Embroidery machine and thread loosening and looping control method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an embroidery machine and a thread loosening and looping control method thereof. The embroidery machine comprises a towel thread loosening mechanism and a looping mechanism. The towel thread loosening mechanism comprises a thread loosening driving assembly, a towel thread clamping device and a thread shaft. The looping mechanism comprises an annular shuttle frame and an annular shuttle box. The thread loosening driving assembly is used for driving the thread spool to rotate, and the transmission cam connected to the thread spool in a sleeving mode is used for triggering the towel thread clamping device to loosen threads and triggering the looping mechanism to loop. According to the embodiment of the invention, the thread loosening driving assembly drives the thread spool to rotate, and the transmission cam on the thread spool drives the two structures to realize respective functions, so that the structure configuration is compact, the looping mechanism can be controlled to execute looping in a thread loosening state, and the looping function is prevented from being triggered by mistake in a thread clamping state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of towel embroidery machine technology, and more specifically, to an embroidery machine and a method for controlling thread loosening and looping therebetween. Background Technology

[0002] Towel embroidery is a special embroidery technique that creates a soft, three-dimensional, terry, or velvety effect on fabric. It is typically done using a towel embroidery machine or a towel embroidery head on a mixed embroidery machine. The embroidery machine's shuttle frame has multiple shuttles, each loaded with a different type of embroidery thread. During embroidery, the towel thread clamp is triggered to release the thread, after which the shuttle motor drives the shuttle gear to rotate, which in turn rotates the mating gears on the shuttle components to perform the looping process.

[0003] In some related technologies, the shuttle on the shuttle frame of the embroidery machine is driven to rise by an independent drive shaft, and the towel thread clamp is driven to loosen the thread by a drive assembly located on the side of the frame. Loosening the thread and looping are achieved using two sets of drive mechanisms, resulting in a complex structure and requiring more installation space. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an embroidery machine and a method for controlling thread loosening and looping.

[0005] In a first aspect of this disclosure, an embroidery machine is provided. The embroidery machine includes a towel thread release mechanism and a loop-making mechanism. The towel thread release mechanism includes a thread release drive assembly, a towel thread clamp, and a spool. The loop-making mechanism includes a shuttle frame and a shuttle box. The thread release drive assembly drives the spool to rotate, and a transmission cam sleeved on the spool triggers the towel thread clamp to release the thread and triggers the loop-making mechanism to make a loop.

[0006] In some embodiments, the transmission cam includes two first sub-cams and second sub-cams of different sizes integrated together. The first sub-cam is used to trigger the towel clamp to loosen the line, and the second sub-cam is used to trigger the ringing mechanism to ring.

[0007] In some embodiments, the spool is laterally disposed on the back side of the towel clamp, and the spool release drive assembly is disposed below the spool.

[0008] In some embodiments, the wire loosening drive assembly includes a wire loosening motor and a wire loosening transmission box, wherein the wire loosening motor and the wire loosening transmission box are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, and the wire loosening motor drives the spool to rotate via the wire loosening transmission box.

[0009] In some embodiments, the wire loosening transmission box includes a wire loosening drive shaft, a wire loosening drive gear, a wire loosening driven shaft, a wire loosening driven gear, and a wire loosening synchronous pulley; the wire loosening drive shaft is located below the wire loosening driven shaft, and the wire loosening motor is used to drive the wire loosening drive shaft to rotate; the wire loosening drive shaft is fitted with the wire loosening drive gear, and the wire loosening driven shaft is fitted with the wire loosening driven gear and the wire loosening synchronous pulley; the wire loosening drive gear meshes with the wire loosening driven gear, and the wire loosening synchronous pulley is connected to the spool via a synchronous belt.

[0010] In some embodiments, there are multiple towel clamps and multiple looping mechanisms. A loosening drive assembly drives a spool that spans multiple machine heads to rotate, so as to trigger the loosening of the towel clamps and the looping of the looping mechanisms at the corresponding machine heads through multiple transmission cams sleeved on the spool.

[0011] In some embodiments, a top rod is provided between the towel clamp and the shuttle frame, and a slider assembly is provided between the lower end of one of the shuttle components and the top rod. When the drive cam on the spool rotates, it sequentially drives the top rod and the slider assembly to lift the shuttle component to a certain height. The mating gear on the shuttle component meshes with the shuttle gear on the shuttle box to perform ring turning.

