A needle feeding device

Abstract

This invention provides a needle feeding device, belonging to the field of sewing machine technology. It solves the problem that existing sewing machine needle feeding mechanisms require driving all needle storage boxes to move during needle feeding. The device includes a base and a flip cover positioned above the base. The bottom of the flip cover has two horizontally arranged rod-shaped shafts that abut against the upper part of the base. A flipping drive is connected to the base, and a transmission structure connects the drive to the bottom of the flip cover. The base also has a limiting member that can move back and forth in the left-right direction. This limiting member, after moving left and right, limits the vertical position of one of the two shafts and releases the vertical position of the other shaft. This needle feeding device eliminates the need to drive all needle boxes to move during needle feeding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of sewing machine technology and relates to a needle feeding device. Background Technology

[0002] Sewing machine needles are essential components when sewing fabric. They are long, thin metal rods, with the shank (the largest diameter part of the needle) at one end and the needle tip (the smallest diameter part) at the other. When not in use, sewing machine needles need to be stored in a needle box for later use.

[0003] For example, a sewing machine needle loading and unloading mechanism and a sewing machine needle management system have been designed and a Chinese patent has been applied for, with application number 202411478995.2 and publication number CN119038070A. The sewing machine needle loading and unloading mechanism includes: a sliding rail, which includes a needle loading position and a needle unloading position; a needle storage box mechanism, which is slidably mounted on the sliding rail and switches between the needle loading position and the needle unloading position; the needle storage box mechanism includes a sliding seat that slides along the sliding rail and a needle storage box mounted on the sliding seat. The needle storage box includes a needle box housing, a needle ejection push plate, and a linkage mechanism. The needle box housing has a needle loading inlet for adding needles at the needle loading position and a needle unloading outlet for discharging needles at the needle unloading position. When the needle box housing is in the needle unloading position, the linkage mechanism pushes the needle ejection push plate out of the needle unloading outlet from inside the needle box housing. The sewing machine needle loading and unloading mechanism and sewing machine needle management system enable several needle storage boxes to be sequentially transported along a sliding track to the needle loading or unloading position for needle loading or unloading.

[0004] However, each time the above-mentioned sewing machine needle loading and unloading mechanism loads or unloads a needle, it needs to drive several storage needle boxes that have already held needles to move around the track simultaneously. Not only does the weight of the storage needle boxes and other structures cause high energy consumption, but the frequent movement of the needle boxes is also not conducive to the storage of needles. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the aforementioned problems in the prior art by proposing a needle feeding device that solves the problem that existing sewing machine needle loading and unloading mechanisms require the movement of all storage needle boxes when loading needles.

[0006] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: A needle feeding device includes a base, characterized in that the needle feeding device further includes a flip cover disposed above the base, the bottom of the flip cover having two horizontally arranged rod-shaped shaft portions, the two shaft portions being spaced apart in the left-right direction and the axial direction of the two shaft portions being perpendicular to the distribution direction of the two shaft portions, the two shaft portions abutting against the upper part of the base, a flipping drive member connected to the base, a transmission structure connecting the flipping drive member and the bottom of the flip cover, and the flipping drive member being able to act on the bottom of the flip cover located between the two shaft portions through the transmission structure and push the flip cover upward, the base also being provided with a limiting member that can move back and forth in the left-right direction, the limiting member being able to limit the vertical position of one of the two shaft portions and release the limitation on the vertical position of the other shaft portion after moving in the left-right direction.

[0007] During installation, the machine base of the needle feeding device can be positioned on the conveyor belt or track, allowing the device to move along the conveying direction. The open-topped needle box for storing needles is fixed on either side of the conveyor belt or track. When feeding needles, the needle is placed on top of the flip cover, and the machine base of the needle feeding device is moved along the conveyor belt or track to the needle box location. A translational limiting member restricts the vertical position of one of the two shafts and releases the restriction on the vertical position of the other shaft. For example, restricting the vertical position of the left shaft and releasing the restriction on the right shaft prevents the shaft on the left side of the flip cover from moving vertically. At this point, the flipping drive mechanism acts on the bottom of the flip cover through the transmission structure to lift it upwards. Since the left-side shaft cannot move vertically, the flip cover can only flip upwards with the left-side shaft as the fulcrum, resulting in a left-low, right-high position. The needle at the top of the flip cover can then slide down towards the needle box located on the left side of the machine base under the influence of gravity to release the needle. Conversely, when the limiting component moves in the opposite direction, restricting the right-side shaft and releasing the restriction on the left-side shaft, the flipping drive mechanism lifts the flip cover, causing the flip cover to swing around the right-side shaft, resulting in a left-high, right-low position. The needle then slides towards the needle box located on the right side of the machine base to release the needle.

