EP2221409B1 - Holding device for a tool for processing a textile or non-textile sheet for a sewing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The device (3) has a presser foot shaft formed on a base part to attach the device to a presser foot bar of a sewing machine. A tool holder is located on the base part for holding a textile or non-textile sheet material processing tool i.e. textile marker (5). The tool holder is equipped with a coupling device for contacting a transmission element (11) on a needle bar (9). The tool holder is equipped with a leg connected to another leg with a fixed or adjustable inclination angle. An independent claim is also included for a method for processing a textile or non-textile sheet material with a tool on a sewing machine.

Description

The invention relates to a holding device for a tool for processing a textile or non-textile fabric in a sewing machine and a method for processing the sheet with the tool according to the features of the claims 1 and 9.

Sewing machines and embroidery machines each comprise a stitch forming device for creating seams or embroidery patterns in a textile fabric or sewing material. The sewing material is moved in a plane below a machine head relative to a sewing needle or moved stepwise. The suture needle is releasably connected to a needle holder located at the lower end of a needle bar. The needle bar protrudes at the bottom of the machine head and is movable up and down in the axial direction by a needle bar drive, such that the sewing needle can execute sewing stitches. At a small distance protrudes parallel to the needle bar a Nähfussstange down at the machine head. It usually comprises a conical or tapered tapered lower end for coupling and attaching various presser feet. Each of the presser feet includes one with the conical end of the presser foot bar corresponding shaft and can be easily placed from below on the Nähfussstange. In this case, the presser foot is automatically centered and optionally brought by further alignment in a predetermined desired position. There he can be fixed for example by means of a retaining clip or other fastener. Such presser feet are known in different embodiments - depending on the nature of the stitches to be executed. For sewing, the presser foot is lowered with the presser foot in such a way that the foot of the presser foot rests on the sewing material. The presser foot is pushed down by the force of a spring so that the foot of the presser foot is pressed resiliently onto the upper side of the sewing material. The sewing needle with the upper thread is at least approximately inserted vertically into the sewing material to the sewing material and pulled out in the opposite direction again. The sewing material can be moved, for example by a feed dog before the execution of the next stitch in the required new position. Alternatively, the fabric may also be clamped in an embroidery frame. By means of an xy-movement device of the embroidery frame is gradually shifted, so that in each case the next puncture site of the material comes to rest under the sewing needle. The movements of the hoop are controlled by the sewing machine control or alternatively by a PC or by an external control and are coordinated with the stitch movements of Needle bar. In a further alternative application, for example, the stuffing or quilting, the material is manually moved in the Nähgutebene. These techniques are presumed to be well known.

It is also known to use other tools for processing the sewing material instead of sewing needles. Thus, for example, instead of a single or Mehrfachnähnadel a cutting needle are attached to the needle bar, which can be used to cut the material.

From the JP7133575 For example, another alternative application of a sewing machine for spot-wise application of colors to a piece of fabric or paper is known. The textile or non-textile fabric is clamped in an embroidery frame or held by this and is displaceable by the xy drive in the sewing plane below the needle bar. A pen or ink stamp is rigidly attached to the bottom of the presser foot bar. Driven by the hopping mechanism, the presser foot can be lowered onto the fabric with the pen or punch and raised again. Similar to embroidering, the fabric is gradually shifted according to the print pattern to be created. Instead of the formation of stitches by a held on the needle bar sewing needle but pixels are generated by lowering and lifting or airing the Nähfussstange on the fabric.

A disadvantage of this method is that this device can only be used with specially equipped sewing machines. In addition, the stroke of the Hüpfermechanismus is relatively small. This can lead to problems especially with thick fabrics or with several fabric layers.

From the US-A-4151806 Further, an apparatus for sewing zig-zag stitches is known, which can be used in sewing machines, which are designed only for sewing straight seams, since their needle bars can only perform up and down movements, but no pivoting movements across to the sewing direction. The device comprises a presser foot with a base which can be fastened to the needle bar and a guide device which is mounted at this base so as to be pivotable transversely to the sewing direction for holding down and guiding the work piece during sewing. By means of a lever mechanism which can be coupled with the needle bar, the guide device is pivoted back and forth in a manner transverse to the sewing direction as a function of the movements of the needle bar so that the puncture sites on the sewing material form a zigzag pattern.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus and method for applying paint to a fabric using any commercially available sewing machine. A further object of the invention is to design the device and the method such that commercial textile pens or pens can be used to apply the colors or to print the fabric. A further object of the invention is to design the apparatus and method such that other processing tools can be used instead of pens, and that instead of applying paint - according to the particular tools used - the sheet can be processed in other ways ,

These objects are achieved by a holding device for a tool and by a method for processing a textile or non-textile fabric according to the features of claims 1 and 9.