[0012] In some embodiments, a bracket bearing seat is sleeved on the spool, the bracket bearing seat is used to fix and connect the mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is mounted on both sides of the transmission cam; a support plate is fixedly connected to the front side of the mounting bracket, and the support plate has a groove that allows the push rod to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, a connecting rod is provided between the support bearing housing and the push rod. The first end of the connecting rod is connected to the support bearing housing via a pin shaft, and a torsion spring is provided at the connection between the first end of the connecting rod and the support bearing housing. The second end of the connecting rod is movably connected to the push rod, and the third end of the connecting rod is provided with a ball bearing that abuts against the transmission cam.

[0014] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling thread loosening and looping in an embroidery machine is provided. This method is based on the embroidery machine described in the first aspect. The method includes, after a color change is completed, controlling a thread loosening drive assembly to drive a bobbin to rotate, thereby triggering a towel thread clamp to loosen the thread via a transmission cam sleeved on the bobbin, and triggering a certain shuttle on the shuttle frame to rise so that a mating gear on the shuttle engages with a shuttle gear on the shuttle box. The method includes acquiring a sensing signal from an encoder mounted on the bobbin. Furthermore, the method includes, in response to the sensing signal being an origin signal, determining that the towel thread clamp is in a loosened state and controlling the shuttle motor in the shuttle box to drive the shuttle gear to rotate, thereby achieving looping.

[0015] It should be understood that the description in the Summary of the Invention section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings by way of example and not limitation.

[0017] Figure 1 A front view of an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A side view of an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A perspective structural diagram of a towel loosening mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 4 A perspective structural diagram of a loose wire drive assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 5 A perspective structural diagram of a towel clamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 6 A perspective view of the loosening drive assembly and the ringing mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing an example position of the thread release drive assembly, spool, and push rod mounted on an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided.

[0024] Figure 8 A front view of a slider assembly mounted on a shuttle box according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0025] Figure 9 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the engagement of the shuttle frame and the slider assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0026] Figure 10 A rear view of the ring shuttle and slider assembly in cooperation according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 11 A flowchart of a thread loosening and looping control method for an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0028] In the various figures, the same or corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0030] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein signify an open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". Terms such as "upper", "lower", "front", and "rear", indicating placement or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the purpose of describing the principles of this disclosure, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the elements referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this disclosure.

[0031] As mentioned earlier, towel embroidery uses an embroidery machine to form loops of embroidery thread. Typically, before using the looping mechanism to form loops, the towel thread clamp is controlled to loosen the embroidery thread. Once loosened to the appropriate position, the looping mechanism operates, the shuttle on the shuttle frame rotates to form loops, and the needle moves down, tightening the thread and locking the loop onto the fabric surface.

[0032] In some related technologies, the lifting drive of the shuttle on the shuttle frame of an embroidery machine and the thread-releasing drive of the terry cord holder are implemented using two sets of drive mechanisms. These two sets of drive mechanisms require more structure and occupy more installation space. Specifically, the thread-releasing drive of the terry cord holder is usually implemented with one thread-releasing device on each side of the frame, connected by a thread-releasing drive shaft. This lengthens the frame and occupies more lateral space. If the thread-releasing drive mechanism is located between the machine heads, it is difficult to install it among multiple machine heads in limited space without interfering with the terry cord holder and shuttle frame. To avoid interference, the distance between adjacent machine heads is often large, thus limiting the number of machine heads that can be installed on a single embroidery machine.

[0033] In response to this, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an embroidery machine is provided, which uses a thread loosening drive assembly to drive the spool to rotate, so that a transmission cam sleeved on the spool triggers a towel thread clamp to loosen the thread and a looping mechanism to loop.

[0034] In this way, a set of wire loosening drive components drives the spool to rotate, and the transmission cam on the spool drives the two sets of structures to achieve their respective functions. Not only is the structure compact, but the ringing mechanism can also be controlled to perform ringing in the wire loosening state, avoiding accidental triggering of the ringing function in the wire clamping state.

[0035] Figure 1 A front view of an embroidery machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 A side view of an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the embroidery machine 100 includes a machine head (not shown in the figure, only the relevant parts of this case are shown), a loop-making mechanism, and a towel thread-releasing mechanism. The loop-making mechanism includes a shuttle frame 210 and a shuttle box 220. The towel thread-releasing mechanism includes a thread-releasing drive assembly, a towel thread clamp 110, and a spool 120-2. Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of a multi-head embroidery machine. Typically, each head of the embroidery machine has a looping mechanism and a towel thread clamp. The looping mechanism at each head is positioned above the towel thread clamp. The diagram only shows two towel thread clamps and one looping mechanism as an example. In some implementations, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the wire loosening drive assembly includes a wire loosening motor 120-1 and a wire loosening transmission box 120-9 arranged horizontally side by side. The wire loosening motor 120-1 drives the spool 120-2 to rotate via the wire loosening transmission box 120-9.

