JP5265405B2 - sewing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a button sewing machine capable of supplying buttons more effectively. The button sewing machine includes: sewing action part which holding button by buttons clamping pin and sewing it to sewing materials; buttons supplying unit supplying buttons to the buttons clamping pin; and buttons hole position control unit for positioning buttons to correspond to the direction of buttons sewing operation. The characterized is in that, possessing buttons holding part to support buttons from below, the buttons supplying unit transmits buttons to the buttons clamping pin when buttons put onto the holding part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sewing machine, and more particularly to a sewing machine with a button and a button supply device.

  In a button-attached sewing machine that sews buttons to the sewing product, a needle bar that holds the sewing needle in the button hole of the button held by the button gripping foot that is positioned above the sewing product and holds the button almost horizontally. The button is sewn by moving up and down. At this time, a button supply device having a carrier mechanism for supplying a button to a button gripping foot every time a button is sewn is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a carrier mechanism according to the prior art. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the carrier mechanism according to the prior art viewed from an angle different from that of FIG. 11A shows a state where the pin 102a of the button carrier portion 102 is inserted through the button hole of the button B1, and FIG. 11B shows that the button gripping foot 101 moves upward with respect to the button carrier portion 102. Shows the state.
As shown in FIG. 10, in the carrier mechanism according to the prior art, the carrier mechanism is provided against the claw portion 101a that is provided at the distal end portion of the button gripping foot 101 and is held so that the button is fitted to prevent the button from falling off. The button carrier portion 102 supports the button B1 at the distal end portion, and moves the distal end portion to rotate about the shaft portion 102b as a rotation shaft, thereby fitting the button B1 between the claw portions 101a and 101a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11A, the button carrier portion 102 includes a plurality of pins 102a corresponding to the position of the button hole of the button B1 and the interval between the button holes. The button carrier portion 102 abuts on the lower surface portion of the button B1, and supports the button B1 by inserting a plurality of pins 102a from the bottom to the top of the button hole of the button B1. At this time, the length of the pin 102a is larger than the thickness of the button B1. As a result, the tip of the pin 102a protrudes from the tip of the button hole, so that the button B1 is less likely to come off from the button carrier 102, and the button B1 is supported more reliably.

  When the button B1 is fitted to the claw portions 101a and 101a of the button gripping foot 101, the button gripping foot 101 moves upward with respect to the button carrier portion 102 as shown in FIG. And move. As a result, the button hole of the button B1 comes off from the pin 102a of the button carrier portion 102. Thereafter, the button carrier portion 102 rotates so that the tip portion thereof is far from the claw portion 101 a of the button gripping foot 101. Thereafter, the button gripping foot 101 moves downward to bring the button B1 close to the sewing product. Thereafter, the sewing needle falls in the button hole of the button B1, and a stitch is formed, whereby the button B1 is sewn on the sewing object.

JP-A-5-84367

  However, in the button supply device provided with the carrier mechanism according to the prior art, in order to eliminate the insertion of the pin 102a of the button carrier portion 102 into the button hole of the button B1, the button gripping foot 101 moves upward, and the button carrier After the movement of the button 102, an operation such that the button gripping foot is lowered again is necessary. For this reason, there has been a problem that the cycle time for sewing the buttons is extra for the operation time of the vertical movement of the button gripping foot 101.

  In addition, it is necessary to prepare the button carrier portion 102 having the pin 102a corresponding to the position and interval of the button hole of the button B1 and the size of the button hole for each button type, which increases the cost of the button supply device. There was a point. In addition, since it is necessary to replace the button carrier portion 102 every time the type of button changes, the replacement work is very complicated and the time spent for the replacement work is significantly reduced. There was a problem of making it.

Further, when a thick button is sewn, the length of the pin 102a of the button carrier portion 102 becomes longer corresponding to the thickness of the button, so that the button gripping foot 101 of the pin 102a of the button carrier portion 102 with respect to the button hole of the button B1. In order to eliminate the insertion, it is necessary to move upward largely. At this time, if the upward movement of the button gripping foot 101 is too large, there is a possibility that the sewing needle and the button positioned above the button gripping foot 101 may contact or collide with each other. For this reason, there is a restriction on the upward movement range of the button gripping foot 101. That is, when the thickness of the button exceeds a certain value, the button gripping foot 101 cannot remove the button from the pin 102a of the button carrier unit 102, so that a button having a certain thickness or more cannot be supplied by a button supply device according to the prior art. was there.
A method of eliminating the insertion of the pin 102a of the button carrier portion 102 into the button hole of the button B1 by moving the button carrier portion 102 downward can also be considered. However, when the button carrier portion 102 moves downward, the button carrier portion 102 and the sewing object collide with each other. Therefore, the downward movement range of the button carrier portion 102 is limited. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to supply a thick button even if the button carrier unit 102 moves downward.

