JP2011019650A - Top and bottom feed sewing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable an outlet seam to be stabilized even when a sewing shape or the kind of a fabric changes, and to improve the sewing quality. <P>SOLUTION: In the top and bottom feed sewing machine 100, a pressing force of pressing means 6 and 10 to an article to be sewn is made adjustable through rollers 3 and 7 in response to an electric current amount which is turned on. The vertical feed sewing machine 100 includes a designating means 80 which designates a sewing position where the pressing force to the article to be sewn of each roller is reduced when the article to be sewn is sewn, and a pressing force controlling means 13 which controls the electric current amount to be turned on to each pressing means in such a manner that the pressing force by each roller may become the designated pressing force at the sewing position which has been designated by the designating means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vertical feed sewing machine.

2. Description of the Related Art A vertical feed sewing machine is known in which two cloths are overlapped, and these cloths are sandwiched from above and below to be fed so that the two cloths can be sewn together.
The vertical feed sewing machine has a feed dog that reciprocates in the front-rear direction of the cloth feed while appearing from below the needle plate, a feed leg that moves in the front-rear direction while moving up and down from the needle plate in synchronization with the feed dog, It has.
Further, the vertical feed sewing machine includes an upper manipulator and a lower manipulator for moving each cloth in a direction crossing the cloth feed direction on the upper surface of the needle plate in order to keep the sewing margin constant.
The upper manipulator and the lower manipulator are each equipped with a roller that moves the cloth in the direction intersecting the cloth feed direction at the tip. During sewing, the roller is rotated by a pulse motor while detecting the cloth edge with a sensor, and the sewing allowance is constant. It keeps in.
Here, each roller can move between a position for pressing the cloth and a position for releasing the pressure of the cloth by driving the air cylinder (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 58-192576 A

By the way, since the cloth is pressed by the cloth presser and the roller, and the cloth feed direction and the moving direction of the roller intersect, the cloth pulling force is acted by the cloth presser and the roller, and the cloth is stretched. Here, when the cloth is sewed linearly along the feeding direction, the influence of the cloth is small. However, when the cloth is sewed in a curved line, the influence of the cloth is large.
When the influence of the stretch of the cloth becomes large, as shown in FIG. 19, the cloth edge moves closer to the inside of the cloth and the position of the cloth edge changes. Then, since the sensor does not detect the cloth edge, the roller rotates and moves the cloth to a position that can be detected by the sensor.
As a result, the portion sewn in a curved line is sewn inside the cloth from the position to be actually sewn under the influence of the stretch of the cloth, resulting in a large sewing allowance.
Accordingly, there arises a problem that the sewing allowance is shifted between the linear sewing portion and the curved sewing portion, and the quality of the sewing product is deteriorated.
Further, depending on the type and use of the cloth used for the sewing, the bending state of the curved sewing portion differs, and the deviation of the sewing allowance changes every time the sewing is performed.
In addition, since the air cylinder that moves the roller has a slow response until the target pressing force is exerted, it is difficult to cope with fine changes in the pressing force.
Such a problem cannot be solved by the conventional technique.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a vertical feed sewing machine that can stabilize a sewing margin and improve the quality of a sewing product even if the sewing shape and the type of cloth change. The purpose is to do.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1
A feed dog that performs a feed operation in contact with the lower sewing product from below, among the two sewing products that are placed on the needle plate,
Of the two sewing products placed on the needle plate, the feeding foot that performs the feeding operation by contacting the upper sewing product from above,
A lower roller which is in contact with the lower sewing product from below and reciprocates in a direction crossing the feeding direction by the feed dog;
Lower drive means for rotating the lower roller;
An upper roller which is in contact with the upper sewing product from above and reciprocates in a direction crossing a feeding direction by the feed leg;
Upper drive means for rotating the upper roller;
A separating plate disposed between the two sewing products, and sandwiching the sewing products with the upper roller and the lower roller;
Detecting means for detecting whether the workpiece is in a predetermined position;
Lower pressing means for pressing the lower roller against the lower workpiece,
Upper pressing means for pressing the upper roller against the upper workpiece,
Based on the detection result by the detection means, the drive of each drive means is controlled so as to determine the rotation direction and the rotation amount of each roller, and the drive of each press means is controlled so as to press the workpiece by each roller. A vertical feed sewing machine comprising:
Each pressing means is capable of adjusting the pressing force on the sewing product via each roller in accordance with the amount of energized current,
A sewing position for adjusting the pressing force of each roller against the sewing object when sewing the sewing object, and a designation means for specifying the pressing force at the position;
A pressing force control means for controlling the amount of current to be supplied to each pressing means so that the pressing force by each roller becomes the specified pressing force at the sewing position specified by the specifying means;
It is characterized by providing.

The invention according to claim 2 is the vertical feed sewing machine according to claim 1,
The designation means is:
Start stitch number setting means for setting the number of stitches from the start of sewing for starting the reduction of the pressing force on the workpiece by each pressing means;
Adjustment interval setting means for setting an interval of the number of stitches for reducing the pressing force from the number of stitches set by the start stitch number setting means;
A pressing force setting means for setting the pressing force in the number of stitches to reduce the pressing force;
An end stitch number setting means for setting the number of stitches from the start of sewing for ending the reduction of the pressing force on the workpiece by each pressing means,
The pressing force control unit is configured to perform the pressing operation at a stitch number interval set by the adjustment interval setting unit between a stitch number set by the start stitch number setting unit and a stitch number set by the end stitch number setting unit. The amount of current supplied to each pressing means is controlled so that the pressing force set by the pressure setting means is obtained.