[0036] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the spool 120-2 is horizontally positioned on the back side of the towel clamp 110, and the spool release drive assembly 120 is located below the spool 120-2. The spool release drive assembly 120 drives the spool 120-2 to rotate, which in turn drives the transmission cam on the spool ( Figure 1 (Not shown, obscured by the towel clamp) rotates to trigger the towel clamp 110 to loosen the cord and trigger the looping mechanism to loop. In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 When the transmission cam 120-3 rotates, it acts on the loosening top plate 106 on the frame of the towel thread clamp 110. The loosening top plate 106 rotates towards the towel thread clamp 110 and abuts against the loosening top rod 104-1 of the thread clamping assembly to its farthest end, thereby loosening the clamped embroidery thread. In some embodiments, when the transmission cam 120-3 rotates, it supports the top rod 202, which in turn supports the slider assembly 203. The slider assembly 203 can support the ring shuttle to rise, so that the mating gear on the ring shuttle meshes with the ring shuttle gear on the ring shuttle box 220. In turn, the ring shuttle motor on the ring shuttle box 220 drives the ring-forming mechanism to perform the ring-forming operation.

[0037] The arrangement of the lower spool 120 driving the upper spool 120-2 to rotate reduces the lateral space occupied. It can transmit driving force to the spool 120-2 to make it rotate, and can trigger the towel clamp 110 located in front of the transmission cam to release the line through the transmission cam. It can also trigger the ring shuttle to rise through the transmission cam to trigger the ringing mechanism to ring.

[0038] In some implementations, multiple drive cams 120-3 are sleeved on the spool 120-2, each drive cam 120-3 corresponding to a towel clamp at the machine head. A thread release drive assembly can drive a spool 120-2 spanning multiple machine heads to rotate, thereby triggering the towel clamps at the corresponding machine head to release the thread and the looping mechanism to loop via the multiple drive cams (120-3) sleeved on the spool 120-2. In this way, a single thread release drive assembly can be used to simultaneously clamp the towel clamps at multiple machine heads and simultaneously loop the looping mechanisms at multiple machine heads. In some examples, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 2 The spool 120-2 is positioned laterally on the frame and mounted on the central beam L of the thread-cutting box below the machine head via a mounting bracket. The thread-releasing drive assembly 120 is mounted on the central beam L of the thread-cutting box below the machine head via a motor mount. In this embodiment, a single drive (i.e., the thread-releasing drive assembly) triggers the operation of multiple towel thread clamps and looping mechanisms at the machine heads. The drive structure is simple and can be compactly arranged on the embroidery machine, reducing lateral space occupation.

[0039] Figure 3 A perspective structural diagram of a towel loosening mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the loosening motor 120-1 drives the bobbin 120-2 to rotate via the loosening transmission box 120-9. The bobbin 120-2 and the loosening transmission box 120-9 are connected by a synchronous belt 120-5. The transmission cam on the bobbin 120-2 can be used to trigger the loosening of the multiple clamping assemblies 104 on the towel clamp 110, and can also be used to trigger the looping mechanism. In some embodiments, the transmission cam includes two integrated first sub-cams 120-3a and second sub-cams 120-3b of different sizes. The first sub-cam 120-3a is used to trigger the loosening of the towel clamp 110, and the second sub-cam 120-3b is used to trigger the looping mechanism.

[0040] like Figure 3As shown, multiple wire clamping assemblies 104 are arranged on the wire clamping body 102 of the towel wire clamper 110. A wire loosening top plate 106 is provided on the wire clamping body 102. When a sub-cam 1120-3a rotates, it can push the wire loosening top plate 106 towards the wire clamping assemblies 104 to loosen the wire. In some embodiments, the wire loosening top plate 106 is connected to the wire clamping body 102 via a pin, and the wire loosening top plate 106 can rotate relative to the wire clamping body 102. A torsion spring is provided on the pin connecting the wire loosening top plate 106 and the wire clamping body 102, allowing the wire loosening top plate 106 to rotate away from the wire clamping assembly 104 without being driven, rotating to the original position held by the torsion spring, i.e., the wire loosening top plate 106 no longer acts on the wire clamping assembly 104. At this time, the wire clamping assembly 104 switches from the loosened state to the clamped state. When the loosening top plate 106 rotates toward the wire clamping assembly 104, the loosening top plate 106 supports the loosening top rod 104-1 of the wire clamping assembly 104, thereby achieving wire loosening.