  In view of the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a button supply device for a sewing machine that can supply buttons more efficiently.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sewing operation unit for performing button sewing operation, and button supply for transferring the button from the button supply unit to a button gripping foot for holding the button when the sewing operation unit performs button sewing operation. The button supply device has a hole portion for storing the button, rotates around the shaft portion, and delivers the button at a delivery position, and is delivered from the rotary plate. A button supply means for supplying a button to a button gripping foot located above the sewing product, and a button hole position adjusting means for positioning the button so as to correspond to the direction at the time of button sewing operation; The button supply means grips the button supplied from the rotating plate from above and below, and then carries the button to the button gripping foot.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the sewing machine according to the first aspect, the button supply means includes a button carrier portion that supports a button supplied from the rotating plate on the lower side, and one end side that supports the button carrier portion. A fixed arm portion that is in contact with the button from above, a clamp portion that clamps the button in cooperation with the button carrier portion, a vertical movement arm portion that moves up and down while supporting the clamp portion at one end side, It has a drive part which rotates the fixed arm part and the up-and-down movement arm part along a horizontal direction.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the sewing machine according to the second aspect, the distal end portions of the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion hold the button so that the button supply means does not come into contact with the button gripping foot. A part or all of the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion are bent or curved so as to be directed in a moving direction when the button is gripped.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the sewing machine according to the second or third aspect, the button carrier portion includes a suction portion that sucks air and holds the button by the suction force of the suction portion. To do.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the sewing machine according to the fourth aspect, a first seal that closes a gap generated between the button carrier portion and the button, and a gap generated between the clamp portion and the button. And a second seal for closing.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the sewing machine according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the button hole position adjusting means includes a direction detecting means for detecting a direction around an axis passing through the center of the button. An angle adjusting mechanism for imparting rotation to the button, and a drive source for the angle adjusting mechanism so as to correspond to the direction planned at the time of button sewing operation according to the direction of the button detected by the direction detecting means. And an angle control means for driving.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is the sewing machine according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the button hole position adjusting means detects a positional deviation from a position planned at the time of button sewing operation of the button. Position detecting means, a position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the button, and a position control means for driving a drive source of the position adjusting mechanism in accordance with a position shift of the button detected by the position detecting means. It is characterized by that.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the button supply means grips the button from the vertical direction and then carries it to the button gripping foot. The button is positioned by the button hole position adjusting means so as to correspond to the direction at the time of button sewing operation. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a pin to be inserted into the button hole of the button in the button supply means. After the button supply means carries the button to the button gripping foot, the button is released to the button gripping foot by releasing the button gripping. It is. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to move the button gripping foot up and down, eliminating the problem that the button sewing time for the button gripping foot movement and the extra cycle time for sewing the button are eliminated, greatly improving the productivity of the sewing machine. To do.
Further, as described above, since the button supply means grips and carries the button, the button can be supported regardless of the position and interval of the button hole of the button or the size of the button hole. Therefore, in the prior art, it is necessary to prepare a button carrier part having a pin corresponding to the position and interval of the button hole and the size of the button hole for each type of button, and this increases the cost of the button supply device. This can be eliminated and the cost of the button supply device for the sewing machine is greatly reduced. In addition, since it is necessary to replace the button carrier portion every time the type of button changes in the prior art, the replacement work is very complicated, and the time spent for the replacement work increases the overall work efficiency of attaching buttons. The problem of remarkably lowering can be solved, and the productivity of the sewing machine is further improved.
Further, as described above, the button gripping foot does not need to move up and down. Therefore, when the button gripping foot is greatly moved upward to remove the thick button from the button carrier part as in the prior art, the button may contact or collide with the sewing needle. The problem that a button cannot be supplied by a button supply device according to the prior art can be solved. Therefore, it is possible to provide a button supply device for a sewing machine that can supply the button to the button gripping foot regardless of the thickness of the button, and the availability and reliability of the sewing machine are greatly improved.
Further, the button hole position adjusting means positions the button so as to correspond to the direction at the time of button sewing operation. That is, the direction of the button hole of the button is adjusted by the button hole position adjusting means so as to correspond to the needle drop of the sewing needle during button sewing. As a result, the buttons held on the button gripping feet can be sewn more smoothly. Therefore, the productivity of the sewing machine is further improved. In addition, the sewing needle does not collide with the button when the needle drops when sewing the button, and the reliability of the sewing machine is further improved.
The button positioning by the button hole position adjusting means may be performed either before or after the button is supplied to the button gripping foot by the button supplying means. When the direction of the button changes, positioning is performed in consideration of this.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the clamp part is moved up and down as the vertical movement arm part moves up and down, so that the button is moved down from the upper side of the button supported by the button carrier part from the lower side. Grip. That is, the button carrier part and the fixed arm part do not need to move up and down. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the drive portion for gripping the button. In addition, since the button carrier portion does not move up and down, the button supported by the button carrier portion is surely supported without receiving vibration or tilt accompanying the up and down movement.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the fixed arm portion and a part of the vertically moving arm portion so that the distal end portions of the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion are directed in the moving direction when the button is carried to the button gripping foot. Alternatively, since the whole is bent or curved, the button supply means and the button gripping foot do not come into contact with each other. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the button supply means from coming into contact with the button gripping foot due to the horizontal rotation of the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion by the driving portion, thereby preventing the supply of the button from being hindered.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the button carrier portion includes a suction portion that sucks air, and holds the button by the suction force of the suction portion. Thereby, the button is more reliably held by the button supply means.
In addition, as described above, since the button is held by the suction force of the suction portion, the button can be held regardless of the position and interval of the button hole of the button or the size of the button hole. Therefore, in the prior art, it is necessary to prepare a button carrier part having a pin corresponding to the position and interval of the button hole and the size of the button hole for each type of button, and this increases the cost of the button supply device. This can be eliminated and the cost of the button supply device for the sewing machine is greatly reduced. In addition, since it is necessary to replace the button carrier portion every time the type of button changes in the prior art, the replacement work is very complicated, and the time spent for the replacement work increases the overall work efficiency of attaching buttons. The problem of remarkably lowering can be solved, and the productivity of the sewing machine is further improved.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first seal closes a gap generated between the button carrier portion and the button, and the second seal closes a gap generated between the clamp portion and the button. As a result, the button carrier portion and the clamp portion are hermetically sealed with the button interposed therebetween, and the holding force of the button by the suction force of the suction portion is greatly increased, and the button is more securely held by the button carrier portion and the clamp portion. .

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the direction around the center line is detected by the direction detection unit with respect to the button, the direction corresponding to the planned direction at the time of sewing the button is different from the detected direction. In this case, it is possible to adjust the direction by driving the driving source of the angle adjusting mechanism and moving the button. Therefore, it is possible to further optimize the direction of the buttons at the time of sewing, enabling good button sewing, improving the reliability and certainty in sewing, and shortening the time required for direction confirmation and direction adjustment work. It becomes possible to improve work efficiency.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the position detection means detects a position shift with respect to a predetermined position during the button sewing operation, the drive source of the position adjusting mechanism is driven to move the button. Adjust the position. Therefore, it is possible to further optimize the position of the button during sewing, enabling good button sewing, improving the reliability and certainty in sewing, and shortening the time required for position confirmation and position adjustment work. It becomes possible to improve work efficiency.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a sewing machine including a button supply device for a sewing machine according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of each part of a button feeder, the button holding arm of a button hole position adjustment part, a button conveyance part, and a button holding leg. It is a perspective view of a button hole position adjustment part. It is a top view of a button hole position adjustment part. It is a disassembled perspective view of the position adjustment mechanism of a buttonhole position adjustment part. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of a button conveyance part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a button gripping leg. FIG. 7A is a top view of the button gripping foot, and FIG. 7B is a side view when the button gripping foot is viewed from the side on which the button transport unit is provided. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a part of structure of the button conveyance part by 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of structure of the button conveyance part by 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the carrier mechanism by a prior art. It is explanatory drawing which looked at the carrier mechanism by a prior art from the angle different from FIG. FIG. 11A shows a state where the pin of the button carrier portion is inserted through the button hole of the button, and FIG. 11B shows a state where the button gripping foot has moved upward with respect to the button carrier portion.

(Overall structure of the invention)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
A sewing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a sewing operation unit 40 that performs sewing operation of buttons on a sewing product, and holds the button B that is sewn above the sewing product to which the button B is sewn. The button supply device 2 that carries the button B to the button gripping foot 41 of the sewing operation unit 40 is provided.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sewing machine 1 including a button supply device 2 for a sewing machine according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between each part of the button feeder 10, the button gripping arms 21 and 22 of the button hole position adjusting unit 20 as the button hole position adjusting unit, the button transporting unit 30, and the button gripping foot 41. It is. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sewing machine 1 includes a button supply device 2 that supplies buttons one by one to the button gripping foot 41 of the sewing operation unit 40, and a button B held by the button gripping foot 41. A sewing operation unit 40 that is sewn to the sewing machine, a control device (not shown) that controls each part of the sewing machine 1, a pedal (not shown) that inputs an operation instruction of the sewing machine 1 by an operator, and various settings of the sewing machine 1 And an operation panel (not shown).

