Sewing machine and sewing method

Abstract

The sewing machine (20) of the present invention has a needle plate (30), a sewing needle (25), a sewing machine presser foot (40), and a conveyor gear (50) of a conveyor chain component (10). The needle plate (30) has a base (31) and a guide groove (32) recessed relative to the flat surface of the base (31). A gear opening (34) is provided on the bottom surface of the guide groove (32) for a part of the conveyor gear (50) to pass through. The conveyor gear (50) is positioned such that when the conveyor gear (50) rotates, the teeth of the conveyor gear (50) protrude from the gear opening (34) into the guide groove (32) and mesh with the chain teeth row (12) of one of the chain components (10). The sewing needle (25) moves up and down at the position where it sutures the chain teeth row (12) of the other chain component (10) to the chain tooth mounting component (5). Therefore, during the sewing process, the spacing deviation of the zipper teeth (13) is suppressed, and the chain component (10) can be stably conveyed while being sewn onto the tooth mounting component (5).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sewing machine for sewing chain components to chain tooth mounting components, and a sewing method for sewing chain components to chain tooth mounting components using a sewing machine. Background Technology

[0002] International publication No. 2015 / 056327 (Patent Document 1) discloses a sewing machine and sewing method for sewing a chain component with a pair of continuously meshing chain teeth on the left and right sides onto a chain tooth mounting component.

[0003] The chain component in Patent Document 1 does not have the zipper tape commonly used in zippers. Instead, it is formed by the interlocking of a pair of continuous rows of chain teeth on the left and right sides. Each row of chain teeth is formed by sewing multiple continuous zipper teeth to a core thread portion using a double-thread lockstitch based on a sewing machine. The zipper teeth are formed by shaping monofilaments into coils, and the core thread portion is inserted inside each zipper tooth.

[0004] For example, Figure 11 As shown, the sewing machine 90 of Patent Document 1, which sews the chain component 80 onto the chain tooth mounting component 81 of the fabric of a garment, has: a needle plate 91; a sewing needle 92 for sewing one of the chain teeth 82 of the chain component 80; a sewing machine presser foot 93 for pressing the chain component 80 and the chain tooth mounting component 81; and a feed tooth 94 that appears and disappears on the needle plate 91 in sync with the up and down movement of the sewing needle 92.

[0005] The feed tooth 94 has: a first support portion 95 supporting the zipper teeth 82 of the chain member 80 that are not being sewn based on the sewing needle 92; and a second support portion (not shown) supporting the zipper teeth 82 of the sewn member. The first support portion 95 of the feed tooth 94 has four first locking claw portions 96 that enter between the zipper teeth of the zipper teeth 82. The first locking claw portions 96 in the first support portion 95 are spaced apart by intervals of a size capable of engaging multiple zipper teeth. The second support portion (not shown) has one second locking claw portion that enters between the zipper teeth.

[0006] By using the sewing machine 90 of Patent Document 1, which has such a feed tooth 94, the chain member 80 can be smoothly sewn onto the chain tooth mounting member 81 while bent in the width direction. Furthermore, when using the sewing machine 90 of Patent Document 1, one chain tooth row 82 and the other chain tooth row 82 of the chain member 80 are sewn onto the chain tooth mounting member 81 sequentially, one side at a time. Therefore, even when the chain member 80 is bent during sewing, the chain tooth row 82 located on the inner circumference and the chain tooth row 82 located on the outer circumference can be easily sewn separately.

[0007] Existing technical documents

[0008] Patent documents

[0009] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2015 / 056327 Summary of the Invention

[0010] When sewing the chain component 80 onto the chain tooth mounting component 81 using the sewing machine 90 of Patent Document 1, the chain component 80 is conveyed by alternately and repeatedly performing the action of the feed tooth 94 of the sewing machine 90 holding the chain tooth row 82 and moving it downstream, and the action of the feed tooth 94 separating from the chain tooth row 82 and moving it upstream.

[0011] Furthermore, the chain teeth rows formed on the left and right sides of the chain component are designed to be easily extended and retracted in the front-to-back direction. In addition, in sewing operations performed, for example, by a sewing machine 90 based on Patent Document 1, the sewing operation is usually performed by an operator who guides the chain component 80 and the chain tooth mounting component 81 by hand.

[0012] However, in this sewing process, when the feed tooth 94 of the sewing machine 90 separates from and moves from the zipper tooth row 82, the zipper teeth of the zipper tooth row 82 are not held by the feed tooth 94, making them prone to movement. Therefore, the spacing of the zipper teeth relative to the sewing needle 92 may shift due to changes in the force applied by the operator to the zipper component 80 and the zipper tooth mounting component 81. As a result, there is a concern that this could reduce the workability or stability of the sewing process.

[0013] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned prior art problems, and its object is to provide a sewing machine and sewing method that can suppress the spacing deviation of zipper teeth during sewing processing and stably feed the chain component while sewing it onto the tooth mounting component.

[0014] To achieve the above objectives, the sewing machine provided by the present invention sews a chain component onto a chain tooth mounting component. The chain component has a pair of continuous chain teeth formed from monofilaments, and the pair of chain teeth mesh with each other. The sewing machine is characterized by having: a needle plate; a sewing needle that reciprocates up and down relative to the needle plate; a presser foot that presses the chain component and the chain tooth mounting component toward the needle plate; and a transport gear having multiple teeth and transporting the chain component. The needle plate includes: a base supporting the chain tooth mounting component; and a relative... A guide groove is recessed in the flat surface of the base and is provided for the chain component to pass through. A gear opening is provided on the bottom surface of the guide groove for a part of the conveying gear to pass through. The conveying gear is positioned such that, when the conveying gear rotates, at least one tooth of the conveying gear protrudes from the gear opening into the guide groove and engages with the chain tooth row of one of the chain components. The sewing needle moves up and down at the position where the chain tooth row of the other chain component conveyed by the conveying gear is sewn to the chain tooth mounting component.

[0015] In the sewing machine of the present invention, it is preferable that, in the conveying direction based on the conveying gear, the sewing needle moves up and down at a position within the same range as the opening of the gear in the conveying direction.

