peripheral portion of the thread tension cam 103, and a rotational driving force of the thread tension motor 102 is transmitted from a pinion 102b connected to an output shaft 102a of the thread tension motor 102 through the gear portion 103a. Is transmitted to. A thread tension supporting member 106 is connected to the thread tension cam 103 by a pin member 109. As shown in FIG. 9, the pin member 109 is formed in a spiral groove portion on the right side of the thread tension cam 103. 103b. A cam surface 103c is formed on the inner side surface of the groove 103b to adjust the holding pressure acting on the upper thread 57 while the upper thread 57 is held between the thread tension discs 100 and 101. An upper portion of the sliding member 105a is fixed to a horizontal surface portion below the thread tension supporting member 106, and the thread tension supporting member 106 and the sliding member 105a are vertically moved integrally with the thread tension shaft 105. Move.
[0039]
When the thread tension cam 103 is rotationally driven by the rotational driving force of the thread tension motor 102, the pin member 109 moves up and down along the cam surface 103c, and the sliding member 105a is integrated with the thread tension support member 106. Move up and down. Therefore, the distance between the sliding member 105a and the upper thread tension disc 100 increases or decreases, and the amount of compression of the coil spring 107 between the sliding member 105a and the thread tension disc 100, that is, the urging force due to the elasticity of the coil spring 107. The holding pressure of the upper thread 57 between the pair of thread tension discs 100 and 101 changes, and the thread tension of the upper thread 57 is adjusted. When the thread tension cam 103 is at a position (θ = 0 °) that has been rotated to the maximum in the counterclockwise direction (−θ direction) in FIG. 9, the sliding member 105a reaches the lowermost position and the coil spring Reference numeral 107 denotes a state in which compression is the highest and a maximum elastic force is generated.
[0040]
On the other hand, when the rotation angle θ of the thread tension cam 103 is the predetermined angle θ ₁ (for example, θ ₁ = 282 °), the sliding member 105a reaches the uppermost position, and the length of the coil spring 107 becomes the natural length (no length). In this state, the tension of the thread tension discs 100 and 101 due to the elasticity of the coil spring 107 is not generated even when the thread tension discs 100 and 101 are closed. In the state rotation angle theta of the thread tension cam 103 is an angle between the theta ₁ from 0 °, the biasing force by the elasticity of the coil spring 107 between the thread tension discs 100 and 101 in accordance with the cam lift of the cam surface 103c As a result, the upper thread 57 is pinched and a resistance acts on the upper thread 57 to prevent the movement thereof.
[0041]
Next, the thread cassette lock mechanism 62 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the thread cassette lock mechanism 62 includes a holding position for holding the thread cassette 60 in a locked state in which the thread cassette 60 cannot be removed from the cassette mounting portion 61, as indicated by a solid line in FIG. A holding member 110 movable to a release position retracted from the yarn cassette 60 so that the yarn cassette 60 is unlocked, a torsion spring 111 for urging the holding member 110 to the holding position, A switching projection 112 for switching the holding member 110 from the holding position to the release position. The step surface on the opposite side of the switching protrusion 112 not in contact with the holding member 110 is a reference position in the thread tension cam 103 at the rotation angle θ of the thread tension cam 103 described above. In FIG. on the line indicating the theta _2.
[0042]
The holding member 110 is formed of a vertically extending bar-shaped member made of a synthetic resin. In a state where the holding member 110 is located at the holding position, the thread cassette 60 mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61 is urged forward by the coil spring 139, and the vertical surface portion (rear side surface) at the lower end of the holding member 110 is a thread. When the holding member 110 is in the release position, the holding member 110 is separated from the thread cassette 60 in a state in which the holding member 110 is engaged with the rear vertical surface of the inner wall of the engagement hole 71a (see FIG. 4) of the cassette 60. is there. As shown in FIG. 6, at the lower end of the holding member 110, the holding member 110 can be easily engaged with the engaging hole 71a of the thread cassette 60 when the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61 from the front. Is formed so as to be inclined rearward and obliquely downward.