The button supply device 2 includes a button feeder 10 that sends buttons B prepared in advance to the button supply tray 11 one by one to the button hole position adjusting unit 20, and button holes of the buttons B that are sent one by one from the button supply unit 10. The button hole position adjusting unit 20 as “button hole position adjusting means” for adjusting the position and orientation of the button, and the button B after the button hole position and orientation are adjusted by the button hole position adjusting unit 20 And a button transport unit 30 as “button supply means” for transporting to the button gripping foot 41.
The button feeder 10 sends out the buttons B prepared in advance in the button supply tray 11 one by one to the button hole position adjusting unit 20.
The button feeder 10 serves as a tray when the button B is replenished by the operator. The button replenishment tray 11 sends out the buttons one by one to the delivery unit 12 and the button B sent out from the button replenishment tray 11 is rotated by the rotary plate 13. And a rotary plate 13 that discharges the button B sent from the sending unit 12 to the downstream side in the button supply, for example, one by one to the button hole position adjusting unit 20. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the button supply tray 11 has a spiral button path formed on the inner periphery thereof, and is formed so as to have an upward slope toward the outside. When the button feeder 10 operates, The supply tray 11 vibrates, and the button B supplied to the button supply tray 11 is guided to the outer peripheral portion by the spiral bottom portion. Further, a delivery port 11a is provided in the outer peripheral portion of the button supply tray on the side where the delivery unit 12 is provided, and the button B guided to the outer peripheral portion is sent from the delivery port 11a to the hole 12b of the delivery unit 12. Is sent out.

The delivery part 12 rotates around the shaft part 12a to move the button B in the hole part 12b, and a fixing part 12d that is fixed to the frame of the sewing machine 1 and serves as the bottom part of the hole part 12b. And. The button sent out from the delivery port 11 a of the button supply tray 11 enters the hole 12 b of the delivery unit 12. At this time, the hole 12b of the rotating part 12c is provided as a hole penetrating the rotating part 12c. The lower surface portion of the rotating portion 12c and the upper surface portion of the fixed portion 12d are provided so as to slide. That is, the upper surface portion of the fixed portion 12d functions as the bottom surface of the hole portion 12b of the rotating portion 12c and supports the button B. Further, since the rotating portion 12c rotates, the side portion of the hole portion 12b and the button B are engaged, and the button B moves together with the position change of the hole portion 12b accompanying the rotation of the rotating portion 12c.
Further, a delivery port 12e is provided at a position opposite to the delivery port 11a of the button replenishing tray 11 with respect to the shaft portion 12a and overlapping with the movement path of the hole 12b accompanying the rotation of the rotation unit 12c. . The button B moved to the upper side of the delivery port 12e by the rotation of the rotating part 12c falls downward from the delivery port 12e and is sent out to the rotary plate 13.

The rotating plate 13 rotates around a shaft portion 13a to move the button B in the hole 13b, and a fixed portion 13d that is fixed to the frame of the sewing machine 1 and serves as the bottom of the hole 13b. And. The hole 13b of the rotating part 13c is provided as a hole that penetrates the rotating part 13c. Further, the lower surface portion of the rotating portion 13c and the upper surface portion of the fixed portion 13d are provided so as to slide. That is, the upper surface portion of the fixed portion 13d functions as the bottom surface of the hole portion 13b of the rotating portion 13c. Further, the rotary plate 13 is provided so that a part thereof overlaps with the delivery unit 12 from below. Furthermore, it is provided so as to pass under the outlet 12e of the delivery part 12 in the movement path of the hole part 13b that moves with the rotation of the rotation part 13c. Thereby, the button B dropped from the delivery port 12e of the delivery part 12 falls to the hole part 13b of the rotating plate 13, and the button B moves with the position change of the hole part 13c accompanying the rotation of the rotary part 13c.
Further, a delivery port 13e is provided at a position opposite to the delivery port 12e of the delivery unit 12 with respect to the shaft portion 13a and at a position overlapping with the movement path of the hole 13b. The button B moved to the upper side of the delivery port 13e by the rotation of the rotation unit 13c falls downward from the delivery port 13e and is delivered to the button hole position adjustment unit 20. That is, the “delivery position” is a position where the delivery port 13e is provided.
The operation of the button feeder 10 is controlled by the control device of the sewing machine 1.

(Button hole position adjustment part)
Next, a mechanism for adjusting the position and orientation of the button hole of the button B by the button hole position adjusting unit 20 will be described in detail. 3 is a perspective view of the button hole position adjusting unit 20, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the button hole position adjusting unit 20, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a position adjusting mechanism 120 of the button hole position adjusting unit 20 described later. In the description of the button hole position adjusting unit 20, the longitudinal direction of the linear motion shaft 136 that is horizontally disposed and gives a linear movement to the button gripping arms 21 and 22 described later is the Y-axis direction and the horizontal direction. The description will be made assuming that the direction orthogonal to the Y-axis direction is the X-axis direction and the vertical vertical direction is the Z-axis direction.
Since the sewing operation unit 40 performs the needle swing to sew the button B, when the button B is conveyed to the button gripping foot 41, the button hole position is aligned with the button hole alignment direction. The adjustment unit 20 adjusts the direction of the button B in advance. Since the button transport unit 30 changes the direction of the button B by 90 degrees when the button B is transported from the button hole position adjusting unit 20 to the button gripping foot 41, the button hole position adjusting unit 20 considers the change. Adjust the direction of button B to the direction.

  The button hole position adjusting unit 20 includes a pair of button gripping arms 21 and 22, a camera 23 for confirming the position and orientation of the button hole of the button B, and the rotational movement or the button gripping arms 21 and 22 around the button B as the rotation center. Position adjustment mechanisms 130 that move back and forth alternately and an angle adjustment mechanism 110 that adjusts the rotation angle that is the direction of the button are provided.

The button gripping arms 21 and 22 are formed symmetrically with each other, and base ends of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 are stepped screws 28 and 29 (see FIG. 5) directed vertically to the arm mounting base 131 of the position adjusting mechanism 130. As the shaft, it is pivotally supported so that mounting portions 21a and 22a for receiving the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the button B are formed on the rotating end side.
As shown in FIG. 4, each of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 includes boss-shaped protrusions 21b and 22b on the lower surface side, and these protrusions 21b and 22b include button gripping arms 21 and 22b, respectively. A sandwiching spring 25 that presses in a direction in which the mutual rotating end portions of 22 approach each other is stretched. As a result, the button gripping arms 21 and 22 are urged so as to move closer to each other on the rotating end portion side where the buttons are held, and the buttons can be held via the button holding members 111 and 112 described later.
Further, a solenoid 26 as a driving source for releasing the button holding is provided on the upper surface of one button gripping arm 22, and the solenoid 26 has a plunger that protrudes and retracts toward the other button gripping arm 21. It has. On the other hand, a receiving member 27 is provided on the upper surface of the button gripping arm 21 so that the plunger of the solenoid 26 contacts when protruding. Thus, by actuating the solenoid 26, the plunger presses the receiving member 27, pushes and opens the rotating end side of each button gripping arm 21, 22 against the above-described holding spring 25, and changes the holding state of the button. It is possible to cancel.