[0008] In the needle feeding process of this machine needle conveyor, needle feeding is achieved simply by driving the machine base to move and controlling the flip cover to rotate. There is no need to drive all the needle boxes used for storing needles to move, which simplifies the conveying structure, reduces the load, and decreases energy consumption. Furthermore, the elimination of moving the needle boxes each time needles are fed reduces vibration of the needle boxes and the needles within them, making needle storage easier. In addition, the left-right movable limiting component, combined with two shafts distributed along the left-right direction at the bottom of the flip cover, allows for switching of the flip cover's rotation fulcrum, enabling needles to be fed to the left and right. This provides greater functionality, and the single needle conveyor can feed needles from both left and right rows of needle boxes, improving the utilization rate of needle storage space.

[0009] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, both shafts are round rod-shaped. The round rod shape facilitates the flipping of the cover and ensures stability during the flipping process.

[0010] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, the transmission structure includes a rod-shaped transmission rod, which is arranged parallel to the shaft portion and located between the two shaft portions. The transmission rod is fixedly connected to or integrally connected to the flip cover. Using the fixed transmission rod as the force point for the flip cover to rotate makes the flipping process of the flip cover more stable.

[0011] In another embodiment of the needle feeding device described above, the transmission structure includes a vertically arranged rod-shaped push rod. The lower end of the push rod is connected to the flipping drive component, and the push rod can rise under the drive of the flipping drive component and abut against the bottom of the flip cover. Alternatively, the push rod can be used to directly lift the flip cover upwards to achieve the flipping of the cover.

[0012] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, the upper part of the machine base has two downwardly recessed limiting holes, and the two shaft portions abut against the bottom surfaces of the two limiting holes. The limiting holes limit the horizontal position of the shaft portions, and in conjunction with the vertical limiting components, ensure the stability of the shaft portions' position after being limited, thereby ensuring the stability of the needle feeding.

[0013] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, the limiting member includes a connecting bracket passing through the machine base in a left-right direction, a left bracket fixed to the left side of the connecting bracket, and a right bracket connected to the right side of the connecting bracket. The right side of the top of the left bracket and the left side of the top of the right bracket each have a protruding limiting portion. When the limiting member moves horizontally in the left-right direction, the two limiting portions can move to the upper side of their respective shaft portions. The connecting bracket passing through the machine base provides guidance and support for movement, and the two protruding limiting portions move to the upper side of the shaft portions to limit the vertical position of the shaft portions. This method features a simple structure and good limiting effect.

[0014] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, both limiting parts are rod-shaped and are respectively mounted on the machine base in a left-right direction. The rod-shaped limiting parts mounted on the machine base not only guide their left-right movement during positioning, ensuring the accuracy of their position and the limiting effect, but also transmit the force of the limiting shaft to the machine base, reducing the probability of damage to the limiting parts due to stress.

[0015] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, the device further includes a fixed base, a compensating drive, and a slider that slides back and forth in the left-right direction on the fixed base under the drive of the compensating drive. The base is fixed to the slider. The fixed base is used to connect to a conveyor belt or conveyor track. The compensating drive can push the entire base to move left and right to get closer to the needle that needs to be received, ensuring that there is no interference during the movement of the base and preventing the needle from falling off, thus ensuring the effectiveness of needle feeding.

[0016] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, the top of the flip cover has a recessed storage groove. The storage groove facilitates the placement of the needles.

[0017] In the aforementioned needle feeding device, a limit drive component is fixed on the machine base, and the limit drive component can drive the limit component to translate left and right. By automatically driving the limit component to translate, the degree of automation and limiting efficiency are improved.

[0018] Compared with existing technologies, this machine needle delivery device has the following advantages: 1. During the needle feeding process, only the machine base needs to be moved and the flip cover needs to be turned to feed the needle. There is no need to move all the needle boxes used to store the needles. This not only simplifies the conveying structure, reduces the load and energy consumption, but also eliminates the need to move the needle box every time a needle is fed, reducing the vibration of the needle box and the needles inside the needle box, which is more conducive to the storage of the needles.

[0019] 2. By using a left-right movable limiting component in conjunction with two shafts distributed along the left and right directions at the bottom of the flip cover, the flip cover's flipping fulcrum can be switched, thereby enabling the needles to be fed to the left and right, making the function more diverse. Furthermore, a single needle feeding device can be used to feed needles into the left and right rows of needle boxes, improving the utilization rate of the needle storage space. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 1 of the machine needle feeding device.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram from another perspective of Embodiment 1 of the machine needle delivery device.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flip cover when it is flipped to the left in Embodiment 1 of the machine needle feeding device.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flip cover when it is flipped to the right in Embodiment 1 of the machine needle feeding device.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of Embodiment 2 of the machine needle delivery device.

