JP2021133172A - Sewing device and sewing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sewing device capable of performing maintenance work more efficiently than before, and to provide a sewing system.SOLUTION: A sewing device includes a needle bar mechanism, a shuttle mechanism, a conveyance mechanism, a feed mechanism and a beam part. The feed mechanism delivers a holding mechanism capable of holding an object to be sewn into a second direction which is in parallel with the horizontal direction and which is orthogonal to a first direction. The beam part supports the needle bar mechanism on one side in the second direction with respect to the needle bar mechanism so as to move in the first direction. The feed mechanism includes a mounting part for detachably mounting the holding mechanism. The sewing device acquires sewing data for performing sewing in a sewing region (S2). The sewing device drives the conveyance mechanism, the feed mechanism, the shuttle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism according to the sewing data, and performs sewing in the sewing region (S8). Before and after controlling the feed mechanism and performing sewing according to the sewing data, the sewing device moves the mounting part to an attaching/detaching position which is the one side in the second direction with respect to the beam part (S5, S10).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a sewing device and a sewing system.

The conventional sewing device includes a needle bar mechanism, a hook mechanism, a transport mechanism, and a beam portion. The needle bar mechanism has a needle bar to which the sewing needle can be attached to the lower end, and the needle bar can be moved up and down. The hook mechanism is arranged below the needle bar mechanism and has a hook. The transport mechanism integrally moves the kettle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism in the first direction and the second direction parallel to the horizontal direction. The beam portion movably supports the needle bar mechanism in the first direction on one side of the second direction with respect to the needle bar mechanism. The worker replaces the sewn object from the other side of the second direction with respect to the beam portion.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-116975

Before sewing, when an error occurs, the operator performs maintenance work such as threading, replacing the sewing needle, replacing the bobbin, and adjusting the position of the hook and sewing needle. The operator performs the maintenance work by standing at the position on the other side of the beam portion in the second direction or near both ends of the beam portion in the second direction. In the conventional sewing apparatus, equipment such as a work table for exchanging the sewn object may interfere with the maintenance work, which makes the maintenance work inefficient.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sewing device and a sewing system capable of performing maintenance work more efficiently than before.

The sewing device according to claim 1 of the present invention has a needle bar to which a sewing needle can be attached at the lower end, a needle bar mechanism capable of moving the needle bar up and down, and a kettle arranged below the needle bar mechanism. A transfer mechanism that integrally conveys the kettle mechanism, the kettle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism to the sewn object in the first direction, and a holding mechanism capable of holding the sewn object are parallel to the horizontal direction and A feed mechanism that feeds in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and a beam portion that movably supports the needle bar mechanism in the first direction on one side of the second direction with respect to the needle bar mechanism. The transport mechanism moves the kettle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the sewn object in the first direction, and the feed mechanism moves the holding mechanism to the kettle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism. In a sewing device that moves in the second direction and sews on the object to be sewn by operating the kettle and the needle rod in synchronization with each other, the feed mechanism provides a mounting portion for detachably mounting the holding mechanism. The transfer mechanism, the feed mechanism, the kettle mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism are driven according to the acquisition unit that has and acquires the sewing data to be sewn in the sewing area and the sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit. Before and after the sewing control unit that sews in the sewing area and the sewing control unit controls the feed mechanism to sew according to the sewing data, the mounting portion is placed in the second direction with respect to the beam portion. It is provided with a attachment / detachment position control unit that moves to the attachment / detachment position on one side. The sewing device moves the mounting portion to the attachment / detachment position which is one side in the second direction with respect to the beam portion before and after the sewing control unit sews according to the sewing data. The holding mechanism can be operated while the mounting portion is in the attachment / detachment position. In the sewing device, equipment such as a workbench for the operator to replace the sewn object held by the holding mechanism and a transport device for supplying the holding mechanism to the sewing device is installed around one side of the beam in the second direction. Even when it is placed in, the equipment does not interfere with maintenance work. Therefore, the sewing device can perform maintenance work more efficiently than before.

The sewing device according to claim 2 of the present invention switches the mounting portion from a holding state for holding the holding mechanism to an released state for releasing the holding mechanism after the mounting portion has moved to the attachment / detachment position. A switching control unit for switching the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state before the mounting unit moves from the attachment / detachment position is further provided. After the mounting portion moves to the attachment / detachment position, the sewing device can automatically switch the mounting portion from the holding state to the released state and automatically switch the mounting portion from the released state to the holding state. The sewing device can reduce the labor of the operator as compared with the case of manually switching the state of the mounting portion.

The sewing device according to claim 3 of the present invention further includes a receiving unit that receives a signal from a device different from the sewing device, and the switching control unit responds to the receiving unit receiving the signal. , The mounting portion is switched from the released state to the holding state. When the receiving unit receives a signal while the mounting unit is in the released state, the sewing device can automatically switch the mounted unit from the released state to the holding state. The sewing device saves the trouble of the operator instructing when to switch the mounting portion from the open state to the held state.

The sewing device according to claim 4 of the present invention includes a detection unit that detects that the predetermined holding mechanism is arranged at the attachment / detachment position, and the switching control unit has the holding mechanism arranged at the attachment / detachment position. When the detection unit detects this, the mounting unit is switched from the released state to the holding state. The sewing device can automatically switch the mounting portion from the released state to the holding state when the detecting unit detects that the holding mechanism is arranged at the attachment / detachment position while the mounting portion is in the released state. The sewing device saves the trouble of the operator instructing when to switch the mounting portion from the open state to the held state.

The sewing device according to claim 5 of the present invention is a gripping control unit that changes the protrusions held by the mounting portion among the plurality of protrusions arranged in the second direction of the holding mechanism. After the switching control unit switches the mounting portion from the released state to the holding state and holds any of the plurality of protrusions, the mounting portion is moved from the attachment / detachment position to the other side in the second direction. Then, after moving the mounting portion from the attachment / detachment position to the other side in the second direction, the mounting portion is switched from the holding state to the released state to release the holding of the protrusion, and the protrusion is released. After releasing the holding, the mounting portion is moved to the one side in the second direction, the mounting portion is moved to the one side in the second direction, and then the mounting portion is moved from the released state to the holding state. Instead, a gripping control unit that holds the protrusion different from the protrusion that has released the holding is further provided. The size of the sewing device in the second direction can be made smaller than that of the device having no gripping control unit, as compared with the range of movement of the holding mechanism for the needle bar mechanism and the hook mechanism in the second direction.

The sewing system according to claim 6 of the present invention corresponds to the sewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and the holding mechanism mounted by the mounting portion of the sewing device at the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion. The garment control unit to be arranged at a position and a transport control unit for transporting the holding mechanism released by the mounting portion of the sewing device from the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion are provided. It is provided with a transport device arranged on the one side of the second direction with respect to the beam portion. The sewing device of the sewing system moves the mounting portion to the attachment / detachment position which is one side in the second direction with respect to the beam portion before and after the sewing control unit sews according to the sewing data. The holding mechanism can be operated while the mounting portion is in the attachment / detachment position. The transport device is arranged around one side in the second direction with respect to the beam portion. The transport device can automatically transport the holding mechanism arranged at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position with respect to the sewing device, and the holding mechanism arranged at the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the sewing device. The transport device does not interfere with the maintenance work of the sewing device. Therefore, in the sewing system, the operator can perform the maintenance work of the sewing device more efficiently than before.

The sewing system according to claim 7 of the present invention includes at least two sewing devices according to claim 1, and of the at least two sewing devices, two sewing devices are used in one of the sewing devices. The one side of the second direction faces the one side of the second direction of the other sewing device, and the distance between the two sewing devices in the second direction is the first of the holding mechanisms. Arranged at a position smaller than the length in two directions, among the at least two sewing devices, the other sewing device has a distance from the adjacent sewing device that is larger than the length in the second direction of the holding mechanism. Place it in a small position. The two sewing devices of the sewing system move the mounting portion to the attachment / detachment position which is one side in the second direction with respect to the beam portion before and after the sewing control unit sews according to the sewing data. The holding mechanism can be operated while the mounting portion is in the attachment / detachment position. The sewing system can make the space required for arranging the two sewing devices relatively small. In a sewing system, for example, one worker can exchange the holding mechanisms of two sewing devices at a position between a beam portion of one sewing device and a beam portion of the other sewing device in a second direction. can.

