CN116145341A

CN116145341A - Shuttle sleeve replacing device

Info

Publication number: CN116145341A
Application number: CN202211310121.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 佐野正幸
Original assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-22
Filing date: 2022-10-25
Publication date: 2023-05-23
Also published as: JP2023076293A

Abstract

The invention provides a bobbin case replacing device capable of replacing a bobbin case with good precision and easily replacing a cartridge. The magazine (150) holds a plurality of bobbin cases (101) that house unused bobbins. The carriage (160) is movable along the rail (112) between a loading position and a replacement position. The moving device (120) extends in the front-rear direction, and moves the chuck mechanism (130) in the front-rear direction. The chuck mechanism (130) moves to the left front surface of the holding position of the cartridge (150) holding the bobbin case (101) to be replaced, and grips the bobbin case (101) to be replaced. The chuck mechanism (130) moves toward the left front surface of the shuttle (71), removes the used bobbin case (101) attached to the shuttle (71), and attaches the bobbin case (101) to be replaced to the shuttle (71).

Description

Shuttle sleeve replacing device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a bobbin case replacing device for replacing a bobbin case for accommodating a bobbin.

Background

The bobbin replacing device described in patent document 1 has a holding unit capable of holding or releasing a bobbin case. The holding unit changes the bobbin case between the shuttle of the sewing machine and a bobbin case magazine holding a plurality of bobbin cases for replacement. The replacement mechanism rotates the gripping unit between the shuttle position and the gripping position by the rotating arm. The shuttle position is the position of the gripping unit relative to the shuttle for changing the bobbin case. The holding position is a position where the holding unit changes the bobbin case with respect to the bobbin case magazine. The bobbin case magazine is mounted on the magazine conveying table. The magazine transport table moves along the guide rail. The magazine moving mechanism moves the magazine transport table, and positions the bobbin case magazine at which the bobbin case to be replaced is held in the bobbin case magazine at the holding position.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 8-280971

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The large sewing machine disposes the shuttle under the sewing table. When replacing the bobbin case magazine, the operator needs to perform a work of attaching the bobbin case magazine to the magazine transfer table under the table, which takes time and effort. In addition, in order for the gripping unit to grip the bobbin case of the bobbin case cartridge at the gripping position, it is necessary to accurately perform the movement of the gripping unit by the replacement mechanism and the movement of the cartridge conveying table by the cartridge moving mechanism every time the replacement is performed.

The invention aims to provide a bobbin case replacing device which can accurately replace a bobbin case and can easily replace a material box.

Solution for solving the problem

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bobbin case replacing device for taking out a bobbin case accommodating a used bobbin from a shuttle of a sewing machine and attaching a bobbin case accommodating an unused bobbin to the shuttle, the bobbin case replacing device comprising: a cartridge capable of holding a plurality of said bobbin sleeves; a carriage on which the cartridge is mounted so as to be attachable and detachable; a carriage moving mechanism that moves the carriage between a replacement position where the carriage is disposed for replacement of the bobbin case and a loading position where the carriage is disposed for loading and unloading of the cartridge; a chuck mechanism capable of holding and releasing the bobbin case; and a chuck moving mechanism that moves the chuck mechanism to: each position of holding and releasing at least one of the plurality of bobbin cases held by the magazine mounted on the carriage at the replacement position and the bobbin case attached to the shuttle is possible.

The carriage moving mechanism can move the carriage between two positions, that is, a replacement position and a loading and unloading position. When the carriage is located at the replacement position, the chuck moving mechanism moves the chuck mechanism between the shuttle and a holding position of the bobbin case to be replaced in the magazine, thereby replacing the bobbin case. That is, the bobbin case replacing device is capable of moving the chuck mechanism in a state where the carriage is disposed at the replacement position when the bobbin case is replaced, and capable of holding and releasing the bobbin case to be replaced. Therefore, the bobbin case replacing device can replace the bobbin case with high accuracy without moving the chuck mechanism and the carriage in a linked manner. The carriage is movable to a mounting/dismounting position away from a replacement position near the mechanically dense shuttle, such as a shuttle mechanism for sewing, a lower rail, and a lower spline shaft. Therefore, the operator can easily detach the cartridge from the carriage at the attachment/detachment position and attach a new cartridge to the carriage.

The chuck mechanism according to the present invention may further include: a holding mechanism for holding and releasing the bobbin case; an approaching/separating mechanism that approaches and separates the gripping mechanism with respect to the bobbin case in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the chuck mechanism based on the chuck moving mechanism; and a coupling mechanism that moves together with the gripping mechanism by the approaching/separating mechanism, and that couples and decouples the carriage and the chuck mechanism, wherein the chuck moving mechanism moves the carriage between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position in conjunction with the carriage moving mechanism when the coupling mechanism couples the carriage and the chuck mechanism. The chuck moving mechanism can move the carriage between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position. Therefore, the bobbin case changer can make one drive source for the movement of the chuck mechanism and the movement of the carriage, and can simplify the structure.

In the present invention, the carriage may be provided with a fixing mechanism for fixing the cartridge to the carriage, the carriage moving mechanism may be provided with a releasing member for releasing the fixing of the cartridge by the fixing mechanism when the carriage is in contact with the fixing mechanism, and the fixing mechanism may be brought into contact with the releasing member to release the fixing of the cartridge when the carriage moved by the chuck moving mechanism is located at the 1 st position, and the fixing mechanism may be separated from the releasing member to fix the cartridge when the carriage is located at the 2 nd position closer to the replacement position than the 1 st position. When the carriage is at the 1 st position, the fixing mechanism contacts with the releasing member, and the cartridge is released, so that when the carriage reaches the loading and unloading position, the operator can easily take out the cartridge. When the carriage is located at the 2 nd position, the fixing mechanism is separated from the releasing member, and the cartridge is in a fixed state, so that the cartridge is not separated from the carriage during the movement of the carriage before the carriage reaches the replacement position. When the carriage reaches the replacement position, the cartridge mechanism does not move when gripping the bobbin case to be replaced, and therefore the bobbin case can be replaced with high accuracy.

The bobbin case changer according to the present invention may further include a control unit that controls driving of the chuck mechanism and the chuck moving mechanism, the chuck mechanism including: a first chuck having the holding mechanism and the approaching/separating mechanism; and a second chuck having the gripping mechanism, the approaching/separating mechanism, and the connecting mechanism, wherein the control unit functions as: a replacement preparation unit that moves the chuck mechanism to a position where the second chuck is opposed to the bobbin case to be replaced held by the cartridge at the replacement position, and grips the second chuck; a pre-disposing unit that moves the chuck mechanism after the replacement preparing unit prepares the bobbin case to be replaced, and disposes the first chuck at a position facing the shuttle; a used takeout unit that holds the used bobbin case by the first chuck and takes out the bobbin case from the shuttle when the bobbin case is replaced; an object mounting unit for moving the chuck mechanism to a position where the second chuck is opposite to the shuttle after the bobbin case is removed from the shuttle by the used-up removing unit, and for mounting the bobbin case to be replaced, which is gripped by the second chuck, to the shuttle, and for releasing the gripping of the second chuck; and a used recovery unit that, after the bobbin case is mounted on the shuttle by the target mounting unit, moves the chuck mechanism to a position where the first chuck is opposite to a position where the bobbin case is held in the magazine, holds the bobbin case held by the first chuck in the magazine, releases the holding by the first chuck, and recovers the used bobbin case. Before the replacement of the bobbin case, the control section may dispose the first chuck at a position facing the shuttle while gripping the bobbin case to be replaced with the second chuck in advance. Therefore, when the bobbin case is replaced, the bobbin case replacing device can immediately take out the used bobbin case from the shuttle by using the first chuck, and install the bobbin case to be replaced on the shuttle by using the second chuck, thereby quickly replacing the bobbin case.