The invention according to claim 3 is the vertical feed sewing machine according to claim 1 or 2,
The pressing force control means individually controls the amount of current supplied to each pressing means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vertical feed sewing machine according to any one of the first to third aspects,
The lower pressing means is a lower solenoid that changes the amount of movement of the plunger according to the amount of current that is energized, and the upper pressing means is an upper solenoid that changes the amount of movement of the plunger according to the amount of current that is energized,
A lower connection that rotatably supports the lower roller and is connected to the lower solenoid, and moves the lower roller along a pressing direction against the workpiece according to a movement amount of a plunger of the lower solenoid. Mechanism,
An upper coupling mechanism that rotatably supports the upper roller and is coupled to the upper solenoid, and moves the upper roller in a pressing direction against the sewing object in accordance with a movement amount of a plunger of the upper solenoid;
It is characterized by providing.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the sewing means for specifying the pressing force of each roller to the sewing product and the pressing force at that position are specified by the specifying means when sewing the sewing product, The pressure control means controls the amount of current to be supplied to each pressing means so that the pressing force by each roller becomes the specified pressing force at the sewing position specified by the specifying means.
Thereby, when the sewing shape changes, the pressing force control means adjusts to the specified pressing force by specifying the sewing position and the pressing force at that position in advance. Therefore, since it is no longer necessary to press the cloth with a constant pressing force by the pressing means as in the prior art, even if the sewing shape changes like straight stitching and curved stitching, or the type of cloth to be sewn changes, The seam allowance can be stabilized and the quality of the sewn product can be improved.
Moreover, the pressing force control means can adjust the pressing force of the workpiece by each roller by adjusting the amount of current to be supplied to each pressing means. Here, since each pressing means is driven according to the amount of current that is energized, it is possible to finely adjust the pressing force applied to the workpiece by each pressing means by fine adjustment of the current value. Further, since the driving source of the pressing means is an electric current, the pressing force can be adjusted with higher response than the pressing means having a conventional mechanical structure.

According to the invention described in claim 2, the pressing force control means is set by the adjustment interval setting means between the number of stitches set by the start stitch number setting means and the number of stitches set by the end stitch number setting means. The amount of current supplied to each pressing means is controlled so that the pressing force set by the pressing force setting means is set at the interval between the number of stitches.
As a result, when the sewing shape changes, by setting the section with the number of stitches, the pressing force can be adjusted at the set interval during the sewing of the section. Therefore, since it is no longer necessary to press the cloth with a constant pressing force by the pressing means as in the prior art, even if the sewing shape changes like straight stitching and curved stitching, or the type of cloth to be sewn changes, The seam allowance can be stabilized and the quality of the sewn product can be improved.
Further, the pressing force control means can reduce the pressing force of the sewing product by each roller by reducing the amount of current applied to each pressing means. Here, since each pressing means is driven according to the amount of current that is energized, it is possible to finely adjust the pressing force applied to the workpiece by each pressing means by fine adjustment of the current value. Further, since the driving source of the pressing means is an electric current, the pressing force can be adjusted with higher response than the pressing means having a conventional mechanical structure.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the pressing force control means individually controls the amount of current to be applied to each pressing means, so that the sew stitching is performed by changing the amount of current to be supplied to each pressing means. Will be able to do. Also in this case, by finely adjusting the amount of current, it is possible to widen the range of impossibility that is not possible, and it is possible to deal with a wide range of embroidery stitches.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the plunger of the upper solenoid (lower solenoid) moves by an amount corresponding to the amount of current according to the amount of current applied to the upper solenoid (lower solenoid) by the pressing force control means. To do. When the plunger moves, the upper coupling mechanism (lower coupling mechanism) transmits the movement to the upper roller (lower roller), and the upper roller (lower roller) moves the plunger along the pressing direction against the workpiece. Move by the amount corresponding to. Here, since the amount of movement of the upper roller (lower roller) determines the pressing force on the workpiece, the pressing force on the workpiece also changes according to the amount of movement of the upper roller (lower roller). .
Accordingly, the pressing force can be easily adjusted by a simple mechanism in which the solenoid and the roller are connected by the connecting mechanism.

The perspective view of a vertical feed sewing machine. The schematic diagram which shows the needle drop vicinity. The perspective view which showed the mechanism regarding the drive of each roller. The perspective view from the lower part which showed the mechanism regarding the drive of a lower roller. The perspective view from the upper part which showed the mechanism regarding the drive of a lower roller. Sectional drawing of a solenoid. Graph showing solenoid stroke vs. thrust. The graph which showed the current value of a solenoid versus thrust. The perspective view from the upper part which showed the mechanism regarding the drive of an upper side roller. The perspective view from the upper part which showed the mechanism regarding the drive of an upper side roller. The perspective view of a cloth sensor. The schematic diagram explaining the detection of a cloth sensor. The block diagram which shows the structure around a control apparatus. The flowchart which shows the flow of operation | movement of the up-and-down feed sewing machine at the time of cloth setting. The perspective view of the roller vicinity at the time of the cloth setting. The perspective view of the roller vicinity which moves in order to hold | maintain a cloth end in the same position. The figure explaining the number of each needle | hook set when adjusting pressing force. The flowchart which shows the flow of the process at the time of adjusting pressing force. The figure explaining the problem in a prior art.