The sewing system according to claim 8 of the present invention detects that the holding mechanism to be attached to the one sewing device is present at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the attachment portion of the one sewing device, and the above-mentioned It is detected that the other holding mechanism is present at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the first detection unit that outputs the detection result to one sewing device and the mounting portion of the other sewing device. The other sewing device is further provided with a second detection unit that outputs a detection result, and the one sewing device is in a holding state in which the mounting portion is held by the holding mechanism after the mounting portion is moved to the attachment / detachment position. When the holding mechanism is switched to the released state to release the holding mechanism, and the first detecting unit detects that the holding mechanism is arranged at the detachable position during the period when the mounting portion is in the released state, the mounting is performed. The other sewing device further includes a first switching control unit that switches the unit from the released state to the holding state, and the other sewing device holds the mounting unit to hold the holding mechanism after the mounting unit moves to the attachment / detachment position. When the holding mechanism is switched from the state to the released state in which the holding mechanism is released, and the second detecting unit detects that the holding mechanism is arranged in the detachable position during the period in which the mounting portion is in the released state, the said A second switching control unit for switching the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state is further provided. After moving the mounting portion to the attachment / detachment position, the two sewing devices can automatically switch the mounting portion from the holding state to the released state and automatically switch the mounting portion from the released state to the holding state. The sewing system can reduce the labor of the operator as compared with the case of manually switching the state of the mounting portion. The two sewing devices automatically switch the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state when the detection unit detects that the holding mechanism is placed in the attachment / detachment position while the mounting unit is in the released state. Can be done. The sewing system saves the trouble of the operator instructing when to switch the mounting portion from the open state to the held state.

The perspective view of the sewing system 20. Top view of sewing system 20. The perspective view of the needle bar mechanism 6 and the hook mechanism 7. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 96 in the holding state, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion 96 in the released state. Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the sewing device 1 The flow chart of the main process of the first embodiment. Flow chart of the replacement process. The timing diagram of a specific example in which the main process is executed by two sewing devices 1. The explanatory view of the specific example which executes the main process by two sewing apparatus 1. The explanatory view of the specific example which executes the main process by two sewing apparatus 1. The explanatory view of the specific example which executes the main process by two sewing apparatus 1. The explanatory view of the specific example which executes the main process by two sewing apparatus 1. The perspective view of the sewing system 20 of the modification. The flow chart of the main process of the second embodiment. The perspective view of the sewing system 180 of the 3rd Embodiment. Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the sewing device 1 of the sewing system 180 The timing diagram of the specific example of the third embodiment. The explanatory view of the specific example which executes the process in a sewing system 180.

The physical configuration of the sewing system 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the left and right, front and back, and top and bottom indicated by arrows in the figure are used. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the sewing system 20 includes two sewing devices 1. The two sewing devices 1 are gate-type sewing devices, and are a bed portion 2, a pedestal portion 3, 4, a beam portion 5, a needle bar mechanism 6, a vertical mechanism 66, a kettle mechanism 7, a holding mechanism 8, and a transport mechanism 9. (See FIG. 5), a feed mechanism 10 (see FIG. 5), a sensor 37, and an operation unit. In the sewing system 20, the two sewing devices 1 are arranged in the front-rear direction with respect to the beam portion 5 so that the sides opposite to the needle bar mechanism 6 face each other. The distance between the two sewing devices 1 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the length L in the front-rear direction of the holding mechanism 8. In the sewing system 20, two sewing devices 1 are connected by a mounting portion 41. The mounting portion 41 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction. Of the two sewing devices 1, the front sewing device 1 is also referred to as a first sewing device 1A, and the rear sewing device 1 is also referred to as a second sewing device 1B. Hereinafter, the configuration of the sewing device 1 will be described with reference to the first sewing device 1A, and the description of the second sewing device 1B will be omitted. In the sewing device 1, the needle bar mechanism 6 side with respect to the beam portion 5 in the front-rear direction is also referred to as the needle bar direction. Of the front-rear directions, the side opposite to the needle bar mechanism 6 side with respect to the beam portion 5 is also referred to as the beam portion direction. The needle bar direction of the first sewing device 1A is the front side, and the beam portion direction is the rear side. The needle bar direction of the second sewing device 1B is the rear side, and the beam portion direction is the front side.

The bed portion 2 includes a base portion 21, mounting portions 22, 76, openings 24, 25, bellows 26, 27, a frame body 28, a lower rail 29, and a pair of rails. The base 21 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The mounting portion 22 is a plate that forms the upper surface of the base portion 21 and extends parallel to the horizontal plane. The mounting portion 22 includes an opening 23 extending in the left-right direction. The end portion of the mounting portion 22 in the beam direction is connected flush with the mounting portion 41. The mounting portion 76 has a rectangular plate shape arranged flush with the mounting portion 22 in front of the mounting portion 22. The opening 24 extends in the front-rear direction near the left end of the mounting portion 22. The opening 25 extends in the front-rear direction near the right end of the mounting portion 22. The openings 24 and 25 are portions that extend in a rectangular shape in a plan view between the front end portion and the rear end portion of the mounting portion 22, and open upward. The bellows 26 and 27 cover the openings 24 and 25, respectively. The frame body 28 is a grid-like structure and supports the base portion 21 from below. The lower rail 29 extends in the left-right direction below the mounting portion 22. The lower rail 29 supports the kettle mechanism 7 so as to be movable left and right. The bed portion 2 has a lower belt 94, a lower spline shaft 34, and a hook mechanism 7, which will be described later, arranged below the mounting portion 22. A pair of rails are provided below the bellows 26, 27. The pair of rails support the connecting portions 78 and 79 of the feed mechanism 10 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.

The pedestal portions 3 and 4 are substantially square pillars, respectively. The pedestal portion 3 extends from the front to the upper side of the center of the left end portion of the bed portion 2 in the front-rear direction. The pedestal portion 4 extends from the front to the upper side of the center of the right end portion of the bed portion 2 in the front-rear direction. The pedestal portions 3 and 4 are separated in the left-right direction with the mounting portion 22 in between. The synchronization mechanism 31 is a mechanism for synchronously driving the needle bar mechanism 6 and the hook mechanism 7, and includes a sewing machine motor 32 (see FIG. 5), an upper spline shaft 33, a lower spline shaft 34, and a transmission mechanism. The sewing machine motor 32 is supported by the pedestal portion 3. The upper spline shaft 33 and the lower spline shaft 34 extend in the left-right direction between the pedestal portions 3 and 4. The transmission mechanism of the synchronization mechanism 31 is housed in the pedestal portion 3 and transmits the power of the sewing machine motor 32 to the upper spline shaft 33 and the lower spline shaft 34. The transfer mechanism 9 can move the hook 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 includes an upper belt 93, a lower belt 94, an X motor 95, and a transmission mechanism, which will be described later. In the sewing device 1 of this example, the holding mechanism 8 holds the sewn object. The X motor 95 is a pulse motor and is supported by the pedestal portion 4. The transmission mechanism of the transport mechanism 9 is housed in the pedestal portion 4, and the power of the X motor 95 is transmitted to the upper belt 93 and the lower belt 94. The upper belt 93 is fixed to the back surface of the needle bar mechanism 6. The lower belt 94 is fixed to the back surface of the kettle mechanism 7. The hook mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 move left and right according to the rotation of the X motor 95.

The beam portion 5 is erected between the pedestal portions 3 and 4. The beam portion 5 supports the needle rod mechanism 6 so as to be movable in the left-right direction parallel to the horizontal direction on the rear side (beam portion direction side) with respect to the needle rod mechanism 6. The beam portion 5 extends in the left-right direction between the pedestal portions 3 and 4. The beam portion 5 includes a housing 51, a bellows 52, and an upper rail 53. The housing 51 extends between the upper end and the rear end of each of the pedestal portions 3 and 4. The bellows 52 is erected at the front ends of the pedestals 3, 4 and the housing 51, and at the left and right ends of the needle bar mechanism 6, which will be described later. The upper rail 53 has a rod shape extending in the left-right direction, and is erected between the pedestal portions 3 and 4. The upper rail 53 supports the needle bar mechanism 6 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The housing 51 covers the upper rail 53 and the upper side and the rear side of the upper spline shaft 33 of the synchronization mechanism 31. The bellows 52 covers the front side of the upper rail 53 and the upper spline shaft 33. The bellows 52 expands and contracts according to the left-right movement of the needle bar mechanism 6.

