Tape embroidery device and embroidery machine

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses a taping embroidery device and an embroidery machine. The device comprises a presser foot rotation driving mechanism for driving a presser foot sleeve to synchronously rotate along with the embroidery stitch direction. The device comprises a charging tray rotation driving mechanism for driving a charging tray shaft sleeve to rotate, and the charging tray shaft sleeve synchronously rotates relative to a presser foot sleeve during sawtooth embroidery operation. The device comprises a swing rod structure which is installed on a material disc shaft sleeve and provided with a first conveying piece. The device further comprises a feeding lifting driving mechanism which drives the feeding shaft sleeve to ascend and descend so as to drive the swing rod structure to swing, so that the first conveying piece swings on the left side and the right side of a path formed in the embroidery stitch direction, and sawtooth embroidery is completed. In this way, the swing rod structure is additionally arranged on the material disc shaft sleeve, swing of the conveying piece is achieved based on an existing feeding driving part, implementation is convenient, and mechanical abrasion caused by frequent rotation of the presser foot sleeve is reduced. And during alternate embroidering, another operation to be alternately executed is not influenced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One or more embodiments of this disclosure relate to the field of embroidery machine technology, and in particular to a ribbon embroidery device and an embroidery machine. Background Technology

[0002] In existing embroidery techniques, ribbons, cords, and other cord-like embroidery materials (which can be flat or cylindrical) are embroidered onto the embroidery fabric to create three-dimensional and decorative patterns. Typically, this embroidery is done using a ribbon embroidery device or a simple cord embroidery device.

[0003] CN113584749B, a prior art application, discloses a ribbon embroidery device and control method. This method involves controlling the presser foot sleeve to rotate in one direction by a certain angle, and then in the opposite direction by a certain angle. This causes the presser foot or nozzle mounted on the presser foot sleeve to rotate, which in turn drives the rope passing through the presser foot or nozzle to swing left and right along the path formed by the embroidery stitch. This binds the rope or ribbon to the embroidery material with the stitch formed between two needle points, achieving a zigzag embroidery operation. However, in application, it has been found that because the embroidery pattern has a certain shape, the stitch direction needs to change, requiring the presser foot sleeve and material tray to rotate in the same direction. Simultaneously, the presser foot sleeve also needs to rotate in both directions to coordinate with the zigzag embroidery operation, typically rotating 120 to 180 degrees, a relatively large range of motion. Frequent and large-amplitude rotation of the presser foot sleeve increases mechanical wear between the tubular structures. Furthermore, the frequent use of the presser foot sleeve places high demands on the precision of the various machine components. When the presser foot sleeve of the ribbon embroidery device is equipped with two conveyor components, at least one of which is used for zigzag embroidery, and the two trays each convey rope-like embroidery material to the two conveyor components for alternating embroidery, during the zigzag embroidery operation, one tray and one conveyor are supplying rope-like embroidery material for the zigzag embroidery operation, while the other tray and the other conveyor are in an inactive state, but the rope-like embroidery material is always threaded onto the other conveyor. Because the presser foot sleeve rotates frequently during this zigzag embroidery operation, the rope-like embroidery material threaded onto the inactive conveyor is easily loosened. During the embroidery process, the rope-like embroidery material may become entangled, the needle may pierce the rope-like embroidery material, or the rope-like embroidery material may be thrown off the conveyor, making continuous alternating embroidery impossible and requiring machine stoppage for adjustment, thus affecting embroidery efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] This disclosure describes one or more embodiments of a ribbon embroidery device or embroidery machine, which is intended to solve one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other potential problems.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a ribbon embroidery device. The device includes a presser foot rotation drive mechanism for driving the presser foot sleeve to rotate synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction. The device also includes a tray rotation drive mechanism for driving the tray sleeve to rotate. During zigzag embroidery operations, the tray sleeve rotates synchronously relative to the presser foot sleeve. The device includes a swing arm structure mounted on the tray sleeve, and a first conveying member is mounted thereon. Furthermore, the device includes a feeding lifting drive mechanism for driving the feeding sleeve, which is sleeved outside the tray sleeve, to lift and lower, thereby causing the swing arm structure to swing, causing the first conveying member to swing left and right on both sides of the path formed in the embroidery stitch direction, binding the ribbon-like embroidery material conveyed by the first conveying member to the embroidery material with stitches formed between two needle points.