An embodiment of a vertical feed sewing machine according to the present invention will be described.
<Configuration of vertical feed sewing machine>
The vertical feed sewing machine is a sewing machine that stitches two cloths (workpieces) placed on the throat plate while feeding them in the same direction. A possible sewing machine.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the vertical feed sewing machine 100 includes a feed dog 1, a feed leg 2, a lower roller 3, a lower pulse motor 4, a lower coupling mechanism 5, and a lower solenoid 6. And an upper roller 7, an upper pulse motor 8, an upper coupling mechanism 9, an upper solenoid 10, a separation plate 11, a cloth sensor 12, and a control device 13.

(Feed dog)
As shown in FIG. 2, the feed dog 1 is in contact with the lower cloth C <b> 1 (hereinafter, referred to as the lower cloth) of the two cloths placed on the needle plate 14 so as to feed from below. I do. The feed dog 1 is driven by a feed dog forward / backward feed mechanism (not shown) that gives a reciprocating motion along the cloth feed direction and a feed dog vertical feed mechanism (not shown) that gives a reciprocating motion along the vertical direction. . Thereby, the feed dog 1 moves so as to draw an elliptical orbit in a side view below the needle plate 14, and protrudes from the needle plate 14 when the feed dog 1 moves upward, and comes into contact with the lower cloth from below.

(Feeding foot)
As shown in FIG. 2, the feed leg 2 is in contact with the upper cloth C <b> 2 (hereinafter referred to as the upper cloth) of the two cloths stacked on the needle plate 14 from above and performs a feeding operation. Do. The feed foot 2 is driven by a feed foot forward / backward feed mechanism (not shown) that gives a reciprocating motion along the cloth feed direction and a feed foot vertical feed mechanism (not shown) that gives a reciprocating motion along the vertical direction. . Thereby, the feed leg 2 moves to draw an elliptical orbit in a side view above the needle plate 14, and comes into contact with the upper cloth from above when the feed leg 2 moves downward.

(Lower roller)
The lower roller 3 is provided so as to slightly protrude on the needle plate 14 when it is raised, and reciprocates the cloth in a direction intersecting (orthogonal to) the cloth feeding direction by the feed dog 1 by contacting the lower cloth C1 from below. The lower roller 3 is rotatably supported by a lower coupling mechanism 5 (details will be described later). The outer surface of the lower roller 3 is formed in a sawtooth shape so that the lower roller 3 can reliably catch and move the cloth when contacting the cloth.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower roller 3 is connected to the output shaft of the lower pulse motor 4 by a belt 15.

(Lower pulse motor)
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower pulse motor 4 is fixed to the base 16. The base 16 is provided with a swing arm 17 extending linearly. One end of the swing arm 17 is fixed to the base 16 together with the lower pulse motor 4, and the other end is a free end. The lower roller 3 is rotatably supported on the other end of the swing arm 17. The swing arm 17 is formed in a rod shape, and a belt 15 is stretched between the lower roller 3 and the output shaft of the lower pulse motor 4 so as to cover the swing arm 17. Thus, when the output shaft of the lower pulse motor 4 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the lower roller 3 via the belt 15 to rotate the lower roller 3. That is, the lower pulse motor 4 functions as “lower drive means”.

(Lower connection mechanism)
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower coupling mechanism 5 includes the base 16 and the swing arm 17, the rotating shaft 21, the drive lever 22, and the transmission link 23 described above.
The base 16 to which the lower pulse motor 4 is fixed is formed in a pentagonal shape, and a rotating shaft 21 is provided at one corner thereof.
The rotating shaft 21 is fixed to the base 16 at one end thereof, and the base 16 rotates with the rotation of the rotating shaft 21 around the axis. A drive lever 22 is provided at the other end of the rotating shaft 21.
The drive lever 22 is a rod-like plate material extending in one direction, and the rotary shaft 21 is fixed by being clamped at one end thereof. One end of the transmission link 23 is connected and fixed to the other end of the drive lever 22 with a screw or the like.
The transmission link 23 is a plate material extending in one direction, and the plunger 62 of the lower solenoid 6 can come into contact with the other end of the transmission link 23 from below.
That is, the lower solenoid 6 is arranged so that the plunger 62 can move in the vertical direction. When the plunger 62 is extended, the transmission link 23 is pushed up, and when the plunger 62 is contracted, the transmission link 23 is not supported and moves downward. Here, the housing 60 of the lower solenoid 6 is provided with a support base 61, and supports the transmission link 23 from below when the plunger 62 is not driven.

(Lower solenoid)
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower solenoid 6 is arranged such that the plunger 62 moves along the vertical direction of the sewing machine (the vertical direction of the needle). The lower solenoid 6 changes the amount of movement of the plunger 62 in accordance with the amount of current that is energized. Thereby, the lower solenoid 6 can adjust the pressing force against the cloth via the lower roller 3 in accordance with the amount of current supplied.
As shown in FIG. 6, the lower solenoid 6 includes a housing 60, a plunger 62, a coil frame 63, a coil 64, a magnetic material 65, and the like. The housing 60 has a nonmagnetic body 60C that supports the bearings 60A and 60B. The plunger 62 is supported by bearings 60A and 60B so as to be movable in the axial direction and not to be rotatable. The magnetic member 65 fixed to the plunger 62 has a cylindrical shape, and a step portion 65a for changing the diameter from the shaft center is formed in a part thereof. And by this shape, the specific stroke area (it explains in full detail later) where thrust does not depend on a stroke is obtained.