The needle bar mechanism 6 is provided on the front side (needle bar direction side) with respect to the beam portion 5. The needle bar mechanism 6 includes a housing 60, an upper shaft 61, a transmission mechanism 62, a needle bar 63, a presser foot 64, and a presser foot motor 68 (see FIG. 5), and can move the needle bar 63 up and down. The housing 60 has a box shape and accommodates the upper shaft 61. The back surface of the housing 60 is connected to the upper belt 93, and the housing 60 is supported by the upper rail 53. The needle bar mechanism 6 can be moved left and right along the upper rail 53 in the beam portion 5 by driving the transport mechanism 9. The upper shaft 61 extends in the left-right direction. The transmission mechanism 62 transmits the power of the upper spline shaft 33 to the upper shaft 61. The needle bar 63 extends in the vertical direction, and a sewing needle 65 can be attached to the lower end portion. The needle bar 63 is connected to the upper shaft 61 and moves up and down by driving the sewing machine motor 32. The presser foot 64 has a through hole through which the sewing needle 65 passes according to the vertical movement of the needle bar 63, and intermittently presses the object to be sewn from above. The presser foot motor 68 is a pulse motor fixed to the housing 60, and moves the presser foot 64 up and down in synchronization with the up and down movement of the needle bar 63.

The vertical mechanism 66 can move the needle bar mechanism 6 to a lower position and an upper position. The vertical mechanism 66 includes an air cylinder 67 (see FIG. 5), and moves the needle bar mechanism 6 up and down using the air cylinder 67 as a drive source. When the needle bar mechanism 6 is in the lower position, the sewing needle 65 can pass through the needle hole 75 when the needle bar 63 moves up and down, and can be sewn on the object to be sewn. When the needle bar mechanism 6 is in the upper position, the needle bar 63 does not move up and down, and the lower end of the sewing needle 65 and the lower end of the presser foot 64 are above the holding mechanism 8 described later.

The hook mechanism 7 is arranged below the needle bar mechanism 6 and inside the bed portion 2. The hook mechanism 7 includes a housing 70, a lower shaft 71, a transmission mechanism 72, and a hook 73. The housing 70 has a box shape and is provided with a needle plate 74 at the upper left end. The needle plate 74 has a needle hole 75 through which the sewing needle 65 can be inserted. The needle hole 75 is below the needle bar 63. The back surface of the housing 70 is connected to the lower belt 94. The housing 70 inserts the lower spline shaft 34. The housing 70 is supported by the lower rail 29. The hook mechanism 7 can move left and right along the lower rail 29 in synchronization with the needle bar mechanism 6 by driving the transport mechanism 9. The transmission mechanism 72 transmits the power of the lower spline shaft 34 to the lower shaft 71. The hook 73 is connected to the lower shaft 71, and is driven by the sewing machine motor 32 to rotate in synchronization with the vertical movement of the needle bar 63.

The holding mechanism 8 can hold the sewn object. The holding mechanism 8 includes an outer frame 80, an upper plate 81, a lower plate, two sets of protrusions 84, a pair of alignment members 85, and holes 87, and holds the sewn object by sandwiching it between the upper plate 81 and the lower plate. The holding mechanism 8 is symmetrical with respect to the center in the left-right direction, except for the shape of the hole 87. The outer frame 80 has a rectangular frame shape that is long in the left-right direction. The inside of the outer frame 80 is connected to the outer circumference of a rectangular plate-shaped lower plate that is long in the left-right direction. The left side portion and the right side portion of the outer frame 80 have a convex portion 88 projecting toward the needle bar direction. The convex portion 88 is provided with a magnetic material that can be detected by the sensor 37 at the end on the needle bar direction side. The operator arranges the holding mechanism 8 at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the attachment portion 96 with the convex portion 88 facing the needle bar direction. The attachment / detachment position of the attachment portion 96 is a predetermined position where the attachment portion 96 is in the beam portion direction with respect to the beam portion 5, and the attachment portion 96 is a position where the holding mechanism 8 in the attachment / detachment position can be attached. The upper plate 81 and the lower plate overlap each other on the inside of the outer frame 80. The upper plate 81 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The upper plate 81 has holes 87 penetrating vertically, and the lower plate has holes penetrating vertically. The hole 87 and the hole in the lower plate are in the same plane position and overlap each other. The lower plate is located above the mounting portions 22 and 76. The holes 87 and the holes in the lower plate are provided in the rectangular sewing area R (see FIG. 10D) in the outer frame 80 of the holding mechanism 8, and the sewing device 1 is sewn inside the holes 87 and the holes in the lower plate. Form the eyes.

The two sets of protrusions 84 have the same shape as each other and have a columnar shape protruding upward. The protrusions 84 of each set are a pair of left and right protrusions 84 composed of a protrusion 84 arranged on the left side of the outer frame 80 and a protrusion 84 arranged on the right side of the outer frame 80. One of the two sets of protrusions 84 is provided at the front end of the holding mechanism 8, and the other set is provided at the rear end of the holding mechanism 8. When the two sets of protrusions 84 are collectively referred to, or when any of them is not specified, they are also simply referred to as protrusions 84. The pair of alignment members 85 have a plate shape extending in the left-right direction arranged on the left side portion and the right side portion of the outer frame 80. The pair of alignment members 85 have the same position in the front-rear direction. The operator uses the pair of alignment members 85 as a reference for alignment of the work of arranging the holding mechanism 8 at the attachment / detachment position.

The feed mechanism 10 can move the holding mechanism 8 holding the sewn object back and forth relative to the needle bar mechanism 6 and the hook mechanism 7. The feed mechanism 10 includes connecting portions 78 and 79 and a pair of mounting portions 96. The lower left end of the connecting portion 78 is arranged on the rail of the opening 24 of the bed portion 2. The lower right end of the connecting portion 79 is arranged on the rail of the opening 25 of the bed portion 2. The pair of mounting portions 96 are provided at the front ends of the connecting portions 78 and 79 (ends in the needle bar direction). When the pair of mounting portions 96 are collectively referred to or when any of them is not specified, they are also simply referred to as mounting portions 96. The mounting portion 96 includes a pair of left and right holding members 98 and an air cylinder 91. The pair of left and right holding members 98 have a symmetrical structure with each other, and have recesses 99 on opposite surfaces. The recesses 99 have a tapered shape in which the width in the front-rear direction becomes narrower as the recesses 99 are separated from each other. The lower surface of the air cylinder 91 is connected to a pair of left and right holding members 98 of the mounting portion 96, and the pair of holding members 98 of the mounting portion 96 can move in a direction approaching each other and a direction away from each other by the power of the air cylinder 91. As shown in FIG. 4A, the mounting portion 96 can sandwich the protrusion 84 of the holding mechanism 8 in the left-right direction by moving the pair of sandwiching members 98 in the direction of approaching each other. When the pair of sandwiching members 98 sandwich the protrusion 84 in the left-right direction, the front left portion and the rear left portion of the protrusion 84 abut on the recess 99 of one of the sandwiching members 98, and the front right portion and the rear portion of the protrusion 84 are in contact with each other. The right portion comes into contact with the recess 99 of the other holding member 98. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the pair of holding members 98 of the mounting portion 96 move in directions away from each other, the mounting portion 96 can release the holding of the protrusion 84 of the holding mechanism 8. When the pair of holding members 98 release the holding of the protrusion 84, the left-right distance between the pair of holding members 98 is larger than the diameter of the protrusion 84. The sewing device 1 mounts the holding mechanism 8 when the mounting portion 96 sandwiches the protrusion 84, and the operator can remove the holding mechanism 8 from the sewing device 1 by releasing the sandwiching of the protrusion 84 by the mounting portion 96. When the holding mechanism 8 is mounted on the mounting portion 96, the sewing device 1 can form a stitch in the sewing region R in the outer frame 80 of the holding mechanism 8. In the following, a state in which the pair of holding members 98 of the mounting portions 96 shown in FIG. 4 (A) are moved in a direction approaching each other is referred to as a holding state, and the pair of holding members 98 of the mounting portions 96 shown in FIG. 4 (B) is referred to as a holding state. The state of moving in directions away from each other is called the released state.

The feed mechanism 10 includes a Y motor 101 (see FIG. 5), a transmission mechanism, and a pair of belts below the mounting portion 22. The Y motor 101 is a pulse motor. The transmission mechanism of the feed mechanism 10 transmits the Y motor 101 to a pair of belts fixed to the connecting portions 78 and 79. The mounting portion 96 moves back and forth along a pair of rails of the bed portion 2 according to the rotation of the Y motor 101.