As shown in FIG. 3, the angle adjusting mechanism 110 is configured so that the button B rotates the holding members 111 and 112 provided on the upper surfaces of the rotating end portions of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 and the holding members 111 and 112. Rotation angle adjustment motors 113 and 114 that are driving sources for moving them, main driving pulleys 115 attached to the output shafts of the rotation angle adjustment motors 113 and 114, and holdings on the lower surfaces of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 A rack member 116 that interlocks with the members 111 and 112, a driven pulley 117 that includes a pinion portion 117 a that meshes with the rack member 116, and a timing belt 118 that interlocks and rotates the main pulley 115 and the driven pulley 117.
The main driving pulley, rack member, driven pulley, and timing belt provided on the holding member 111 side are not shown, but the main driving pulley 115, rack member 116, driven pulley 117 on the holding member 112 side, The structure is the same as that of the timing belt 118.

Each of the holding members 111 and 112 is formed in an arc shape in plan view, and is disposed so that the inner surfaces of the respective curves are opposed to each other, and is in contact with the outer periphery of the button B on each surface. Hold it.
The rack member 116 is disposed on the lower surface side of the button gripping arm 22 and is formed in an arc shape having substantially the same shape as the holding member 112 in plan view. The rack member 116 is formed with a rail-shaped protruding portion 116a having an arc shape in plan view on the upper surface thereof. On the other hand, the button gripping arm 22 has an arcuate guide hole 22c formed through the upper and lower surfaces of the button gripping arm 22 adjacent to the mounting portion 22a at the rotating end thereof. The protrusion 116a of the member 116 is inserted. Then, the rack member 116 and the holding member 112 are aligned with each other and connected by a set screw in a state where the upper end surface of the inserted ridge portion 116a is in close contact with the lower surface of the holding member 112. The protruding portion 116a is formed to be narrower than the main body portion (a portion other than the protruding portion 116a) of the rack member 116 and the holding member 112, and the guide hole 22c has the same arc shape as the protruding portion 116a. It is formed longer than the ridge 116a. For this reason, the protruding portion 116a is held inside the guide hole 22c by the main body portion of the rack member 116 and the holding member 112 so as not to deviate vertically, and along the arc locus along the guide hole 22c. It is possible to move. With this structure, the inner surface of the holding member 22 moves along an arc.

Furthermore, rack teeth 116b are formed on the outer surface of the rack member 116, and the rack teeth 116b mesh with the pinion portion 117a of the driven pulley 117 described above.
The driven pulley 117 is pivotally supported on the lower surface of the button gripping arm 22 by a support shaft 117b oriented in the vertical direction. The upper half is the pinion portion 117a, and the lower half is hung by the timing belt 118. It is a handed pulley section. And the pinion part 117a and the pulley part are concentric, and the support shaft 117b is supporting the center in the center.
Gear-like teeth are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the pulley portion of the driven pulley 117 of the main pulley 115, and a timing belt 118 having teeth formed on both sides of the pulley portion of the driven pulley 117 of the main pulley 115 is provided. It is being handed over.

  The angle adjustment of the button B by the angle adjustment mechanism 110 will be described. The holding members 111 and 112 of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 hold the button B in a state in which the holding members 111 and 112 are in contact with the radial end positions on the outer periphery of the button B on the inner surfaces of the respective arcs. When the rotation angle adjusting motors 113 and 114 are driven, the inner surfaces of the holding members 111 and 112 move along an arc. At this time, the rotation angle adjusting motors 113 and 114 rotate and drive in the same direction with the same operation amount. As a result, when one holding member 111 moves forward (or backward) along the arc and the other holding member 112 moves backward (or forward) along the arc, the button B moves to the center portion thereof. Is rotated counterclockwise (or clockwise) about the center line passing up and down as an axis, whereby the angle adjustment (orientation adjustment) of the button B is performed. In addition, each holding member 111,112 is set so that the arcs of the inner side surfaces thereof have the same radius, and the center position of the arc of each inner side surface is the rotation end of each of the button gripping arms 21,22. By setting the position on a straight line substantially parallel to the contact / separation movement direction in the portion, it is possible to adjust the rotation while maintaining the center position of the button B by the movement of the holding members 111, 112 along the arc direction. is there.

  The position adjusting mechanism 130 includes an arm mounting base 131 that rotatably supports the base end portions of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 described above, upper and lower holding frames 132 and 133 that hold the arm mounting base 131, and upper and lower holding frames. 132 and 133 are mounted and the button gripping arms 21 and 22 are supported so as to be movable to arbitrary positions on the XY plane, and the feed base 134 is placed and supported so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. A fixedly installed base 135, a Y-axis motor 136 serving as a drive source for moving the button gripping arms 21 and 22 in the Y-axis direction, a pinion 137 provided on the output shaft of the Y-axis motor 136, and the Y-axis direction And a slide guide 139 that supports the linear motion shaft 138 movably along the Y-axis direction. The linear motion shaft 138 has rack teeth that mesh with the pinion 137 along its longitudinal direction. 139, a shaft holder 140 fixed to one end portion of the linear motion shaft 138, a step screw 141 for connecting the feed base 134 so as to be rotatable around the Z axis with respect to the shaft holder 140, and fixed to the shaft holder 140 An origin sensor 143 that is provided on the passing line of the detected piece 142 and detects the origin position of the Y-axis motor 136 based on the presence or absence of the detected piece 142, and driving of the pivoting movement of the feed base 134 around the Z axis with respect to the shaft holder 140 The X-axis motor 144 as a source, the pinion 145 provided on the output shaft of the X-axis motor 144, and the support shaft 146 are rotatably supported around the Z-axis and extend in two directions from the support shaft position. The feed arm 147 formed with teeth that mesh with the pinion 145 on one of the two arms, and the length formed on the feed base 134 while being pivotally supported by the support arm 148 on the other arm of the feed arm 147 hole An origin for detecting the origin position of the X-axis motor 144 based on the presence or absence of the detection piece 150 and provided on the passing line of the square piece 149 fitted to 34a and the detection piece 150 fixedly mounted on one arm portion of the feed arm 147 Sensor 151.

  The position adjusting mechanism 130 moves the button gripping arms 21 and 22 in the Y-axis direction by driving the Y-axis motor 136, and the button gripping arm around the step screw 141 that pivotally supports the feed base 134 by driving the X-axis motor 144. 21 and 22 are rotated around the Z axis. That is, by these cooperation, it is possible to move and position the rotational end portions of the button gripping arms 21 and 22 to arbitrary positions on the XY plane.