When the energizing current is constant, the lower solenoid 6 has a stroke-thrust characteristic shown in the hysteresis curve of FIG. That is, the specific stroke section W whose thrust does not depend on the stroke of the plunger 62 is obtained.
Further, when the stroke is constant, the characteristic shown in the hysteresis curve of FIG. That is, a characteristic is obtained in which the stroke is constant and the amount of change in thrust with respect to the energizing current increases as the energizing current output to the lower solenoid 6 increases.
The lower solenoid 6 is attached in a direction to drive the plunger 62 in a direction in which the plunger 62 is drawn by energizing the coil 64. Then, the thrust for pulling the plunger 62 is increased as the energization current increases.
The lower solenoid 6 generates a thrust proportional to the square of the applied current. That is, the amount of change in thrust with respect to current change increases as the generated thrust increases. For this reason, a small amount of change can be obtained with a small thrust, and a slight change in pressing force can be achieved. With a large thrust, a large amount of change can be obtained and the pressing force can be changed with a relatively large width. The pressing force can be easily adjusted.
That is, the lower solenoid 6 functions as “lower pressing means”.

(Upper roller)
As shown in FIGS. 3, 9, and 10, the upper roller 7 is provided above the needle plate 14, and reciprocates the cloth in a direction that is in contact with the upper cloth from above and intersects (orthogonal) the cloth feeding direction by the feed dog 1. Move. The upper roller 7 is rotatably supported by an upper coupling mechanism 9 (details will be described later). The outer surface of the upper roller 7 is formed in a sawtooth shape so that the upper roller 7 can reliably catch and move the cloth when it comes into contact with the cloth.
The upper roller 7 is connected to the output shaft of the upper pulse motor 8 by a belt 18.

(Upper pulse motor)
The upper pulse motor 8 is fixed to the base 31. The upper pulse motor 8 is provided with a swing arm 32 extending linearly. One end of the swing arm 32 is fixed to the upper pulse motor 8, and the other end is a free end. The upper roller 7 is rotatably supported at the other end of the swing arm 32. The swing arm 32 is formed in a plate shape, and the belt 18 is stretched between the upper roller 7 and the output shaft of the upper pulse motor 8 so as to cover the swing arm 32. Thereby, when the output shaft of the upper pulse motor 8 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the upper roller 7 via the belt 18 to rotate the upper roller 7. That is, the upper pulse motor 8 functions as an “upper drive unit”.

(Upper coupling mechanism)
The upper coupling mechanism 9 includes the base 31 and the swing arm 32, the rotation shaft 33, the drive lever 34, the transmission link 35, and the rotation link 36 described above.
The base 31 to which the upper pulse motor 8 is fixed is formed in a pentagonal shape, and a rotation shaft 33 is provided at one corner thereof.
The rotating shaft 33 is fixed to the base 31 at one end thereof, and the base 31 also rotates with the rotation of the rotating shaft 33 around the axis. A drive lever 34 is provided at the other end of the rotating shaft 33.
The drive lever 34 is a plate material extending in one direction, and the rotary shaft 33 is fastened and fixed at one end thereof. One end of a transmission link 35 is rotatably connected to the other end of the drive lever 34.
The transmission link 35 is a bar-shaped plate material extending in one direction, and a plurality of connection holes 35a are formed along the longitudinal direction. One end of a rotary link 36 is rotatably connected to the other end of the transmission link 35.
The rotary link 36 is rotatably provided on a plate material 71 attached to the housing 70 of the upper solenoid 10 in the vicinity of the center portion thereof. The other end of the rotary link 36 is rotatably connected to a plunger 72 that serves as an output shaft of the upper solenoid 10.

(Upper solenoid)
The upper solenoid 10 is arranged such that the plunger 72 moves along the moving direction (longitudinal direction) of the transmission link 35.
The upper solenoid 10 includes a housing 70, a plunger 72, and the like. Since the internal configuration of the upper solenoid 10 is the same as that of the lower solenoid 6, the description thereof is omitted.
That is, the upper solenoid 10 functions as “upper pressing means”.

(Separator)
As shown in FIG. 9, the separation plate 11 is attached on the needle plate 14 with screws or the like. The separation plate 11 is bent so that the tip of the separation plate 11 is lifted from the needle plate 14 when attached to the needle plate 14. That is, the separation plate 11 can partition the space above the needle plate 14 up and down, and the cloth is fed to the upper side and the lower side of the separation plate 11.
Thus, the separation plate 11 is disposed between the two cloths, the lower cloth is sandwiched between the lower roller 3 and the lower surface of the separation plate 11, and the upper cloth is sandwiched between the upper roller 7 and the upper surface of the separation plate 11. .

(Cloth sensor)
As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the cloth sensor 12 detects whether or not the cloth edge is in a predetermined position in order to keep the sewing allowance constant during sewing. As shown in FIG. 2, the cloth sensor 12 is provided side by side with the upper roller 7. 11 and 12, the cloth sensor 12 includes a sensor base 41, two cloth presence / absence sensors 42 (one not shown), two cloth end sensors 43 (one not shown), and a reflector 46. And.
The sensor base 41 has a recess 41a at a position facing the cloth placed on the needle plate 14 so that the cloth can enter. The recess 41a is formed so as to dig down along the direction in which the rollers 3 and 7 move the cloth.