The holding device according to the invention is attached to the sewing foot bar of the sewing machine analogously to a commercially available presser foot. The holding device comprises a tool holder for receiving and securing a commercial textile writer or alternatively another tool. The tool holder is pivotally or otherwise guided out movably or displaceably held on a base part. When the holding device is fastened to the presser foot rod, the needle bar or a transmission part connected to the needle bar, for example the needle holder, comes into contact with a coupling element on the tool holder during lowering or during a stitch movement. By the action of force of the needle bar or the transmission part on the coupling element of the tool holder with the tool performs a movement according to or predetermined by the guide movement degrees of freedom. Preferably, the tool holder is spring-loaded such that it is held without additional force by the needle bar in a basic position on the base part or returns to this basic position when the force of the needle bar is eliminated. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the holding device is designed so that the tool holder against the spring force of a return spring by a few millimeters guided parallel to the Nähfussachse is shifted downwards, when the lower end of the needle bar or a transfer element held thereon such as a part of the needle holder during the downward movement shortly before the lower inflection point impinges on a designated coupling element region of the tool holder. Preferably, the transmission element comprises a shock absorber or an elastically resilient element, such as a spring, in order to damp or cushion the impacts of the needle bar. To move the tool holder and thus also the tool attached thereto, the movement of the needle bar can be used, as otherwise provided in a conventional sewing or embroidery process. Alternatively or in addition to the axial movement of the needle bar, a pivoting movement of the needle bar, as is conventionally used in zig-zag stitches, could also be used to transmit the motion to the tool holder.

In a preferred embodiment of the holding device of the tool holder is designed for receiving commercially available textile pins. It may, for example, include interchangeable adapters for fixing such pins in a defined position, such that the writing tip lies at the intersection of the pin axis and the needle bar axis and that instead of puncturing sites of the sewing needle color points of the textile writer are formed on the fabric. Alternatively, the tool holder or the Adapter also be designed so that the writing tip of the textile writer is arranged slightly offset radially to the extended needle bar axis. In this case, it is possible to form color dots with the textile writer on the sewing material parallel to the sewing stitches even when the sewing needle is inserted into the needle holder. The tool holder is preferably designed such that the axis of the textile writer fixed therein is arranged inclined to the needle bar axis. In this way, the length of the usable textile writer is not limited by the distance between the machine head and the fabric. When using multiple needles or radially offset with respect to the needle bar axis arranged writing tip of the textile writer, it is possible to simultaneously print a fabric with a sewing or embroidery process. In this case, the sewing needle remains inserted into the needle holder during the processing of the fabric. Optionally, the holding device may comprise an adjusting mechanism, which allows to limit the range of movement of the tool holder. For example, limits for the positions of the basic position and / or the end position of the tool holder with respect to the base part can be set with the adjusting mechanism. In this case, the adjustment mechanism can be used, for example, for adjusting the height position of the textile writer relative to the sheet to be processed. In general, the adjusting device may comprise means for adjusting the mutual position of two relatively movable objects, wherein at least one of these objects is an element of the holding device. Examples of such pairs of objects are squeeze bar base, base part tool holder, tool holder adapter (for tool); Tool holder tool.

Figur 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer teilweise aufgeschnittenen Nähmaschine mit daran angeschlossener Haltevorrichtung für einen Textilschreiber,

Figur 2

ein in Figur 1 mit einem Kreis 2 umrahmtes Detail der Nähmaschine im Bereich der Haltevorrichtung mit dem Textilschreiber,

Figur 3

eine Seitenansicht der Anordnung aus Figur 1 im Bereich der Haltevorrichtung in einer ersten Betriebsstellung,

Figur 4

die Anordnung aus Figur 3, jedoch in einer zweiten Betriebsstellung,

Figur 5

die Anordnung aus Figur 3, jedoch mit an die Nadelstange angeschlossener Nähnadel.