The carriage moving mechanism according to the present invention may include: a pin that is inserted into a hole provided in the carriage when the carriage is positioned at the replacement position, and restricts movement of the carriage; and a pin driving mechanism for inserting and extracting the pin into and from the hole, wherein the pin and the hole have the same diameter, and the tip part is tapered. When the carriage is in the replacement position, the pin is inserted into the hole, whereby the carriage can position the cartridge. Since the tip end portion of the pin has a tapered shape, even when the carriage is positioned at a position deviated from the replacement position when the carriage is inserted into the hole portion, the carriage can be moved to the replacement position along the tapered shape by the hole portion. Therefore, the cartridge mechanism is capable of accurately replacing the bobbin case by reliably positioning the cartridge without moving the cartridge when the bobbin case to be replaced is gripped.

In the present invention, the carriage may be moved on a rail that is inclined downward from the replacement position toward the attachment/detachment position. Since the rail is inclined downward from the replacement position toward the loading and unloading position, a gap in the up-down direction can be ensured when loading and unloading the cartridge to and from the carriage located at the loading and unloading position, and thus the replacement work of the cartridge is easy for the operator.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine 1.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bobbin case changer 100 viewed from the upper left front.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fixture 115.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the chuck mechanism 130.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the cartridge 150 detached from the carriage 160 in the attachment/detachment position.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing an electrical structure of the sewing machine 1.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart of the cartridge replacement process.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the bobbin case changer 100 in which the chuck mechanism 130 and the carriage 160 are coupled.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the bobbin case changer 100 when the holding of the cartridge 150 is released.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the bobbin case changer 100 with the carriage 160 in the loading and unloading position.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the bobbin case changer 100 before replacement.

Fig. 13 is a flowchart of the bobbin case changing process.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A sewing machine; 16. a CPU; 25. a control unit; 71. a shuttle; 100. a bobbin case changing device; 101. a bobbin case; 111. releasing the pin; 112. a track; 115. a fixing device; 116. a pin rod; 117. a distal end portion; 120. a mobile device; 130. a chuck mechanism; 132. 142, chuck means; 133. 143, a holding part; 134. 144, claw parts; 135. 145, opening and closing the cylinder; 136. 146, a track; 137. 147, moving the cylinder; 138. 148, a base; 149. a connecting plate; 150. a magazine; 160. a carriage; 163. 173, a slider; 165. 175, a fixing mechanism; 183A, fixing holes.

Detailed Description

A sewing machine 1 including a bobbin case changer 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the left and right, front and back, up and down, and the arrows in the figures are used.

The sewing machine 1 is a gate type sewing machine capable of sewing a sewn object. As shown in fig. 1, the sewing machine 1 includes a seat portion 2, a pair of stay portions 3 and 4, a synchronizing mechanism 31 (see fig. 7), a conveying mechanism 9 (see fig. 7), a holding mechanism 8, a beam portion 5, a needle bar mechanism 6, a shuttle mechanism 7, a cloth feed mechanism 10 (see fig. 7), a holding mechanism 8, an operating portion 15, and a bobbin case changer 100.

The base portion 2 includes a base 21, a pair of front and rear rails, a frame 22, and a pair of lower rails 73 (see fig. 2). The base 21 is generally rectangular in shape. The upper surface of the base 21 forms a flat holding surface 21A extending horizontally. A holding plate 23 extending forward along the holding surface 21A is provided at the front end of the base 21. A snake belly portion 21R extending in the front-rear direction is provided near the right end portion of the holding surface 21A. A snake belly portion 21L extending in the front-rear direction is provided near the left end portion of the holding surface 21A. A pair of front and rear rails are provided below the

snake abdomen

21L, 21R. The front-rear rail supports a holding mechanism 8 described later so that the holding mechanism 8 can move in the front-rear direction. The

bellows portions

21R and 21L expand and contract in accordance with the back-and-forth movement of the holding mechanism 8. The frame 22 is a lattice-shaped structure, and supports the base 21 from below. A pair of lower rails 73 extend in the left-right direction below the base 21. The lower rail 73 supports the shuttle mechanism 7 so that the shuttle mechanism 7 described later can move left and right. The seat portion 2 is provided with a lower belt 74, a lower spline shaft 75, a shuttle mechanism 7, and a bobbin case changer 100, which will be described later, below the base portion 21.

The pair of pillar portions 3, 4 are each substantially quadrangular. The pillar portion 3 extends upward from the right end portion of the base portion 21 of the housing portion 2 at a position forward of the center in the front-rear direction. The pillar portion 3 is located on the right side of the bellows portion 21R in the left-right direction. The pillar portion 4 extends upward from the left end portion of the base portion 21 of the housing portion 2 at a position forward of the center in the front-rear direction. The pillar portion 4 is located on the left side of the bellows portion 21L in the left-right direction. The strut parts 3, 4 are separated in the left-right direction.

The synchronizing mechanism 31 (see fig. 7) is a mechanism for synchronously driving the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7, and includes a main motor 32 (see fig. 7), an upper spline shaft 55 (see fig. 2), a lower spline shaft 75 (see fig. 2), and a transmission mechanism. The column portion 4 supports the main motor 32. The upper spline shaft 55 and the lower spline shaft 75 extend in the left-right direction between the column portions 3, 4. The transmission mechanism of the synchronizing mechanism 31 is accommodated in the column section 3, and transmits the power of the main motor 32 to the upper spline shaft 55 and the lower spline shaft 75. The conveying mechanism 9 (see fig. 7) can move the shuttle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 in the left-right direction parallel to the horizontal direction with respect to the object to be sewn, and the conveying mechanism 9 includes an upper belt 54, a lower belt 74, an X motor 95 (see fig. 7) and a transmission mechanism, which will be described later. The holding mechanism 8 holds the sewn object. The X motor 95 is a pulse motor and is supported by the column section 3. The transmission mechanism of the conveying mechanism 9 is housed in the pillar portion 4, and transmits the power of the X motor 95 to the upper belt 54 and the lower belt 74. The upper belt 54 is fixed to the back of the needle bar mechanism 6. The lower belt 74 is fixed to the back surface of the shuttle mechanism 7. The shuttle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 move left and right in accordance with the rotation of the X motor 95.