[0041] Figure 4 A perspective structural view of a loose wire drive assembly 120 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the loosening drive assembly 120 includes a loosening motor 120-1 and a loosening drive gear 120-6, a loosening driven gear 120-7, a loosening synchronous pulley 120-4, a loosening drive shaft, and a loosening driven shaft, all integrated within a loosening transmission box (the internal structure is shown with the box open in the figure). The loosening drive gear 120-6 meshes with the loosening driven gear 120-7. The loosening synchronous pulley 120-4 is mounted on the loosening driven shaft and is connected to the spool synchronous pulley via a synchronous belt. The motor shaft of the loosening motor 120-1 is horizontally positioned and coaxially connected to the loosening drive shaft 120-6. To improve the synchronization of the motor shaft driving the slack wire drive shaft, the motor shaft is coaxially connected to the slack wire drive shaft through a clamp-type connecting sleeve 120-8. This ensures high coaxiality between the two shafts and reduces vibration and noise during operation.

[0042] like Figure 4 As shown, the wire loosening drive shaft is located below the wire loosening driven shaft, and both ends of the wire loosening drive shaft and the wire loosening driven shaft are fixed to the wire loosening transmission box. In this way, the wire loosening motor 120-1 transmits the driving force laterally to the wire loosening drive gear, then upwards to the wire loosening drive gear 120-7 and the wire loosening synchronous pulley 120-4, and finally upwards to the spool via the synchronous belt. This allows for stable rotation of the spool with minimal space occupation, which in turn drives the towel clamp to loosen the wire via the transmission cam on the spool.

[0043] Figure 5 A perspective structural diagram of a towel clamp 110 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5As shown, the towel clamp 110 includes a clamping body 102, a plurality of clamping assemblies 104 disposed on the clamping body 102, and a loosening top plate 106. The clamping body 102 includes a clamping frame 102-1, on which the plurality of clamping assemblies 104 are arranged laterally. The clamping body 102 also includes a back cover 102-2 for concealing part of the back side of the clamping body 102. The loosening top plate 106 is disposed on the back side of the frame 102-1 above the back cover 102-2.

[0044] In some embodiments, the wire clamping assembly 104 includes a wire loosening push rod 104-1, a first wire clamping plate 104-2, a second wire clamping plate 104-3, a wire loosening plate 104-4, a wire clamping nut 104-5, and a spring (not visible in the figure) disposed between the wire loosening plate 104-4 and the wire clamping nut 104-5. The wire loosening push rod 104-1 can extend and retract within the wire loosening screw 104-6, which is fixed to the frame 102-1 by passing through the frame 102-1 from the back side. A first wire clamping plate 104-2, a second wire clamping plate 104-3, a wire loosening plate 104-4, and a wire clamping nut 104-5 are sequentially fitted onto the wire loosening screw 104-6, with these components located on the front side of the frame 102-1. The embroidery thread is placed between the first wire clamping plate 104-2 and the second wire clamping plate 104-3. Because a compressed spring is provided between the wire loosening plate 104-4 and the wire clamping nut 104-5, the wire loosening plate 104-4 is pressed against one side of the second wire clamping plate 104-3. Correspondingly, the first wire clamping plate 104-2 is pressed against the front side of the frame 102-1 by the second wire clamping plate 104-3. When the portion of the loosening rod 104-1 located on the back side of the frame 102-1 is abutted, the loosening rod 104-1 pushes against the front side of the loosening screw 104-6, pushing against the loosening piece 104-4. For example, the loosening piece can be an annular piece with a connecting portion spanning the diameter direction. The pushing action of the loosening rod 104-1 on the connecting portion of the annular piece further compresses the spring between the loosening piece 104-4 and the clamping nut 104-5. At this time, the loosening piece 104-4 moves away from the second clamping piece 104-3, that is, the second clamping piece 104-3 is no longer clamped with the first clamping piece 104-2, and the embroidery thread between them is in a relaxed state. Once the loosening rod 104-1 is no longer abutted, the loosening rod 104-1 no longer pushes the loosening piece 104-4 forward, and the first clamping piece 104-2 and the second clamping piece 104-3 clamp together, and the embroidery thread between them is in a clamped state.

[0045] In one or more of the above embodiments, the towel thread clamp 110 further includes a thread guide 112, which has a plurality of thread holes 112-1, each thread hole 112-1 corresponding to a thread clamping assembly 104. The thread guide 112 is located above the thread clamping assembly 104 and is used to guide the embroidery thread to the thread clamping assembly 104 so that it can be clamped by the thread clamping assembly 104.

[0046] In one or more of the above embodiments, the towel thread clamp 110 further includes a plurality of thread guide rollers 108, each thread guide roller 108 corresponding to a thread clamping assembly 104. The thread guide rollers 108 are located below the thread clamping assembly 104 and are used to guide the embroidery thread coming out of the thread clamping assembly 104, so that the thread path is stable and controllable.