[0043]
In the arm frame 40, an arm member 113 for holding the holding member 110 in a vertical posture is provided rotatably via a pivot 114 at a portion on the front side of the holding member 110. As shown in FIG. 9, the arm member 113 includes a first arm 113a extending rearward, and a lower portion of the first arm 113a that extends rearward similarly to the first arm 113a and is higher than the first arm 113a. The second arm 113b has a slightly shorter second arm 113b, and the upper end of the holding member 110 is connected to the second arm 113b. A torsion spring 111 is provided on the pivot 114, and the arm member 113 is biased by the torsion spring 111 in the clockwise direction in FIG.
[0044]
The switching protrusion 112 is formed integrally with the thread tension cam 103 so as to project rightward in a portion slightly inside the outer peripheral portion of the thread tension cam 103. As described later, the thread tension cam 103 is further driven to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. 9 beyond the angle θ ₁ , and the rotation angle is θ ₂ (for example, θ ₂ = 285 °: FIG. 9). (State), the arm member 113 is pressed by the switching protrusion 112, the arm member 113 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, and the holding member 110 starts to rise from the holding position. Further, when the thread tension cam 103 is driven to rotate and the rotation angle becomes θ ₃ (for example, θ ₃ = 315 °), the holding member 110 is completely removed from the engagement hole 71a of the thread cassette 60 and reaches the release position. The thread cassette 60 is switched to the unlocked state, and the thread cassette 60 is elastically biased by a coil spring 67 provided on the first engaging member 65 and a coil spring 139 provided on the second engaging member 66, which will be described later. It is pushed forward.
[0045]
Next, the threading mechanism 55 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the threading mechanism 55 is inserted into the eye 50 a of the sewing needle 50 and can engage with the upper thread 57 located near the eye 50 a as shown by a solid line in FIG. 13. A threading hook 120 movable between an engaging position and a retracted position pulled out of the eye hole 50a as shown by a chain line in FIG. 13, and left and right 1 guarding the threading hook 120 from both left and right sides. A pair of hook guards 121 and 122, a thread guiding member 123 for guiding the upper thread 57 near the eye 50a, a hook supporting member 124 to which the threading hook 120 is attached, and the like are provided. Further, the head section 5 is also provided with a switching mechanism 125 (switching means) capable of switching the threading hook 120 between the engaging position and the retracted position adjacent to the threading mechanism 55. The threading operation of the threading mechanism 55 through the eye 50a is performed when the sewing needle 50 has a phase angle of ± 40 ° when the phase angle of the main shaft 14 at the needle upper position (for example, the phase angle of the main shaft 14 at the uppermost position of the sewing needle 50 is 0 °). At the position within the range of).
[0046]
As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the threading hook 120 is provided integrally with the mounting plate 126 so as to horizontally project forward from the lower end of the mounting plate 126 held in a vertical position. A hook 120 a for hooking the upper thread 57 located in front of the eye 50 a of the sewing needle 50 is formed at the front end of the needle 120. The pair of left and right hook guards 121 and 122 are respectively attached to the mounting plates 127 and 128 so as to protrude forward from the lower halves of the mounting plates 127 and 128 held in a vertical posture in parallel with the threading hook 120. It is formed integrally. The hook guards 121 and 122 are also provided with inclined guide portions 121a and 122a formed so as to be inclined rearward and downward from the front ends of the hook guards 121 and 122, respectively, for guiding the upper thread 57 to the hook portion 120a. I have.
[0047]
The threading hook 120 and a pair of left and right hook guards 121 and 122 are fixed to the front portion of the holding portion 124a of the hook support member 124 via mounting plates 126 to 128, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 10, and 13, the thread guide member 123 is fixed to the arm frame 40, and the leading end of the thread guide member 123 is attached to the upper thread 57 when the thread cassette 60 is mounted. Are formed in the vicinity of the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50.