The beam portion 5 is bridged between the pillar portions 3 and 4. The beam portion 5 extends continuously in the left-right direction between the pair of pillar portions 3, 4. The beam 5 has a housing 51. The housing 51 extends continuously between the upper end portions of the strut portions 3, 4 and extends continuously between the rear end portions of the strut portions 3, 4. A pair of upper rails 53 (see fig. 2) are provided in the space surrounded by the strut parts 3, 4 and the housing 51. The upper rail 53 is rod-shaped and is erected between the pillar portions 3 and 4. The upper rail 53 supports the needle bar mechanism 6 so that the needle bar mechanism 6 can move in the left-right direction. The bellows portion 52 is provided over the front end portions of the strut portions 3 and 4 and the housing 51, respectively, and over both right and left end portions of a needle bar mechanism 6 described later. The bellows portion 52 covers the upper rail 53, the upper belt 54, and the front side of the upper spline shaft 55. The bellows portion 52 expands and contracts in accordance with the reciprocating movement of the needle bar mechanism 6 in the left-right direction along the upper rail 53.

As shown in fig. 2, the needle bar mechanism 6 is provided on the front side with respect to the beam portion 5. The needle bar mechanism 6 includes a needle bar 61, a presser foot 62, a thread take-up mechanism 63, a thread take-up device 64, an upper shaft, and the like. The needle bar 61 extends in the up-down direction, and can mount a needle 65 at the lower end. The needle bar 61 is movable in the up-down direction. The presser foot 62 has a through hole through which the needle 65 passes in accordance with the movement of the needle bar 61, and the presser foot 62 presses the object to be sewn from above. The thread take-up mechanism 63 operates in response to the movement of the needle bar 61 in the up-down direction, and lifts up the upper thread. The thread clamp 64 adjusts the tension of the upper thread. The back of the needle bar mechanism 6 is connected to the upper belt 54. The upper rail 53 in the beam 5 supports the needle bar mechanism 6 so that the needle bar mechanism 6 can move in the left-right direction. Therefore, the needle bar mechanism 6 can move in the left-right direction along the front end portion of the beam portion 5. The upper shaft extends in the left-right direction in the needle bar mechanism 6. The transmission mechanism transmits the power of the upper spline shaft 55 to the upper shaft. The needle bar 61 extends in the up-down direction, is connected to the upper shaft, and moves up and down by the drive of the main motor 32.

The shuttle mechanism 7 is disposed below the needle bar mechanism 6 and inside the housing 2. The shuttle mechanism 7 includes a lower shaft, a shuttle 71, and a transmission mechanism. The housing 70 has a box shape, and includes a needle plate 72 at the upper left end. The needle plate 72 has needle holes through which the needles 65 can pass. The needle hole is located below the needle bar 61. The back surface of the shuttle mechanism 7 is connected to the lower belt 74. A lower spline shaft 75 penetrates the shuttle mechanism 7. The shuttle mechanism 7 is supported by a lower rail 73. The shuttle mechanism 7 is driven by the transport mechanism 9 to move left and right along the lower rail 73 in synchronization with the needle bar mechanism 6. The transmission mechanism transmits the power of the lower spline shaft 75 to the lower shaft. The shuttle 71 is coupled to the lower shaft, and rotates in synchronization with the up-and-down movement of the needle bar 61 by the drive of the main motor 32.

As shown in fig. 1, the cloth feed mechanism 10 (see fig. 7) moves the holding mechanism 8 holding the object to be sewn back and forth with respect to the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7. The cloth feeding mechanism 10 includes

coupling portions

11 and 12. The left lower end portion of the coupling portion 11 is disposed on the front-rear rail located on the left side of the seat portion 2. The right lower end of the connecting portion 12 is disposed on the front-rear rail located on the right side of the seat portion 2. The connecting

portions

11, 12 are connected to the holding mechanism 8. The holding mechanism 8 can hold the sewn object. The holding mechanism 8 has an upper frame 81, a lower frame 82, and

air cylinders

83, 84. The upper frame 81 and the lower frame 82 are rectangular in plan view, and the object to be sewn is sandwiched between the upper frame 81 and the lower frame 82. The upper frame 81 is opened and closed up and down with respect to the lower frame 82 by using the

cylinders

83, 84 as driving sources.

The operation portion 15 is supported by the left end portion of the base 21. The operation unit 15 includes a switch group 13 and a display unit 14. The switch group 13 inputs various instructions according to the operation of the operator. The display unit 14 is a liquid crystal display, and can display various images.

The bobbin case changer 100 will be described with reference to fig. 3 to 6. The bobbin case changer 100 is a device for changing the bobbin case 101 by taking out the bobbin case 101 accommodating the used bobbin from the shuttle 71 and attaching the bobbin case 101 accommodating the unused bobbin around which the bobbin thread is wound to the shuttle 71. The bobbin case changer 100 is disposed below the holding plate 23 in the base 21 of the housing 2, and is positioned at the left end in the base 21. The rear portion of the bobbin case changer 100 is near the left end portion of the range in which the shuttle mechanism 7 moves left and right along the lower rail 73. The rear portion of the bobbin case changing device 100 is located below the front end portion of the holding plate 23.

The bobbin case changer 100 includes a base 110, a moving device 120, a chuck mechanism 130, a magazine 150, and a carriage 160. The base 110 has a substantially rectangular plate shape and extends in the front-rear direction. The base 110 extends obliquely forward from a position on the front side of the shuttle mechanism 7 located at the left end of the left-right movement range, and the front end portion is located below the rear end portion. The base 110 is fixed to the housing 22 of the base 2. The base 110 is provided with a linear cylinder 121 of the moving device 120, a rail 112 for moving the carriage 160, a fixing device 115, and a pair of release pins 111 on the upper surface. The linear cylinder 121 is fixed to the upper surface of the left end portion of the base 110, extending in the front-rear direction. The rail 112 is fixed to the right upper surface of the base 110, and extends obliquely in the front-rear direction along the base 110. The pair of release pins 111 are disposed at the same position in the front-rear direction on the left and right sides of the rail 112, and extend upward. The release pin 111 can change the arrangement position to a plurality of positions in the front-rear direction. The base 110 has a position where the release pin 111 can be disposed at 10 in the front-rear direction. The fixing device 115 is fixed to the right rear upper surface of the base 110. As shown in fig. 4, the fixing device 115 is a pin cylinder driven by air, and the pin 116 movable in the left-right direction protrudes leftward when operated and rightward Fang Tuibi when not operated. The tip 117 of the pin 116 has a tapered shape, and when the pin 116 protrudes leftward, it engages with a fixing hole 183A formed in a reinforcing plate 183, and the reinforcing plate 183 is provided at the rear end of the carriage 160. The pin 116 may be the same diameter as the fixing hole 183A.