[0047] Figure 6 A perspective structural diagram showing the engagement of a loosening wire drive assembly and a ring-locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the wire release drive assembly drives the spool 120-2 to rotate via a synchronous belt, and the transmission cam also rotates accordingly. The second sub-cam 120-3b of the transmission cam rotates, causing the push rod 202 to rise, which in turn causes the sliding assembly 203 to rise. The sliding assembly 203 abuts against the ball bearing 205 sleeved on the lower end of the shuttle 204, causing the shuttle 204 to move upward. The ball bearing 205 can transmit the supporting force of the lower end face through the outer ring of the bearing to the inner ring via the balls, and then to the shuttle. Multiple balls are symmetrically distributed circumferentially between the inner and outer rings of the ball bearing, which can avoid stress concentration, provide a uniform axial force for the lifting of the shuttle, ensure the stable vertical rise of the shuttle, and thus ensure that the height of the shuttle rises consistently each time, so that the height of the float is consistent. When the shuttle 204 rises to a certain height, the mating gear 206 sleeved on the shuttle 204 will mesh with the shuttle gear 220-1 on the shuttle box 220. When the shuttle motor on the shuttle box 220 drives the shuttle gear 220-1 to rotate, the gear on the shuttle frame 210 that meshes with the shuttle gear 220-1 also rotates, thereby rotating the shuttle component 204 to perform the ring-making operation.

[0048] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing an example of the mounting positions of the thread release drive assembly, spool 120-2, and push rod 202 on an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. Figure 7As shown, spool 120-2 is mounted on the middle beam of the wire cutting box via a mounting bracket, close to the shuttle frame. The wire loosening motor assembly 120 is mounted on the middle beam L of the wire cutting box via a motor mount, away from the shuttle. The towel clamp 110 is located on the front side of the middle beam L, and above the middle beam L of the wire cutting box, there are often corresponding shuttles and wire cutting devices for each machine head (not shown in the figure). The wire loosening transmission box 120-9 is connected to spool 120-2 via a synchronous belt drive. Because the synchronous belt is a flexible transmission component, it can be flexibly installed in limited space by adjusting the angle between the synchronous belt connecting the spool and the wire loosening transmission box, and can also adapt to complex spaces by adjusting the length of the synchronous belt. Figure 7 As shown, the synchronous belt slopes inward and downward from its connection with the bobbin 120-2, and then connects to the wire loosening drive box 120-9. This is equivalent to retracting the wire loosening drive component and installing it below the middle beam L of the wire cutting box, making full use of the space under the middle beam L of the wire cutting box, and avoiding interference with the back structure of the towel clamp.

[0049] like Figure 7 As shown, a support bearing seat 31 is fitted onto the spool 120-2. The support bearing seat 31 is used to fix and connect a mounting bracket 32, which is mounted on both sides of the transmission cam (including the first sub-cam 120-3a and the second sub-cam 120-3b). In some embodiments, the mounting bracket 32 ​​has a recessed hole on one side plate of the transmission cam, allowing the spool 120-2 to pass through the recessed hole. The mounting bracket 32 ​​on the other side plate of the transmission cam is shorter than the first side plate and is suspended above the spool 120-2. The two side plates are connected to each other by a connecting plate to form an integral structure, which is the mounting bracket. In addition, a support plate 33 is fixedly connected to the front side of the mounting bracket 32, and the support plate 33 is also fixedly connected to the front side of the beam L in the wire cutting box. The support plate 33 has a groove that allows the push rod 202 to move up and down in the vertical direction, ensuring that the push rod 202 always moves up and down in the vertical direction.

[0050] In some embodiments, a connecting rod 34 is provided between the support bearing housing 31 and the push rod 202. The first end of the connecting rod 34 is connected to the support bearing housing 31 via a pin, and a torsion spring is provided at the connection between the first end of the connecting rod 34 and the support bearing housing 31. The second end of the connecting rod 34 is movably connected to the push rod 202, and a ball bearing 35 is provided on the third end of the connecting rod 34 to abut against the transmission cam 120-3. In this way, when the cam rotates, it can act on the ball bearing, and the first end of the connecting rod can push the push rod 202 to rise in the vertical direction, thereby driving the slider assembly 203 to rise to support the ball bearing of the ring shuttle, so that the ring shuttle moves upward.