[0016] Furthermore, it is preferable that the conveying gear is positioned on the outside of the width direction of the sewing machine compared to the position of the sewing needle.

[0017] Furthermore, preferably, the aforementioned conveying gear is formed of a spur gear, and the tooth pitch of the aforementioned teeth in the conveying gear is set to be the same size as the forming spacing of the zipper teeth in the aforementioned chain tooth row, or is set to be larger than the forming spacing of the aforementioned zipper teeth.

[0018] In this invention, preferably, the guide groove portion has left and right sidewalls that rise from the left and right side edges of the bottom surface and restrict the position of the chain member. The guide groove portion has: a parallel portion where the left and right sidewalls are parallel to each other; an inlet portion disposed on the upstream side of the parallel portion; and a delivery portion disposed on the downstream side of the parallel portion. The inlet portion and the delivery portion are formed such that the interval between the left and right sidewalls gradually decreases toward the parallel portion.

[0019] In this case, it is preferable that at least one tooth of the conveying gear protrudes into the guide groove within the region of the parallel portion of the guide groove, and the sewing needle reciprocates within that region.

[0020] In this invention, preferably, the sewing machine presser foot has: a fixing portion fixed to the press bar of the sewing machine; and a presser foot main body integrally formed with the lower end of the fixing portion, the presser foot main body having: a first pressing portion extending from the fixing portion and having a fixed width dimension; and a second pressing portion further extending from the first pressing portion, at least a portion of the second pressing portion having a shape in which the width dimension gradually decreases as it moves away from the first pressing portion.

[0021] In this case, it is preferable that the bottom part of the presser foot body, which is opposite to the needle plate part, has: a first bottom part for pressing the chain tooth mounting member; and a second bottom part for pressing the chain tooth row of the chain member that meshes with the conveying gear. The second bottom part is positioned closer to the needle plate part than the first bottom part, and when the sewing machine presser foot is viewed from below, the second bottom part has an isosceles trapezoidal shape, which has two sides parallel to the conveying direction based on the conveying gear.

[0022] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second bottom part is provided with an induction portion, which is inclined in a direction that causes the thickness of the presser foot body to gradually decrease outward in the width direction of the sewing machine.

[0023] Next, the sewing method provided by the present invention uses a sewing machine to sew a chain component onto a chain tooth mounting component, wherein the chain component has a pair of continuous chain teeth formed from monofilaments, and the pair of chain teeth mesh with each other. The sewing method is characterized by comprising: conveying the chain component by engaging and rotating a conveying gear of the sewing machine with one of the chain teeth of the chain component; sewing the other chain tooth of the chain component, which has been conveyed by engaging the conveying gear with one of the chain teeth, to the chain tooth mounting component using a sewing needle of the sewing machine; after sewing the other chain tooth of the chain component onto the chain tooth mounting component, conveying the chain component by engaging and rotating the conveying gear with the other chain tooth; and sewing the other chain tooth of the chain component, which has been conveyed by engaging the conveying gear with the other chain tooth, to the chain tooth mounting component using a sewing needle.

[0024] Invention Effects

[0025] According to the sewing machine and sewing method of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the spacing deviation of zipper teeth during sewing processing and to stably convey the chain component while sewing it onto the tooth mounting component. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1This is a perspective view schematically showing a portion of the sewing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention together with the fabric of the object being sewn.

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic representation Figure 1 A perspective view of the main parts of the sewing machine.

[0028] Figure 3 It is a schematic representation Figure 1 The image shows a top view of the needle plate of a sewing machine.

[0029] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the main parts and chain components of a sewing machine when viewed from the outside in the width direction of the sewing machine during sewing.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the main parts and chain components of a sewing machine during sewing processing, viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic side view of a sewing machine presser foot.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a schematic bottom view showing the presser foot of a sewing machine.

[0033] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing the main part of a zippered product (bag) manufactured in an embodiment of the present invention, enlarged.

[0034] Figure 9 It is a schematic representation Figure 7 The cross-sectional view of the product (bag) with a zipper shown.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a bottom view showing the chain component used in products with zippers.

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram showing the main parts and chain components of a traditional sewing machine. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following are examples, with reference to the appendix. Figure 1 The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0038] The sewing machine 20 of this embodiment is used in the sewing process of attaching a chain component 10 having a pair of left and right chain teeth rows 12 to a fabric 5 forming a bag 1 such as a backpack. In the sewing process based on this sewing machine 20, the fabric 5 to which the chain component 10 is to be sewn is a chain tooth mounting component 5. The bag 1 made using the fabric 5 to which the chain component 10 is sewn is a product 1 with a zipper.

[0039] Here, regarding the chain component 10 sewn onto the fabric 5 of bag 1, while referring to... Figures 8-10 While explaining.

[0040] It should be noted that in the description of the chain member 10, the front-back direction refers to the direction along the length of the chain tooth member 11 or along the direction of the core thread portion 14 when the chain tooth member 11 is held vertically. The front-back direction of the chain member 10 corresponds to the "transport direction" described in the claims, which is the direction in which the chain member 10 is transported by the transport gear 50 of the sewing machine 20. The left-right direction refers to the direction along which the pair of chain tooth members 11 engage and disengage when the meshing heads 13a of the zipper teeth 13 are facing each other. In this case, the direction in which the pair of chain tooth members 11 approach each other is defined as the inner direction of the left-right direction, and the direction in which the pair of chain tooth members 11 disengage from each other is defined as the outer direction of the left-right direction. In addition, the left-right direction can also be referred to as the width direction of the chain member 10 or the chain tooth member 11. When the chain member 10 is correctly oriented in the sewing machine 20, the left-right direction of the chain member 10 corresponds to the "width direction of the sewing machine" and "width direction" described in the claims. The up-down direction is a direction orthogonal to both the front-back and left-right directions. The up-down direction can also be referred to as the thickness direction of the chain component 10 or the chain tooth component 11. When the chain component 10 is correctly oriented on the sewing machine 20, the up-down direction of the chain component 10 corresponds to the "up-down direction" of the sewing machine 20.