As shown in fig. 3, the moving device 120 is an electric cylinder that rotates a ball screw connected to a drive shaft of a servo motor 122, and moves a slider 123 linearly by a linear guide disposed in a linear cylinder 121. The moving device 120 is disposed on the upper surface of the base 110 and extends in the front-rear direction. The slider 123 moves in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the linear cylinder 121.

As shown in fig. 5, the chuck mechanism 130 is a mechanism for replacing the bobbin case 101 held in the cartridge 150 and the bobbin case 101 attached to the shuttle 71. The chuck mechanism 130 includes a support plate 131,

rails

136 and 146, moving

cylinders

137 and 147, and chuck

devices

132 and 142. The support plate 131 has a substantially rectangular plate shape and extends in the front-rear direction. The support plate 131 is fixed to the slider 123 of the moving device 120, and is moved in the front-rear direction by the linear cylinder 121. The

rails

136 and 146 are fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 131, respectively, and extend in the left-right direction. The rail 136 is positioned at the rear side of the rail 146 and is aligned parallel to the rail 146. The moving

cylinders

137, 147 are fixed to the upper surface of the support plate 131, respectively. The moving cylinder 137 is disposed at the left rear of the rail 136, and the moving cylinder 147 is disposed at the left front of the rail 146. The moving

cylinders

137, 147 are pin cylinders driven by air. The moving

cylinders

137 and 147 have pins movable in the left-right direction, and protrude rightward when operated, and leftward Fang Tuibi when not operated. The pins of the moving

cylinders

137, 147 are coupled to the

chuck devices

132, 142, respectively.

The

chuck devices

132, 142 each have a base 138, 148, a

grip portion

133, 143, a

claw portion

134, 144, and an opening/

closing cylinder

135, 145. The chuck assembly 142 also has a web 149. The

bases

138, 148 are disposed on the

rails

136, 146, respectively. The

rails

136 and 146 support the

bases

138 and 148 so that the

bases

138 and 148 can move in the left-right direction, respectively. The

grip portions

133 and 143 are fixed to upper portions of the

base portions

138 and 148, respectively. The gripping

portions

133, 143 have

gripping surfaces

133A, 143A at the right end portions thereof, which match the shape of the outer surface of the bobbin case 101. The

claw portions

134, 144 are disposed on the right front sides of the

grip portions

133, 143, respectively, and are fixed to the

base portions

138, 148. The

claw portions

134 and 144 have claw-shaped protruding portions bent and extended from the right rear side in the axial direction of the up-down direction, and the tip ends of the protruding portions move from the right side to the rear side by the rotation of the

claw portions

134 and 144.

The opening and closing

cylinders

135 and 145 are disposed on the left front sides of the

grip portions

133 and 143, respectively, and are fixed to the

base portions

138 and 148. The opening and closing

cylinders

135, 145 are pin cylinders driven by air. The opening/

closing cylinders

135 and 145 have pins movable in the left-right direction, and protrude rightward when operated and protrude leftward Fang Tuibi when not operated. The pin rods of the opening and closing

cylinders

135, 145 press the

claw portions

134, 144 during operation, and rotate the protruding portions of the

claw portions

134, 144 from the right to the rear. When the opening/

closing cylinders

135, 145 are not operated, the

claws

134, 144 rotate the protrusions from the rear to the right by the springs. The web 149 is secured to the base 148 of the chuck assembly 142. The connecting plate 149 protrudes rearward from below the grip 143, and is bent and extends rightward. The connecting plate 149 is plate-shaped having a width in the front-rear direction and a thickness in the up-down direction, and the right end is disposed below and behind the grip surface 143A of the grip 143. The coupling plate 149 engages with a receiving member 184 provided at the rear end of the carriage 160, and couples the chuck mechanism 130 to the carriage 160.

As shown in fig. 4 and 6, the magazine 150 is capable of holding a plurality of bobbin cases 101, and the bobbin case 101 is configured to accommodate unused bobbins around which a bobbin thread is wound. The cartridge 150 has a holding plate 151, a holding position 152, a locking pin 153, and a handle 154. The holding plate 151 is plate-shaped extending in the up-down direction and the front-back direction and is long in the front-back direction. The holding plate 151 has 8 holding positions 152 arranged in the front-rear direction at the upper portion of the left surface. The retaining pin 152A and the locating tab 152B are located in the retaining position 152. The holding pin 152A protrudes leftward at the holding position 152, and when the bobbin case 101 is held at the holding position 152, the holding pin 152A engages with the shaft hole of the bobbin accommodated in the bobbin case 101. The positioning piece 152B engages with the side portion of the bobbin case 101, and the orientation of the bobbin case 101 held at the holding position 152 is made to coincide with the orientation that can be held by the

chuck devices

132, 142. The locking pins 153 are provided at four places of the left front lower portion, the left rear lower portion, the right front lower portion, and the right rear lower portion of the holding plate 151, and protrude from the holding plate 151 in the front-rear direction. When the cartridge 150 is mounted on the carriage 160, the lock pins 153 are engaged with the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B of the carriage 160, respectively. The handle 154 has a columnar shape and protrudes forward from the front end of the holding plate 151. When replacing the cartridge 150, an operator can grasp the handle 154 to detach the cartridge 150 from the carriage 160.

The carriage 160 is used to mount the cartridge 150 for movement along the track 112 between a replacement position and a loading and unloading position. The replacement position is a position where the carriage 160 is disposed for replacing the bobbin case 101, and is a position at the rear end of a range in which the carriage 160 can move in the front-rear direction along the rail 112. The fixing device 115 can fix the carriage 160 in the replacement position. The loading/unloading position is a position where the carriage 160 is disposed for loading/unloading the cartridge 150, and is a position where the cartridge 150 can be removed from the carriage 160 by releasing the lock of the cartridge 150 by the release pin 111 when the carriage 160 moves forward along the rail 112. The replacement position is in a positional relationship near the shuttle mechanism 7, and the attachment/detachment position is a position pulled out toward the front side of the sewing machine 1 so as to be farther from the shuttle mechanism 7 than the replacement position. Since the base 110 and the rail 112 are inclined forward, the carriage 160 and the cartridge 150 can take a gap between the lower surfaces of the frame 22 and the holding plate 23 at the loading and unloading position. The attachment/detachment position can be changed stepwise by the operator, and the position of the release pin 111 can be determined according to the setting of the attachment/detachment position.

The carriage 160 has a pair of

support plates

161, 171, support bars 181, 182, a pair of

sliders

163, 173, a reinforcing plate 183, a receiving member 184, and a pair of fixing

mechanisms

165, 175. The pair of

support plates

161, 171 are plate-like extending in the up-down direction and the front-back direction, and are long in the front-back direction. The support plate 161 is disposed on the left side of the support plate 171. The support bar 181 is bridged between the front end portion of the support plate 161 and the front end portion of the support plate 171, and is fixed to the front end portion of the support plate 161 and the front end portion of the support plate 171, respectively. The support bar 182 is bridged between a rear end portion of the support plate 161 and a rear end portion of the support plate 171, and is fixed to the rear end portion of the support plate 161 and the rear end portion of the support plate 171, respectively. The slider 163 is fixed to the right surface of the support plate 161 and extends in the front-rear direction. The slider 173 is fixed to the left surface of the support plate 171 and extends in the front-rear direction. The slider 163 and the slider 173 are opposed in the left-right direction. The

sliders

163, 173 and the rail 112 of the base 110 constitute a linear guide. The

sliders

163 and 173 sandwich the rail 112 from the left and right sides, and thereby the rail 112 supports the carriage 160 so that the carriage 160 can move in the front-rear direction.