  The camera 23 is fixedly installed by a support frame so that its position does not change, and its optical axis is supported so as to be parallel to the Z-axis direction.

The button hole position adjusting unit 20 is controlled by the control device of the sewing machine 1 when the button is supplied. That is, when the button is supplied, the solenoid 26 is controlled in the plunger protruding state, and the placement portions 21 a and 22 a are fed to the rotary plate 13 of the button feeder 10 in a state where the button gripping arms 21 and 22 are separated (button release state). Control is performed so as to stand by at a position below the outlet 13e. Then, when the button B dropped from the delivery port 13e is received by the placement portions 21a and 22a, the solenoid 26 is controlled in the plunger retracted state, and the holding of the button B is performed by the holding members 111 and 112.
The camera 23 picks up an image of the button B from above, and the center position of the button B is obtained from the position of each button hole or the position of the button outer edge by known image processing such as binarization. Then, a comparison between the detection center position and a position suitable for delivery to the button transport unit 30 is performed, and a positional deviation is calculated. Here, the “position suitable for delivery to the button transport unit 30” means that the button transport unit 30 maintains the position to which the button B is passed and changes the direction only by the rotational transport operation while the button grip button 41 is moved to the button gripping foot 41. Since the operation of handing B is performed, the position is such that it becomes the position planned at the time of button sewing operation when the button gripping foot 41 is reached. That is, the camera 23 and the control device for the sewing machine that calculates the positional deviation function as “position detecting means”.

Similarly, the position of each button hole is detected from the captured image of the button B held by each button gripping arm 21, 22, and the direction (angle) with respect to the center of the button B is obtained. Then, the detected angle is compared with the direction (angle) suitable for delivery to the button transport unit 30, and the angle deviation is calculated. Here, “the direction suitable for delivery to the button transport unit 30” is an orientation in which the direction of the button B after transported by the button transport unit 30 is the direction planned at the time of sewing operation on the button gripping foot 41. It shows that. That is, the camera 23 and the control device for the sewing machine that calculates the angle deviation function as the “orientation detecting means”.
The control device for the sewing machine drives the X-axis motor 144 and the Y-axis motor 136 so as to eliminate the positional deviation according to the calculated positional deviation, and executes position correction control. That is, the control device of the sewing machine functions as “position control means”.
In addition, the control device of the sewing machine drives each rotation angle adjusting motor 113, 114 with the same amount of operation in the same direction rotation according to the calculated angle deviation, and executes direction correction control so that the angle deviation is eliminated. To do. That is, the control device of the sewing machine functions as “direction control means”.
After these correction controls, the control device of the sewing machine passes the button B to the button transport unit 30 and controls the solenoid 26 to the plunger protruding state to release the button B, and controls the operation to the button hole position adjusting unit 20. Exit.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the button B is held by the holding members 111 and 112, a part of the lower surface of the button B near the outer peripheral portion of the button B is supported by the placement portions 21a and 22a. The bottom surface near the center of the button is dewed. Therefore, the button carrier 31 can come into contact with the lower surface of the button B after the button hole position adjusting unit 20 has adjusted the position and orientation of the button hole from below.

(Button conveyor)
Next, the mechanism in which the button B is carried to the button gripping foot 41 by the button transport unit 30 will be described in detail. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the button transport unit 30.
The button transport unit 30 is in contact with the lower surface of the button B and receives a button B on the tray B. The button carrier 30 is placed on the opposite side of the button carrier 31 from the button B, that is, on the upper surface of the button B. A dish-shaped clamp portion 32 that contacts and operates to sandwich the button B with the button carrier portion 31; a fixed arm portion 33 having one end supporting the button carrier portion 31 and the other end fixed to the frame portion 36; One end supports the clamp part 32, and the other end is pivotally supported by the frame part 36 so that the clamp part 32 can be moved up and down, and the fixed arm part 33 moves up and down. An actuator 35 (for example, a solenoid) that is provided so as to connect to the arm portion 34 and that drives the other end portion of the vertically moving arm portion 34 to rotate in the vertical direction; A frame portion 36 that supports the moving portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34, a rotating shaft 37 that extends substantially vertically and is fixed to the frame portion 36, and a driving portion 38 that rotationally drives the rotating shaft 37. I have. As shown in FIG. 6, one end side of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 is curved, and the distal end portions of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 are fixed by a driving portion 38 described later. The arm part 33 and the vertically moving arm part 34 face the direction of rotation from the position P to the position Q, that is, the moving direction when carrying the button.

The actuator 35 includes a mover 35a provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a stator 35b that drives the mover 35a to move up and down. In the actuator 35, the lower end portion of the stator 35 b is connected to the fixed arm portion 33, and the upper end portion of the mover 35 a is connected to the vertical movement arm portion 34. The operation of the mover 35 a by the stator 35 b of the actuator 35 is controlled by the control device of the sewing machine 1.
When the mover 35a of the actuator 35 is operated so as to contract downward, the other end of the vertically moving arm 34 is rotated downward. That is, the clamp part 32 moves downward. At this time, when the button B is on the button carrier portion 31, the clamp portion 32 abuts on the upper surface portion of the button B and presses the button B in the direction of the button carrier portion 31. That is, the button B is sandwiched and held by the clamp part 32 and the button carrier part 31.
On the other hand, when the movable element 35a of the actuator 35 is operated so as to extend upward, the other end portion of the vertical movement arm portion 34 rotates upward. That is, the clamp part 32 moves upward. That is, as described above, the holding of the button B is canceled by moving the clamp unit 32 upward from the state in which the button B is sandwiched and held by the clamp unit 32 and the button carrier unit 31.
As described above, the clamp portion 32 only needs to be able to hold and release the button B. Therefore, the operation amount of the actuator 35 and the rotational operation angle of the vertical movement arm portion 34 are determined by holding and releasing the button B. It is desirable to set to the minimum range required for.

The drive unit 38 is an actuator such as a motor that rotates the rotating shaft 37 to rotate the fixed arm unit 33 and the vertically moving arm unit 34. That is, the button B is moved by moving the button carrier part 31 and the clamp part 32 with the said rotation. At this time, the rotation range of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 by the drive portion 38 is the smaller side (θ side) of the inner angles formed by the position P and the position Q of the vertically moving arm portion 34 in FIG. ) Angle range (for example, 90 degrees). The drive control of the drive unit 38 is performed by the control device of the sewing machine 1.
That is, at the position P, in a state where the button carrier portion 31 is located below the button B held by the button hole position adjusting portion 20, the mover 35 a of the actuator 35 operates so as to contract downward, and the clamp portion 32. Moves downward and the button B is sandwiched and held between the clamp part 32 and the button carrier part 31. Thereafter, the drive unit 38 is driven to rotate the fixed arm unit 33 and the vertically moving arm unit 34 to the position Q. As a result, the button B is carried between the recesses 41c and 41d provided at the tip portions of the claws 41a and 41b of the button clamp foot 41.