[0041] The chain member 10 in this embodiment is formed in substantially the same way as the chain member described in Patent Document 1. Specifically, the chain member 10 in this embodiment is formed by interlocking a pair of left and right chain teeth 11 throughout the entire length direction of the chain teeth 11. In this case, the left and right chain teeth 11 are interlocked in a manner that allows them to separate from each other.

[0042] Each of the left and right zipper tooth components 11 has a tooth row 12 formed by a plurality of zipper teeth 13 and a core wire portion 14 inserted within the tooth row 12. The plurality of zipper teeth 13 are formed continuously without interruption by forming monofilaments made of thermoplastic resin such as polyamide or polyester into a coil shape.

[0043] Each zipper tooth 13 has: an engagement head 13a having a portion bulging out in the forward and backward direction; an upper leg 13b and a lower leg 13c extending from the engagement head 13a in the left and right direction; and a connecting portion 13d connecting the upper leg 13b (or lower leg 13c) of the zipper tooth 13 to the lower leg 13c (or upper leg 13b) of another zipper tooth 13 adjacent in the belt length direction.

[0044] The zipper tooth row 12 is formed by inserting the core thread portion 14 inside the zipper tooth row 12 in the front-to-back direction, with the core thread portion 14 sandwiched between the upper leg portion 13b and the lower leg portion 13c of each zipper tooth 13, and then sewing the zipper tooth 13 onto the core thread portion 14 using a double-stitched lockstitch with the first seam 16, thereby forming the zipper tooth row 12. In this case, each zipper tooth row 12 on the left and right sides has elasticity that allows it to stretch and contract easily in the front-to-back direction. It should be noted that, in this invention, the stitch form of the first seam 16 can also be other than a double-stitched lockstitch.

[0045] The core section 14 is formed as an elongated dimension along the front-to-back direction and is flexible. The core section 14 is formed by winding polyester monofilaments onto polyurethane elastic yarn. It should be noted that in this invention, the material and structure of the core section 14 are not limited; for example, twisted yarn (twisted rope) or a rope body called a braided rope can be used for the core section 14.

[0046] The chain component 10 of the above embodiment is aligned with the fabric 5 in such a way that the upper leg 13b of each zipper tooth 13 contacts the fabric 5 of the bag 1. Figures 1 to 7 The sewing machine 20 shown uses the second thread 17 for a flat stitch (see reference). Figure 8 and Figure 9 Sew it onto the fabric 5. The following describes the sewing machine 20 and the sewing method for sewing the chain part 10 onto the fabric 5 using the sewing machine 20.

[0047] Furthermore, in the description of the sewing machine 20 and the sewing method, the front-back direction is the transport direction of the sewing machine 20, which is the direction along which the chain member 10, which is the object to be sewn, and the fabric 5 are transported (see reference). Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 Additionally, the orientation of the object being sewn will be determined (i.e., Figure 4 The left direction on the paper is designated as the front, and its opposite direction as the back. The up and down direction is the direction along which the sewing needle 25 reciprocates (refer to...). Figure 4 and Figure 5 Additionally, the orientation of the sewing needle 25 as it penetrates the object being sewn will be determined. Figure 4 The direction below (in the paper) is set as below, and the direction in which the sewing needle 25 is pulled out of the sewing object is set as above. The left-right direction is the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sewing object and the direction of reciprocating motion of the sewing needle 25, and can also be called the width direction of the sewing machine 20. In this case, the inner side of the width direction of the sewing machine 20 is the direction that approaches the column (not shown) that connects the base 21 and the arm 22 of the sewing machine 20 when the sewing needle 25 of the sewing machine 20 is used as a reference, and the outer side of the width direction of the sewing machine 20 is the direction that moves away from the column (not shown) (see reference). Figure 1 and Figure 5 ).

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the sewing machine 20 of this embodiment includes: a base portion 21 (also called a base portion) for placing the sewing object; a column portion (not shown) that rises from the base portion 21; and an arm portion 22 that extends to the left and right from the upper end of the column portion. In this embodiment, the shape, size, and structure of the base portion 21, the column portion (not shown), and the arm portion 22 are not particularly limited.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, the sewing machine 20 of this embodiment includes: a needle plate portion 30 provided on the base portion 21; a needle bar 24 supported on the arm portion 22 in a manner that allows it to reciprocate in the vertical direction; and a sewing needle 25 held on the needle bar 24. Additionally, the sewing machine 20 includes: a pressure bar 26 provided on the arm portion 22; a sewing machine presser foot 40 mounted on the pressure bar 26; a transport gear 50 of the transport chain component 10; and a feed portion (not shown) provided below the needle plate portion 30.

[0050] The needle plate portion 30 includes: a base 31 having a flat surface; and a guide groove 32 that is concave relative to the flat surface of the base 31. The base 31 has a left base 31a disposed on the side furthest from the post (not shown), and a right base 31b disposed on the side closest to the post, such that the guide groove 32 is sandwiched between them. The fabric 5 (see reference 5) for sewing is placed and supported on the flat surface of the right base 31b. Figure 5 ).

[0051] The guide groove 32 of the needle plate portion 30 is continuously formed in the front-rear direction to guide the chain member 10 through which it is inserted. The guide groove 32 has a groove bottom surface arranged parallel to the base portion 31; and left and right side walls rising from the left and right side edges of the groove bottom surface. In this guide groove 32, the left and right side walls restrict the position of the chain member 10 inserted in the guide groove 32 in the left-right direction. The groove bottom surface of the guide groove 32 is provided with a needle hole 33 for the sewing needle 25 to be inserted and a gear opening 34 for a part of the conveying gear 50 to be inserted.

[0052] View of the needle plate portion 30 from above (top view) Figure 3 The pinhole 33 is formed in an elliptical or circular shape. The gear opening 34 is formed in a rectangular shape. Furthermore, the pinhole 33 is disposed on one side of the chain tooth row 12 of the chain member 10 being sewn. Figure 5 The right-hand chain tooth row 12 passes through the guide groove 32. The gear opening 34 is disposed on the other side of the chain tooth row 12 ( Figure 5The left-hand chain tooth 12 passes through the guide groove 32. That is, the needle hole 33 and the gear opening 34 are located at different positions in the left-right direction of the sewing machine 20.