The upper wall surface and the lower wall surface of the recess 41a are formed in a V shape when viewed from the cloth traveling direction.
On the upper wall surface and the lower wall surface of the recess 41a, a cloth presence / absence sensor 42 including a light emitting sensor 42a and a light receiving sensor 42b is provided on the front side (cloth entry side). The cloth presence sensor 42 on the upper wall surface is a sensor that detects whether there is an upper cloth C2, and the cloth presence sensor 42 on the lower wall surface is a sensor that detects whether there is a lower cloth C1.
A cloth edge sensor 43 including a light emitting sensor 43a and a light receiving sensor 43b is provided on the upper and lower wall surfaces of the recess 41a. The cloth edge sensor 43 on the upper wall surface is a sensor that detects whether or not the cloth edge of the upper cloth C2 is in a predetermined position, and the cloth edge sensor 43 on the lower wall surface is that the cloth edge of the lower cloth C1 is in a predetermined position. It is a sensor that detects whether or not.
A reflection plate 46 extending along the cloth entry direction is provided at the center in the vertical direction of the recess 41a. The reflecting plate 46 reflects the light emitted from the light emitting sensors 42a and 43a, and the light reflected by the reflecting plate 46 is received by the light receiving sensors 42b and 43b.

Here, the upper cloth C2 can enter between the reflector 46 and the cloth presence sensor 42 and the cloth end sensor 43 on the upper wall surface, and the lower cloth C1 can be inserted between the reflector 46 and the cloth presence sensor 42 and the cloth on the lower wall surface. It is possible to enter between the end sensor 43. If the cloth has entered, since the cloth blocks the light from the light emitting sensors 42a and 43a and is not reflected by the reflecting plate 46, the light receiving sensors 42b and 43b cannot detect the light. Using this principle, the presence / absence of cloth and the edge of the cloth are detected.
That is, the cloth sensor 12 functions as “detecting means”.

(Control device)
As shown in FIG. 13, the control device 13 includes a CPU 51 that performs various arithmetic processes, drive control of the feed dog 1 and feed leg 2, drive control of the pulse motors 4 and 8, and drive control of the solenoids 6 and 10. A ROM 52 that stores a program related to the CPU 51, a RAM 53 that stores various data related to the processing of the CPU 51 in a work area, and an EEPROM 54 that stores setting values such as sewing conditions input by the user.
When the cloth presence sensor 42 detects the cloth, the control device 13 detects the cloth edge with the cloth edge sensor 43, and determines the rotation direction and the rotation amount of each of the rollers 3 and 7 based on the detection result. Then, the pulse motors 4 and 8 are driven. Further, the control device 13 drives the solenoids 6 and 10 in order to adjust the pressing force of the cloths by the rollers 3 and 7 according to the amount of squeezing when performing staking sewing. Here, the control device 13 can individually control the solenoids 6 and 10 and can individually change the pressing force of the cloths by the rollers 3 and 7.
That is, the control device 13 functions as a “control unit”.

The control device 13 is connected to the pulse motors 4, 8, the solenoids 6, 10, the cloth presence / absence sensor 42, the cloth edge sensor 43, and the operation panel 80.
The operation panel 80 is a display unit that displays information notified to the user, and is also an input unit through which the user inputs sewing conditions for the vertical feed sewing machine 100.
The operation panel 80 designates the sewing position (number of stitches) for adjusting the pressing force of the cloth by the rollers 3 and 7 and the pressing force of the cloth at that position (number of stitches) when sewing the cloth.
That is, the operation panel 80 functions as “designating means”.
The sewing position and pressing force designated by the operation panel 80 are set by inputting a plurality of items from the operation panel 80.

Specifically, the operation panel 80 can input and set the number of stitches from the start of sewing for starting the adjustment of the pressing force on the cloth by the solenoids 6 and 10. It can be stored in the EEPROM 54.
That is, the operation panel 80 functions as “start stitch number setting means”.
The operation panel 80 can input and set an interval of the number of stitches that adjusts (specifically, decreases) the pressing force from the set number of stitches. The interval of the input number of stitches is determined by the EEPROM 54 of the control device 13. Can be memorized.
That is, the operation panel 80 functions as “adjustment interval setting means”.
The operation panel 80 can input and set the pressing force in the number of stitches for adjusting (specifically decreasing) the pressing force, and the interval between the input stitch numbers can be stored in the EEPROM 54 of the control device 13. it can.
That is, the operation panel 80 functions as “pressing force setting means”.
The operation panel 80 can input and set the number of stitches from the start of sewing to finish adjusting (specifically, decreasing) the pressing force on the cloth by the solenoids 6 and 10, and the number of stitches is determined by the EEPROM 54 of the control device 13. Can be memorized.
That is, the operation panel 80 functions as “end stitch number setting means”.
Accordingly, the “designating means” includes “start stitch number setting means”, “adjustment interval setting means”, “pressing force setting means”, and “end stitch number setting means”.