[0048]
As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 and 15, the hook support member 124 made of a synthetic resin includes a holding portion 124 a that holds the threading hook 120 and the hook guards 121 and 122, and is integrated with an upper end portion of the holding portion 124 a. And an annular portion 124b provided in a specific manner. Three mounting plates 126 to 128 are fixed to the holding portion 124a with two screws 129 (see FIG. 11), and the threading hook 120 and a pair of left and right hook guards 121, 122 are held by the holding portion 124a. ing. Four engagement grooves 124c for connecting the hook support member 124 and a threading lever 135 described below are formed in the annular portion 124b in the circumferential direction. At the rear end of the guide shaft holder 94 located above the hook support member 124, a guide shaft 130 is fixedly provided so as to extend downward. A slide member 131 is externally slidably fitted to the guide shaft 130 in a vertical direction, and an annular portion 124b is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 141 held at a lower end of the slide member 131 in a horizontal posture. I have. The slide member 131 is retained by a retaining ring 133 (see FIG. 13) provided at the lower end of the guide shaft 130.
[0049]
A coil spring 132 for urging the hook support member 124 downward via the slide member 131 is externally provided on the guide shaft 130. Therefore, when the sewing needle 50 is at the needle upper position, the hook support member 124 is pressed against the protrusion 90a of the needle holder 90 by the urging force of the coil spring 132, and the hook support member 124 is received by the protrusion 90a. The hook support member 124 can move upward integrally with the needle holder 90 (the sewing needle 50). However, when the sewing needle 50 moves downward by a predetermined amount from the needle upper position, the downward movement of the slide member 131 and the hook support member 124 is restricted by the retaining ring 133, so that the protrusion 90 a is separated from the hook support member 124. Only the needle holder 90 moves downward.
[0050]
As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, a threading lever 135 made of synthetic resin for switching the threading hook 120 from the retracted position to the engaged position is also pivotally supported on the pivot shaft 141. . As shown in FIGS. 13 and 16, the threading lever 135 has a lever portion 135a that is operated in conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette 60, as described later, and a pivotal support formed integrally with the lever portion 135a. And a cylindrical portion 135b slidably fitted to the shaft 141. Four protruding engagement portions 135c that protrude leftward in the circumferential direction are formed on the right side portion of the cylindrical portion 135b, and these protruding engagement portions 135c engage with the engagement groove portions 124c of the hook support member 124, respectively. The threading lever 135 is integrally connected to the hook support member 124.
[0051]
A torsion spring 136 is provided on the cylindrical portion 135b of the threading lever 135, and the hook support member 124 and the threading lever 135 are biased by the torsion spring 136 in the clockwise direction in FIG. That is, the threading hook 120 is urged to the engagement position by the torsion spring 136.
[0052]
The switching mechanism 125 includes a threading lever 135 and a torsion spring 136, and a switching member 137 that switches the threading hook 120 to the retracted position in conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette 60. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 13, the switching member 137 is slidably fitted on a guide shaft 138 fixed to the lower end portion of the second engagement member 66 and extending forward and backward, and the switching member 137 is connected to the guide shaft 138. Is urged forward by a coil spring 139 provided on the outside. A right-side portion of the switching member 137 is provided with a protruding engagement portion 137a that protrudes rightward. The protruding engagement portion 137a engages with a groove portion 66b formed in the second engagement member 66 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. However, the switching member 137 is prevented from rotating by the groove 66b. Further, the switching member 137 is prevented from falling off by a retaining ring 140 attached to a distal end portion of the guide shaft 138.
[0053]
On the other hand, on the left side of the switching member 137, a projecting portion 137b for pressing the threading lever 135 backward to switch the threading hook 120 from the engaged position to the retracted position horizontally in conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette 60 is provided horizontally. It is formed so as to project to the left. In a state before the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61, the lever portion 135a of the threading lever 135 urged in the clockwise direction in FIG. 13 by the torsion spring 136 is received from the front by the protrusion 137b. The threading hook 120 is at the engagement position where the eye 50 a of the sewing needle 50 is inserted. When the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting section 61 from this state, as shown in FIG. 17, the protrusion 137b is pressed rearward by the thread cassette 60, and the threading lever is moved with the movement of the protrusion 137b rearward. 135 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 13, and the threading hook 120 is switched from the engaged position to the retracted position.