[0053] Furthermore, the positions where the needle hole 33 and the sewing needle 25 reciprocate vertically are set within the same range in the conveying direction as the opening of the gear opening 34 on the bottom surface of the guide groove 32. That is, the positions of the needle hole 33 and the sewing needle 25 in the conveying direction (front-back direction) are set within the range from the front end to the rear end of the gear opening 34. This allows the position of the teeth of the conveying gear 50, which protrudes into the guide groove 32 via the gear opening 34, to be close to the position where the sewing needle 25 reciprocates vertically. As a result, the chain member 10 can be sewn to the fabric 5 near the point where it meshes with the teeth of the conveying gear 50 using the sewing needle 25.

[0054] Therefore, when the chain component 10 is sewn onto the fabric 5 in a bent or similar manner, the sewing needle 25 can smoothly descend and form stitches at the positions of the gaps between the zipper teeth 13 in the chain tooth row 12. As a result, it is difficult for undesirable situations such as the position of the stitches formed by the sewing needle 25 being offset relative to the forming spacing of the zipper teeth 13 to occur.

[0055] The guide groove 32 of the needle plate 30 is shown in a top view of the needle plate 30. Figure 3 The device includes: a parallel section 35 with left and right sidewalls arranged parallel to the conveying direction of the conveying gear 50 to the chain member 10; an inlet section 36 arranged on the upstream side of the parallel section 35; and a delivery section 37 arranged on the downstream side of the parallel section 35. Here, in the direction of conveying the chain member 10 and the fabric 5, for example, with the parallel section 35 of the needle plate section 30 as a reference, the downstream side refers to the direction from which the chain member 10 and the fabric 5 have passed through the rear side of the parallel section 35, and the upstream side refers to the direction from which they will pass through the front side of the parallel section 35. By providing the parallel section 35 in the guide groove section 32, for example, when the chain member 10 is conveyed in a straight line and sewn using the sewing machine 20, the chain member 10 can be properly guided using the guide groove section 32.

[0056] A needle hole 33 and a gear opening 34 are formed within the forming range of the parallel portion 35 of the guide groove 32. Thus, in the front-rear direction of the sewing machine 20, the sewing needle 25 can reciprocate up and down within the region of the parallel portion 35 of the guide groove 32, and the teeth of the feed gear 50 can protrude into the guide groove 32 and engage with the chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10. Furthermore, regarding the parallel portion 35 of the guide groove 32, its length in the front-rear direction can be varied, provided that at least one tooth of the feed gear 50 can engage with the chain teeth 12 within the forming range of the parallel portion 35.

[0057] The guide groove 32's inlet 36 and outlet 37 are formed such that the width (groove width) between the left and right sidewalls of the guide groove 32 gradually decreases towards the parallel portion 35 at a fixed ratio. By providing the inlet 36 and outlet 37 of the guide groove 32, which vary in groove width, before and after the parallel portion 35, for example, when using the sewing machine 20 to bend the chain member 10 in the left and right directions for sewing, it is possible to easily feed the chain member 10 while it is bent and stably sew it to the fabric 5. Furthermore, the ratio by which the groove width gradually decreases towards the parallel portion 35 can also be varied in the inlet 36 and outlet 37 of the guide groove 32. Additionally, the inlet 36 and outlet 37 can also be formed with varying ratios of gradually decreasing groove width.

[0058] The sewing needle 25 is held on the needle bar 24 and is configured to reciprocate in the vertical direction together with the needle bar 24. In this embodiment, the sewing needle 25 does not move in the front-back or left-right directions of the sewing machine 20, but is located on one side of the chain tooth row 12 of the chain member 10 being sewn. Figure 5 The right side of the chain teeth 12 moves up and down at the position where it passes. Here, the position where one side of the chain teeth 12 passes can also be referred to as the position where one side of the chain teeth 12 is sewn to the fabric 5.

[0059] The conveying gear 50 is formed of a spur gear with multiple teeth on its outer periphery. The tooth pitch of the teeth in the conveying gear 50 is set to be the same as the front-to-back spacing of the zipper teeth 13 in the chain tooth row 12 of the chain member 10, or slightly larger than the aforementioned spacing. Here, the tooth pitch refers to the value obtained by dividing the pitch circle of the conveying gear 50 by the number of teeth. The tooth height of the teeth in the conveying gear 50 is set to a size that allows the teeth of the conveying gear 50 to mesh with the lower leg 13c of the zipper teeth 13.

[0060] The feed gear 50 is arranged along the front-rear direction of the sewing machine 20, and the rotation axis of the feed gear 50 is held at a position lower than the needle plate portion 30 by a gear retainer (not shown). This feed gear 50 is configured to rotate using a rotary drive unit (not shown) equipped with a servo motor. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the rotary drive unit may also be a stepper motor instead of a servo motor.

[0061] The conveying gear 50 is positioned such that, when the conveying gear 50 rotates, at least one tooth of the conveying gear 50 protrudes within the guide groove 32 via a gear opening 34 provided on the bottom surface of the guide groove 32 within the region of the parallel portion 35 provided with the guide groove 32 in the front-rear direction. Especially in this embodiment, it is positioned such that, when the conveying gear 50 rotates, it can... Figure 5 The chain teeth row 12 on the left side of the chain component 10 shown is always engaged with about 1 to 3 zipper teeth 13.

[0062] In this embodiment, the feed gear 50, the rotary drive unit, and the gear holding unit are located on the outside of the sewing machine 20 in the width direction (left-right direction) compared to the position where the sewing needle 25 moves vertically. By arranging the feed gear 50, the rotary drive unit, and the gear holding unit in this way, the positions of the sewing needle 25 and the reservoir section, as well as the structure of the reservoir section, do not need to be changed. This allows for the simple installation of the feed gear 50, the rotary drive unit, and the gear holding unit from the rear, unlike conventional sewing machines. In other words, the sewing machine 20 of this embodiment can be manufactured using existing sewing machines, thus facilitating its introduction and reducing the risk of increased costs.