[0051] also, Figure 7A schematic diagram also shows an example of how a slack-wire drive assembly transmits driving force to the corresponding drive cam rotation between adjacent heads. In the diagram, the slack-wire drive housing 120-9 is connected to the spool 120-2 at a position between the two drive cams mounted on the spool 120-2. (Combined with...) Figure 1 From a frontal view, neither the transmission cam nor the position of the transmission connection between the thread release gearbox 10-9 and the spool 120-2 is visible. This layout is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also allows the driving force transmitted from the synchronous belt to the spool to be distributed to both sides, ensuring that multiple towel thread clamps are stably driven and synchronously release the thread. Correspondingly, the driving force can also be transmitted upward to the looping mechanism above each towel thread clamp. In this way, the lower drive assembly first transmits the force to the upper spool, and then the cam on the spool distributes the driving force in two paths: one path to the towel thread clamp in front of the cam to release the thread, and the other path to the push rod above the cam to support the shuttle on the shuttle frame above the towel thread clamp, thereby achieving looping. The embroidery machine assembled using the above structure is compact, does not interfere with the use of the towel thread clamp and shuttle frame, and allows for close-space assembly between adjacent machine heads, meeting the assembly requirements of small-head rectangular embroidery machines (e.g., small-head rectangular towel embroidery machines or small-head rectangular mixed embroidery machines).

[0052] Figure 8 A front view of a slider assembly mounted on a shuttle box 220 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the shuttle box 220 is equipped with a shuttle motor (not shown) that drives the shuttle gear 220-1 to rotate. A slider assembly is mounted on the front of the shuttle box 220 and below the shuttle gear 220-1 via a guide plate 208. In some embodiments, the guide plate 208 is fixed to the front of the shuttle box 220 with screws. Guided by the guide plate 208, the slider assembly is ensured to move vertically, preventing the slider assembly's support path from deviating from the axis of the shuttle, thus avoiding problems such as uneven movement of the shuttle.

[0053] Figure 9 A perspective view of the shuttle frame 210 and the slider assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 8 , Figure 9 As shown, the slider assembly includes a slider and a spring 203-2. The slider includes a slider body, an upper extension 203-12, and a lower extension 203-11. The spring 203-2 is provided between the upper extension 203-12 and the lower extension 203-11. Both the upper extension 203-12 and the lower extension 203-11 extend in the same direction perpendicular to the slider body. The lower end face of the lower extension 203-11 is supported by a push rod, and the upper end face of the upper extension 203-12 supports the lower end face of the ball bearing (see [reference]). Figure 6In this way, when the push rod supports the lower extension 203-11 of the slider 203-1 and the upper extension 203-12 supports the ball bearing of the shuttle 204, the spring 203-2 can avoid hard collisions caused by rigid connection, making the lifting movement smoother, the force more balanced, and reducing wear. In some embodiments, both the upper extension 203-12 and the lower extension 203-11 are block structures. This block structure can provide a larger contact surface and provide stable supporting force. In addition, to prevent the spring 203-2 from deviating during reciprocating motion in the vertical direction, a guide post is provided on the upper end face of the lower extension 203-11, and the spring 203-2 is partially wound around the guide post. In addition, an external plate can be provided mounted on the guide plate 208, which spans the outside of the spring 203-2, thus preventing the spring 203-2 from moving outward and restraining the spring from large deviations that would affect normal use.

[0054] like Figure 9 As shown, the ring shuttle 204 is also fitted with a retaining ring 207, which is located below the ball bearing 205. In some embodiments, the retaining ring 207 engages with the lower end face of the ball bearing 205. The size of the retaining ring 207 is smaller than the size of the ball bearing 205. The slider assembly acts on the lower end face of the ball bearing 205 and does not contact the retaining ring 207. In one example, the lower end of the ring shuttle 204 has an annular groove, and the retaining ring 207 engages within this annular groove to prevent the ball bearing from slipping axially downwards. In one example, the inner edge of the retaining ring 207 has several abutment portions extending towards the center of the ring, and the abutment portions of the retaining ring engage within the annular groove. For example, the retaining ring can be an E-type external retainer, using three abutment portions for three-point engagement and positioning, providing good stability during rotation. Figure 9 As shown, the embroidery thread X passes vertically through the shuttle piece, and the slider assembly acts on the lower end face of the ball bearing 205 and is located inside the shuttle frame 210 (see...). Figure 6 The upper extension 203-12 utilizes its blocky surface to provide large-area support to the lower end face of the ball bearing 205, enabling it to rise smoothly without interfering with the embroidery thread looping.