[0054]
Next, the needle movement regulating mechanism 56 will be described. As described above, when the thread cassette 60 is not mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61, the upper thread is not passed through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 by the threading mechanism 55. Is in the engagement position where the eye 50a is inserted, and if the sewing needle 50 moves up and down relative to the threading hook 120 in this state, the threading hook 120 may be damaged. Alternatively, there is a possibility that trouble of adjusting the vertical position of the sewing needle 50 may occur. Therefore, when the upper thread 57 is not passed through the eye 50a, the needle movement restricting mechanism 56 described below restricts the downward movement of the sewing needle 50.
[0055]
Here, at the time of threading by the threading mechanism 55, if the sewing needle 50 is at the needle-up position as described above, even if the main shaft 14 is rotated by the hand pulley 21, the amount by which the sewing needle 50 moves upward is very small. In addition, since the hook support member 124 supporting the threading hook 120 is urged downward by the coil spring 132 and received by the needle holder 90, even if the sewing needle 50 moves upward in this state, the threading The hook 120 also moves upward together with the needle holder 90 and the sewing needle 50, so that the positional relationship between the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 and the threading hook 120 does not change. Therefore, there is no need to restrict the upward movement of the sewing needle 50 by the needle movement restriction mechanism 56, and the needle movement restriction mechanism 56 restricts only the downward movement of the sewing needle 50.
[0056]
The needle movement restricting mechanism 56 includes the above-described protrusion 137b also serving as a restriction member for restricting the downward movement of the sewing needle 50, and the above-described coil spring 139 (biasing member) for urging the protrusion 137b forward. Have been. Since the protruding portion 137b is provided integrally with the switching member 137, the protruding portion 137b is restricted along the guide shaft 138 to restrict the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 (when the switching member 137 is a solid line in FIG. 13). 13) and a restriction release position (the switching member 137 is a position indicated by a chain line in FIG. 13) that does not restrict the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 indicated by a chain line in FIG. 13. The protrusion 137b is urged to the regulating position by a coil spring 139 (see FIG. 12).
[0057]
As described above, since the threading mechanism 55 is configured to pass the upper thread 57 through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 in conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette 60, the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61. In this state, the upper thread 57 is not passed through the eye 50a. At this time, the projecting portion 137b is urged forward by the coil spring 139 and is in the regulating position, and the projecting portion 137b is located immediately below the projecting portion 90a of the needle holder 90. Therefore, in this state, even if the hand pulley 21 is manually operated, the projection 90a of the needle holder 90 is received from below by the projection 137b, and the downward movement of the needle holder 90 is restricted. Here, the needle holder 90 can be moved downward until the needle holder 90 is received by the protruding portion 137b, but during this time, since the slide member 131 is not locked by the retaining ring 133, the hook support together with the needle holder 90 is supported. The member 124 can also move downward integrally, and the positional relationship between the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 and the threading hook 120 is maintained.
[0058]
When the yarn cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61 from this state, the protrusion 137b is pressed rearward by the yarn cassette 60 against the urging force of the coil spring 139, and the protrusion 137b is positioned rearward of the needle holder 90. , And is switched to the regulation release position, so that the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 is released, and the sewing needle 50 can freely move up and down.
[0059]
Next, a control system of the embroidery sewing machine M will be described. As shown in FIG. 18, the control device 150 that controls the entire embroidery sewing machine M includes a microcomputer including a CPU 151, a ROM 152, and a RAM 153, and an input / output interface 154. The CPU 151, the ROM 152, and the RAM 153 are connected to the input / output interface 154 via a bus 155, respectively. The bus 155 is also connected to a flexible disk controller 156 (FDC) that drives a flexible disk drive 157 (FDD).