[0063] In this embodiment, the feed gear 50 is positioned, for example, when viewing the sewing machine 20 from the front (see reference ). Figure 5 The distance D1 between the center of the sewing needle 25 on the needle bar 24 and the transport gear 50 in the left-right direction is smaller than the maximum value of the left-right dimension of the chain member 10 or the maximum value of the left-right dimension of the guide groove 32. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance D1 between the center of the sewing needle 25 and the transport gear 50 in the left-right direction is 3.0 mm or less.

[0064] Furthermore, the feed gear 50 is positioned, for example, when observing a cross-section of the sewing machine 20 orthogonal to the left-right direction (refer to...). Figure 4 The distance D2 in the front-to-back direction between the center of the sewing needle 25 on the needle bar 24 and the rotation center of the transport gear 50 is 500% or less, preferably 300% or less, of the pitch of the teeth in the transport gear 50. Specifically, in this embodiment, the distance D2 in the front-to-back direction between the center of the sewing needle 25 and the rotation center of the transport gear 50 is 5.0 mm or less, preferably 3.5 mm or less.

[0065] The conveyor gear 50 is arranged in the left-right and front-back directions in the aforementioned positional relationship relative to the sewing needle 25 held on the needle bar 24, and can be used to sew the zipper teeth row 12 that is not engaged with the conveyor gear 50 and the fabric 5 near the zipper teeth 13 held in engagement with the conveyor gear 50 using the sewing needle 25.

[0066] Therefore, not only when sewing is performed by feeding the chain component 10 in a straight line using the sewing machine 20, but also when sewing is performed by feeding the chain component 10 while bending it, by engaging the feed gear 50 with the zipper teeth 13, the position and spacing of each zipper tooth 13 in the left and right zipper tooth rows 12 can be stabilized near the feed gear 50. This allows the sewing needle 25 of the sewing machine 20 to move appropriately up and down at the positions of the gaps between the zipper teeth 13 in the zipper tooth rows 12. Therefore, by suppressing the movement of the sewing needle 25 relative to the spacing of the zipper teeth 13, the zipper tooth rows 12 can be stably sewn onto the fabric 5.

[0067] The not shown portion of the sewing machine 20 is formed in essentially the same way as the portion used in conventional sewing machines. Specifically, the portion includes a bobbin with a bobbin thread wound on it, a bobbin housing for housing the bobbin, and an outer portion that is rotatably configured and has a hook tip.

[0068] like Figure 2 and Figures 5-7 As shown, the sewing machine presser foot 40 of this embodiment has a fixing part 41 fixed to the presser bar 26 and a presser foot main body 42 integrally formed with the lower end of the fixing part 41, so as to press the fabric 5 and the chain member 10 toward the needle plate part 30 from above using the presser foot main body 42. The fixing part 41 of the sewing machine presser foot 40 is shown in a side view of the sewing machine presser foot 40. Figure 6 It is roughly L-shaped. A through hole for inserting a sewing needle 25 is provided in the main body 42 of the presser foot.

[0069] The presser foot body 42 of the sewing machine presser foot 40 has: a first pressing portion 42a extending from the fixing portion 41 and having a fixed width dimension; and a second pressing portion 42b further extending from the first pressing portion 42a. The second pressing portion 42b has a shape in which the dimension in the width direction gradually decreases as it moves away from the first pressing portion 42a, for example, when the sewing machine presser foot 40 is viewed from below (…). Figure 7 It is roughly triangular in shape. By providing a second pressing part 42b on the presser foot body 42, the fabric 5 can easily enter under the presser foot body 42 during sewing by the sewing machine 20. In addition, the fabric 5 can be easily pressed by hand when the operator assists in the sewing process. As a result, the guiding properties of the fabric 5 relative to the sewing machine 20 can be improved.

[0070] The bottom surface 43 of the presser foot body 42, opposite to the needle plate 30, has: a first bottom surface 43a for pressing the fabric 5; and a second bottom surface 43b for pressing the chain teeth 12 on the left side of the chain member 10 (i.e., the chain teeth 12 on the side engaged by the transport gear 50). The first bottom surface 43a of the presser foot body 42 is formed as a single flat surface. The second bottom surface 43b is located on the lower side closer to the needle plate 30 than the first bottom surface 43a.

[0071] When viewed from below, the second bottom portion 43b of the presser foot body 42 is an isosceles trapezoid with two sides parallel to the conveying direction based on the conveying gear 50. Here, in the second bottom portion 43b of the isosceles trapezoid, the side edge closer to the sewing needle 25 among the side edges forming the two parallel sides is designated as the first bottom (upper bottom) 43b1, and the side edge away from the sewing needle 25 is designated as the second bottom (lower bottom) 43b2. By providing a second bottom portion 43b in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid in the presser foot body 42, the first bottom portion 43b1 of the second bottom portion 43b can be made shorter in the front-back direction. Therefore, when the chain member 10 is conveyed in a bent or curved state during sewing by the sewing machine 20, the second bottom portion 43b can properly press the chain teeth 12 on the side (left side) that is engaged with the conveyor gear 50, allowing the chain teeth 12 to engage stably with the conveyor gear 50. Furthermore, by making the second bottom portion 43b2 of the second bottom portion 43b longer in the front-back direction compared to the first bottom portion 43b1, when the chain member 10 is conveyed in a straight line, the chain member 10 can be pressed stably, allowing the chain teeth 12 to engage more smoothly with the conveyor gear 50.

[0072] Furthermore, an infeed portion 44 is provided on the second bottom surface 43b of the presser foot main body 42. This infeed portion 44 is inclined in a direction that gradually decreases the thickness of the presser foot main body 42 towards the outer side in the width direction of the sewing machine 20. As a result, in the second sewing process described later, for example, when the fabric 5 is pressed with the second bottom surface 43b of the presser foot main body 42, the fabric 5 can easily enter under the second bottom surface 43b of the presser foot main body 42.