[0006] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an embroidery machine. This embroidery machine includes the ribbon embroidery apparatus described in the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0007] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0008] Figure 1 A front view of the ribbon embroidery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown without the material tray installed;

[0009] Figure 2 A front view of the ribbon embroidery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure with a material tray attached is shown;

[0010] Figure 3 A side perspective view of the tape embroidery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown without the material tray.

[0011] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first conveyor and the second conveyor respectively mounted on the tray bushing and the pressure foot mounting component according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0012] Figure 5 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a feeder according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc., in the disclosure, claims, and accompanying drawings are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0015] As mentioned earlier, ribbon embroidery devices can use different embroidery techniques to embroider ribbon-like embroidery materials onto embroidery fabric. Embroidery techniques generally include ribbon embroidery (i.e., ribbon embroidery operation as referred to in this article), which mainly involves the machine needle sequentially piercing the ribbon-like embroidery material and the embroidery fabric, sewing the ribbon-like embroidery material onto the embroidery fabric to form a three-dimensional pattern. Embroidery techniques also include zigzag embroidery (i.e., zigzag embroidery operation as referred to in this article), also known as Z-embroidery. This mainly refers to the conveyor (e.g., nozzle, spout) that transports the ribbon-like embroidery material oscillating in a Z-shaped or sawtooth-shaped trajectory on both sides of the path formed in the stitch direction. In this way, the rotation of the tray frame and the oscillation of the conveyor (e.g., nozzle, spout) create an angular deviation, causing the ribbon-like embroidery material to be bound to the embroidery fabric by the stitches formed between the two needle points.

[0016] The material tray on the ribbon embroidery device needs to rotate in the direction of the embroidery stitches, conveying the rope-like embroidery material to either the zigzag embroidery conveyor (i.e., the first conveyor referred to in this text) or the ribbon embroidery conveyor (i.e., the second conveyor referred to in this text). The needle inserts into the embroidery material, and the embroidery thread embroiders the rope-like embroidery material onto the material using either zigzag or ribbon embroidery techniques. Continuous operation completes the corresponding embroidery work. During operation, the embroidery frame moves, positioning the needle above the next needle insertion point on the embroidery material. The needle inserts, forming a stitch at the insertion point. Continuing along the stitch direction, a line segment is formed between two stitches. This process is repeated, creating multiple line segments after completing multiple stitches along the stitch direction. The rope-like embroidery material bound by these multiple line segments forms a three-dimensional pattern on the embroidery material.