The support plate 161 has support

concave portions

161A, 161B cut into concave shapes toward the lower side at the rear upper end and the front upper end, respectively. The support plate 171 has support

concave portions

171A, 171B cut into concave shapes toward the lower side at the rear upper end and the front upper end, respectively. The support concave portion 161A is located at a position facing the support concave portion 171A in the left-right direction, and the support concave portion 161B is located at a position facing the support concave portion 171B in the left-right direction. When the cartridge 150 is mounted on the carriage 160, the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B support the four lock pins 153 of the cartridge 150, respectively. The

support plates

161, 171 have a pair of fixing

pins

161C, 171C at the middle portions in the lateral direction. The fixing pin 161C protrudes leftward from the left surface of the support plate 161, and the fixing pin 171C protrudes rightward from the right surface of the support plate 171. The two tension springs 185 have one ends thereof hooked to the fixing pins 161C and 171C. The rear end portion of the support plate 161 protrudes rearward from the rear end portion of the support plate 171.

The reinforcement plate 183 is fixed to the rear lower portion of the support plate 161. The support plate 161 and the reinforcement plate 183 have fixing holes 183A penetrating in the left-right direction. When the carriage 160 is in the replacement position, the fixing device 115 inserts the distal end portion 117 of the pin 116 into the fixing hole 183A, and positions the carriage 160 to the base 110. The receiving member 184 is fixed above the reinforcing plate 183. The receiving member 184 is formed by bending the front end portion and the rear end portion of the plate material extending in the front-rear direction to the left. The receiving member 184 can engage with a right end portion of the coupling plate 149 provided on the chuck device 142 of the chuck mechanism 130.

The fixing

mechanisms

165 and 175 are disposed on the left surface of the support plate 161 and the right surface of the support plate 171, respectively. The fixing

mechanisms

165, 175 are parallel links that rotate the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B, and the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B lock the lock pins 153 of the cartridges 150 in the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B of the carriage 160. The fixing

mechanisms

165, 175 have fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B, connecting

rods

167, 177, and operating

pins

168, 178.

The fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B are each plate-shaped bent in a substantially L-shape. The fixing

pieces

166A and 166B are provided with a rotation shaft at the bent portion, and are rotatably supported by the support plate 161 at the left surface side of the support plate 161 and in front of the support recesses 161A and 161B. The link 167 is plate-shaped extending in the front-rear direction, and is disposed below the fixing

pieces

166A and 166B on the left surface side of the support plate 161. The rear end portion of the link 167 rotatably supports one end portion of the fixing piece 166A extending downward from the bent portion of the fixing piece 166A, and the front end portion of the link 167 rotatably supports one end portion of the fixing piece 166B extending downward from the bent portion of the fixing piece 166B. The other end portions of the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B extend upward and rearward from the respective bent portions. When the link 167 moves backward, the other end portions of the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B rotate from the rear direction of the rotation shaft, and when the link 167 moves forward, the other end portions of the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B rotate from the upper direction of the rotation shaft to the rear direction.

The fixing

pieces

176A and 176B are provided with rotation shafts at the bent portions, and are rotatably supported by the support plate 171 at positions on the right surface side of the support plate 171 and in front of the support recesses 171A and 171B. The link 177 is a plate-like member extending in the front-rear direction, and is disposed below the fixing

pieces

176A and 176B on the right surface side of the support plate 171. The rear end portion of the link lever 177 rotatably supports one end portion of the fixing piece 176A extending downward from the bent portion, and the front end portion of the link lever 177 rotatably supports one end portion of the fixing piece 176B extending downward from the bent portion, of the fixing piece 176B. The other end portions of the fixing

pieces

176A, 176B extend upward and rearward from the respective bent portions. When the link 177 moves backward, the other end portions of the fixing

pieces

176A, 176B rotate upward from the rear of the rotation shaft, and when the link 177 moves forward, the other end portions of the fixing

pieces

176A, 176B rotate backward from the upper of the rotation shaft.

When the other end portions of the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B are positioned above the rotation shafts, the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B are opened above, and the lock pins 153 of the cartridge 150 can be freely inserted and removed. When the other end portions of the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B are positioned rearward of the rotation shaft, the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B are closed upward, and the lock pins 153 are held in the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B.

The link levers 167, 177 have the operation pins 168, 178 at positions rearward of the center in the front-rear direction. The operating pins 168, 178 protrude to the left and right from the connecting

rods

167, 177, respectively. When the carriage 160 is moved forward with the operation pins 168 and 178 abutting the release pin 111, the connection links 167 and 177 are moved rearward with respect to the

support plates

161 and 171. The fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B rotate clockwise when viewed from the left side, and open the upper sides of the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B. The connecting

rods

167 and 177 protrude upward from the fixing

projections

167A and 177A at positions rearward of the operating pins 168 and 178. The two tension springs 185 have the other ends thereof hooked on the fixing

projections

167A, 177A. That is, the tension spring 185 is stretched between the fixing

protrusions

167A and 177A and the fixing pins 161C and 171C of the

support plates

161 and 171. When the carriage 160 moves rearward and the operation pins 168 and 178 are separated from the release pins 111, the

connection rods

167 and 177 move forward with respect to the

support plates

161 and 171 by the urging force of the tension springs 185. The fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B are rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the left side, and the upper sides of the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B are closed.

The electrical structure of the sewing machine 1 will be described with reference to fig. 7. The control unit 25 of the sewing machine 1 includes a CPU16, a ROM17, a RAM18, a storage device 19, an input/output interface (I/O) 20, and drive circuits 41 to 50. The CPU16 controls the operation of the sewing machine 1. The ROM17 stores programs and the like for executing various processes in advance. The RAM18 temporarily stores various information generated in the execution of various processes. The storage device 19 is nonvolatile and stores various setting values.

The driving circuits 41 to 50, encoders 56 to 59, and switch block 13 are connected to the I/O20. The driving circuit 41 is connected to the main motor 32 of the synchronization mechanism 31, and drives the main motor 32 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 42 is connected to the X motor 95 of the conveying mechanism 9, and drives the X motor 95 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16. The driving circuit 43 is connected to the Y motor 96 of the cloth feeding mechanism 10, and drives the Y motor 96 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16. The driving circuit 41 is connected to the

cylinders

83, 84 of the holding mechanism 8, and drives the

cylinders

83, 84 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16. The driving circuit 45 is connected to the fixing device 115, and supplies air in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU16 to drive the fixing device 115. The driving circuit 46 is connected to the opening/

closing cylinders

135, 145 of the

chuck units

132, 142, and drives the opening/

closing cylinders

135, 145 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16. The driving circuit 47 is connected to the moving

cylinders

137, 147 of the

chuck devices

132, 142, and drives the moving

cylinders

137, 147 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16. The driving circuit 48 is connected to the servo motor 122 of the moving device 120, and drives the servo motor 122 according to a control instruction of the CPU 16. The driving circuit 49 is connected to the display unit 14, and displays various information on the display unit 14 in accordance with a control instruction of the CPU 16.