[0073] Next, it will be explained how to use the sewing machine 20 described above. Figure 8 and Figure 9 The method shown is to sew the chain component 10 to the fabric 5.

[0074] In this embodiment, the fabric 5 to be sewn is pre-cut into a specified shape, and the side edge of the mounting chain component 10 of the fabric 5 is as follows: Figure 1The fabric 5 is formed in a straight line. It should be noted that in this invention, the shape, size, and thickness of the fabric 5 are not particularly limited and can be changed according to the shape of the product to be manufactured. For example, the side edge of the mounting chain member 10 of the fabric 5 may not be formed in a straight line, but may be formed in a shape that bends convexly to the left or right, or bends to the left or right two or three times or more like an S-shape.

[0075] First, the chain teeth 12 of one side of the chain component 10 (in this embodiment, it is...) are... Figure 5 The first sewing process involves sewing the right chain teeth 12 onto the fabric 5. In this first sewing process, the chain component 10 with the left and right chain teeth 12 meshing with each other is first guided into the guide groove 32 of the needle plate 30 of the sewing machine 20, and the fabric 5 is placed on the flat surface of the base 31 of the needle plate 30.

[0076] At this time, the chain member 10 is guided into the guide groove 32 of the needle plate 30 by engaging a portion of the left side of the chain teeth 12 (e.g., one end of the chain teeth 12 in the front-rear direction) with the teeth of the transport gear 50 protruding from the lower side of the needle plate 30 to the guide groove 32. The fabric 5 is then positioned relative to the chain member 10 guided into the guide groove 32. Next, the presser foot 40 of the sewing machine is lowered. As a result, the chain member 10 and the fabric 5 are clamped between the presser foot 40 and the needle plate 30 and held in place.

[0077] After holding the chain component 10 and the fabric 5 onto the needle plate 30, the sewing machine 20 is operated. Thus, for example... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the sewing needle 25 reciprocates vertically at the position where the chain teeth 12 on the right side of the unengaged conveyor gear 50 of the chain member 10 passes. Simultaneously, the conveyor gear 50 rotates, thereby conveying the chain member 10, whose left chain teeth 12 are engaged with the conveyor gear 50, downstream. Additionally, the fabric 5 is conveyed downstream along with the chain member 10.

[0078] At this time, even if the chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10 are configured to be easily extendable in the front-to-back direction, the vertical movement of the chain member 10 can be restricted by the sewing machine presser foot 40 and the needle plate 30, and the horizontal movement of the chain member 10 can be restricted by the parallel portion 35 of the guide groove 32. Therefore, the teeth of the feed gear 50, which protrudes sequentially from the lower side of the guide groove 32, can stably mesh with the chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10.

[0079] Furthermore, the conveying gear 50 is positioned such that at least one tooth of the rotating conveying gear 50 is always engaged with the chain tooth row 12 on the left side of the chain member 10. Therefore, the conveying gear 50 can maintain the conveying of the chain member 10 and the fabric 5, and keep the chain member 10 in its current state. This allows for stable conveying of the chain member 10 and the fabric 5 in conjunction with the reciprocating motion of the sewing needle 25. Additionally, the conveying gear 50 can precisely position the zipper teeth 13 by conveying them at intervals. Moreover, the intervals between the zipper teeth 13 can be forcibly maintained at a fixed size.

[0080] In this first sewing process, the sewing needle 25 of the sewing machine 20 can smoothly pierce the fabric 5 and the right-side chain teeth 12, and form a flat stitch using the second thread 17 composed of the top and bottom threads. This flat stitch is then used to continuously sew the right-side chain teeth 12 of the chain component 10 onto the fabric 5. At this time, the sewing needle 25 pierces the fabric 5 and the core thread 14, and the second thread 17 sews the chain teeth 12 to the fabric 5.

[0081] In particular, in the sewing machine 20 of this embodiment, the conveying gear 50 can continuously and firmly engage with the chain teeth 12 on the left side of the chain member 10, conveying the chain member 10 at intervals of one zipper tooth 13 each time. Therefore, the vertical displacement of the zipper tooth 13 interval relative to the sewing needle 25 can be suppressed, and each zipper tooth 13 of the chain teeth 12 on the right side can be stably sewn onto the fabric 5 one by one using the stitches of the second thread 17. In addition, the stitches of the second thread 17 can be completed neatly at fixed intervals. Moreover, collisions between the sewing needle 25 and the zipper teeth 13 can be suppressed, thus avoiding damage to the zipper teeth 13 by the sewing needle 25 and breakage of the sewing needle 25, and ensuring smooth and stable sewing processing.

[0082] By performing this first sewing process, the chain teeth 12 on the right side of the chain component 10 can be sewn onto the fabric 5 within the entire front-to-back direction of the chain component 10. In this embodiment, during this first sewing process, the operator can also assist in the sewing process by holding the fabric 5 and / or the chain component 10 by hand.

[0083] After the first sewing process described above is completed, the chain teeth 12 on the other side of the chain component 10 sewn to the fabric 5 are then sewn together. Figure 5 The second sewing process involves sewing the chain teeth 12 (shown on the left) onto the other side edge of fabric 5 or the side edge of another piece of fabric 5. In this second sewing process, the chain member 10 to be sewn onto fabric 5 is guided into the guide groove 32 of the needle plate 30 of the sewing machine 20 with the orientation reversed in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the fabric 5 (not shown) to which the other chain teeth 12 is to be sewn is placed on the flat surface of the base 31 of the needle plate 30.

[0084] Next, similar to the first sewing process, by lowering the presser foot 40 and then operating the sewing machine 20, a flat stitch can be performed between the chain component 10 and the fabric 5 while the chain component 10 is being fed using the feed gear 50. By performing this second sewing process, the chain teeth 12 on the side of the chain component 10 that are not engaged with the feed gear 50 can be continuously sewn onto the fabric 5.