[0017] In the applicant's prior invention patent, the material tray and presser foot sleeve of the ribbon embroidery device rotate independently using their respective drive mechanisms, and the two rotate asynchronously, while the presser foot sleeve rotates in the direction of the embroidery stitch. When performing zigzag embroidery, the presser foot sleeve is first controlled to rotate a certain angle in one direction, causing the path of the ribbon-like embroidery material fed through the nozzle mounted on the presser foot sleeve to deviate from the path formed by the stitch direction. Then, the needle is controlled to insert into the embroidery material. Afterward, the presser foot sleeve is controlled to rotate a certain angle in the opposite direction, causing the path of the ribbon-like embroidery material to deviate from the stitch direction again. The needle is then controlled to insert into the embroidery material again, and the presser foot sleeve is controlled to rotate in the same manner until the zigzag embroidery is completed. In practical applications, during zigzag embroidery, the presser foot sleeve not only needs to rotate synchronously with the stitch direction in real time, but also needs to rotate in both directions to complete the zigzag embroidery, typically rotating 120 to 180 degrees, with a relatively large range of rotation. Frequent and significant rotation of the presser foot sleeve increases mechanical wear between tubular structures (e.g., between the presser foot sleeve and the tray bushing, and between the presser foot sleeve and the needle bar). While lubricating oil can be added between these tubular structures to alleviate wear, this requires frequent lubrication due to the presser foot sleeve's frequent use, and lubrication typically needs to be added during machine downtime, making the operation demanding. Excessive lubricating oil can leak from the tubular structures and contaminate the embroidery material. Furthermore, during alternating embroidery using a tape embroidery device, where different trays of cord-like embroidery material are alternately conveyed to different parts of the presser foot sleeve, there are issues that can hinder the smooth operation of alternating embroidery. Alternating embroidery requires different cord-like embroidery materials to be wound on two trays. These materials can be cord-like embroidery material for tape embroidery and cord-like embroidery material for zigzag embroidery, or both cord-like embroidery material for zigzag embroidery (which can be of different colors, materials, and shapes). Furthermore, two conveyor components need to be installed on the presser foot sleeve simultaneously, one for each material tray, to transport the ribbon-like embroidery material from the tray to the corresponding conveyor. During operation, both conveyor components are continuously threaded with ribbon-like embroidery material. When tray A and conveyor A work together in a sawtooth embroidery operation, tray B also rotates with the tray frame. The ribbon-like embroidery material between tray B and conveyor B is pulled, and with the frequent rotation of the presser foot sleeve, the ribbon-like embroidery material threaded on conveyor B is easily loosened. This may cause the ribbon-like embroidery material on conveyor B to become entangled after loosening, or it may even cause the ribbon-like embroidery material to fall off conveyor B. When switching to embroidery operations using tray B and conveyor B, or serrated embroidery operations, the rope-like embroidery material on conveyor B may become tangled. There may also be no rope-like embroidery material available for conveyor B. In either case, embroidery cannot continue, and the machine needs to be stopped for adjustment. The rope-like embroidery material needs to be straightened and threaded onto conveyor B before the machine can be restarted, which greatly reduces embroidery efficiency.In addition, it is possible that the rope-like embroidery material on conveyor B may become loose and interfere with the normal operation of the rope-like embroidery material on conveyor A. The rope-like embroidery material on conveyor A may become entangled or interfered with by the rope-like embroidery material on conveyor B, affecting the deflection angle. This could cause the needle to pierce the rope-like embroidery material during the sawtooth embroidery operation, affecting the quality of the embroidery.

[0018] To address this, the present invention further improves upon the prior art by adding a swing arm structure to the material tray bushing. A conveyor for zigzag embroidery is mounted on the swing arm structure, and the existing feeding bushing and feeding lifting drive mechanism are used to drive the swing structure to swing, thereby causing the conveyor for zigzag embroidery to swing. The lifting of the feeding bushing enables the swing arm structure to swing, which in turn causes the conveyor for zigzag embroidery to swing to the left and right sides of the path formed by the embroidery stitches, thus achieving zigzag embroidery.

[0019] In this way, the zigzag embroidery is achieved not by rotating the presser foot sleeve, but by driving the feed bushing to lift and lower, causing the conveyor to swing. Furthermore, the tray frame rotates synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction. This reduces mechanical wear caused by frequent presser foot sleeve rotation, as the presser foot sleeve only needs to rotate in the simple stitch direction. The oscillation drive for the conveyor is provided by the lifting drive of the feed bushing, eliminating the need for additional drive mechanisms and making full use of the installation space on the embroidery machine. Moreover, when applied to alternating embroidery, the tray and conveyor on one side, when used in conjunction with zigzag embroidery, will not loosen the rope-like embroidery material threaded on the conveyor on the other side, nor will it interfere with the current zigzag embroidery operation, nor will it affect subsequent embroidery operations on the other tray and conveyor.