The holding device or an adapter for fastening the tool to the tool holder can be designed such that the tool can be fastened in different positions relative to the base part. Thus, for example, a textile writer with different inclination angles with respect to the needle bar axis can be connected by means of the holding device to the sewing machine. A significant advantage of the invention is that the holding device can be connected to almost any sewing machine instead of a conventional presser foot, and that usually no further adjustments on the side of the sewing machine are required. The height or position of the holding device on the presser foot can be fixed or alternatively adjustable. The holding device can be used in different configurations of a sewing machine with or without active feed dog or hoop. For processing a textile fabric with the tool held in the holding device, different operating modes of the sewing machine can be used become. In particular, the tool can be operated analogously to a sewing operation with cyclical movements of the needle bar. The fabric can be moved synchronously to the needle bar movement automatically by the respective transport device or manually relative to the tool. The needle bar does not necessarily have to perform cyclic movements. For example, it can be temporarily decoupled from the driving harmonic or brought into predeterminable positions by appropriate control of the harmonic motion. In particular, such a textile writer can be lowered as a tool by half a revolution of the harmonic in a working position. In this working position, the nib lies on the sheet. By moving the sheet, solid lines can be created on the sheet. Thereafter, the tool is raised by a further half turn of the upper shaft back to a rest position. Preferably, the controller is designed so that the movements of the needle bar and the material can be controlled independently of each other. In a particularly preferred variant, the movement speeds of the embroidery frame and / or the needle bar can be controlled by the controller. Through different exposure times of the textile writer on the fabric, the appearance of the lines generated can be changed. By gently and gently placing the pen tip on the pen Fabric can be prevented staining at the attachment of lines. In addition, this increases the useful life of the textile writer. Based on some figures, an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below. Show

FIG. 1

a perspective view of a partially cut sewing machine with attached holding device for a textile writer,

FIG. 2

a in FIG. 1 with a circle 2 framed detail of the sewing machine in the area of the holding device with the textile writer,

FIG. 3

a side view of the arrangement FIG. 1 in the region of the holding device in a first operating position,

FIG. 4

the arrangement FIG. 3 but in a second operating position,

FIG. 5

the arrangement FIG. 3 , but with sewing needle connected to the needle bar.

FIG. 1 shows a partially cut-open sewing machine 1 with a connected thereto holding device 3 for a textile writer 5. The framed by a circular line 2 portion is in FIG. 2 shown enlarged. At the bottom of the machine head 7 protrudes one Needle bar 9, which is movable up and down by a needle bar drive in the vertical direction or in the direction of the needle bar axis 8. At the lower end of the needle bar 9 is a needle holder 11 for releasably securing a sewing needle 13 (FIG. Fig. 5 ) firmly connected to the needle bar 9. The textile pen 5 is held in a tool holder 15 of the holding device 3 in such a way that its writing tip is arranged directly in the extension of the needle bar axis 8 or slightly offset radially above it, above the throat plate 17. FIG. 3 shows the arrangement FIG. 1 in a partially cutaway side view. The holding device 3 comprises a base part 19 with a Nähfussschaft 21 for attachment to the usually conically shaped lower end of a Nähfussstange 23. The base member 19 is connected analogously to a presser foot, for example by means of a fixing lever 25 fixed to the Nähfussstange 23. The base part 19 comprises a first guide pin 27. If the holding device 3 is fastened to the presser foot rod 23, the first guide pin 27 protrudes downwards parallel to the presser foot axis 24 into a corresponding first bore 29 on a first leg 15a of the tool holder 15 aligned parallel to the throat plate 17. At this first leg 15a, a second guide pin 31 extends parallel to the first guide pin 27 upwards into a corresponding second bore (not visible) on the base part 19. The first Bore 29 and the second bore are formed as bearings for the respective guide pins 27, 31. Instead of round guide pins 27, 31, other linear guide elements and correspondingly adapted bearings can be provided. Transverse to the second bore, a recess is formed on the base portion 19 which exposes the second bore in a central portion of the base portion 19 and exposes a lower abutment surface 33a and an upper abutment surface 33b on the base portion 19 adjacent to the second bore. Between the two abutment surfaces 33a, 33b is a coil spring 35 between the lower stop surface 33a and a second guide pin 31 radially projecting limiting means, such as a Seegering 37, held with slight bias, that the Seeger ring 37 is present at the upper stop surface 33b. As a result, the tool holder 15 is held in a basic position or a first working position, as shown in FIG FIG. 3 is shown. If a sufficiently large additional pressure force acts from above on the horizontally oriented first limb 15a of the tool holder 15, the tool holder 15 slides down along the first guide pin 27 counter to the spring force of the helical spring 35. Does not the additional pressure force or this is sufficiently small, the force of the coil spring 35 presses the tool holder 15 back up to the original home position. The spring constant or the force of Coil spring 35 is dimensioned so that it is able to raise the tool holder 15 with the tool held therein - in the present example, this is the textile writer 5 - quickly and reliably in the normal position. According to the invention, the holding device 3 is designed so that the movement of the needle bar 9 of the sewing machine 1, as it takes place during sewing, can be used to move the tool holder 15 with the tool mounted therein in the manner described. The tool holder 15 comprises a coupling device 39 which is designed and arranged such that the needle bar 9 or another transmission element 41 formed on the needle bar 9 or connected thereto can transmit kinetic energy to the tool holder 15. In the illustrated example, the transmission element 41 is the underside of the needle holder 11. The coupling device 39 is designed and arranged such that the transmission element 41 performs at least a portion of this movement cycle when performing an up-and-down movement of the needle bar 9, as in sewing 'Is coupled to the coupling device 39 and so is able to move the tool holder 15 according to the predetermined guidance. In a simple embodiment of the invention, the coupling device 39 could be formed directly as part of the first leg 15a of the tool holder 15, wherein the extended needle bar axis 8 intersects this portion. Preferably, the coupling device 39 comprises a shock absorber or an elastically resilient element, such as a spring, in order to damp or cushion the impacts of the needle bar 9 or of the transmission element 41 held thereon when it strikes the first leg 15a. Of course, such a damping or spring member could alternatively also be formed on the side of the needle bar 9 or on the transmission element 41. Such a resilient element can also cause a spring-loaded or elastic pressing of the tool on the workpiece to be processed at the same time.