The sensor 37 can detect whether or not the holding mechanism 8 is in the attachment / detachment position corresponding to the attachment unit 96, and output the detection result to the control unit 15 (see FIG. 5). The sensor 37 is a magnetic sensor provided at the end of the guide portion 40 described later in the beam direction. The sensor 37 outputs an ON signal when the holding mechanism 8 is in the attachment / detachment position, and outputs an OFF signal when the holding mechanism 8 is not in the attachment / detachment position. The operation portion is supported by the left end portion of the mounting portion 76. The operation unit includes a switch group 12 and a display unit 13. The switch group 12 inputs various instructions according to the operation of the operator. The display unit 13 is a liquid crystal display and can display various images. The distance between the sensor 37 of the first sewing device 1A and the sensor 37 of the second sewing device 1B in the front-rear direction is substantially equal to the length of the holding mechanism 8 in the front-rear direction.

The sewing system 20 further includes guide portions 39 and 40, and a positioning portion 42. The guide portions 39 and 40 extend linearly in the front-rear direction on the upper surfaces of the mounting portions 22 and 76. The guide portion 39 is provided at the left end portion of the mounting portions 22 and 76, and the guide portion 40 is provided at the right end portion of the mounting portions 22 and 76. The end of the guide portion 39 in the beam direction extends to the mounting portion 41. The end portion of the guide portion 40 in the beam portion direction is located between the end portion of the mounting portion 22 in the beam portion direction and the beam portion 5 in the front-rear direction. The guide portions 39 and 40 position the holding mechanism 8 in the left-right direction and guide the holding mechanism 8 to move in the front-rear direction. The positioning portion 42 is provided at the left end of the mounting portion 41 and between the guide portion 39 of the first sewing device 1A and the guide portion 39 of the second sewing device 1B. The positioning unit 42 indicates the center of the distance between the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B in the front-rear direction.

The electrical configuration of the sewing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 15 of the sewing device 1 includes a CPU 16, a ROM 17, a RAM 18, a storage device 19, an input interface 35, an output interface 36, drive circuits 45 to 50, 58, and the like. The CPU 16 controls the operation of the sewing device 1 in an integrated manner. The ROM 17 stores in advance a program or the like for executing various processes. The RAM 18 temporarily stores various information generated during execution of various processes. The storage device 19 is non-volatile and stores various set values.

The drive circuits 45 to 50 and 58 are connected to the output interface 36. The drive circuit 45 is connected to the sewing machine motor 32 of the synchronization mechanism 31 and drives the sewing machine motor 32 by a control command of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 46 is connected to the X motor 95 of the transport mechanism 9, and drives the X motor 95 by a control command of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 47 is connected to the Y motor 101 of the feed mechanism 10 and drives the Y motor 101 by a control command of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 48 is connected to the air cylinder 67 of the vertical mechanism 66, and drives the air cylinder 67 by a control command of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 49 is connected to the display unit 13 and displays various information on the display unit 13 by a control command of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 50 is connected to the presser motor 68 and drives the presser motor 68 by a control command of the CPU 16. The drive circuit 58 is connected to the air cylinder 91 and drives the air cylinder 91 by a control command of the CPU 16.

The power supply SW20, encoder 55-57, switch group 12, sensor 37, etc. are connected to the input interface 35. The power supply SW20 turns on the power of the sewing device 1. The encoder 55 detects the rotation position and rotation speed of the output shaft of the sewing machine motor 32, and inputs the detection result to the input interface 35. The detection result of the encoder 55 indicates the vertical position of the needle bar 63 and the sewing needle 65. The encoder 56 detects the rotation direction, rotation position, and rotation speed of the output shaft of the X motor 95, and inputs the detection result to the input interface 35. The detection result of the encoder 56 indicates the left and right positions of the needle bar mechanism 6 and the hook mechanism 7. The encoder 57 detects the rotation direction, rotation position, and rotation speed of the output shaft of the Y motor 101, and inputs the detection result to the input interface 35. The detection result of the encoder 57 indicates the front-rear position of the mounting portion 96. The switch group 12 detects various instructions and inputs the detection results to the input interface 35. The sensor 37 inputs the detection result to the input interface 35.

The main process of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 12. In the main process of the first embodiment, each of the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B holds the holding mechanism 8 detected by the sensor 37, and the sewing object held by the holding mechanism 8 is sewn according to the sewing data. Is a process of forming. The main process is started when the operator operates the switch group 12 from the menu displayed on the display unit 13 to specify the start of the process. The CPU 16 reads a program for main processing from the ROM 17 into the RAM 18 and executes the main processing. The sewing data is created according to the shape of the hole 87 of the holding mechanism 8 and stored in the storage device 19 in advance.

As shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 16 executes the initialization process (S1). The CPU 16 refers to the storage device 19 and acquires sewing data (S2). The CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 to move the mounting unit 96 to the retracted position (S3). The retracted position is a predetermined position set on the needle bar direction side with respect to the detachable position. The retracted position of this example is a position where the mounting portion 96 is below the beam portion 5. The CPU 16 determines whether or not the sensor 37 outputs an ON signal based on the output result of the sensor 37 (S4). When the sensor 37 does not output the ON signal (S4: NO), the CPU 16 determines whether or not the end instruction has been acquired (S15). When the operator finishes the main process, he operates the operation unit and inputs the end instruction. When the end instruction has not been acquired (S15: NO), the CPU 16 returns the process to S4. When the end instruction is acquired (S15: YES), the CPU 16 ends the main process.

The operator arranges the sewn object on the holding mechanism 8 and arranges the holding mechanism 8 at the attachment / detachment position (FIG. 9A). The sensor 37 outputs an ON signal to the input interface 35. When the sensor 37 outputs an ON signal (S4: YES), the CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 to move the mounting unit 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S5), and then drives the air cylinder 91 to release the mounting unit 96. To switch to the holding state (S6). In S6, the pair of mounting portions 96 sandwiches a set of protrusions 84 located on the needle bar direction side of the two sets of protrusions 84 of the holding mechanism 8. The CPU 16 executes a gripping process for changing the protrusions 84 held by the mounting portion 96 among the two sets of protrusions 84 held by the holding mechanism 8 in the front-rear direction (S7).

As shown in FIG. 7, in the gripping process in S7, the CPU 16 sets the needle bar direction in the feed direction and the beam portion direction in the return direction (S21). The CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 and moves the mounting unit 96 in the feed direction set in S21 by a predetermined distance (S22). The predetermined distance is between a set of protrusions 84 held by the mounting portion 96 before moving among the two sets of protrusions 84 and a set of protrusions 84 adjacent to the set of protrusions 84 in the return direction. Is greater than or equal to the adjacent distance of. The CPU 16 drives the air cylinder 91 to switch the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state (S23). The CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 to move the mounting portion 96 in the return direction by an adjacent distance (S24). The CPU 16 drives the air cylinder 91 to switch the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state, and the pair of mounting portions 96 is used for one of the two sets of protrusions 84 of the holding mechanism 8 whose holding is released in S23. A set of protrusions 84 located in the return direction of the protrusions 84 is sandwiched (S25). The CPU 16 ends the replacement process and returns the process to the main process.

The CPU 16 drives the transfer mechanism 9, the feed mechanism 10, the hook mechanism 7, and the needle bar mechanism 6 according to the sewing data acquired in S2, and sews in the sewing area R corresponding to the mounting portion 96 on which the holding mechanism 8 is mounted. (S8). In S8, the sewing device 1 forms a stitch along the hole 87 in the object to be sewn held by the holding mechanism 8. The CPU 16 performs a gripping process (S9). As shown in FIG. 7, in the gripping process in S9, the CPU 16 sets the beam direction in the feed direction and the needle bar direction in the return direction (S21). The CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 and moves the mounting unit 96 in the feed direction set in S21 by a predetermined distance (S22). The CPU 16 drives the air cylinder 91 to switch the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state (S23). The CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 and moves the mounting unit 96 in the return direction by an adjacent distance (S24). The CPU 16 drives the air cylinder 91 to switch the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state, and the pair of mounting portions 96 is used for one of the two sets of protrusions 84 of the holding mechanism 8 whose holding is released in S23. A set of protrusions 84 located next to the protrusions 84 in the return direction is sandwiched (S25). The CPU 16 ends the replacement process and returns the process to the main process.