[0020] Figure 1 The image shows a front view of the ribbon embroidery apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure without a material tray. Figure 1As shown, the ribbon embroidery device 100 includes a housing 10, a needle bar section, a presser foot section, and a material tray section (material tray frame not shown). The needle bar section includes a needle bar and a needle bar drive mechanism, with the needle bar vertically passing through the housing 10. The needle bar drive mechanism includes a cam and a linkage mechanism for driving the needle bar to move up and down. The presser foot section includes a presser foot mounting part 22, a presser foot sleeve 21, a presser foot lifting drive mechanism 50, and a presser foot rotation drive mechanism 20. The presser foot sleeve 21 is fitted over the needle bar, and the presser foot lifting drive mechanism 50 drives the presser foot sleeve 21 to move up and down along the needle bar. The presser foot rotation drive mechanism 20 drives the presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate. A conveyor for ribbon embroidery (i.e., the second conveyor referred to herein) is mounted on the presser foot mounting part 22, shown in the figure as a presser foot 23, but it can also be a nozzle, used to convey ribbon-like embroidery materials of different shapes. Depending on the embroidery requirements, the nozzle or presser foot can be attached to the presser foot mounting piece using bolts or other fasteners. Alternatively, the conveyor can be removed when not performing embroidery work.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, a tray sleeve 31 is provided outside the presser foot sleeve 21. This tray sleeve 31 is rotatably engaged with the machine housing 10 or the main beam of the embroidery machine. The tray rotation drive mechanism 30 of the tray section drives the tray sleeve 31 to rotate, thereby driving the tray frame mounted on the tray sleeve 31 to rotate. The tray frame includes a frame body and trays (one or more) mounted on the frame body. The tray frame is usually equipped with one or two trays. The trays convey rope-like embroidery material to the conveyor for ribbon embroidery. In some embodiments, during ribbon embroidery, the tray rotation drive mechanism 30 drives the tray frame and presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate asynchronously. The presser foot rotation drive mechanism 20 drives the presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate synchronously following the direction of the embroidery stitch. In some embodiments, during zigzag embroidery, the tray rotation drive mechanism 30 drives the tray frame and presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate synchronously. The presser foot rotation drive mechanism 20 drives the presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate synchronously in the direction of the embroidery stitch.

[0022] like Figure 1As shown, the disc embroidery device 100 also includes a feeding bushing 41 and a feeding lifting drive mechanism 40. The feeding bushing 41 is sleeved outside the material tray bushing 31. When the material tray rotation drive mechanism 40 drives the material tray bushing 31 to rotate, the feeding bushing 41 can rotate with the material tray bushing 31. The feeding lifting drive mechanism 40 is used to drive the feeding bushing 41 to move up and down along the material tray bushing 31. The feeding bushing 31 is used to drive the conveyor for sawtooth embroidery (i.e., the first conveyor 43 referred to in this document) to swing. It is shown in the figure as a nozzle 43, but it can also be a thread guide or other structure. In the figure, the conveyor 43 is mounted on the swing rod structure 42, which is mounted on the material tray bushing 31. The swing rod structure 42 is driven by the feeding bushing 41, so that when the feeding bushing 41 moves up and down, the swing rod structure 42 swings laterally around its swing fulcrum. In some embodiments, a feeding element 44 is installed on the feeding sleeve 41. This feeding element 44 is used for the rope-like embroidery material on the feeding tray to pass through or around, and then be fed into the conveyor. When the rope-like embroidery material passes through the feeding element 44 and is conveyed to the conveyor, the feeding lifting drive mechanism 40 drives the feeding sleeve to lift and lower, and drives the feeding element to lift and lower. During the lifting and lowering process, the rope-like embroidery material is pulled out and lowered. Thus, before the embroidery frame is moved, the rope-like embroidery material between the embroidery frame and the tray frame is no longer taut, and the rope-like embroidery material will not be excessively stretched and deformed when it moves with the embroidery frame. In one example, when the ribbon embroidery device 100 is performing ribbon embroidery operations, the feeding element 44 is set at the corresponding tray. The feeding element 44 can be set at another tray, or it can be omitted. In the above manner, the feeding lifting drive mechanism and the feeding bushing are not only used to drive the conveyor for sawtooth embroidery to swing, but also to drive the feeding component to lift and lower to realize the feeding function of pre-extracting and releasing rope-like embroidery materials between the embroidery frame and the material tray.