[0085] By performing the first and second sewing processes described above, it is possible to fabricate the fabric 5 onto which the left and right chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10 are respectively sewn. In particular, in the first and second sewing processes of this embodiment, the sewing process can be performed while the conveyor gear 50 is always engaged with the chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10. Therefore, the spacing of the zipper teeth 13 is prevented from shifting relative to the movement of the needle, and the left and right chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10 can be easily and stably sewn onto the fabric 5 one side at a time.

[0086] After the first and second sewing processes, on the chain teeth 12 on the left and right sides of fabric 5, as shown... Figure 8 The zipper pull 6 is installed in a sliding manner. Thus, a portion of the fabric 5 is used as a zipper tape to form a zipper, thereby enabling the manufacture of products with zippers. In this case, the zipper pull 6, which is installed on the left and right zipper teeth 12, can be a conventional zipper pull already known to us.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described sewing method, the chain component 10 is conveyed straight in the front-to-back direction using the conveyor gear 50 of the sewing machine 20, while the chain component 10 is sewn onto the fabric 5 using the sewing needle 25. However, in the sewing machine 20 of this embodiment, the chain component 10 can also be conveyed using the conveyor gear 50 and, for example, guided by the operator by hand in a manner that bends part or all of the chain component 10 to the left or right relative to the front-to-back direction, while the chain component 10 is sewn onto the fabric 5 using the sewing needle 25.

[0088] In this case, in the guide groove 32 of the needle plate 30 of the sewing machine 20, an inlet 36 and an outlet 37 as described above are provided before and after the parallel section 35 (see reference). Figure 3Therefore, the chain member 10 can be smoothly conveyed within the guide groove 32 and sewing can be performed without being hooked on the needle plate 30 due to its bent shape. Furthermore, even when the chain member 10 is bent during sewing, the parallel portion 35 of the guide groove 32 can restrict the left-right position of the chain member 10, and the teeth of the conveyor gear 50 can protrude from below and engage with the zipper teeth 13 of the chain tooth row 12. Therefore, the teeth of the conveyor gear 50 can always engage with the chain tooth row 12 that is bent to the left or right, thereby enabling precise and stable conveying of the zipper teeth 13 at intervals.

[0089] Therefore, similar to the case where the chain component 10 is conveyed in a straight line and sewn, the spacing of the zipper teeth 13 is prevented from shifting relative to the movement of the sewing needle 25, allowing the chain component 10 to be stably sewn onto the fabric 5. Furthermore, even when the chain component 10 is sewn onto the fabric 5 in a bent state, it is possible to prevent the chain component 10 from locally lifting or sinking at the bent portion, and also to prevent wavy or other wrinkles from forming on the fabric 5. Therefore, the fabric 5 with the chain component 10 sewn on can be neatly finished. Thus, the appearance quality of the bag (product) 1 manufactured by sewing on the chain component 10 can be improved.

[0090] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to any of the above embodiments. Various modifications can be made as long as the invention has a substantially the same structure and performs the same function.

[0091] For example, in the above embodiment, in the left and right rows of zipper teeth 12 of the chain member 10, each zipper tooth 13 is sewn to the core thread portion 14 using a double-stitched lockstitch with a first seam 16. Additionally, each row of zipper teeth 12 of the left and right sides of the chain member 10 is sewn to the fabric 5 using a flat stitch with a second seam 17. However, in this invention, the stitch pattern for sewing the zipper teeth 13 to the core thread portion 14 and the stitch pattern for sewing the rows of zipper teeth 12 to the fabric 5 are not particularly limited and can be modified.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the chain teeth 12 of the chain member 10 are formed by shaping the monofilament into a coil shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the chain teeth can also be formed by shaping the monofilament into a serrated shape, for example, having multiple bends bent into an L-shape.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the left and right chain teeth 12 of the chain component 10 are sewn onto the fabric 5 one at a time using a sewing machine 20. However, in the present invention, ordinary zipper chains or zipper tooth chains can also be manufactured by sewing the left and right chain teeth 12 of the chain component 10 onto the left and right zipper tapes, for example, by using a sewing machine 20.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, a zippered bag 1 is manufactured by sewing the chain component 10 onto the fabric 5 that forms the bag 1. However, in this invention, the product manufactured by sewing the chain component 10 onto the fabric 5 is not limited to bags. For example, various products other than bags can be manufactured using the sewing machine 20 and sewing method of this invention, such as clothing and footwear, daily necessities, industrial materials, and various covers for automobiles, trains, aircraft, etc.

[0095] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0096] 1 pack (product with zipper)

[0097] 5. Fabric (chain tooth mounting components)

[0098] 6 pull heads

[0099] 10 chain components

[0100] 11 Chain teeth components

[0101] 12 chain teeth

[0102] 13 zipper teeth

[0103] 13a Engaging Head

[0104] 13b upper leg

[0105] 13C lower leg

[0106] 13d connecting part

[0107] 14-core wire section

[0108] 16 First suture

[0109] 17 Second suture

[0110] 20 sewing machines

[0111] 21 base section

[0112] 22 arms

[0113] 24-needle bar

[0114] 25 sewing needles

[0115] 26 pressure bar

[0116] 30-pin plate part

[0117] 31 base

[0118] 31a Left side base

[0119] 31b right base

[0120] 32 guide groove

[0121] 33 pinholes

[0122] 34 Gear Opening

[0123] 35 parallel section

[0124] 36 Import Department

[0125] 37 delivery department

[0126] 40 sewing machine presser foot

[0127] 41 Fixing part

[0128] 42 Presser foot body

[0129] 42a First pressing part

[0130] 42b Second pressing part

[0131] 43 Bottom surface

[0132] 43a 1st bottom surface

[0133] 43b Second bottom surface

[0134] 43b1 First bottom (top bottom)

[0135] 43b2 Second bottom (lower bottom)

[0136] 44. Introduction Section

[0137] 50 conveyor gears

[0138] The distance between the center of the D1 sewing needle and the feed gear in the left-right direction

[0139] The distance between the center of the D2 sewing needle and the rotation center of the feed gear in the front-to-back direction.

[0140] interval.