[0060]
A flexible disk 158 (FD) storing embroidery data is inserted into the FDD 157, and the embroidery data is read from the FD 158 to the RAM 153 by the FDD 157. The input / output interface 154 is connected with a start / stop key 159, a touch panel 161, a needle position detection sensor 162, a cassette detection switch 164, and the like. Further, the sewing machine motor 11, the forward / backward movement drive motor 36, the rotation drive motor 39, the thread tension motor 102, the liquid crystal display 160, and the like are also connected to the input / output interface 154 via a drive circuit (not shown).
[0061]
The ROM 152 stores various programs, such as a thread cassette unlocking process program to be described later for unlocking the thread cassette lock mechanism 62 and a program relating to embroidery sewing. The embroidery data read from the FD 158 is stored in the RAM 153.
[0062]
Next, a thread cassette unlocking process for releasing the locked state of the thread cassette 60 when the thread cassette 60 is removed will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6, 9, and 19. In the following description, Si (i = 10, 11, 12,...) Indicates each step. This thread cassette lock release process is executed by an interrupt process at every predetermined control cycle.
[0063]
When the thread cassette lock release processing is started, first, the cassette detection switch 164 is turned on (S10: Yes), and the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the touch panel 161 while the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting section 61. When the cassette ejection key 163 is turned on (S11: Yes), when the needle position detection sensor 162 detects that the sewing needle 50 is at the needle upper position (S12: Yes), the thread tension motor 102 controls the thread tension. by rotating the cam 103 to an angle theta ₃ (S13), complete with eliminating a biasing force against the tension discs 100 and 101 by the elasticity of the coil spring 107, the holding member 110 by the solid line in FIG. 6 by the switching換突detecting section 112 The locked state of the thread cassette 60 is released by switching from the holding position shown to the release position shown by the chain line in FIG.
[0064]
On the other hand, when the sewing needle 50 is shifted downward from the needle upper position (S12: No), when the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 is shifted downward with respect to the threading hook 120 and the thread cassette 60 is removed. Since there is a case where the threading hook 120 does not pass through the eye 50a and the threading hook 120 comes into contact with the sewing needle 50, a warning message stating "the thread cassette cannot be ejected because the position of the sewing needle is not at the needle upper position". Is displayed on the liquid crystal display 160 (S14), and the routine returns without releasing the lock state of the thread cassette 60.
[0065]
Next, the operation of the embroidery sewing machine M when mounting and removing the thread cassette 60 will be described, focusing on the threading mechanism 55, the thread tension mechanism 54, and the thread cassette lock mechanism 62. The embroidery sewing machine M is configured such that, when the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61, the upper thread 57 is passed through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 by the threading mechanism 55 in conjunction with the mounting operation. Therefore, before the thread cassette 60 is mounted, the upper thread 57 has not yet passed through the eye hole 50a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 13, the threading hook 120 is switched by the switching mechanism 125 to the engagement position where the eye 50a is inserted and held. Further, the needle holder 90 holding the sewing needle 50 is received from below by a protruding portion 137b as a restricting member that restricts the downward movement of the sewing needle 50, and the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 is restricted.
[0066]
In this state, when the operator mounts the thread cassette 60 on the cassette mounting portion 61 from the front, as shown in FIG. 3, the first engaged portion 81 is engaged with the first engaging portion 65a and With the second engaged portion 82 engaged with the second engaging portion 66a, the yarn cassette 60 moves rearward. At this time, the upper thread 57 tensioned between the first thread guide member 76 and the second thread guide member 77 of the thread cassette 60 is moved by the forked thread guide portion 123a of the thread guide member 123 so that the needle 50 It is guided to the vicinity of the hole 50a, and further guided to the hook portion 120a of the threading hook 120 at the engagement position by the inclined guide portions 121a, 122a of the pair of left and right hook guards 121, 122, as shown in FIG. As shown, the upper thread 57 is hooked on the threading hook 120.