[0023] This structure allows the conveyor for zigzag embroidery to be mounted on the material tray bushing via a swing arm structure. The existing feeding lifting drive mechanism 40 and feeding bushing 41 are used to drive the zigzag embroidery conveyor, resulting in a simple and convenient system that requires no additional drive mechanism. Furthermore, when two material trays and two conveyors are installed on the material tray frame for alternating embroidery, the zigzag embroidery conveyor is swung by controlling the lifting of the feeding bushing. This prevents the rope-like embroidery material on the other conveyor from slipping off, ensuring a smooth switch when switching to another material tray and another conveyor for ribbon embroidery or zigzag embroidery operations, and allowing the work to continue according to the predetermined program.

[0024] Figure 2 A front view of a tapestry embroidery apparatus with a material tray 60 attached, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown. Figure 2As shown, the needle bar 70 vertically passes through the machine housing 10. A presser foot sleeve 21 is fitted over the needle bar 70, and a material tray bushing 31 is fitted over the presser foot sleeve 21. A feeding bushing 41 is fitted over the material tray bushing 31. The material tray 60 is mounted on the material tray bushing 31 via a frame. This tape embroidery device includes a presser foot rotation drive mechanism to drive the presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction. This presser foot rotation drive mechanism includes a presser foot rotation motor 201 mounted on the machine housing 10 and a presser foot rotation transmission structure 202. The presser foot rotation motor 201 drives the presser foot rotation transmission structure 202 to rotate the presser foot sleeve 21, which in turn causes the second conveyor 23 mounted on the presser foot sleeve 21 to rotate (the second conveyor 23 in the figure is the presser foot, mounted on the presser foot sleeve 21 via a presser foot mounting piece 22; other forms of second conveyor 23 for tape embroidery can also be used). The presser foot rotation transmission structure 202 can be implemented using a chain drive structure, a belt drive structure, etc. In some implementations, the presser foot rotation transmission structure 202 includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt sleeved between the driving wheel and the driven wheel. The driven wheel is keyed to a groove on the presser foot sleeve 22. When the presser foot rotation motor drives the driving wheel to rotate, it then drives the driven wheel to rotate via the transmission belt, which in turn drives the presser foot sleeve to rotate.

[0025] The embroidery device also includes a tray rotation drive mechanism for driving the tray bushing 31 to rotate. This tray rotation drive mechanism includes a tray rotation motor 301 and a tray rotation transmission structure 302. The tray rotation motor 301 drives the tray rotation transmission structure 302 to rotate the tray bushing 31, which in turn drives the tray 60 to rotate. The tray rotation transmission structure 302 can be implemented using a chain drive structure, belt drive structure, etc. In some embodiments, the tray rotation transmission structure 302 includes a driving wheel, a driven wheel, and a transmission belt. The driven wheel is sleeved on the tray bushing 31, and the transmission belt is sleeved between the driving wheel and the driven wheel. When the tray rotation motor 301 drives the driving wheel to rotate, it then drives the driven wheel to rotate via the transmission belt, which in turn drives the tray bushing 31 to rotate. In some embodiments, during zigzag embroidery operations, the tray rotation drive mechanism drives the tray bushing to rotate synchronously relative to the presser foot sleeve. This ensures that the swing plane maintains a stable angle with the path formed by the embroidery stitch direction at a certain angle, such as being relatively perpendicular (allowing for a certain degree of deflection error), with consistent left and right swing angles. During ribbon embroidery, the tray rotation drive mechanism drives the tray bushing to rotate asynchronously relative to the presser foot sleeve. In the asynchronous example, the tray bushing rotates slower than the presser foot sleeve, thus the tray rotates slower than the presser foot sleeve. The tray can control its rotation speed to be slower than the presser foot mounting speed while still meeting the required amount of embroidery thread. For example, the tray frame can be stopped rotating within a 30-degree range of the stitch, with only the presser foot mounting rotating. Another example is controlling the tray frame rotation speed to be lower than the presser foot mounting speed.