(Sewing operation part)
Next, the sewing operation unit 40 will be described in detail.
The sewing operation unit 40 includes a button gripping foot 41 that holds the button B above the item to be sewn at the time of sewing, a needle bar 42 that supports the sewing needle and moves up and down and is swingable. A thread trimming mechanism (not shown) that performs thread trimming after the end of sewing of B and various mechanisms (main shaft, sewing machine motor, and needle bar 42) that support each part of the sewing operation unit 40 and operate the sewing operation unit 40. And a sewing machine frame 43 having a swinging mechanism or the like therein.
Since the needle bar 42 moves up and down and swings by the driving of the sewing machine motor, the stitches are formed on the workpiece and the thread trimming mechanism by the thread trimming mechanism is the same as a known sewing machine. Omitted. Various kinds of operation control of the sewing operation unit 40 are performed by the control device of the sewing machine 1.
The sewing operation unit 40 may be provided with a button moving mechanism that moves the button gripping foot 41 side without swinging the needle bar and positions each button hole at the needle drop position. While holding the button, it is also possible to move the button gripping foot side and position each other.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the button gripping foot 41. FIG. 7A is a top view of the button gripping foot 41, and FIG. 6B is a side view of the button gripping foot 41 when viewed from the side where the button transport unit 30 is provided.
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the button gripping foot 41 of the button sewing operation unit 40 includes claws 41 a and 41 b that hold the button B above the item to be sewn. Also, a recess 41c is provided on the side surface of the claw 41a on the claw 41b side (inside of the claw 41a), and a recess 41d is provided on a side surface of the claw 41b on the claw 41a side (inside of the claw 41b). It has been. The button gripping foot 41 includes an elastic mechanism (not shown) such as a spring that biases the claws 41a and 41b to move inward. Thus, the one (button B) located between the recess 41c and the recess 41d is sandwiched and held between the claw 41a and the claw 41b. Further, the button gripping foot 41 is provided with a drive unit (not shown) for driving the tip portions of the claws 41a and 41b to rotate. By rotating the claws 41a and the claws 41b away from each other, It is possible to operate so as to eliminate pinching of B.

When the button B is moved between the recesses 41c and 41d by the button transport unit 30 described above, the inner side surface of the claw 41a and the inner side surface of the claw 41b are pushed outward by sliding with the button B, respectively. Can be spread. After that, when the button B is accommodated between the recesses 41c and 41d, the claws 41a and 41b are urged inward by the elastic mechanism to sandwich the button B. Thus, the button B is fitted and held in the recesses 41c and 41d of the claws 41a and 41b. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7A, the button conveying portion 30 and the button gripping foot 41 do not come into contact with each other due to distortion of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34.
Thereafter, the movable element 35a of the actuator 35 operates so as to extend upward, whereby the clamp portion 32 moves upward, and the clamping of the button B by the clamp 32 and the button carrier portion 31 is eliminated. Thereafter, the drive unit 38 rotates the fixed arm unit 33 and the vertically moving arm unit 34 to the position P.

  Note that, as shown in FIG. 7B, the claws 41a and 41b are inclined obliquely toward the tip. On the other hand, the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 are curved on the tip side so as to avoid the claws 41a and 41b. Thereby, even when the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 rotate from the rear to the front, the claws 41a and 41b collide with the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 of the button transport unit 30. The button B can be supplied to the button gripping foot 41 by the button transport unit 30 without any problem.

(Machine operation)
Next, the operation of the sewing machine 1 will be described in detail.
First, an operation panel is operated by an operator, and stitches are set according to the number and interval of button holes of the button B. Thereafter, the button B is supplied to the button supply tray 11 of the button feeder 10 by the operator. Thereafter, the work to be sewn is set in the sewing operation unit 40, and once the pedal is depressed by the operator, the buttons B are sent out one by one from the button feeder 10 to the button hole position adjusting unit 20 as described above. The position and orientation of the button hole of the button B are adjusted by the position adjustment unit 20, and the button B is supplied to the button gripping foot 41 of the sewing operation unit 40 by the button transport unit 30. Thereafter, when the operator depresses the pedal again, the needle bar 42 of the sewing operation unit 40 moves up and down and swings, so that the button B is sewn on the sewing object, and when the sewing is finished, the sewing operation unit 40 The thread trimming mechanism operates to perform thread trimming. Further, after the thread trimming is finished, the claws 41a and 41b of the button gripping foot 41 are operated to open outward, so that the pinching of the button B which has been sewn is eliminated. Thereafter, the sewing product for which the sewing of the button B is finished by the operator is removed.
Thereafter, when the button is continuously sewn, the operator sets the next sewing product and performs the same operation as described above.

(Operational effect of the button supply device of the sewing machine according to the present invention)
According to the above-described embodiment, after the button carrier portion 31 carries the button B to the button gripping foot 41, the button gripping foot 41 is released by releasing the clamping of the button by the clamp portion 32 and the button carrier portion 31. The button is passed to the button gripping foot 41 without moving up and down. Therefore, it is not necessary for the button gripping foot 41 to move up and down, and the problem that the cycle time for sewing the button B for the operation time of the vertical movement of the button gripping foot 41 can be solved, and the productivity of the sewing machine can be improved. Greatly improved.
Further, as described above, since the button B is sandwiched and supported by the clamp portion 32 and the button carrier portion 31, the button B is not affected by the position or interval of the button hole of the button B or the size of the button hole. Can be supported. Therefore, in the prior art, it is necessary to prepare a button carrier part having a pin corresponding to the position and interval of the button hole and the size of the button hole for each type of button, and this increases the cost of the button supply device. This can be eliminated and the cost of the button supply device for the sewing machine is greatly reduced. In addition, since it is necessary to replace the button carrier portion every time the type of button changes in the prior art, the replacement work is very complicated, and the time spent for the replacement work increases the overall work efficiency of attaching buttons. The problem of remarkably lowering can be solved, and the productivity of the sewing machine is further improved.
Further, as described above, the button gripping foot 41 does not move up and down. Further, the button carrier portion 31 does not move up and down, and the clamp portion 32 only needs to be moved up and down within a minimum range in which the button B can be held and released. Therefore, when the button gripping foot is greatly moved upward to remove the thick button from the button carrier part as in the prior art, the button may contact or collide with the sewing needle. The problem that a button cannot be supplied by a button supply device according to the prior art can be solved. Therefore, it is possible to provide a button supply device for a sewing machine that can supply the button to the button gripping foot regardless of the thickness of the button, and the availability and reliability of the sewing machine are greatly improved.

  Furthermore, since the vertically moving arm portion 34 moves up and down, the clamp portion moves up and down, so that the button carrier portion 31 and the fixed arm portion 33 do not need to move up and down when gripping the button B. Therefore, the drive part for holding the button B can be simplified. In addition, since the button carrier portion 31 does not move up and down, the button B supported by the button carrier portion 31 is reliably supported without being subjected to vibration or tilt accompanying the up and down movement.