The CPU 16 controls the drive circuit 47 and moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S10). The CPU 16 drives the air cylinder 91, switches the mounting unit 96 from the holding state to the released state (S11), controls the drive circuit 47, and moves the mounting unit 96 to the retracted position (S12). The CPU 16 determines whether or not the sensor 37 outputs an OFF signal based on the output result of the sensor 37 (S13). After the mounting portion 96 moves to the retracted position, the operator collects the holding mechanism 8 from the sewing device 1 and replaces the sewn object held by the holding mechanism 8. When the sensor 37 does not output the OFF signal (S13: NO), the CPU 16 determines whether or not the end instruction has been acquired (S14). When the end instruction has not been acquired (S14: NO), the CPU 16 returns the process to S13. When the end instruction is acquired (S14: YES), the CPU 16 ends the main process. When the sensor 37 outputs an OFF signal (S13: YES), the CPU 16 determines whether or not the end instruction has been acquired (S15). When the end instruction has not been acquired (S15: YES), the CPU 16 returns the process to S4. When the end instruction is acquired (S15: YES), the CPU 16 ends the main process.

With reference to FIGS. 8 to 12, the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B individually execute the main processing, and the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B are sewn alternately. The process when a person arranges and collects the holding mechanism 8 will be described. The order and timing in which the operator arranges the holding mechanism 8 in the sewing system 20 may be appropriately changed.

The CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B executes the processes of S1 to S4. As shown in FIG. 9A, the operator takes a posture in which the convex portion 88 of the holding mechanism 8 is arranged on the front side, and arranges the holding mechanism 8 at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the attachment portion 96 of the first sewing device 1A ( S41). As shown in FIG. 9B, the CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A detects the ON signal of the sensor 37 (S4) and moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S5). At this time, the CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B does not detect the ON signal of the sensor 37 (S4: NO), and repeats the process of S4 until the ON signal is detected. The CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A switches the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state (S6). As shown in FIGS. 9C and 10D, the CPU 16 of the first sewing apparatus 1A performs a gripping process (S7). The CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A sews according to the sewing data acquired in S2 (S8). As shown in FIG. 10 (E), the operator arranges the holding mechanism 8 at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the attachment portion 96 of the second sewing device 1B (S42). As shown in FIG. 10 (F), the CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B detects the ON signal of the sensor 37 (S4) and moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S5). The CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B switches the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state (S6). As shown in FIGS. 11 (G) and 11 (H), the CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B performs the gripping process (S7). As shown in FIG. 11 (I), the CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B sews according to the sewing data acquired in S2 (S8).

As shown in FIGS. 11H and 11I, the CPU 16 of the first sewing apparatus 1A finishes sewing according to the sewing data acquired in S2, and performs a gripping process (S9). As shown in FIG. 12 (J), the CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S10) and switches the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state (S11). As shown in FIG. 12K, the CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A moves the mounting portion 96 to the retracted position (S12). As shown in FIG. 12 (L), the operator collects the holding mechanism 8 from the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the first sewing device 1A (S43). The CPU 16 detects the OFF signal of the sensor 37 (S13). The CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B finishes sewing according to the sewing data acquired in S2, and performs a gripping process (S9). The CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S10), and switches the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state (S11). The CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B moves the mounting portion 96 to the retracted position (S10). The operator collects the holding mechanism 8 from the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the second sewing device 1B (S44). The CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B detects the OFF signal of the sensor 37 (S13). When repeated sewing is performed using the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B, the CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A and the CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B return the processing to S4. As described above, in the sewing system 20, among the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B, the device that detects the sensor ON signal holds the holding mechanism 8 and executes sewing according to the sewing data. The operator can replace one of the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B while sewing the other holding mechanism 8.

With reference to FIG. 13, the holding mechanism 120 of the modified example used in the sewing system 20 of the first embodiment will be described. The holding mechanism 120 can hold the sewn object. The holding mechanism 120 includes an outer frame 121, an upper plate 122, a lower plate, two sets of protrusions 124, three sets of alignment members 125, and holes 127, and holds the sewn object by sandwiching it between the upper plate 122 and the lower plate. .. Except for the shape of the hole 127, the holding mechanism 120 is bilaterally symmetric with respect to the center in the left-right direction and is bilaterally symmetric with respect to the center in the front-rear direction. The outer frame 121 has a rectangular frame shape that is long in the left-right direction. The inside of the outer frame 121 is connected to the outer circumference of a rectangular plate-shaped lower plate that is long in the left-right direction. The left side portion and the right side portion of the outer frame 121 have a convex portion 128 protruding toward the needle bar direction side and a beam portion direction side. The operator arranges the holding mechanism 120 at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96 in a posture in which the convex portion 128 extends in the front-rear direction. The upper plate 122 and the lower plate overlap each other on the inside of the outer frame 121. The upper plate 122 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The upper plate 122 has holes 127 that penetrate vertically, and the lower plate has holes that penetrate vertically. The holes 127 and the holes in the lower plate are in the same plane position and overlap each other. The lower plate is located above the mounting portions 22 and 76. The sewing device 1 forms a seam inside the hole 127 and the hole of the lower plate. In the sewing device 1, the guide portion 43 is provided on the mounting portions 22 and 76 instead of the guide portion 40. The guide portion 43 extends linearly in the front-rear direction. The guide unit 43 positions the holding mechanism 120 in the left-right direction together with the guide unit 39, and guides the movement of the holding mechanism 120 in the front-rear direction.

In the sewing system 20 of the modified example, for example, instead of the sensor 37, a bar code is attached to the convex portion 128 of the holding mechanism 120, and a reader that reads the bar code of the holding mechanism 120 arranged at the attachment / detachment position is attached to the sewing device 1. By providing the sewing device 1, the sewing device 1 may detect the holding mechanism 120 arranged at the attachment / detachment position. At this time, the barcode may include identification information of the sewing device 1 to which the holding mechanism 120 is attached and information indicating sewing data. Based on the information read by the reader, the sewing device 1 determines that the holding mechanism 120 detected when the identification information stored in the storage device 19 of the sewing device 1 and the read identification information match, and determines that the holding mechanism 120 is to be mounted. It may be held by the mounting portion 96. The sewing device 1 does not have to mount the holding mechanism 120 detected when the identification information stored in the storage device 19 and the read identification information do not match, and does not have to hold the holding mechanism 120. The reader may be provided in the sewing device 1 or may be provided separately from the sewing device 1. In the sewing system 20 of the modified example, it is possible for the operator to save the trouble of changing the posture when arranging the holding mechanism 120 between the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B.

In the main process of FIG. 6, the sewing apparatus 1 may omit the gripping process and simplify it as in the main process of the second embodiment shown in FIG. The main process of the second embodiment is different from the main process of the first embodiment in that S31 is performed instead of S3 and the processes of S5, S7, S9, and S12 to S14 are not executed. In the sewing system 20 of the second embodiment, the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96 is set closer to the needle bar direction than the attachment / detachment position of the first embodiment, or the movable range of the transfer mechanism 9 is set to the transfer mechanism of the first embodiment. The gripping process is omitted by expanding the movable range of 9 toward the needle bar. After the sewing data is acquired by referring to the storage device 19 in S2, the CPU 16 moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position (S31). The sewing system 20 that executes the main process of the second embodiment can shorten the sewing time by the amount that the gripping process is not executed as compared with the sewing system 20 that executes the main process of the first embodiment. The main processing of FIGS. 6 and 14 may be executed by one sewing device 1.

The physical configuration of the sewing system 180 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. The sewing system 180 includes a sewing device 1 and a transfer device 150 similar to those in the first embodiment. The transport device 150 is a belt conveyor arranged behind the sewing device 1. FIG. 15 illustrates a part of the transport device 150 which is long in the left-right direction. The transport device 150 includes a belt 151, a base portion 152, a transport motor 173, a transport mechanism 172, and a guide portion 153. The belt 151 has an annular shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is rotated clockwise in the front view by the power of the conveyor motor 173. The portion of the belt 151 that moves on the upper side is a transport surface on which the holding mechanism 8 is placed and transported. The height of the transport surface is the same as the height of the mounting portion 22 of the sewing device 1. The transfer mechanism 172 is a known mechanism that transmits the power of the transfer motor 173 to the belt 151. The guide portion 153 extends in the left-right direction behind the rear end of the transport surface of the belt 151. The guide unit 153 guides the movement of the holding mechanism 8 by the transfer device 150. The operator or other device arranges a plurality of holding mechanisms 8 on the transport surface of the belt 151 at equal intervals in the left-right direction. Another device is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot arm capable of gripping the holding mechanism 8. The rear end of the holding mechanism 8 placed on the transport surface comes into contact with the front surface of the guide portion 153. The convex portion 88 of the holding mechanism 8 placed on the transport surface is located in front of the front end of the transport surface.