[0025] In the diagram, 1 is the base; 1a is the limiting port; 2 is the flip cover; 2a is the shaft; 2b is the transmission rod; 2c is the storage slot; 3 is the flipping drive; 4 is the transmission structure; 5 is the limiting component; 5a is the connecting bracket; 5b is the left bracket; 5c is the right bracket; 5d is the limiting part; 6 is the fixed seat; 7 is the compensation drive; 8 is the slider; and 9 is the limiting drive. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, which are described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the machine needle feeding device includes a base 1 and a flip cover 2 disposed above the base 1. The top of the flip cover 2 has a recessed storage groove 2c, and the length direction of the storage groove 2c is the left-right direction.

[0029] The bottom of the flip cover 2 has two horizontally arranged, rod-shaped shaft portions 2a. The axes of both shaft portions 2a are in the front-to-back direction, and they are distributed at intervals along the left and right sides below the flip cover 2. Both shaft portions 2a are fixedly connected to the flip cover 2. At the corresponding position on the upper part of the base 1, there are two downwardly recessed limiting openings 1a. The two shaft portions 2a abut against the bottom surfaces of the two limiting openings 1a. In this embodiment, the bottom surfaces of the limiting openings 1a are both arc surfaces. The base 1 is designed as a frame structure to reduce overall weight and facilitate the installation of other components. Therefore, each of the two limiting openings 1a is divided into two, and the four openings are distributed in a square shape to ensure stable support for the shaft portions 2a.

[0030] A flipping drive 3 is fixedly connected to the base 1. A transmission structure 4 connects the flipping drive 3 and the bottom of the flip cover 2. The flipping drive 3 can act on the bottom of the flip cover 2, located between the two shaft portions 2a, through the transmission structure 4 and push the flip cover 2 upward. In this embodiment, the flipping drive 3 is a motor with its output shaft facing forward. The transmission structure 4 includes a round rod-shaped transmission rod 2b and two long strip-shaped connecting rods, one and two. The axis of the transmission member is in the front-back direction and is fixed to the bottom of the flip cover 2. The transmission member is located between the two shaft portions 2a, and the minimum distance between the transmission member and the two shaft portions 2a is approximately the same. One end of the connecting rod is fixed to the output shaft of the motor, and the other end is hinged to one end of the connecting rod, and the other end of the connecting rod is hinged to the transmission member.

[0031] The base 1 is also provided with a limiting member 5 that can move back and forth in the left and right direction. After the limiting member 5 moves in the left and right direction, it can limit the vertical position of one of the two shaft parts 2a and release the vertical position of the other shaft part 2a.

[0032] Specifically, the limiting member 5 includes a cylindrical connecting bracket 5a horizontally inserted into the base 1 in the left-right direction, a left bracket 5b vertically fixed to the left end of the connecting bracket 5a, and a right bracket 5c vertically fixed to the right side of the connecting bracket 5a, making the limiting member 5 generally U-shaped. The right side of the top of the left bracket 5b and the left side of the top of the right bracket 5c each have a protruding limiting portion 5d. When the limiting member 5 moves horizontally in the left-right direction, the two limiting portions 5d can move to the upper side of the corresponding shaft portion 2a. In this embodiment, both limiting portions 5d are square rods, and both limiting portions 5d are inserted into the upper part of the base 1 in the left-right direction. A limiting drive member 9, which is a motor, is fixed on the base 1. The limiting drive member 9 is connected to the connecting bracket 5a to drive the entire limiting member 5 to move horizontally in the left-right direction.

[0033] In addition, the needle feeding device also includes a fixed base 6, a compensating drive 7, and a slider 8. A slide rail extending in the left-right direction is fixed on the fixed base 6. The slider 8 is disposed on the slide rail, and the aforementioned base 1 is fixed on the slider 8. The compensating drive 7 is a motor, which is fixed to the slider 8 and sleeved on the outside of a screw. Both ends of the screw are fixed to the fixed base 6. When the compensating drive 7 is working, it can move along the axial direction of the screw. Here, the cooperation between the compensating drive 7 and the screw is existing technology.

[0034] When installing the machine needle conveying device, the fixing base 6 can be connected to the conveyor belt or conveyor track, so that the machine needle conveying device can move along the conveying direction of the conveyor belt or conveyor track, and the top-open needle box for storing needles can be fixedly placed on the left and right sides of the conveyor belt or conveyor track.

[0035] like Figure 3 As shown, when placing the needle, the needle is placed in the storage slot 2c on the top of the flip cover 2, and the fixed seat 6 of the machine needle conveying device is conveyed along the conveyor belt or conveyor track to the position adjacent to the needle box where the needle needs to be placed.