The control device 13 adjusts (specifically decreases) the pressing force applied by the rollers 3 and 7 to the specified pressing force at the sewing position obtained from each of the items input from the operation panel 80. Therefore, the amount of current supplied to each solenoid 6, 10 is controlled.
That is, the control device 13 functions as “pressing force control means”.
Specifically, the control device 13 controls each solenoid 6 so that the pressing force is input at intervals of the input stitch number from the start stitch number input to the end stitch number input from the operation panel 80. 10 is controlled.
For example, in the case of cloth that performs straight stitching and curved stitching, between the number of stitches from the start of sewing at the beginning of the section in which the cloth is sewn in a curved line and the number of stitches from the start of sewing at the end of the section, for example, every three stitches Further, the tension of the cloth can be released by weakening the pressing force by the solenoids 6 and 10. If the pressing force to be adjusted is set to “0”, the pressing of the cloth is completely released by separating the rollers 3 and 7 from the cloth.

<General sewing operations with the vertical feed sewing machine>
Next, the operation of the vertical feed sewing machine will be described.
As shown in FIG. 14, when performing shampooing, the control device 13 determines whether or not the cloth presence sensor 42 has detected a lower cloth (step S1).
In step S1, when the control device 13 determines that the cloth presence sensor 42 has detected the lower cloth (step S1: YES), the control device 13 drives the lower solenoid 6 to raise the lower roller 3. (Step S2). Further, the control device 13 drives the lower pulse motor 4 (step S3). Thereby, the lower roller 3 contacts the lower cloth while rotating. When the lower roller 3 comes into contact with the lower cloth, the lower cloth 3 is drawn into the recess 41a of the sensor base 41 by the rotation of the lower roller 3 as shown in FIG.
Next, the control device 13 determines whether or not the cloth edge sensor 43 has detected the lower cloth (step S4).
In step S4, when the control device 13 determines that the cloth end sensor 43 has detected the lower cloth (step S4: YES), the control device 13 stops driving the lower pulse motor 4 (step S5).

Next, the control device 13 determines whether or not the cloth presence sensor 42 has detected an upper cloth (step S6).
In step S6, when the control device 13 determines that the cloth presence sensor 42 has detected the upper cloth (step S6: YES), the control apparatus 13 drives the upper solenoid 10 to lower the upper roller 7 (step S6). S7). Further, the control device 13 drives the upper pulse motor 8 (step S8). Thereby, the upper roller 7 contacts the upper cloth while rotating. When the upper roller 7 comes into contact with the upper cloth, the upper cloth is drawn into the recess 41 a of the sensor base 41 by the rotation of the upper roller 7.
Next, the control device 13 determines whether or not the cloth edge sensor 43 has detected the lower cloth (step S9).
In step S9, when the control device 13 determines that the cloth edge sensor 43 has detected the upper cloth (step S9: YES), the control device 13 stops driving the upper pulse motor 8 (step S10). This completes the cloth setting operation before sewing.

  Sewing stitching is performed according to sewing data stored in advance in a memory or the like. The cloth end sensor 43 detects the cloth end even during the sewing operation. When the cloth end sensor 43 no longer detects the cloth end, the controller 13 drives the pulse motors 4 and 8 to drive the rollers 3 and 7. To move the cloth so that the cloth edge sensor 43 detects the cloth. Conversely, when the cloth edge sensor 43 has already detected the cloth edge, the control device 13 stops driving the pulse motors 4 and 8. That is, as shown in FIG. 16, the control device 13 rotates the rollers 3 and 7 frequently in two directions to maintain the cloth edge at a predetermined position and make the sewing allowance constant.

<Adjustment operation of pressing force by roller to stabilize seam allowance>
When a cloth having a straight stitch portion and a curved stitch portion as shown in FIG. 17 is sewn, as shown in FIG. 18, the user starts sewing (1) to start adjusting the pressing force as a sewing condition input before sewing. The number of stitches from the stitch) is input from the operation panel 80 (step S21). In FIG. 17, since the start of curve sewing is the tenth stitch, the user inputs the starting stitch number “10” from the operation panel 80. The input start stitch number “10” is stored in the EEPROM 54.
Next, the user inputs, from the operation panel 80, the number of stitches from the start of sewing (first stitch) at which the adjustment of the pressing force is finished as a sewing condition input before sewing (step S22). In FIG. 17, since the end of curve stitching is the 18th stitch, the user inputs the end stitch number “18” from the operation panel 80. The input end stitch number “18” is stored in the EEPROM 54.

Next, the user inputs an interval of the number of stitches for adjusting the pressing force between the start stitch number “10” and the end stitch number “18” from the operation panel 80 as a sewing condition input before sewing (step S23). In FIG. 17, in order to adjust the pressing force every two stitches, the user inputs the stitch number interval “2” from the operation panel 80. The input stitch number interval “2” is stored in the EEPROM 54.
Next, the user inputs a pressing force for the number of stitches for adjusting the pressing force from the operation panel 80 as a sewing condition input before sewing (step S24). When the pressing force is weakened to release the tension of the cloth, the pressing force at the time of weakening is input. Here, when it is desired to completely release the pressing of the cloth by the rollers 3 and 7, “0” is input as the pressing force. The input pressing force is stored in the EEPROM 54.
After inputting the sewing conditions from step S21 to step S24, sewing is started (step S25).