The electrical configuration of the sewing system 180 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The sewing device 1 of the sewing system 180 is different from the sewing device 1 of the first embodiment in that it is provided with the communication I / F 11 and is not provided with the sensor 37, and other configurations are the same as those of the sewing device 1 of the first embodiment. .. The communication I / F 11 is, for example, an interface for serial communication. The transport device 150 of the sewing system 20 has a control unit 160. The control unit 160 includes a CPU 161, a ROM 162, a RAM 163, a storage device 164, a communication I / F 149, an input interface 165, an output interface 166, a drive circuit 170, and the like. The CPU 161 controls the operation of the transfer device 150 in an integrated manner. The ROM 162 stores in advance a program or the like for executing various processes. The RAM 163 temporarily stores various information generated during execution of various processes. The storage device 164 is non-volatile and stores various set values. The communication I / F 149 is, for example, an interface for serial communication. The communication I / F 149 is connected to the communication I / F 11 of the sewing device 1. The input interface 165 is connected to the power supply SW167, the encoder 168, and the switch group 169. The encoder 168 detects the rotation position and rotation speed of the output shaft of the transfer motor 173, and inputs the detection result to the input interface 165. The detection result of the encoder 168 indicates the rotation position of the belt 151. The drive circuit 170 is connected to the output interface 166. The drive circuit 170 is connected to the transfer motor 173 of the transfer mechanism 172, and drives the transfer motor 173 by a control command of the CPU 161.

An example of the process executed by the sewing system 180 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. In FIG. 17, the same step numbers are assigned to the same processes as those executed by the sewing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, and the description is simplified. The process executed by the sewing device 1 is activated when the operator operates the switch group 12 from the menu displayed on the display unit 13 to specify the start of the process. The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 reads a program from the ROM 17 into the RAM 18 and executes the process. The process executed by the transfer device 150 is activated when the operator operates the switch group 169 to specify the start of the process. The CPU 161 of the transfer device 150 reads a program from the ROM 162 into the RAM 163 and executes the process. In FIG. 18, the holding mechanism 8 of interest is shown by a solid line, and the other holding mechanism 8 is shown by a alternate long and short dash line.

The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 acquires sewing data (S2) and moves the mounting portion 96 to the retracted position (S3). The CPU 16 transmits an arrangement request to the transfer device 150 via the communication I / F 11 (S51). The arrangement request is an instruction requesting the transfer device 150 to arrange the holding mechanism 8 at the attachment / detachment position. As shown in FIG. 18A, the CPU 161 of the transfer device 150 waits until the arrangement request is received. The CPU 161 of the transport device 150 controls the drive circuit 170 in response to receiving the placement request via the communication I / F 149 (S62), transports the holding mechanism 8 to the right, and corresponds to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96. The holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the position where the holding mechanism 8 is to be used (S63). As shown in FIG. 18B, when the CPU 161 of the transport device 150 detects whether the holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position based on the detection result of the encoder 168 and detects that the holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position, The drive circuit 170 is controlled, and the transfer of the holding mechanism 8 is stopped. The CPU 161 of the transfer device 150 transmits the arranged signal to the sewing device 1 via the communication I / F 149 (S64). The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 waits until it receives the arranged signal. The sewing device 1 may be provided with a member for positioning the holding mechanism 8 in the left-right direction on the mounting portion 22. The alignment member may be, for example, a member that can be arranged at a position that abuts on the right surface of the holding mechanism 8 at the attachment / detachment position. At this time, after the placement request is transmitted, the sewing device 1 arranges the alignment member above the mounting portion 22, and in response to the reception of the arranged signal, the alignment member is placed on the mounting portion 22. It may be retracted below the upper surface. The member for aligning the holding mechanism 8 in the left-right direction may be provided in the transfer device 150, or the sewing device 1 and the transfer device 150 may be provided separately.

As shown in FIG. 18C, the CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position in response to receiving the arranged signal via the communication I / F 11 (S52) (S5). The CPU 16 switches the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state (S6). The CPU 16 executes the gripping process (S7) and sews according to the sewing data acquired in S2 (S8). The CPU 16 executes the gripping process (S9), and moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position as shown in FIG. 18C (S10). The CPU 16 switches the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state (S11). As shown in FIG. 18B, the CPU 16 moves the mounting unit 96 to the retracted position (S12), and transmits a transport request to the transport device 150 via the communication I / F 11 (S53). The transport request is an instruction requesting that the holding mechanism 8 in the attachment / detachment position be transported. The CPU 161 of the transfer device 150 waits until the transfer request is received from the sewing device 1. The CPU 161 of the transport device 150 controls the drive circuit 170 in response to receiving the transport request via the communication I / F 149 (S65), transports the holding mechanism 8 to the right, and corresponds to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96. The holding mechanism 8 is conveyed from the position where it is to be carried (S66).

As shown in FIG. 18D, the CPU 161 of the transfer device 150 detects whether the holding mechanism 8 has been transported from the attachment / detachment position based on the detection result of the encoder 168, and detects that the transfer of the holding mechanism 8 has been completed from the attachment / detachment position. At this time, the drive circuit 170 is controlled to stop the transfer of the holding mechanism 8. The CPU 161 of the transfer device 150 transmits the transferred signal to the sewing device 1 via the communication I / F 149 (S67). The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 waits until it receives the transferred signal from the transfer device 150. The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 receives the conveyed signal via the communication I / F 11 (S54). When performing repeated sewing, the transfer device 150 may transfer the holding mechanism 8 whose sewing order is next to the attachment / detachment position in S66, for example. At this time, the CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 may return the process to S5 in response to receiving the conveyed signal.

In the first to third embodiments, the sewing device 1, the needle bar 63, the needle bar mechanism 6, the kettle 73, the kettle mechanism 7, the transport mechanism 9, the feed mechanism 10, the beam portion 5, and the mounting portion 96 are sewn according to the present invention. This is an example of a device, a needle bar, a needle bar mechanism, a kettle, a kettle mechanism, a transport mechanism, a feed mechanism, a beam portion, and a mounting portion. The CPU 16 that performs S2 is an example of the acquisition unit of the present invention. The CPU 16 that performs S8 is an example of the sewing control unit of the present invention. The CPU 16 that performs S5 and S10 is an example of the attachment / detachment position control unit of the present invention. The CPU 16 that performs S6 and S11 is an example of the switching control unit of the present invention. The CPU 16 that performs S52 is an example of the receiving unit of the present invention. The sensor 37 is an example of the detection unit of the present invention. The protrusions 84 and 124 are examples of the protrusions of the present invention. The CPU 16 that performs S7 and S9 is an example of the grip control unit of the present invention. The CPU 161 that performs S63 is an example of the arrangement control unit of the present invention. The CPU 161 that performs S66 is an example of the transfer control unit of the present invention. The sensor 37 of the first sewing device 1A is an example of the first detection unit of the present invention, and the sensor 37 of the second sewing device 1B is an example of the second detection unit of the present invention. The CPU 16 that performs S11 is an example of the first switching control unit of the present invention, and the CPU 16 that performs S6 and S11 in the second sewing device 1B is an example of the second switching control unit of the present invention.

The sewing device 1 of the first to third embodiments includes a needle bar mechanism 6, a hook mechanism 7, a transport mechanism 9, a feed mechanism 10, a beam portion 5, and a CPU 16. The needle bar mechanism 6 has a needle bar 63 to which the sewing needle 65 can be attached to the lower end, and the needle bar 63 can be moved up and down. The hook mechanism 7 is arranged below the needle bar mechanism 6 and has a hook 73. The transport mechanism 9 integrally transports the kettle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 in the left-right direction with respect to the object to be sewn. The feed mechanism 10 feeds the holding mechanism 8 capable of holding the sewn object in the front-rear direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the left-right direction. The beam portion 5 supports the needle rod mechanism 6 so as to be movable in the left-right direction on the beam portion direction side with respect to the needle rod mechanism 6. In the sewing device 1, the transport mechanism 9 moves the kettle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6 relative to the object to be sewn in the left-right direction, and the feed mechanism 10 holds the holding mechanism 8 with respect to the kettle mechanism 7 and the needle bar mechanism 6. It moves in the front-rear direction, and the kettle 73 and the needle bar 63 operate in synchronization with each other to sew on the object to be sewn. The feed mechanism 10 has a mounting portion 96 for detachably mounting the holding mechanism 8. The CPU 16 acquires sewing data for sewing in the sewing area R (S2). The CPU 16 drives the transfer mechanism 9, the feed mechanism 10, the hook mechanism 7, and the needle bar mechanism 6 according to the sewing data, and sews in the sewing area R (S8). The CPU 16 controls the feed mechanism 10 to move the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position on the beam portion direction side with respect to the beam portion 5 before and after sewing according to the sewing data (S5, S10). Therefore, the sewing device 1 moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position on the beam portion direction side with respect to the beam portion 5 before and after sewing according to the sewing data. The holding mechanism 8 can be operated while the mounting portion 96 is in the attachment / detachment position. In the sewing device 1, equipment such as a work table for the operator to replace the sewn object held by the holding mechanism 8 and a transport device for supplying the holding mechanism 8 to the sewing device 1 is installed in the beam direction with respect to the beam 5. Even when placed around the side, the equipment does not interfere with maintenance work. Therefore, the sewing device 1 can perform maintenance work more efficiently than before.