The encoder 56 detects the rotational position and rotational speed of the output shaft of the main motor 32, and inputs the detection result to the I/O20. The detection result of the encoder 56 indicates the up-down positions of the needle bar 61 and the needle 65. The encoder 57 detects the rotational direction, rotational position, rotational speed of the output shaft of the X motor 95, and inputs the detection result to the I/O20. The detection result of the encoder 57 indicates the left and right positions of the needle bar mechanism 6 and the shuttle mechanism 7. The encoder 58 detects the rotational direction, rotational position, rotational speed of the output shaft of the Y motor 96, and inputs the detection result to the I/O20. The detection result of the encoder 58 indicates the front-rear position of the holding mechanism 8. The encoder 59 detects the rotational direction, rotational position, and rotational speed of the output shaft of the servomotor 122, and inputs the detection result to the I/O20. The detection result of the encoder 59 indicates the front-rear position of the slider 123 of the moving device 120. The switch group 13 detects various instructions and inputs the detection result to the I/O20.

The cartridge replacement process will be described with reference to fig. 7 to 12. The cartridge replacement process is a process performed when the cartridge 150 holding the plurality of unused bobbin sleeves 101 is set in the carriage 160 of the bobbin sleeve replacement device 100 or when the cartridge 150 holding the plurality of used bobbin sleeves 101 is replaced with a new cartridge 150. The cartridge replacement process is started when the operator operates the switch group 13 from the menu displayed on the display section 14 and instructs replacement of the cartridge 150.

The CPU16 reads out the program of the cartridge replacement processing from the ROM17 to the RAM18 and executes it. As shown in fig. 8, the CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130 to the coupling position (S1). The coupling position is a position where the coupling plate 149 provided to the chuck device 142 on the front side of the chuck mechanism 130 is located on the left front side of the receiving member 184 of the carriage 160. The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 rightward (S3). As shown in fig. 9, the coupling plate 149 engages with the receiving member 184. As shown in fig. 8, the CPU16 drives the fixing device 115 to move the pin 116 rightward (S5). The fixing device 115 pulls out the tip 117 of the pin 116 from the fixing hole 183A to release the fixation of the carriage 160.

The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the carriage 160 connected to the chuck mechanism 130 from the replacement position to the attachment/detachment position (S7). As shown in fig. 10, during the movement of the carriage 160 to the attachment/detachment position, the tension springs 185 urge the connection links 167, 177 of the fixing

mechanisms

165, 175 forward with respect to the carriage 160 until the operation pins 168, 178 come into contact with the release pin 111. Accordingly, the fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B press the lock pins 153 of the cartridge 150 into the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B, and maintain the fixed state of fixing the cartridge 150 to the carriage 160. Further, the position of the carriage 160 in the case where the carriage 160 maintains the fixed state of the cartridge 150 and is within the range that can move along the rail 112 is referred to as a 2 nd position.

As shown in fig. 11, when the carriage 160 moves toward the attachment/detachment position, the operation pins 168 and 178 come into contact with the release pin 111, and the carriage 160 is released from the fixed state of the cartridge 150. The link bars 167, 177 move rearward with respect to the carriage 160 as the carriage 160 moves. The fixing

pieces

166A, 166B, 176A, 176B rotate clockwise when viewed from the left side, and open the support recesses 161A, 161B, 171A, 171B. When the carriage 160 reaches the loading/unloading position, the lock pin 153 of the cartridge 150 can be freely inserted and removed. The position of the carriage 160 when the carriage 160 releases the cartridge 150 and is within the range of being movable along the rail 112 is referred to as the 1 st position. Namely, the 2 nd position is closer to the replacement position than the 1 st position.

As shown in fig. 8, the CPU16 waits for an input indicating that the replacement of the cartridge 150 has been completed (S9: no). The operator removes the magazine 150 from the carriage 160 at the attachment/detachment position, and places a new magazine 150 with the unused bobbin case 101 attached thereto in the carriage 160. When the configuration is completed, the operator operates the switch group 13, performing an operation of indicating that the replacement of the cartridge 150 is completed. When the CPU16 detects the input of the instruction (S9: yes), the replacement history of the bobbin case 101 stored in the storage device 19 is cleared (S11). The replacement history is data stored in the storage device 19 in the order of replacement of the bobbin case 101, using, as a history, a holding position 152 in the magazine 150 where the bobbin case 101 to be replaced is held in the bobbin case replacement process described later.

The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the carriage 160 connected to the chuck mechanism 130 from the loading/unloading position to the replacement position (S13). The CPU16 drives the fixing device 115 to move the pin 116 to the left (S15). The fixing device 115 inserts the distal end portion 117 of the pin 116 into the fixing hole 183A, and fixes the carriage 160 at the replacement position. The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 leftward (S7). The coupling plate 149 moves to the left of the receiving member 184, and the chuck mechanism 130 is disconnected from the carriage 160.

The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130, and places the chuck device 142 on the front side at a position facing the left front surface of the holding position 152 for holding the bobbin case 101 to be replaced in the magazine 150 (S19). The cartridge 150 immediately after replacement holds the unused bobbin case 101 in each of the 8 holding positions 152. The CPU16 sets the bobbin case 101 held at the holding position 152 as a replacement target in order of arrangement from the rear side toward the front side of the magazine 150 as viewed from the left side, for example.

The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 rightward. The grip portion 143 of the chuck device 142 is configured to bring the grip surface 143A into contact with the left surface of the bobbin case 101 to be replaced. The bobbin case 101 has a handle portion on the left surface side, the handle portion having a plate shape that is openable and closable with a rear side as a support end and a front side as a free end, and the handle portion is biased rightward on the free end side by a spring. The CPU16 drives the opening/closing cylinder 145 to rotate the claw portion 144 counterclockwise in plan view (S21). The protrusion of the claw portion 144 pulls up the handle portion of the bobbin case 101, and grips the handle portion between the grip portion 143, thereby gripping the bobbin case 101 on the grip surface 143A. The CPU16 drives the moving cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 holding the bobbin case 101 to the left.

The CPU16 stores the holding position 152 of the cartridge 150 holding the bobbin case 101 to be replaced in the storage device 19 as a replacement history (S23). The CPU16 drives the servo motor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130. As shown in fig. 12, the rear chuck device 132 is disposed at a position facing the left front surface of the shuttle 71 (S25). The CPU16 ends the cartridge replacement processing through the above steps.