[0067]
Further, when the thread cassette 60 is pushed backward, the projecting portion 137b is pressed backward by the thread cassette 60 against the urging force of the coil spring 139, and the threading lever is moved in accordance with the movement of the projecting portion 137b backward. 135 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. At this time, the hook supporting member 124 also rotates integrally with the threading lever 135, and as shown in FIG. 14B, the threading hook 120 is hooked with the upper thread 57 hooked on the hook portion 120a. The eye thread 50 is pulled out from the eye 50a and is switched from the engaged position to the retracted position, and the upper thread 57 is passed through the eye 50a. At the same time, the protruding portion 137b moves backward from the needle holder 90 and is switched to the regulation release position, so that the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 is released, and the sewing needle 50 can freely move up and down.
[0068]
Further, as described above, when the yarn cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 61, the upper surface of the yarn cassette 60 contacts the inclined portion 110a at the lower end of the holding member 110, and the holding member 110 moves backward. After being once pushed up by the moving yarn cassette 60, it is lowered again by the urging force of the torsion spring 111 at the position of the engaging hole 71a to engage with the engaging hole 71a, and the holding member 110 is switched to the holding position. The thread cassette 60 enters a locked state in which the thread cassette 60 cannot be removed from the cassette mounting section 61.
[0069]
When the operator operates the cassette ejection key 163 of the touch panel 161 when removing the thread cassette 60 from the cassette mounting section 61, the thread cassette lock release processing described above is performed, and the locked state of the thread cassette 60 is released. Then, as shown in S13 of FIG. 19, the thread tension cam 103 is rotationally driven by the thread tension motor 102. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, first, when the thread tension cam 103 rotates to the angle θ ₁ , no urging force of the coil spring 107 is generated, so that the clamping pressure by the pair of thread tension discs 100 and 101 is minimized. Become. Furthermore, the thread tension cam 103 is rotated through an angle theta _2, against the biasing force of the torsion spring 111 the arm member 113 is pressed by the switching換突out unit 112 starts to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 6, further when the thread tension cam 103 is rotated through an angle theta ₃ is, the holding member 110 held by the arm member 113 is switched to the release position. Then, the thread cassette 60 is pushed forward by the urging forces of the two coil springs 67 and 139 provided on both right and left sides of the cassette mounting portion 61.
[0070]
According to the embroidery sewing machine M described above, the following effects can be obtained.
[0071]
1) In a state where the upper thread 57 is not passed through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 by the threading mechanism 55, the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 can be regulated by the needle movement regulating mechanism 56. Since the sewing needle 50 does not move downward while the needle 120 is in the engaged position through the eye 50a, it is possible to prevent the threading hook 120 from coming into contact with the sewing needle 50 and being damaged. Alternatively, the trouble of adjusting the vertical position of the sewing needle 50 can be eliminated. In addition, since the protrusion 137b can be switched from the restriction position to the restriction release position in conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette 60, only by mounting the thread cassette 60 on the cassette mounting portion 61, the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 can be achieved. The movement restriction state can be released, and the operation can be simplified.
[0072]
2) Since the hook support member 124 supporting the threading hook 120 is received from below by the protrusion 90a of the needle holder 90 holding the sewing needle 50, the threading hook 120 is used when the sewing needle 50 moves upward. Also moves integrally with the sewing needle 50, the positional relationship between the threading hook 120 and the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 does not change, and it is necessary to restrict the upward movement of the sewing needle 50 by the needle movement restricting mechanism 56. There is no. Further, when the sewing needle 50 is located near the needle upper position, the sewing needle 50 and the threading hook 120 can move integrally, so that even if the sewing needle 50 is slightly displaced from a predetermined position for threading, the eye 50a is formed. Can be passed through the upper thread 57. Note that, unlike the upward movement of the sewing needle 50, the downward movement of the sewing needle 50 needs to be regulated by the needle movement regulating mechanism 56. This is because the sewing needle 50 can be moved further downward through the work cloth to be sewn, so that the needle threading mechanism 55 at the needle lower position where the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 is located below the work cloth. Needless to say, the upper thread 57 cannot be passed through the hole 50a, and the member constituting the threading mechanism 55, such as the threading hook 120, may move downward with the sewing needle 50 beyond the work cloth. Because you can't.