[0055] Figure 10 A rear view of the shuttle carrier 210 engaging with the slider assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 10As shown, a limiting shaft 209 is also provided on the back side of the shuttle frame 210. This limiting shaft 209 spans multiple shuttle pieces 204 and is used to limit the movement of the shuttle pieces 204. Each shuttle piece 204 is fitted with a positioning sleeve 211 and a mating gear 206. The positioning sleeve 211 is located between the mating gear 206 and a ball bearing (not visible in the figure; the ball bearing is located in the part obscured by the guide plate 208 based on the position of the guide plate 208 and the slider assembly 203). The limiting shaft 209 can abut against the positioning sleeve 211. In some embodiments, the positioning sleeve 211 has a cut surface formed by cutting the cylindrical side of the positioning sleeve 211. This cut surface is used to abut against the limiting shaft 209. When ringing is required, the ring shuttle lifting mechanism supports the lower end face of the ball bearing 205 of the ring shuttle 204, causing the ring shuttle 204 to move upwards and the positioning sleeve 211 on the ring shuttle 204 to separate from the limiting shaft 209. When the ring shuttle 204 moves to a certain height, the mating gear 206 on the ring shuttle 204 meshes with the ring shuttle gear on the ring shuttle box, at which point the ringing system is in the ringing preparation stage. Once the towel clamp is in the loosened position, the ring shuttle motor in the ring shuttle box drives the ring shuttle gear to rotate, which in turn drives the mating gear 206 to rotate. At this time, the ring shuttle 204 is rotatably connected to the ring shuttle frame 16 to perform the ringing operation. When it is necessary to change the color of the ringed ring shuttle, the ringing process must be stopped. The ring shuttle lifting mechanism no longer supports the ball bearing 205 of the ring shuttle 204. The slider assembly falls under gravity, the ring shuttle descends, and the mating gear 206 no longer meshes with the ring shuttle gear, until it descends to the point where the positioning sleeve 211 of the ring shuttle 204 is abutted by the limiting shaft 209. According to the color change requirements, the ring shuttle frame 210 is moved laterally using the color change mechanism (not shown in the figure). The ring shuttle loaded with the required embroidery thread is moved to the slider assembly. The lower end face of the ball bearing on the ring shuttle is supported by the slider assembly, and the mating gear 206 on the ring shuttle can mesh with the ring shuttle gear in the ring-ring position.

[0056] Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a thread loosening and looping control method 1100 for an embroidery machine according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 11In frame 1102, method 1100, after color change is completed, controls the thread loosening drive assembly to drive the spool to rotate, triggering the towel thread clamp to loosen the thread via a transmission cam sleeved on the spool, and triggering a certain shuttle on the shuttle frame to rise, causing the mating gear on the shuttle to mesh with the shuttle gear on the shuttle box. In some embodiments, according to the required embroidery thread color, the color-changing mechanism moves the shuttle frame, moving the shuttle loaded with the required embroidery thread to the target position. In this position, when the shuttle is driven to rise, the mating gear on the shuttle can mesh with the shuttle gear on the shuttle box. After moving to the correct position, color change is completed. Then, the thread loosening drive assembly is controlled to drive the spool to rotate. The first sub-cam of the transmission cam on the spool triggers the towel thread clamp to loosen the thread, and the second sub-cam of the transmission cam drives the shuttle to rise, causing the mating gear on the shuttle to mesh with the shuttle gear, facilitating subsequent looping operations.

[0057] In block 1104, method 1100 can acquire a sensing signal from an encoder mounted on the spool. In some embodiments, the encoder is mounted on spool 120-2 to sense the rotation angle of the spool to determine whether the slack has been achieved. In one example, as... Figure 1 The encoder 130 is located at the end of the spool 120-2. By detecting the rotation angle of one spool, the loosening of multiple towel clamps can be detected.

[0058] In block 1106, method 1100 can respond to the sensing signal being the origin signal to determine that the towel thread clamp is in a loosened state and control the shuttle motor of the shuttle box to drive the shuttle gear to rotate, thereby achieving loop forming. In some embodiments, when the loosened thread top rod is pushed to the state of releasing the loosened thread assembly from clamping the embroidery thread, the transmission cam on the spool has moved a certain stroke, and the spool rotates a certain angle. The encoder records the sensing signal corresponding to its state as the origin signal. At this time, by identifying the sensing signal as the origin signal, it can be determined that the towel thread clamp is in a loosened state. After determining that the towel thread clamp is in the loosened state, the shuttle motor is controlled to drive the shuttle gear to rotate, which ensures that loop forming can be performed after the loosened thread is in place, avoiding the situation where the loosened thread is not in place, the loop cannot be formed, or the height is insufficient. If the origin signal is not sensed, an alarm needs to be triggered for manual troubleshooting.

[0059] While several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple implementations.

[0060] Although the subject matter has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological logic, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are merely illustrative examples of implementing the claims.