The CPU 16 of the sewing devices 1 of the first to third embodiments releases the mounting portion 96 from the holding state of holding the holding mechanism 8 after the mounting portion 96 has moved to the attachment / detachment position (S10). The state is switched (S11), and the mounting unit 96 is switched from the released state to the holding state before the mounting unit 96 moves from the attachment / detachment position (S6). After the mounting portion 96 moves to the attachment / detachment position, the sewing device 1 can automatically switch the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state, and automatically switch the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state. The sewing device 1 can reduce the labor of the operator as compared with the case where the state of the mounting portion 96 is manually switched.

The sewing device 1 of the third embodiment includes a communication I / F 11 that receives a signal from a transfer device 150 different from the sewing device 1. The CPU 16 switches the mounting unit 96 from the released state to the holding state (S6) in response to receiving the arranged signal (S52). The sewing device 1 can automatically switch the mounting unit 96 from the released state to the holding state (S6) in response to receiving the arranged signal during the period in which the mounting unit 96 is in the released state (S52). The sewing device 1 saves the trouble of instructing the operator when to switch the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the held state.

The sewing device 1 of the first and second embodiments includes a sensor 37 that detects that the predetermined holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position, and the CPU 16 detects that the holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position. (S4: YES), the mounting portion 96 is switched from the released state to the holding state (S6). The sewing device 1 holds the mounting portion 96 from the released state when the detection unit detects that the holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position (S4: YES) while the mounting portion 96 is in the released state. The state can be automatically switched (S6). The sewing device 1 saves the trouble of instructing the operator when to switch the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the held state.

The CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 of the first embodiment performs a gripping process for changing the protrusion 84 held by the mounting portion 96 among the plurality of protrusions 84 included in the holding mechanism 8 and arranged in the front-rear direction (S6, S7). ). The CPU 16 switches the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state, holds one of the two sets of protrusions 84 (S6), and then moves the mounting portion 96 from the attachment / detachment position toward the needle bar direction (S22). After moving the mounting portion 96 from the attachment / detachment position to the needle bar direction side, the mounting portion 96 is switched from the holding state to the released state (S23) to release the holding of the protrusion 84, and after releasing the holding of the protrusion 84, After moving the mounting portion 96 toward the beam portion (S24) and moving the mounting portion 96 toward the beam portion direction, the mounting portion 96 is changed from the released state to the holding state, and a set of protrusions 84 whose holding is released. Holds another set of protrusions 84 different from the above (S25). The sewing device 1 can make the size of the sewing device 1 in the front-rear direction smaller than the movable range of the holding mechanism 8 with respect to the needle bar mechanism 6 and the hook mechanism 7 in the front-rear direction as compared with the device that does not execute the gripping process. The sewing device 1 of the third embodiment has the same effect as the sewing device 1 of the first embodiment by the same processing.

In the sewing system 180 of the third embodiment, the sewing device 1 and the holding mechanism 8 mounted by the mounting portion 96 of the sewing device 1 are arranged at positions corresponding to the attachment / detachment positions of the mounting portion 96 (S63). The transport device 150 that performs the process of transporting the holding mechanism 8 released by the mounting portion 96 from the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96 (S66) is arranged on the rear side with respect to the beam portion 5 of the sewing device 1. The sewing device 1 of the sewing system 180 moves the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position on the rear side with respect to the beam portion 5 before and after sewing according to the sewing data. The holding mechanism 8 can be operated while the mounting portion 96 is in the attachment / detachment position. The transport device 150 is arranged around the rear side of the beam portion 5. The conveying device 150 can automatically arrange the holding mechanism 8 at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position with respect to the sewing device 1, and can automatically convey the holding mechanism 8 arranged at the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the sewing device 1. The transport device 150 does not interfere with the maintenance work of the sewing device 1. Therefore, in the sewing system 180, the operator can perform the maintenance work of the sewing device 1 more efficiently than before.

The sewing system 20 of the first embodiment includes two sewing devices 1, and the two sewing devices 1 are oriented so that the beam direction side of the first sewing device 1A faces the beam direction side of the second sewing device 1B. Therefore, the distance between the two sewing devices 1 in the second direction is smaller than the length L in the second direction of the holding mechanism 8. The two sewing devices 1 of the sewing system 20 move the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position on the beam portion direction side with respect to the beam portion 5 before and after sewing according to the sewing data by the CPU 16. The holding mechanism 8 can be operated while the mounting portion 96 is in the attachment / detachment position. The sewing system 20 can make the space required for arranging the two sewing devices 1 relatively small. In the sewing system 20, for example, one worker exchanges the holding mechanisms 8 of the two sewing devices 1 between the beam portion 5 of the first sewing device 1A and the beam portion 5 of the second sewing device 1B in the front-rear direction. Can be done at the position of.

In the sewing system 20 of the first embodiment, the holding mechanism 8 to be mounted on the first sewing device 1A is located at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96 of the first sewing device 1A among the two sewing devices 1. The sensor 37 that detects this and outputs the detection result to the first sewing device 1A, and the holding mechanism 8 of the second sewing device 1B are located at positions corresponding to the attachment / detachment positions of the mounting portion 96 of the second sewing device 1B. A sensor 37 that detects this and outputs the detection result to the second sewing device 1B is further provided, and the CPU 16 of the first sewing device 1A holds the mounting portion 96 after the mounting portion 96 has moved to the attachment / detachment position. When the sensor 37 of the first sewing device 1A detects that the holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position (S4: YES) during the period in which the attachment portion 96 is in the release state, the attachment portion 96 is switched to the release state. Is switched from the released state to the held state (S6). After the mounting portion 96 is moved to the attachment / detachment position, the CPU 16 of the second sewing device 1B switches the mounting portion 96 from the holding state of holding the holding mechanism 8 to the released state of releasing the holding mechanism 8, and the mounting portion 96 is released. When the sensor 37 of the second sewing device 1B detects that the holding mechanism 8 is arranged at the attachment / detachment position during the state (S4: YES), the mounting portion 96 is switched from the released state to the holding state (S6). .. After moving the mounting portion 96 to the attachment / detachment position, the two sewing devices 1 can automatically switch the mounting portion 96 from the holding state to the released state, and automatically switch the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state. The sewing system 20 can reduce the labor of the operator as compared with the case where the state of the mounting portion 96 is manually switched. When the sensor 37 detects that the holding mechanism 8 is arranged in the detachable position while the mounting portion 96 is in the released state, the two sewing devices 1 automatically change the mounting portion 96 from the released state to the holding state. It can be switched. The sewing system 20 saves the trouble of instructing the operator when to switch the mounting portion 96 of the first sewing device 1A and the second sewing device 1B from the open state to the holding state.

The sewing apparatus of the present invention can be variously modified in addition to the above-described embodiment. The sewing device 1 does not have to include at least one of the holding mechanism 8, the sensor 37, and the communication I / F 11. When the sewing device 1 does not include the sensor 37, the CPU 16 may switch the state of the mounting unit 96 in response to the operator inputting an instruction to the operation unit, or the operator inputs an instruction to the operation unit. The position of the mounting portion 96 may be changed accordingly. The configuration, number, and arrangement of the mounting portions 96 may be appropriately changed. For example, the mounting portion 96 may be configured such that the operator manually switches between the holding state and the released state. The device for detecting whether or not the holding mechanism 8 is present at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion 96 and the detection method may be appropriately changed. The sensor 37 may be a proximity sensor or a reader such as an RFID or a two-dimensional code. When the sensor 37 is a proximity sensor, the holding mechanism 8 may be provided with a detector capable of detecting the proximity sensor on the convex portion 88. At least one of the sewing systems 20, 180, and the sewing device 1 is equipped with a photographing device, analyzes an image obtained by photographing the attachment / detachment position, and determines whether or not the holding mechanism 8 is present at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the attachment portion 96. May be detected.