[0073]
3) In a state where the upper thread 57 does not pass through the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50, the threading hook 120 is inserted into the eye 50a, and is brought into an engagement position where it can be engaged with the upper thread 57 located near the eye 50a. In conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette 60, the threading hook 120 hooking the upper thread 57 by the switching mechanism 125 is switched from the engaged position to the retracted position, and the upper thread 57 is passed through the eye 50a. The upper thread 57 can be passed through the eye 50a by simply mounting the thread cassette 60 on the cassette mounting portion 61, so that there is no need to perform a special operation for threading. Can be simplified.
[0074]
Next, modified embodiments in which various modifications are made to the above-described embodiment will be described. However, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be appropriately omitted.
[0075]
1] Similar to the above embodiment, when the upper thread 57 is formed in the eye 50a of the sewing needle 50 when the sewing needle 50 is at the needle upper position, the sewing needle 50 is moved to a position very close to the uppermost position during threading. When the sewing needle 50 can be stopped at that point, the sewing needle 50 can move upward from that position only slightly, so that it is not necessary to configure the sewing needle 50 and the threading hook 120 to move integrally upward. .
[0076]
2] When the sewing needle 50 can be accurately moved and held at a predetermined position for threading, the needle movement restricting mechanism may also be configured to restrict the upward movement of the sewing needle 50. Good. Also in this case, there is no need to configure the sewing needle 50 and the threading hook 120 to move integrally upward as in the above embodiment.
[0077]
3] a threading key provided on the touch panel 161, a threading operation lever connected to the hook support member 124, and the like, for operating the threading mechanism 55 for passing the upper thread 57 through the eye 50 a of the sewing needle 50. An operating means may be provided so that when the operating means is operated, the threading hook 120 is switched from the engaged position to the retracted position. Further, when the state in which the thread cassette 60 is mounted on the cassette mounting section 61 is detected by the cassette detection switch 164, the threading hook 120 may be switched from the engaged position to the retracted position.
[0078]
4] In the above-described embodiment, the thread cassette 60 is provided with a wall surrounding the thread spool 64, but the thread spool 64 may be exposed without such a wall. Further, the upper thread 57 is not wound around the thread spool 64 and may be a lump of the upper thread 57 alone.
[0079]
5] In the above-described embodiment, the holding member 110 rotates together with the arm member 113. When the arm member 113 rotates, the holding member 110 moves up and down on a straight line with the rotation. You may comprise. With this configuration, the opening area of the engagement hole 71a on the upper surface of the thread cassette 60 can be further reduced.
[0080]
According to the first aspect of the invention, when the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, the vertical movement of the sewing needle is regulated by the needle movement regulating mechanism. Since the sewing needle does not move in the vertical direction in a state where the various members constituting the sewing machine are at the predetermined positions for performing the threading operation, the structural members of the threading mechanism and the sewing needle come into contact with each other and the structural members are damaged. Can be prevented.
[0081]
According to the invention of claim 2, when the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle, the threading hook is switched to the engagement position by the switching means and is held in a state of being inserted through the eye. Since the vertical movement of the sewing needle is regulated by the regulating mechanism, the sewing needle does not relatively move with respect to the threading hook, and thus the breakage of the threading hook can be prevented.
[0082]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the downward movement of the sewing needle in a state where the thread does not pass through the eye of the sewing needle is reliably restricted by the restricting member, so that the member constituting the threading mechanism can be prevented from being damaged. . On the other hand, when the sewing needle is at the needle upper position, the threading mechanism may be configured to pass the thread through the eye, or the member constituting the threading mechanism and the sewing needle may be integrally moved upward. Then, by maintaining the vertical positional relationship between the sewing needle and the threading mechanism, there is no need to restrict upward movement of the sewing needle. Can be passed through the eye hole even if it is slightly deviated from the predetermined position.