  Furthermore, since one end side of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 is curved so that the distal ends of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 face the moving direction when the button is gripped and carried to the foot 40. The button supply means 30 and the button gripping foot 41 do not come into contact with each other. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the button supply means 30 from coming into contact with the button gripping foot 41 due to the horizontal rotation of the fixed arm portion 33 and the vertically moving arm portion 34 by the drive portion 38 and the supply of the button B is not hindered.

In the button supply device 2, the direction around the center line of the button is detected by the camera 23, and the angle adjustment is performed when the direction corresponding to the planned direction at the time of button sewing operation is different from the detected direction. The rotation angle adjustment motors 113 and 114 of the mechanism 110 are driven, and the direction can be adjusted by turning the button B. Therefore, it is possible to further optimize the direction of the button B during sewing, enabling good button sewing, improving the reliability and certainty in sewing, and shortening the time required for direction confirmation and orientation adjustment work. This makes it possible to improve work efficiency.
Similarly, the camera 23 detects a positional shift of the button B with respect to a predetermined position during the button sewing operation, and the X and Y axis motors 144 and 136 of the position adjusting mechanism 130 are driven to move the button B. Adjust the position. Therefore, it is possible to further optimize the position of the button B at the time of sewing, enabling good button sewing, improving the reliability and reliability in sewing, and shortening the time required for position confirmation and position adjustment work. This makes it possible to improve work efficiency.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment different from the above-described embodiment will be described in detail. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. The button feeder 10, the button hole position adjusting unit 20, and the sewing operation unit 40 are the same as those in the above embodiment.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the configuration of the button transport unit 30A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the configuration of the button transport unit 30A according to the second embodiment.
As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the button transport unit 30 </ b> A according to the second embodiment includes a suction port 51 provided substantially at the center of the upper surface portion, and the first circular shape surrounding the suction port 51 on the upper surface portion. A saucer-shaped button carrier portion 31A provided with a seal 52, a dish-like clamp portion 32A provided with a second seal 53 on the lower surface portion, and an air passage 33Aa communicating with the intake port 51 are provided inside. The fixed arm portion 33A, the vertically moving arm portion 34A that supports the clamp portion 32A and swings in the vertical direction, and the fixed arm portion 33A and the vertically moving arm portion 34A are connected to move the vertically moving arm portion 34 up and down. An actuator 35 to be fixed, a fixed arm portion 33A, a frame portion 36 that supports the vertically moving arm portion 34A so as to be vertically movable, a rotation shaft 37, and a drive portion 38. The actuator 35, the frame part 36, the rotating shaft 37, and the drive part 38 are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

  The button carrier portion 31A is provided with an intake port 51, and is connected to a suction force generation unit (not shown) such as a pump via an air passage 33Aa provided in the fixed arm portion 33A and an intake pipe 54. That is, when air is sucked in by operating the suction force generation unit, air is sucked from the intake port 51, suction force is generated, and the button B is sucked and held. A first seal 52 is provided on the upper surface of the button carrier portion 31A so as to surround the air inlet 51. The first seal 52 is made of an elastic member such as rubber, and is brought into close contact with the bottom surface of the button B so as not to leak air between the first seal 52 and the button B as shown in FIG. . Further, the first seal 52 and the button carrier portion 31A are in close contact so that air does not leak from between the first seal 52 and the button carrier portion 31A.

  A circular second seal 53 having the same diameter as that of the first seal 52 is provided on the lower surface of the clamp portion 32A. Similarly to the first seal 52, the second seal 53 is made of an elastic member such as rubber. When the second seal 53 comes into contact with the upper surface of the button B as shown in FIG. Adhere closely to prevent air from leaking out. Further, the second seal 53 and the clamp part 32A are in close contact so that air does not leak from between the second seal 53 and the clamp part 32A. Note that the mechanism in which the fixed arm portion 33A rotates in the vertical direction and the clamp portion 32A moves up and down by the expansion and contraction of the movable element 35a of the actuator 35 is the same as the button transport unit 30 in the above-described embodiment. Details are omitted here. That is, by the operation of the actuator 35, the clamp portion 32A operates to press the button B against the button B from the opposite side of the button carrier portion 31A to the intake port 51 of the button carrier portion 31A. The pressing of the button B to the button carrier 31A performed by the clamp 32A by driving the actuator 35 does not have to be so strong that the button B is gripped by the clamp 32A and the button carrier 31A by the pressing force. It is sufficient that the second seal 53 is in close contact with the upper surface portion of the button B and the first seal portion 52 is in close contact with the lower surface portion of the button B. Further, as for the rise of the clamp part 32 </ b> A due to the driving of the actuator 35, it is sufficient that the second seal part 53 eliminates the close contact with the upper surface of the button B. That is, the drive of the actuator 35 is also drive-controlled corresponding to the pressing force to the button B by the clamp part 32A.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, when the button carrier B is sandwiched between the button carrier 31A and the clamp 32A, the button carrier 31A, the first seal 52, the clamp 32A and the second Thus, a sealed space is formed with the button hole of the button B interposed therebetween. At this time, only the suction port 51 allows air to enter and exit from the sealed space. In other words, when the suction force generation unit operates in a state where the sealed space is generated, suction force is generated by sucking air from the suction port 51. At this time, air leakage occurs by the first seal 52 and the second seal 53. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent a reduction in suction force caused by air flowing from the upper surface side of the button B through the button hole, and an extremely strong suction force acts on the button B and the clamp portion 32A. Accordingly, the button transport unit 30A can hold the button B with a stronger holding force. In addition, when the space | interval of a button hole is known, it is desirable to set the 1st seal | sticker 52 and the 2nd seal | sticker 53 to the internal diameter which can surround all the button holes. Thus, the button transport unit 30A holds the button B and carries the button B to the button gripping foot 41. Therefore, the suction port 51 functions as a “suction part”. Note that the mechanism in which the drive unit 38 rotates the fixed arm unit 33A and the vertically moving arm unit 34A via the rotary shaft 37 to carry the button B to the button gripping foot 41 is the same as that of the button transport unit 30 in the above-described embodiment. Since the mechanism is similar, the details are omitted.

  When a sufficient suction force is generated from the suction port 51, the clamp portion 32A and the second seal are not provided, and the suction port 51 of the button carrier portion 31A provided with the first seal 52 has a suction force. You may make it hold | maintain by sucking the button B by generating. At this time, when the button carrier unit 31A releases the holding force for the button B, the suction force generation unit stops the operation to stop the generation of the suction force from the intake port 51. In this case, since the operation of moving the clamp part 32A up and down is unnecessary, the button supply cycle time can be further shortened by the time required for the clamp part 32A to move up and down.