The bobbin case replacement process will be described with reference to fig. 13. The bobbin case replacement process is as follows: the sewing machine 1 exchanges with the bobbin case 101 which accommodates the unused bobbin and is held by the magazine 150 when the bobbin wound around the bobbin case 101 mounted on the shuttle 71 becomes less or exhausted. The bobbin case replacement process is started when the operator operates the switch group 13 from the menu displayed on the display unit 14 and instructs the replacement of the bobbin case 101.

The CPU16 reads out the program of the bobbin case replacement process from the ROM17 to the RAM18 and executes the program. In S25 of the cartridge replacement process, the rear chuck device 132 is located at a position facing the left front surface of the shuttle 71, and the front chuck device 142 is in a state of holding the unused bobbin case 101. The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 137 to move the chuck device 132 rightward. The grip portion 133 of the chuck device 132 abuts the grip surface 133A on the left surface of the used bobbin case 101 attached to the shuttle 71. CPU16 drives opening/closing cylinder 135 to rotate pawl 134 counterclockwise in a plan view. The protrusion of the claw portion 134 pulls up the handle portion of the bobbin case 101, and grips the handle portion between the grip portion 133, thereby gripping the bobbin case 101 on the grip surface 133A. The CPU16 drives the moving cylinder 137 to move the chuck device 132 holding the used bobbin case 101 to the left (S31).

The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130, and disposes the chuck device 142 on the front side at a position facing the left front surface of the shuttle 71 (S33). The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 rightward. The chuck device 142 inserts the bobbin case 101 gripped by the gripping portion 143 and the claw portion 144 as the replacement target into the shuttle 71. The CPU16 drives the opening/closing cylinder 145 to rotate the claw portion 144 clockwise in plan view. The protrusion of the claw portion 144 releases the handle portion of the bobbin case 101, and the unused bobbin case 101 is attached to the shuttle 71. The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 to the left (S35).

The CPU16 specifies the last stored holding position 152 based on the replacement history stored in the storage device 19. The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130, and disposes the rear chuck device 132 at a position facing the left front surface of the specified holding position 152 (S37). The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 137 to move the chuck device 132 rightward. The chuck device 132 mounts the used bobbin case 101 gripped by the grip 133 and the claw 134 to the holding pin 152A of the holding position 152. The CPU16 drives the opening/closing cylinder 145 to rotate the claw portion 144 clockwise in plan view. The protrusion of the claw 134 releases the handle of the bobbin case 101, and the used bobbin case 101 is mounted at the holding position 152. The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 137 to move the chuck device 132 to the left (S39).

The CPU16 determines whether the cartridge 150 holds the unused bobbin case 101 based on the replacement history stored in the storage device 19. The cartridge 150 is capable of holding 8 bobbin cases 101. When the history of the replacement target holding positions 152 stored as the replacement history is 8 (S41: no), the CPU16 displays the replacement prompting of the cartridge 150 on the display unit 14 of the operation unit 15 (S51), and ends the bobbin case replacement processing. When the history of the replacement target holding positions 152 stored as the replacement history is 7 or less (S41: yes), the CPU16 sets the bobbin case 101 held at the next holding position 152 as the replacement target in the order of arrangement. The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130, and arranges the chuck device 142 on the front side at a position facing the left front side of the holding position 152 of the bobbin case 101 to be replaced (S43).

The CPU16 drives the movement cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 rightward. The grip portion 143 of the chuck device 142 is configured to bring the grip surface 143A into contact with the left surface of the bobbin case 101 to be replaced. The CPU16 drives the opening/closing cylinder 145 to rotate the claw portion 144 counterclockwise in a plan view, and grips the bobbin case 101 to be replaced with the gripping portion 143 with the grip portion therebetween by the chuck device 142 (S45). The CPU16 drives the moving cylinder 147 to move the chuck device 142 holding the bobbin case 101 to the left.

The CPU16 stores the holding position 152 of the cartridge 150 holding the bobbin case 101 to be replaced in the storage device 19 as a replacement history (S47). The CPU16 drives the servomotor 122 to move the chuck mechanism 130, and disposes the rear chuck device 132 at a position facing the left front surface of the shuttle 71 (S49). The CPU16 ends the bobbin case changing process through the above steps.

As described above, the carriage 160 is movable between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position. When the carriage 160 is located at the replacement position, the moving device 120 can move the chuck mechanism 130 between the shuttle 71 and the holding position 152 of the bobbin case 101 to be replaced in the magazine 150, thereby replacing the bobbin case 101. That is, the bobbin case changing device 100 can move the chuck mechanism 130 in a state where the carriage 160 is disposed at the changing position when changing the bobbin case 101, and can hold and release the bobbin case 101 to be changed. Therefore, the bobbin case changing device 100 can accurately change the bobbin case 101 without moving the chuck mechanism 130 and the carriage 160 in a linked manner. The carriage 160 is movable to a mounting/dismounting position away from a replacement position near the mechanically dense shuttle 71, such as the shuttle mechanism 7, the lower rail 73, or the lower spline shaft 75 for sewing. Therefore, the operator can easily detach the cartridge 150 from the carriage 160 located at the attachment/detachment position and attach a new cartridge 150 to the carriage 160.

The moving device 120 can move the carriage 160 between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position. Therefore, the bobbin case changer 100 can set the driving source for the movement of the chuck mechanism 130 and the movement of the carriage 160 to one, and can achieve simplification of the structure.

When the carriage 160 is at the 1 st position, the fixing

mechanisms

165 and 175 contact the release pin 111, and the cartridge 150 is released, so that when the carriage 160 reaches the attachment/detachment position, the operator can easily take out the cartridge 150. When the carriage 160 is located at the 2 nd position, the fixing

mechanisms

165 and 175 are separated from the release pin 111, and the cartridge 150 is in a fixed state, so that the cartridge 150 does not separate from the carriage 160 during the movement of the carriage 160 until the carriage 160 reaches the replacement position. When the carriage 160 reaches the replacement position, the cartridge mechanism 130 does not move when gripping the bobbin case 101 to be replaced, and therefore, the bobbin case 101 can be replaced with high accuracy.

Before replacing the bobbin case 101, the CPU16 can dispose the rear chuck device 132 at a position facing the shuttle 71 in a state where the front chuck device 142 grips the bobbin case 101 to be replaced in advance. Therefore, when the bobbin case 101 is replaced, the bobbin case replacing device 100 can immediately take out the used bobbin case 101 from the shuttle 71 by the chuck device 132, and install the bobbin case 101 to be replaced to the shuttle 71 by the chuck device 142, thereby quickly replacing the bobbin case 101.

When the carriage 160 is in the replacement position, the tip portion 117 of the pin 116 is inserted into the fixing hole 183A, whereby the carriage 160 can position the cartridge 150. Since the tip 117 of the pin 116 has a tapered shape, even when the carriage 160 is positioned at a position deviated from the replacement position when inserted into the fixing hole 183A, the carriage 160 can be moved to the replacement position along the tapered shape by the fixing hole 183A. Therefore, when the cartridge mechanism 130 holds the bobbin case 101 to be replaced, the cartridge 150 does not move, and the bobbin case 101 can be accurately replaced by reliably positioning the cartridge 150.