The tool holder 15 includes adjacent to the first leg 15 a second leg 15 b. The two legs 15a, 15b enclose an angle of 90 ° + α, such that a textile scribe 5 fixed axially parallel to the second leg 15b is inclined at an inclination angle α with respect to the needle bar axis 8. It is assumed that the needle bar axis 8 is aligned vertically to the surface of the needle plate 17 and the sheet 44 or fabric lying thereon. The inclination angle α is greater than or equal to 0 °. It may for example be about 45 ° and is preferably in a range of about 30 ° to about 60 °. The position or orientation of the second leg 15b relative to the first leg 15a can fixed or alternatively-by means of a continuously or in stages adjustable adjustment (not shown) can be set. Alternatively, a tool holder 15 may also be designed so that the textile writer 5 or the tool in a basic position of the tool holder 15 rests passively on the sheet 44 or is pressed onto this, and is lifted by the action of the needle bar 9 from the fabric 44. After uncoupling the needle bar 9 from the tool holder 15 (eg by pivoting the needle bar 9 by means of the zigzag drive in an orientation in which the transmission element 41 can no longer act on the coupling element 39 or alternatively by stopping the needle bar movement) becomes the textile writer 5 as long as no longer lifted off the fabric 44 until the coupling with the needle bar 9 is restored. In this way, the tool can continuously act on the fabric 44. With a textile pen 5 so in addition to dot images and images can be created with solid lines.

In a further alternative embodiment of the invention, the tool holder 15 can also be articulated permanently or releasably connected to the needle bar 9 and / or the Nähfussstange 23 (no representation).

In further alternative embodiments of the invention For example, the tool holder 15 can also be designed to fasten any other tools, such as, for example, cutting knives, adhesive cartridges or a laser for material processing. In addition to passive tools, active tools such as lasers, motor-operated scissors and the like can thus be expressly used, which are supplied with energy, for example via a connection cable for sewing machine control, and optionally controlled by the sewing machine control. The tool holder 15 with the tool can preferably be arranged and aligned in any position relative to the base part 19.

In the present example of a holding device 3 for a textile writer 5 an adjusting device (not shown) is preferably provided, which allows, for example by means of an adjusting screw to adjust the height level of the pen tip 45 relative to the first leg 15a. Thus, in the basic position of the tool holder, the distance H = H1 or, when the needle bar 9 is fully lowered, the distance H = H2 between the writing tip 45 and the throat plate 17 can be predetermined. With fully lowered needle bar 9 - this corresponds to a second working position and is in FIG. 4 illustrated - the pen tip 45 may rest on the throat plate 17. The distance H = H2 is then equal to zero. In this area, with the adjusting device, the pressing force of the pen tip 45th be adjusted against the throat plate 17. If a fabric 44 lies on the stitch plate 17, the contact force of the writing tip 45 on the fabric 44 can be changed in an analogous manner and adapted to the thickness and type of the fabric 44.