The number, arrangement, configuration, etc. of the sewing devices 1 included in the sewing systems 20 and 180 may be appropriately changed. The sewing system 20 includes, for example, three or more sewing devices 1, and of the three or more sewing devices 1, two sewing devices 1 are arranged so that the beam direction side of one sewing device 1 is in the beam direction of the other sewing device 1. Arranged at a position where the distance between the two sewing devices 1 in the front-rear direction is smaller than the length L in the front-rear direction of the holding mechanism 8 so as to face the side, and the other sewing device 1 among the three or more sewing devices 1 is sewn. The device 1 may be arranged at a position where the distance from the adjacent sewing device 1 is smaller than the length L in the front-rear direction (conveyance direction) of the holding mechanism 8. The number, arrangement, and configuration of the protrusions 84 and 124 may be changed as appropriate.

The configuration of the transport device 150 included in the sewing system 180 may be appropriately changed. The transport device 150 may not include the communication I / F 149 but may include a detection unit that detects the holding mechanism 8 arranged at the attachment / detachment position. At this time, the transport device 150 may determine when to perform the processes of S63 and S66 depending on the detection result of the detection unit. The transport device 150 may control the drive circuit 170 in response to an instruction input by the operator. The transport device 150 has the same configuration as the feed mechanism 10, and the holding mechanism 8 may be transported by holding the protrusion 84 by the mounting portion 96. The type, number, arrangement, and configuration of devices other than the sewing device 1 included in the sewing systems 20 and 180 may be appropriately changed. The sewing systems 20 and 180 may include, for example, a control device that controls a part or all of the devices included in the sewing systems 20 and 180. At this time, a part or all of the devices included in the sewing systems 20 and 180 may execute various processes according to the instructions output by the control device.

The program including the command for executing the processing of the sewing systems 20 and 180 may be stored in the storage device of the device of the sewing systems 20 and 180 by the time the program is executed by the sewing systems 20 and 180. Therefore, the acquisition method of the program, the acquisition route, and the device for storing the program may be changed as appropriate. For example, the program executed by the CPU 16 of the sewing device 1 may be received from another device via a cable or wireless communication and stored in a storage device such as a flash memory. Other devices include, for example, PCs and servers connected via a network.

A part or all of the processing executed by the sewing device 1 may be executed by an electronic device (for example, ASIC) different from the CPU 16. The processing executed by the sewing device 1 may be distributed processing by a plurality of electronic devices (for example, a plurality of CPUs). The order of each step of the process executed by the sewing device 1 can be changed, the step can be omitted, and the step can be added as needed. The scope of the present invention also includes a mode in which an operating system (OS) or the like operating on the sewing apparatus 1 performs a part or all of each process by a command of the CPU 16. For example, the following changes may be appropriately added to the above embodiment. The same applies to the processing executed by the transport device 150.

1: Sewing device 5: Beam part 6: Needle bar mechanism 7: Pot mechanism 8, 120: Holding mechanism 9: Conveying mechanism 10: Feeding mechanism 11, 149: Communication I / F
15: Control unit 16, 161: CPU
17, 162: ROM
18, 163: RAM
20, 180: Sewing system 37: Sensor 63: Needle bar 65: Sewing needle 73: Pot 84, 124: Protrusion 91: Air cylinder 96: Mounting part 98: Holding member 150: Conveying device

Claims (8)

A needle bar mechanism that has a needle bar that can attach a sewing needle to the lower end and can move the needle bar up and down,
A hook mechanism arranged below the needle bar mechanism and having a hook, and a hook mechanism.
A transfer mechanism that integrally conveys the hook mechanism and the needle bar mechanism to the object to be sewn in the first direction.
A feed mechanism that feeds a holding mechanism capable of holding the sewn object in a second direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the first direction, and the needle bar on one side of the second direction with respect to the needle bar mechanism. A beam portion that movably supports the mechanism in the first direction is provided, and the transport mechanism moves the kettle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism relative to the sewn object in the first direction, and the feed mechanism. Moves the holding mechanism in the second direction with respect to the kettle mechanism and the needle bar mechanism, and the kettle and the needle bar operate in synchronization with each other to sew the object to be sewn.
The feed mechanism has a mounting portion for detachably mounting the holding mechanism.
An acquisition unit that acquires sewing data to be sewn in the sewing area,
A sewing control unit that drives the transfer mechanism, the feed mechanism, the hook mechanism, and the needle bar mechanism to sew in the sewing area according to the sewing data acquired by the acquisition unit.
Detachment that controls the feed mechanism to move the mounting portion to the attachment / detachment position on the one side in the second direction with respect to the beam portion before and after sewing according to the sewing data. A sewing device including a position control unit. After the mounting portion moves to the attachment / detachment position, the mounting portion is switched from the holding state for holding the holding mechanism to the released state for releasing the holding mechanism, and before the mounting portion moves from the attachment / detachment position. The sewing device according to claim 1, further comprising a switching control unit that switches the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state. Further, a receiving unit for receiving a signal from a device other than the sewing device is provided.
The sewing device according to claim 2, wherein the switching control unit switches the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state in response to the receiving unit receiving the signal. A detection unit for detecting that the predetermined holding mechanism is arranged at the attachment / detachment position is provided.
The switching control unit is characterized in that the mounting unit is switched from the released state to the holding state in response to the detection unit detecting that the holding mechanism is arranged at the attachment / detachment position. 2. The sewing device according to 2. A gripping control unit that changes the protrusions held by the mounting portion among the plurality of protrusions of the holding mechanism and arranged in the second direction.
After the switching control unit switches the mounting portion from the released state to the holding state and holds any of the plurality of protrusions, the mounting portion is moved from the attachment / detachment position to the other side in the second direction. death,
After moving the mounting portion from the attachment / detachment position to the other side in the second direction, the mounting portion is switched from the holding state to the released state to release the holding of the protrusion.
After releasing the holding of the protrusion, the mounting portion is moved to the one side in the second direction.
After moving the mounting portion to the one side in the second direction, the mounting portion is changed from the released state to the holding state to hold the other protruding portion different from the protruding portion whose holding is released. The sewing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a replacement control unit. The sewing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The mounting portion includes an arrangement control unit that arranges the holding mechanism that the mounting portion of the sewing device mounts at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion, and the holding mechanism that the mounting portion of the sewing device releases. It is characterized by including a transport control unit for transporting from the position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the sewing device, and a transport device arranged on the one side of the second direction with respect to the beam portion of the sewing device. system. Provided with at least two sewing devices according to claim 1,
Of the at least two sewing devices, two sewing devices are arranged so that one side of one sewing device in the second direction faces the one side of the other sewing device in the second direction. In the orientation, the distance between the two sewing devices in the second direction is smaller than the length of the holding mechanism in the second direction.
Among the at least two sewing devices, the other sewing device is arranged at a position where the distance from the adjacent sewing device is smaller than the length of the holding mechanism in the second direction. .. A second that detects that the holding mechanism to be mounted on the one sewing device is present at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion of the one sewing device, and outputs the detection result to the one sewing device. One detector and
A second detection unit that detects that the other holding mechanism is present at a position corresponding to the attachment / detachment position of the mounting portion of the other sewing device and outputs the detection result to the other sewing device. Further prepare
After the mounting portion is moved to the attachment / detachment position, the one sewing device switches the mounting portion from the holding state of holding the holding mechanism to the released state of releasing the holding mechanism, and the mounting portion releases the holding mechanism. Further provided is a first switching control unit that switches the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state when the first detecting unit detects that the holding mechanism is arranged at the attachment / detachment position during the period of the state. ,
After the mounting portion is moved to the attachment / detachment position, the other sewing device switches the mounting portion from the holding state of holding the holding mechanism to the released state of releasing the holding mechanism, and the mounting portion releases the holding mechanism. Further provided is a second switching control unit that switches the mounting unit from the released state to the holding state when the second detecting unit detects that the holding mechanism is arranged at the attachment / detachment position during the period of the state. The sewing system according to claim 7.

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