After sewing is started, the cloth edge is detected by the cloth edge sensor 43 while the cloth is fed by the feed dog 1 and the feed leg 2 by the drive control of each part by the control device 13, and the cloth edge position of the rollers 3 and 7 is detected. Adjust the drive to keep the seam allowance constant.
During sewing, the control device 13 determines whether or not the starting stitch number “10” stored in the EEPROM 54 has been reached (step S26).
In step S26, when the control device 13 determines that the start stitch number “10” has been reached (step S26: YES), the control device 13 stores the end stitch number “18” and the stitch number interval “stored in the EEPROM 54”. 2 ”, the number of stitches for adjusting the pressing force is calculated (step S27). In the case of FIG. 17, the number of stitches for adjusting the pressing force is calculated by the control device 13 as “10”, “12”, “14”, “16”, “18”.

Next, the control device 13 determines whether or not the calculated number of stitches “10”, “12”, “14”, “16”, or “18” has been reached (step S28).
In step S28, when the control device 13 determines that the calculated number of stitches “10”, “12”, “14”, “16”, or “18” has been reached (step S28: YES), The control device 13 adjusts the amount of current applied to the solenoids 6 and 10 so as to press the cloth with the pressing force stored in the EEPROM 54 for each number of stitches, and more specifically, reduces the amount (step S29). As the amount of current applied to the solenoids 6 and 10 decreases, the plungers 62 and 72 move, and the positions of the rollers 3 and 7 also move away from the cloth. Thereby, the pressing force of the cloth by the rollers 3 and 7 is weakened. Since the relationship between the pressing force of the cloth by the rollers 3 and 7 and the value of the current applied to the solenoids 6 and 10 can be grasped in advance, the relational expression or table is stored in the EEPROM 54.

Next, the control device 13 determines whether or not sewing has been completed for the number of stitches for which the current pressing force is currently adjusted (step S30).
In step S30, when it is determined that the sewing with the number of stitches currently adjusting the pressing force is completed (step S30: YES), the control device 13 presses the cloth with the original pressing force before the decrease. The amount of current applied to the solenoids 6 and 10 is restored (step S31).
Next, the control device 13 determines whether or not the sewing of all the numbers of stitches “10”, “12”, “14”, “16”, “18” for adjusting the pressing force calculated in step S27 is finished. Judgment is made (step S32).
In step S32, when it is determined that the sewing of all the stitch numbers for adjusting the pressing force has been completed (step S32: YES), the control device 13 determines whether or not the end stitch number has been reached. (Step S33). On the other hand, when the control device 13 determines in step S32 that the sewing of all the stitch numbers for adjusting the pressing force has not been completed (step S32: NO), the control device 13 performs the determination in step S28.
In step S33, when the control device 13 determines that the number of end stitches has been reached (step S33: YES), the control device 13 ends a series of processes for adjusting the pressing force.

<Effect>
As described above, according to the vertical feed sewing machine 100, the control device 13 determines the set pressing force at the set stitch number interval between the start stitch number and the end stitch number set by the operation panel 80. Thus, the amount of current supplied to each solenoid 6, 10 is controlled.
As a result, when changing from straight stitching to curved stitching, by setting the section with the number of stitches, the pressing force can be adjusted at the set interval during the sewing of the section. . Therefore, since it is no longer necessary to press down the cloth with a constant pressing force as in the conventional case, the sewing allowance is stabilized even if the sewing changes, such as straight stitching or curved stitching, or the type of cloth to be sewn changes. Can improve the quality of sewing products.
Also, by calculating the number of stitches to reduce the pressing force from the conditions set before sewing, the pressing force of the cloth by the rollers 3 and 7 is reduced by the calculated number of stitches, and the cloth is set for each set number of stitches. Can release the pull. Accordingly, the sewing allowance can be stabilized by appropriately setting the interval of the number of stitches and the pressing force for reducing the pressing force in accordance with the degree of bending at the curved stitching portion and the elongability of the cloth used for sewing. .
Further, the control device 13 can adjust the pressing force of the cloths by the rollers 3 and 7 by adjusting the amount of current to be supplied to the solenoids 6 and 10. Here, since the solenoids 6 and 10 are driven according to the amount of current supplied, it is possible to finely adjust the pressing force on the cloth by the solenoids 6 and 10 by fine adjustment of the current value. . Further, since the driving source of the solenoids 6 and 10 is an electric current, the pressing force can be adjusted with a higher response than a pressing means (air cylinder or the like) having a conventional mechanical structure.

Further, the control device 13 can control the amount of current supplied to the solenoids 6 and 10 individually, thereby changing the amount of current supplied to the solenoids 6 and 10 so as to perform sewage sewing. become. Also in this case, by finely adjusting the amount of current, it is possible to widen the range of impossibility that is not possible, and it is possible to deal with a wide range of embroidery stitches.
Furthermore, the control device 13 individually controls the amount of current supplied to the solenoids 6 and 10 so that only the pressing force by the roller of the lining that is easy to stretch can be obtained even in the case where the outer surface and the lining are sewn together. Since it is possible to control to weaken, it is possible to cope with any sewing of fabrics.