[0036] When the compensation drive 7 is activated, it causes the slider 8 to move to the left. This causes the machine base 1, the limiting component 5, the flip cover 2, and other structures to move to the left to get closer to the needle box located on the left side, reducing the distance between them and preventing the needles from falling to the ground.

[0037] When the limiting drive 9 drives the limiting member 5 to move to the right, the limiting part 5d located on the left side moves through the base 1 to above the shaft part 2a on the lower side of the flip cover 2, where the position of the shaft part 2a is restricted by the base 1 below and the limiting part 5d above. At the same time, the limiting part 5d located on the right side moves away from above the shaft part 2a on the right side, releasing its vertical restriction.

[0038] The flipping drive 3 drives the first and second connecting rods to rotate, applying an upward force to the transmission rod 2b. The flip cover 2 is lifted up. Because the shaft part 2a on the lower left side of the flip cover 2 is limited, the right end of the flip cover 2 flips around the shaft part 2a on the left side. The needle placed in the storage slot 2c can slide to the left under its own weight until it falls into the needle box on the left side.

[0039] like Figure 4 Conversely, when the compensation drive 7 operates, it moves the slider 8 to the right, bringing it closer to the needle box on the right side. The limit drive 9 drives the limit member 5 to the left, and the limit part 5d limits the right shaft part 2a and releases the limit on the left shaft part 2a. The flip drive 3 can then apply force to make the left end of the flip cover 2 flip around the right shaft part 2a as the axis, tilting the needles into the needle box on the right side.

[0040] Example 2

[0041] like Figure 5 As shown, the technical solution of this embodiment is largely the same as that of Embodiment 1, except that the transmission structure 4 does not include the transmission rod 2b, but instead includes a vertically arranged rod-shaped top rod. The lower end of the top rod is connected to the flipping drive 3, and the top rod can rise under the drive of the flipping drive 3 and abut against the bottom of the flip cover 2. Here, the transmission connection between the top rod and the flipping drive 3 can be a conventional gear and rack structure.

[0042] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A needle feeding device, comprising a base (1), characterized in that, The needle feeding device also includes a flip cover (2) disposed above the base (1). The bottom of the flip cover (2) has two horizontally arranged rod-shaped shafts (2a). The two shafts (2a) are spaced apart in the left-right direction, and the axial direction of the two shafts (2a) is perpendicular to the distribution direction of the two shafts (2a). The two shafts (2a) abut against the upper part of the base (1). A flipping drive (3) is connected to the base (1). The flipping drive (3) and the flip cover (2) are connected together. A transmission structure (4) is connected between the bottoms, and the flipping drive (3) can act on the bottom of the flip cover (2) located between the two shafts (2a) through the transmission structure (4) and push the flip cover (2) upward. The base (1) is also provided with a limiting member (5) that can move back and forth in the left and right direction. After the limiting member (5) moves in the left and right direction, it can limit the vertical position of one of the two shafts (2a) and release the vertical position of the other shaft (2a).

2. The needle feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission structure (4) includes a rod-shaped transmission rod (2b), which is arranged parallel to the shaft (2a) and located between the two shafts (2a). The transmission rod (2b) is fixedly connected to or integrated with the flip cover (2).

3. The needle feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission structure (4) includes a vertically arranged rod-shaped top rod. The lower end of the top rod is connected to the flipping drive (3). The top rod can rise under the drive of the flipping drive (3) and abut against the bottom of the flip cover (2).

4. A needle feeding device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The upper part of the base (1) has two downward recessed limiting ports (1a), and the two shafts (2a) abut against the bottom surface of the two limiting ports (1a).

5. A needle feeding device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The limiting member (5) includes a connecting bracket (5a) that passes through the base (1) in the left-right direction, a left bracket (5b) fixed to the left side of the connecting bracket (5a), and a right bracket (5c) connected to the right side of the connecting bracket (5a). The right side of the top of the left bracket (5b) and the left side of the top of the right bracket (5c) both have protruding limiting parts (5d). When the limiting member (5) moves in the left-right direction, the two limiting parts (5d) can move to the upper side of the corresponding shaft part (2a) respectively.

6. The needle feeding device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Both of the limiting parts (5d) are rod-shaped, and the two limiting parts (5d) are respectively inserted into the base (1) in the left and right directions.

7. A needle feeding device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The needle feeding device also includes a fixed base (6), a compensation drive (7), and a slider (8) that can slide back and forth in the left and right direction on the fixed base (6) under the drive of the compensation drive (7), wherein the base (1) is fixed on the slider (8).

8. A needle feeding device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The top of the flip cover (2) has a recessed storage slot (2c).

9. A needle feeding device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, The base (1) is fixed with a limit drive (9), which can drive the limit (5) to move left and right.

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