(Operational effect of the button supply device for the sewing machine according to the second embodiment)
According to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the button carrier portion 31 </ b> A holds the button B by the suction force of the suction portion 51. As a result, the button B is more reliably held by the button supply means 30A.
Further, as described above, since the button B is held by the suction force of the suction portion 51, the button B can be held regardless of the position and interval of the button hole of the button B or the size of the button hole. . Therefore, in the prior art, it is necessary to prepare a button carrier part having a pin corresponding to the position and interval of the button hole and the size of the button hole for each type of button, and this increases the cost of the button supply device. This can be eliminated and the cost of the button supply device for the sewing machine is greatly reduced. In addition, since it is necessary to replace the button carrier portion every time the type of button changes in the prior art, the replacement work is very complicated, and the time spent for the replacement work increases the overall work efficiency of attaching buttons. The problem of remarkably lowering can be solved, and the productivity of the sewing machine is further improved.

  Further, the first seal 52 closes the gap generated between the button carrier portion 31A and the button B, and the second seal 53 closes the gap generated between the clamp portion 32A and the button B. As a result, the button carrier 31 is sandwiched between the button carrier portion 31A and the clamp portion 32A, and the holding force of the button B by the suction force of the suction portion 51 is greatly increased. It is held by the clamp part.

(Other)
In the above-described embodiment and the second embodiment, the button carrier portions 31 and 31A are fixedly held by the fixed arm portions 33 and 33A. Good.
Further, the supply of the button B to the button hole position adjusting unit 20 by the button feeder 10 may be performed by another method. For example, the buttons may be manually supplied to the button gripping arms 21 and 22 of the button hole position adjusting unit 20.
Further, the bending of the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion is not limited to the one end side as in the above-described embodiment, and the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion so that the button supply means does not contact the button gripping foot. The fixed arm part and the vertically moving arm part may be partly or entirely bent or curved so that the front end part thereof faces in the moving direction when the button is held by the button gripping foot.
Further, the rotation range of the fixed arm portion 33 (33A) and the vertically moving arm portion 34 (34A) by the drive unit 38 is not limited to the range of the angle θ. For example, it may be a large angle range formed between the position P and the position Q, which is a diagonal of the angle θ. At this time, the fixed arm portion 33 (33A) and the vertically moving arm portion 34 (34A) do not need to avoid the claws 41a and 41b of the button gripping foot 41, and therefore the shape thereof does not necessarily need to be bent or curved. .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the button angle adjusting mechanism 110 and the position adjusting mechanism 130 are disposed in front of the button transport unit 30. With regard to the angle adjustment, the direction of the button at the time of button sewing operation is finally determined. Although sufficient contribution is made to optimization, there is a case where the position adjustment may newly occur with respect to the button B whose position is adjusted when the position is adjusted and held by the button gripping foot 41 after the adjustment. May be killed.
Therefore, the angle adjusting mechanism 110 and the position adjusting mechanism 130 may be mounted at a position to be executed in a process after the delivery of the button transport unit 30, for example, the button gripping foot 41.
Specifically, a holding member of an angle adjustment mechanism, a rotation angle adjustment motor, each rotation angle adjustment motor, a main pulley, a rack member, a driven pulley, and a timing belt are provided on each of the bifurcated extension portions at the tip of the button gripping foot 41. The button B held by each holding member of the button gripping foot 41 may be rotatable.
Further, the button gripping arm 41 is attached to the feed base of the position adjusting mechanism, and a configuration such as a Y-axis motor, a pinion, a linear motion shaft, a shaft holder, etc. that imparts a linear motion to the feed base, and a rotational motion around the Z axis. The button holding position of the button gripping foot 41 may be arbitrarily positioned on the horizontal plane by the configuration of the X-axis motor, the pinion, the feed arm, the square piece and the like.
Further, for these angle adjustment mechanism and position adjustment mechanism, correction control may be performed based on the image captured by the arrangement of the camera 23 described above, but the camera is arranged at the button holding position of the button gripping foot 41. However, it is more desirable to perform correction control based on the imaging data there. In that case, it is desirable to take an image from the same axis as the needle bar, but it will cause interference with the needle bar, so that it will be as close as possible on the same axis of the needle bar and the optical axis will be vertically up and down as much as possible. It is more desirable to place the camera at a position where
As a result, the direction of the button B at the time of sewing is further optimized and the position of the button B is further optimized, enabling better button sewing, further improving reliability and certainty in sewing, It is possible to further improve the work efficiency by shortening the time required for checking the angle and adjusting the work.

2 Button supply device 10 Button feeder 13 Rotating plate 20 Button hole position adjusting unit 21, 22 Button gripping arm 23 Camera (position detecting means, direction detecting means)
30 Button conveying section 31 Button carrier section 32 Clamp section 33 Fixed arm section 34 Vertical movement arm section 35 Actuator 37 Rotating shaft 38 Drive section 41 Button gripping foot 110 Angle adjusting mechanism 113, 114 Rotating angle adjusting motor (drive source)
130 Position adjustment mechanism 136 Y-axis motor (drive source)
144 X-axis motor (drive source)

Claims (7)

A sewing operation unit that performs button sewing operation, and a button supply device that transfers a button from the button supply unit to a button gripping foot that holds the button when the sewing operation unit performs button sewing operation,
The button supply device is
A rotating plate having a hole for storing the button, rotating around the shaft, and delivering the button at a delivery position;
In a sewing machine comprising: a button supply means for supplying a button delivered from the rotating plate to the button gripping foot located above a sewing product;
Button hole position adjusting means for positioning the button so as to correspond to the direction during button sewing operation;
The button supply means grips a button supplied from the rotary plate from above and below, and then carries the button to the button gripping foot. The button supply means includes
A button carrier portion for supporting the button supplied from the rotating plate on the lower side;
A fixed arm portion whose one end side supports the button carrier portion;
A clamp portion that abuts the button from above and clamps the button in cooperation with the button carrier portion;
A vertically moving arm portion whose one end side moves vertically while supporting the clamp portion;
The sewing machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a driving unit that rotates the fixed arm unit and the vertical movement arm unit along a horizontal direction.   The fixed arm portion and the fixed arm portion so that the distal end portions of the fixed arm portion and the vertically moving arm portion face the moving direction when the button is carried to the button gripping foot so that the button supply means does not contact the button gripping foot. The sewing machine according to claim 2, wherein a part or all of the vertical movement arm portion is bent or curved.   The sewing machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the button carrier part includes a suction part that sucks air, and holds the button by a suction force of the suction part. A first seal that closes a gap formed between the button carrier portion and the button;
The sewing machine according to claim 4, further comprising: a second seal that closes a gap generated between the clamp part and the button. The button hole position adjusting means is
Direction detecting means for detecting a direction around an axis passing through the center of the button;
An angle adjusting mechanism for imparting rotation to the button;
And an angle control means for driving the drive source of the angle adjusting mechanism so as to correspond to the direction planned at the time of button sewing operation according to the direction of the button detected by the direction detection means. The sewing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The button hole position adjusting means is
Position detecting means for detecting a positional deviation from a position planned at the time of button sewing operation of the button;
A position adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the button;
The position control means which drives the drive source of the position adjustment mechanism according to the position shift of the button detected by the position detection means, The control means according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterized by things. sewing machine.

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