[0061] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An embroidery machine (100) comprising a towel thread loosening mechanism and a looping mechanism; the towel thread loosening mechanism comprising a thread loosening drive assembly (120), a towel thread clamp (110), and a thread spool (120-2); the looping mechanism comprising a shuttle frame (210) and a shuttle box (220); characterized in that, The loosening drive assembly (120) is used to drive the spool (120-2) to rotate, and the transmission cam (120-3) sleeved on the spool (120-2) is used to trigger the towel clamp (110) to loosen the line and trigger the looping mechanism to loop.

2. The embroidery machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission cam (120-3) includes two integrated first sub-cams (120-3a) and second sub-cams (120-3b) of different sizes. The first sub-cam (120-3a) is used to trigger the towel clamp (110) to loosen the line, and the second sub-cam (120-3b) is used to trigger the ringing mechanism to ring.

3. The embroidery machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spool (120-2) is horizontally positioned on the back side of the towel clamp (110), and the spool release drive assembly (120) is positioned below the spool (120-2).

4. The embroidery machine (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The loosening drive assembly (120) includes a loosening motor (120-1) and a loosening transmission box (120-9). The loosening motor (120-1) and the loosening transmission box (120-9) are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The loosening motor (120-1) drives the bobbin (120-2) to rotate through the loosening transmission box (120-9).

5. An embroidery machine (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that, The loosening transmission box (120-9) includes a loosening drive shaft, a loosening drive gear (120-6), a loosening driven shaft, a loosening driven gear (120-7), and a loosening synchronous pulley (120-4). The loosening drive shaft is located below the loosening driven shaft, and the loosening motor (120-1) is used to drive the loosening drive shaft to rotate. The loosening drive shaft is fitted with the loosening drive gear (120-6), and the loosening driven shaft is fitted with the loosening driven gear (120-7) and the loosening synchronous pulley (120-4). The loosening drive gear (120-6) meshes with the loosening driven gear (120-7), and the loosening synchronous pulley (120-4) is connected to the bobbin (120-2) via a synchronous belt (120-5).

6. An embroidery machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple towel clamps (110) and multiple looping mechanisms. A loosening drive assembly (120) drives a bobbin (120-2) that spans multiple machine heads to rotate, so as to trigger the towel clamps (110) at the corresponding machine head to loosen the line and the looping mechanism to loop through multiple transmission cams (120-3) sleeved on the bobbin (120-2).

7. An embroidery machine (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, A top rod (202) is provided between the towel clamp (110) and the shuttle frame (210). A slider assembly (203) is provided between the lower end of a certain shuttle piece (204) of the shuttle frame (210) and the top rod (202). When the transmission cam (120-3) on the spool (120-2) rotates, it sequentially drives the top rod (202) and the slider assembly (203) to lift, so that the shuttle piece (204) is lifted to a certain height. The mating gear (206) on the shuttle piece (204) meshes with the shuttle gear (220-1) on the shuttle box (220) to perform ringing.

8. An embroidery machine (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, A bracket bearing seat (31) is fitted on the spool (120-2). The bracket bearing seat (31) is used to fix and connect the mounting bracket (32). The mounting bracket (32) is mounted on both sides of the transmission cam (120-3). A support plate (33) is fixedly connected to the front side of the mounting bracket (32). The support plate (33) is provided with a groove that allows the push rod (202) to move up and down in the vertical direction.

9. An embroidery machine (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that, A connecting rod (34) is provided between the bracket bearing seat (31) and the top rod (202). The first end of the connecting rod (34) is connected to the bracket bearing seat (31) via a pin, and a torsion spring is provided at the connection between the first end of the connecting rod (34) and the bracket bearing seat (31). The second end of the connecting rod (34) is movably connected to the top rod (202), and a ball (35) is provided on the third end of the connecting rod (34) to abut against the transmission cam (120-3).

10. A method for controlling thread loosening and looping in an embroidery machine, characterized in that, The method is implemented using an embroidery machine (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9; the method includes: After the color change is completed, the control of the loosening drive assembly (120) drives the spool (120-2) to rotate, so that the transmission cam (120-3) sleeved on the spool (120-2) triggers the towel clamp (110) to loosen the thread, and triggers a certain shuttle (204) on the shuttle frame (210) to rise so that the mating gear (206) on the shuttle (204) meshes with the shuttle gear (220-1) on the shuttle box (220); Acquire the sensing signal from the encoder mounted on the spool (120-2); and In response to the sensing signal being the origin signal, the towel clamp (110) is determined to be in a loose state and the shuttle motor of the shuttle box is controlled to drive the shuttle gear (220-1) to rotate, so as to achieve ringing.

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