Further, the plungers 62 and 72 of the upper solenoid 10 (lower solenoid 6) move by an amount corresponding to the amount of current according to the amount of current supplied to the upper solenoid 10 (lower solenoid 6) by the control device 13. When the plungers 62 and 72 move, the upper coupling mechanism 9 (lower coupling mechanism 5) transmits the movement to the upper roller 7 (lower roller 3), and the upper roller 7 (lower roller 3) presses the cloth. Are moved by an amount corresponding to the amount of movement of the plungers 62 and 72. Here, since the movement amount of the upper roller 7 (lower roller 3) determines the pressing force on the cloth, the pressing force on the cloth also changes in accordance with the movement amount of the upper roller 7 (lower roller 3). .
Accordingly, the pressing force can be easily adjusted by a simple mechanism in which the solenoids 6 and 10 and the rollers 3 and 7 are connected by the connection mechanisms 5 and 9.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the number of start stitches, the number of end stitches, the stitch count interval, and the pressing force are not limited to those input from the operation panel 80, and data calculated in advance may be stored in the EEPROM 54. Also, instead of inputting the number of end stitches, the number of stitches from the start stitch number to the end of the adjustment of the pressing force is input, and the end stitch number is calculated by adding the number of stitches to the start stitch number. good.
In addition, the number of stitches can be freely set by the user, and can be changed according to the degree of bending of the curved stitched portion, the ease of elongation of the cloth, and the like.
Further, the degree of reduction of the adjusted pressing force with respect to the current pressing force is input with a magnification (1/2, 1/3, etc.), and the control device 13 calculates the adjusted pressing force. Anyway.
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the pressing force of a cloth is adjusted in one stitch (curve stitching) when performing two stitches, that is, straight stitching and curved stitching, on one fabric is described. Not only in this case, but also in the case where only straight stitching is performed, the pressing force of the cloth may be adjusted only in the section designated by the user. That is, the user can adjust the pressing force of the cloth at a desired position of the cloth to be sewn, and can also adjust the pressing force to a desired value.
In the above embodiment, the setting input of the pressing force from the operation panel 80 may be set individually for each of the upper roller 7 and the lower roller 3 or may be set simultaneously.
In the above embodiment, the setting input of the pressing force is set based on the number of stitches. However, instead of this, it is easily conceivable to set the pressing force based on the cloth feed amount.

1 Feed dog 2 Feeding foot 3 Lower roller 4 Lower pulse motor (lower drive means)
5 Lower coupling mechanism 6 Lower solenoid (lower pressing means)
7 Upper roller 8 Upper pulse motor (upper drive means)
9 Upper coupling mechanism 10 Upper solenoid (upper pressing means)
11 Separator 12 Cloth sensor (detection means)
13 Control device (control means, pressing force control means)
14 Stitch plate 80 Operation panel (designating means, start stitch number setting means, adjustment interval setting means, pressing force setting means, end stitch number setting means)
100 Vertical feed sewing machine

Claims (4)

A feed dog that performs a feed operation in contact with the lower sewing product from below, among the two sewing products that are placed on the needle plate,
Of the two sewing products placed on the needle plate, the feeding foot that performs the feeding operation by contacting the upper sewing product from above,
A lower roller which is in contact with the lower sewing product from below and reciprocates in a direction crossing the feeding direction by the feed dog;
Lower drive means for rotating the lower roller;
An upper roller which is in contact with the upper sewing product from above and reciprocates in a direction crossing a feeding direction by the feed leg;
Upper drive means for rotating the upper roller;
A separating plate disposed between the two sewing products, and sandwiching the sewing products with the upper roller and the lower roller;
Detecting means for detecting whether the workpiece is in a predetermined position;
Lower pressing means for pressing the lower roller against the lower workpiece,
Upper pressing means for pressing the upper roller against the upper workpiece,
Based on the detection result by the detection means, the drive of each drive means is controlled so as to determine the rotation direction and the rotation amount of each roller, and the drive of each press means is controlled so as to press the workpiece by each roller. A vertical feed sewing machine comprising:
Each pressing means is capable of adjusting the pressing force on the sewing product via each roller in accordance with the amount of energized current,
A sewing position for adjusting the pressing force of each roller against the sewing object when sewing the sewing object, and a designation means for specifying the pressing force at the position;
A pressing force control means for controlling the amount of current to be supplied to each pressing means so that the pressing force by each roller becomes the specified pressing force at the sewing position specified by the specifying means;
A vertical feed sewing machine characterized by comprising: The designation means is:
Start stitch number setting means for setting the number of stitches from the start of sewing for starting the reduction of the pressing force on the workpiece by each pressing means;
Adjustment interval setting means for setting an interval of the number of stitches for reducing the pressing force from the number of stitches set by the start stitch number setting means;
A pressing force setting means for setting the pressing force in the number of stitches to reduce the pressing force;
An end stitch number setting means for setting the number of stitches from the start of sewing for ending the reduction of the pressing force on the workpiece by each pressing means,
The pressing force control unit is configured to perform the pressing operation at a stitch number interval set by the adjustment interval setting unit between a stitch number set by the start stitch number setting unit and a stitch number set by the end stitch number setting unit. 2. The vertical feed sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the amount of current supplied to each pressing means is controlled so that the pressing force is set by the pressure setting means.   3. The vertical feed sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the pressing force control unit individually controls an amount of current supplied to each pressing unit. 4. The lower pressing means is a lower solenoid that changes the amount of movement of the plunger according to the amount of current that is energized, and the upper pressing means is an upper solenoid that changes the amount of movement of the plunger according to the amount of current that is energized,
A lower connection that rotatably supports the lower roller and is connected to the lower solenoid, and moves the lower roller along a pressing direction against the workpiece according to a movement amount of a plunger of the lower solenoid. Mechanism,
An upper coupling mechanism that rotatably supports the upper roller and is coupled to the upper solenoid, and moves the upper roller in a pressing direction against the sewing object in accordance with a movement amount of a plunger of the upper solenoid;
The vertical feed sewing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

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