Claims

1. A sewing machine for sewing a chain component (10) onto a chain tooth mounting component (5), wherein, The chain component (10) has a pair of continuous chain teeth (12) formed from monofilaments, and the pair of chain teeth (12) mesh with each other. The sewing machine (20) is characterized in that... The sewing machine (20) includes: a needle plate (30); a sewing needle (25) that reciprocates up and down relative to the needle plate (30); a sewing machine presser foot (40) that presses the chain component (10) and the chain tooth mounting component (5) toward the needle plate (30); and a transport gear (50) having multiple teeth and transporting the chain component (10). The needle plate portion (30) includes: a base portion (31) supporting the chain tooth mounting component (5); and a guide groove portion (32) recessed relative to the flat surface of the base portion (31) for the chain component (10) to pass through. The bottom surface of the guide groove (32) is provided with a gear opening (34) through which a part of the conveying gear (50) passes. The conveying gear (50) is positioned such that, when the conveying gear (50) rotates, at least one tooth of the conveying gear (50) protrudes from the gear opening (34) into the guide groove (32) and engages with the chain tooth row (12) of one of the chain components (10). The sewing needle (25) moves up and down at the position where the chain teeth row (12) on the other side of the chain component (10) conveyed by the conveying gear (50) is sewn to the chain tooth mounting component (5). The sewing machine presser foot (40) has: a fixing part (41) fixed to the press bar (26) of the sewing machine (20); and a presser foot body part (42) integrally formed with the lower end of the fixing part (41). The presser foot body (42) has: a first pressing part (42a) extending from the fixing part (41) and having a fixed width dimension; and a second pressing part (42b) further extending from the first pressing part (42a). At least a portion of the second pressing portion (42b) has a shape in which the dimension in the width direction gradually decreases as it moves away from the first pressing portion (42a). The bottom part (43) of the presser foot body (42) opposite to the needle plate part (30) has: a first bottom part (43a) for pressing the chain tooth mounting member (5); and a second bottom part (43b) for pressing the chain tooth row (12) of the chain member (10) that meshes with the conveying gear (50). The second bottom part (43b) is positioned closer to the needle plate (30) than the first bottom part (43a), and when viewed from below the sewing machine presser foot (40), the second bottom part (43b) has an isosceles trapezoidal shape, which has two sides parallel to the conveying direction based on the conveying gear (50).

2. The sewing machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In the conveying direction based on the conveying gear (50), the sewing needle (25) moves up and down at a position within the same range as the opening of the gear opening (34) in the conveying direction.

3. The sewing machine as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The delivery gear (50) is positioned on the outside of the width direction of the sewing machine (20) compared to the position of the sewing needle (25).

4. The sewing machine as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The conveying gear (50) is formed of a spur gear. The tooth pitch of the teeth in the conveying gear (50) is set to be the same as the forming spacing of the zipper teeth (13) in the chain tooth row (12), or set to be larger than the forming spacing of the zipper teeth (13).

5. The sewing machine as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The guide groove (32) has left and right sidewalls that rise from the left and right side edges of the bottom surface and restrict the position of the chain member (10). The guide groove (32) has: a parallel section (35) with the left and right sidewalls parallel to each other; an inlet section (36) disposed on the upstream side of the parallel section (35); and an outlet section (37) disposed on the downstream side of the parallel section (35). The inlet portion (36) and the outlet portion (37) are formed such that the gap between the left and right sidewalls gradually decreases toward the parallel portion (35).

6. The sewing machine as described in claim 5, characterized in that, In the region of the parallel portion (35) of the guide groove (32), at least one tooth of the delivery gear (50) protrudes into the guide groove (32), and the sewing needle (25) reciprocates in this region.

7. The sewing machine as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, An induction portion (44) is provided on the second bottom part (43b), which is inclined in a direction that causes the thickness of the presser foot body (42) to gradually decrease outward in the width direction of the sewing machine (20).

8. A sewing method in which a chain component (10) is sewn onto a chain tooth mounting component (5) using a sewing machine (20), wherein, The chain component (10) has a pair of continuous chain teeth (12) formed from monofilaments, and the pair of chain teeth (12) mesh with each other. The sewing method is characterized by comprising: The chain component (10) and the chain tooth mounting component (5) are clamped between the sewing machine presser foot (40) and the needle plate (30) of the sewing machine (20) and held therein; The chain component (10) is fed by engaging and rotating the feed gear (50) of the sewing machine (20) with the chain teeth (12) of one of the chain components (10). Using the sewing needle (25) of the sewing machine (20), the chain component (10) whose chain teeth (12) on one side are engaged with the conveying gear (50) is sewn together with the chain tooth mounting component (5). After the chain teeth (12) on the other side of the chain component (10) are sewn onto the chain tooth mounting component (5), the chain component (10) is transported by engaging and rotating the transport gear (50) with the chain teeth (12) on the other side of the chain component (10); and The chain component (10) being transported by engaging the chain teeth (12) of the other chain component (10) with the conveying gear (50) using the sewing needle (25) has its chain teeth (12) sewn together with the chain tooth mounting component (5). The sewing machine presser foot (40) has: a fixing part (41) fixed to the press bar (26) of the sewing machine (20); and a presser foot body part (42) integrally formed with the lower end of the fixing part (41). The presser foot body (42) has: a first pressing part (42a) extending from the fixing part (41) and having a fixed width dimension; and a second pressing part (42b) further extending from the first pressing part (42a). At least a portion of the second pressing portion (42b) has a shape in which the dimension in the width direction gradually decreases as it moves away from the first pressing portion (42a). The bottom part (43) of the presser foot body (42) opposite to the needle plate part (30) has: a first bottom part (43a) for pressing the chain tooth mounting member (5); and a second bottom part (43b) for pressing the chain tooth row (12) of the chain member (10) that meshes with the conveying gear (50). The second bottom part (43b) is positioned closer to the needle plate (30) than the first bottom part (43a), and when viewed from below the sewing machine presser foot (40), the second bottom part (43b) has an isosceles trapezoidal shape, which has two sides parallel to the conveying direction based on the conveying gear (50).

Images