[0083]
According to the invention of claim 4, when the thread is not passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, the regulating member is held at the regulating position by the urging force of the urging member, and the regulating member prevents the sewing needle from moving downward. Since the sewing needle is regulated, the sewing needle does not come into contact with the members constituting the threading mechanism, and it is possible to prevent the components from being damaged. On the other hand, when the thread is passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, the regulating member moves to the regulation release position against the urging force of the urging member in conjunction with the threading operation. You can move freely in any direction.
[0084]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the regulating member can be switched from the regulating position to the regulation releasing position in conjunction with the mounting operation of the thread cassette, the operation for releasing the state in which the vertical movement of the sewing needle is regulated is released. Can be simplified.
[0085]
According to the invention of claim 6, when the thread cassette is not mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the downward movement of the sewing needle is regulated by the regulating member, and the sewing needle and the member constituting the threading mechanism are in contact with each other. Instead, it is possible to prevent these components from being damaged. On the other hand, when the thread cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion, the thread is passed through the eye of the sewing needle by the threading mechanism, and the regulating member is switched to the regulation release position in conjunction with the thread cassette mounting operation. Thus, the sewing needle can freely move in the vertical direction.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of an embroidery sewing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an internal mechanism of the embroidery sewing machine.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a head unit in a state where a thread cassette is mounted.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a thread cassette.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the thread cassette.
FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged side view of a head portion around a thread tension mechanism and a thread cassette lock mechanism.
FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of FIG. 6;
A 9 enlarged view of FIG. 6 (theta ₂ states).
FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged side view of a head portion around a threading mechanism.
FIG. 11 is a front view of FIG. 10;
FIG. 12 is a plan view of FIG. 10;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 10;
14A is a perspective view showing a state immediately before threading by a threading hook, and FIG. 14B is a perspective view showing a state immediately after threading.
15A and 15B are diagrams showing a hook support member, wherein FIG. 15A is a left side view, and FIG. 15B is a front view.
16A and 16B are diagrams showing a threading lever, wherein FIG. 16A is a left side view, and FIG. 16B is a front view.
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a thread cassette and a threading mechanism when the thread cassette is mounted.
FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a control system of the embroidery sewing machine.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a thread cassette lock release process.
[Explanation of symbols]
M Embroidery sewing machine 50 Sewing needle 50a Eye hole 52 Needle vertical movement mechanism 55 Threading mechanism 56 Needle movement regulating mechanism 57 Needle thread 60 Thread cassette 61 Cassette mounting part 64 Thread frame 120 Threading hook 125 Switching mechanism 137b Projection 139 Coil spring

Claims (6)

A sewing machine provided with a needle vertical movement mechanism for driving a sewing needle up and down and a threading mechanism for passing a thread through an eye of the sewing needle;
A sewing machine provided with a needle movement regulating mechanism for regulating the vertical movement of the sewing needle when the thread is not passed through the eye hole by the threading mechanism. The threading mechanism includes a threading mechanism which is movable between an engaging position which is inserted into the eye and is capable of engaging with a thread located near the eye and a retracted position which is pulled out from the eye. Has a hook,
Switching means for switching the threading hook between the engagement position and the retracted position,
2. The switching device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit switches and holds the threading hook from the retracted position to the engagement position when the thread is not passed through the eye hole by the threading mechanism. 3. sewing machine. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the needle movement regulating mechanism includes a regulating member that regulates downward movement of the sewing needle. The regulating member is movably disposed between a regulating position that regulates downward movement of the sewing needle and a regulation release position that does not regulate movement of the sewing needle, and biases the regulating member to the regulating position. The sewing machine according to claim 3, further comprising an urging member. A thread cassette that has a thread supply source and is removably mounted on a cassette mounting section of the sewing machine; when the thread cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting section, the regulating member is pressed by the thread cassette and The sewing machine according to claim 4, wherein the sewing machine is configured to be able to be switched from the restriction position to the restriction release position. The sewing machine according to claim 5, wherein the state in which the thread does not pass through the eye hole is a state in which the thread cassette is not mounted on the cassette mounting portion.

Images