Since the rail 112 is inclined downward from the replacement position toward the attachment/detachment position, when the cartridge 150 is attached to or detached from the carriage 160 located at the attachment/detachment position, a gap in the vertical direction can be secured with respect to the lower surfaces of the frame 22 and the holding plate 23, and therefore, the replacement operation of the cartridge 150 can be easily performed by the operator.

In the above embodiment, the

sliders

163 and 173 and the rail 112 are examples of the carriage moving mechanism of the present invention. The moving device 120 is an example of the chuck moving mechanism of the present invention. The

grip portions

133 and 143, the

claw portions

134 and 144, and the opening/

closing cylinders

135 and 145 are examples of the grip mechanism of the present invention.

Rails

136, 146, moving

cylinders

137, 147, and bases 138, 148 are examples of the approaching/separating mechanism of the present invention. The coupling plate 149 is an example of the coupling mechanism of the present invention. The release pin 111 is an example of the release member of the present invention. The fixing hole 183A is an example of the hole portion of the present invention. The pin shaft 116 is an example of the pin of the present invention. The fixing device 115 is an example of the pin driving mechanism of the present invention. Track 112 is an example of a track of the present invention. The chuck device 132 is an example of the first chuck of the present invention. The chuck device 142 is an example of the second chuck of the present invention. The CPU16 performing the processing of S21 and S45 is an example of the replacement preparation unit of the present invention. The CPU16 performing the processing of S25 and S49 is an example of the pre-arrangement unit of the present invention. The CPU16 that performs the process of S31 is an example of the used-up extracting unit of the present invention. The CPU16 that performs the process of S35 is an example of the object mounting portion of the present invention. The CPU16 performing the process of S39 is an example of the used-up recovery unit of the present invention.

The sewing device of the present invention can be variously modified in addition to the above-described embodiments. The cartridge 150 can hold 8 bobbin cases 101, but is not limited to 8, and may be a plurality. The fixing

mechanisms

165 and 175 of the carriage 160 may be provided only on the left side of the carriage 160 or only on the right side of the carriage 160. The connecting plate 149 is not limited to a plate shape, and may be a pin shape. The carriage 160 is connected to the chuck mechanism 130 and is moved between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position by the moving device 120, but the carriage 160 may be moved by an operator gripping the handle 154 without being connected to the chuck mechanism 130. The carriage 160 moves between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position in the front-rear direction of the sewing machine 1, but is not limited to this, and may move in the left-right direction of the sewing machine 1, for example, as long as it does not interfere with other mechanisms. The fixing hole 183A is not limited to a through hole, and may be a recess, or may be a pair of plate-shaped members that position the pin 116 in the front-rear direction. Either of the

chuck devices

132, 142 may be absent. In this case, the cartridge 150 or the base 110 may be provided with an arrangement portion for temporarily arranging the bobbin case 101 during replacement.

Claims

1. A bobbin case replacing device for taking out a bobbin case accommodating a used bobbin from a shuttle of a sewing machine and attaching the bobbin case accommodating an unused bobbin to the shuttle,

the bobbin case replacement device is provided with:

a cartridge capable of holding a plurality of said bobbin sleeves;

a carriage on which the cartridge is mounted so as to be attachable and detachable;

a carriage moving mechanism that moves the carriage between a replacement position where the carriage is disposed for replacement of the bobbin case and a loading position where the carriage is disposed for loading and unloading of the cartridge;

a chuck mechanism capable of holding and releasing the bobbin case; and

a chuck moving mechanism that moves the chuck mechanism to: each position of holding and releasing at least one of the plurality of bobbin cases held by the magazine mounted on the carriage at the replacement position and the bobbin case attached to the shuttle is possible.

2. The bobbin case changing device according to claim 1, wherein,

the chuck mechanism has:

A holding mechanism for holding and releasing the bobbin case;

an approaching/separating mechanism that approaches and separates the gripping mechanism with respect to the bobbin case in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the chuck mechanism based on the chuck moving mechanism; and

a coupling mechanism that moves together with the gripping mechanism by the approaching/separating mechanism, and that couples and decouples the carriage to and from the chuck mechanism,

when the coupling mechanism couples the carriage and the chuck mechanism, the chuck moving mechanism moves the carriage between the replacement position and the attachment/detachment position in conjunction with the carriage moving mechanism.

3. The bobbin case changing device according to claim 2, wherein,

the carriage is provided with a fixing mechanism for fixing the cartridge to the carriage,

the carriage moving mechanism includes a releasing member that releases the cartridge from being fixed by the fixing mechanism when the releasing member is in contact with the fixing mechanism,

when the carriage moved by the chuck moving mechanism is positioned at the 1 st position, the fixing mechanism is brought into contact with the releasing member to be in a released state for releasing the fixation of the cartridge,

When the carriage is positioned at the 2 nd position closer to the replacement position than the 1 st position, the fixing mechanism is separated from the release member, and the cartridge is fixed.

4. The bobbin case changing device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein,

the bobbin case replacing device comprises a control part for controlling the driving of the chuck mechanism and the chuck moving mechanism,

the chuck mechanism has:

a first chuck having the holding mechanism and the approaching/separating mechanism; and

a second chuck having the holding mechanism, the approaching/separating mechanism and the connecting mechanism,

the control unit functions as:

a replacement preparation unit that moves the chuck mechanism to a position where the second chuck is opposed to the bobbin case to be replaced held by the cartridge at the replacement position, and grips the second chuck;

a pre-disposing unit that moves the chuck mechanism after the replacement preparing unit prepares the bobbin case to be replaced, and disposes the first chuck at a position facing the shuttle;

A used takeout unit that holds the used bobbin case by the first chuck and takes out the bobbin case from the shuttle when the bobbin case is replaced;

an object mounting unit for moving the chuck mechanism to a position where the second chuck is opposite to the shuttle after the bobbin case is removed from the shuttle by the used-up removing unit, and for mounting the bobbin case to be replaced, which is gripped by the second chuck, to the shuttle, and for releasing the gripping of the second chuck; and

and a used recovery unit configured to remove the bobbin case gripped by the first chuck by moving the chuck mechanism to a position where the first chuck is opposed to a position where the bobbin case is held by the magazine after the bobbin case is mounted on the shuttle by the target mounting unit, and to recover the used bobbin case.

5. The bobbin case changing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein,

the carriage moving mechanism includes:

a pin that is inserted into a hole provided in the carriage when the carriage is positioned at the replacement position, and restricts movement of the carriage; and

A pin driving mechanism for inserting and extracting the pin with respect to the hole portion,

the pin and the hole part have the same diameter, and the top end part is conical.

6. The bobbin case changing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

the carriage is moved on a rail on which it is mounted,

the rail is inclined downward from the replacement position toward the attachment/detachment position.