For aligning and fixing different textile pins 5 in a defined position on the tool holder 15, this can include, for example exchangeable inserts or adapter 47 and resilient clamping means 49. In FIG. 2 For example, a cuff-shaped adapter 47 in the region of the pen tip 45 and resilient retaining clips are shown as clamping means 49 in the rear region of the second leg 15b. At the rear end of the holding device 3, a stop is formed, which prevents the textile pin 5 can move axially during operation. The stop may also be designed to be resilient and / or adjustable in its position. As a result, an adaptation to different textile pins 5 is possible.

FIG. 5 shows an arrangement according to FIG. 3 However, if the sewing needle 13 is a multiple sewing needle in which none of the individual sewing needles 13 is coaxial with the needle bar axis 8, the writing tip 45 of the textile pen 5 may be as shown in FIG FIG. 5 represented without radial offset with respect to the extended needle bar axis 8 are arranged. Otherwise, can the tool holder 15 or the adapter be designed or aligned so that the pen tip 45 with respect to the needle bar axis 8 has a radial offset, which may be of the order of, for example, about one millimeter to about 25mm and is optionally adjustable.

In alternative embodiments of the invention, the tool holder 15 or parts thereof, such as e.g. one or more adapters 47 may also be designed to receive and fix other tools instead of textile pens 5 (not shown). Instead of or in addition to the vertical up-down movement of the needle bar 9 can be used in further embodiments of the invention, a generated by the zigzag drive of the sewing machine 1 pivotal or pendulum motion of the needle bar 9 to a movement or other action of the to cause or influence the tool holder 15 held tool. In particular, a tool may include not only passive elements but also active components, such as a laser light source for locally heating the sheet 44 or a piezoelectric vibrator for a cutting knife (not shown).

Claims (10)

1. A holding device (3) for a tool for processing a textile or non-textile sheet material (44) for a sewing machine (1), wherein a presser foot shaft (21) for attaching the holding device (3) to a presser foot bar (23) of the sewing machine (1) is formed on a base part (19), a tool holder (15) configured for receiving the tool is held on the base part (19), and the tool holder (15) comprises a coupling device (39) for controlling by a transmission element (11) configured on the needle bar (9).
2. A holding device (3) according to claim 1, wherein the tool holder (15) is configured for receiving and/or holding standard commercial textile markers (5).
3. A holding device (3) according to either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the tool holder (15) is held so as to be able to move on the base part (19), and the coupling device (39) is arranged and aligned on the tool holder (15) such that when the holding device (3) is mounted on the presser foot bar (23) of the sewing machine (1) it can be moved by the motion of the needle bar (9).
4. A holding device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coupling device (39) comprises a shock absorber or elastically springing element.
5. A holding device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tool holder (15) comprises a first leg (15a) and a second leg (15b), the first leg (15a) is moveably mounted on the base part (19) and the second leg (15b) is connected to the first leg (15a) so as to include a fixed or adjustable angle of inclination (90° + α).
6. A holding device (3) according to claim 5, wherein the second leg (15b) comprises means for the detachable fixing of the tool in a predetermined position.
7. A holding device (3) according to claim 6, wherein the means for predetermining the position of the tool comprise interchangeable adapters (47).
8. A holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an adjusting mechanism is provided for limiting a range of movement and/or for controlling a relative position.
9. A holding device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a guide peg (27, 31) or other appropriate linear guiding element is configured on the base part (19) and/or on the tool holder (15) in such a way that when the holding device (3) is connected to the presser foot bar (23) of the sewing machine (1) the tool holder (15) is carried displaceably on the base part (19) parallel to the presser foot axis (24), and the tool holder (15) is held in a basic position or in a first working position on the base part (19) by the force of a spring without the action of any other forces.
10. A method for processing a textile or non-textile sheet material (44) with a tool, wherein the tool is fixed to the presser foot bar (23) by means of a holding device (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and is moved or its activity changed by the effect of the presser foot motion.

Images