[0026] The embroidery device also includes a feeding lifting drive mechanism for driving the feeding sleeve 41 to rise and fall. This feeding lifting drive mechanism includes a feeding lifting motor 401, a feeding transmission structure 402, and a drive rod 403. The feeding lifting motor 401 drives the feeding transmission structure 402, which in turn drives the drive rod 403 to rise and fall. The end of the drive rod 403 is connected to the feeding sleeve 31. When the drive rod 403 rises, the feeding sleeve 31 rises accordingly; when the drive rod 403 falls, the feeding sleeve 31 falls accordingly. In some embodiments, the feeding transmission structure includes a transmission component and a drive block mounted on the housing 10. The transmission component uses a pulley or sprocket or similar transmission element. The drive block is not only clamped onto the transmission component but also connected to the drive rod 403. When the drive block moves up and down under the transmission of the transmission component, it correspondingly drives the drive rod 403 to move up and down. The end of the drive rod 403 is engaged in a fork-like structure within an annular groove on the feed sleeve 41. The up-and-down movement of the drive rod causes the feed sleeve 41 to move up and down. A feeder 44 is mounted on the feed sleeve 41. In some examples, the feeder is used to feed the ribbon-like embroidery material output from the material tray into the lower second conveyor 23 (see the dotted line trace on the right side of the figure). The second conveyor 23 is used to assist in ribbon embroidery operations. The feeder 44 rises and falls along with the feed sleeve 41 when it is driven to move, allowing a portion of the ribbon-like embroidery material to be pulled out before the embroidery frame moves, preventing excessive tension between the material tray and the second conveyor during frame movement and thus affecting the quality of the embroidery pattern. In another example, the feeder can also act as a fulcrum, allowing the ribbon-like embroidery material output from the material tray to be fed downwards into the second conveyor 23 after passing over it.

[0027] The ribbon embroidery device also includes a swing arm structure 42, mounted on the material tray bushing 31, and equipped with a first conveyor 43 (in the figure, the first conveyor 43 is a nozzle; it can also be other forms of first conveyor for zigzag embroidery). The first conveyor 43 is used to cooperate with zigzag embroidery operations. The swing arm structure 42 is also connected to the feeding bushing 41, and swings under the lifting drive of the feeding bushing 41, causing the first conveyor to swing left and right on both sides of the path formed in the direction of the embroidery stitch, binding the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the first conveyor to the embroidery material by the stitch formed between the two needle points. In this way, the feeding lifting drive mechanism can not only drive the feeding component 44 to achieve the feeding function, but also drive the swing arm structure to swing, so that there is no need to add other drive mechanisms to the existing ribbon embroidery machine, and it does not occupy installation space. Furthermore, the zigzag embroidery operation, which previously required the presser foot sleeve to rotate, is now transformed into a swing-type zigzag embroidery operation achieved by a feeding drive mechanism, feeding bushing, and swing rod structure. This not only simplifies the operation of the presser foot sleeve and reduces mechanical wear caused by frequent rotation, but also prevents the cord-like embroidery material required for alternating embroidery from being loosened from the other side conveyor due to frequent rotation of the presser foot sleeve. This would prevent the cord-like embroidery material from piercing the current zigzag embroidery operation, affecting the quality of the embroidery, and also prevent the alternating embroidery operation from being interrupted. In some embodiments, the cord-like embroidery material on the tray is directly conveyed to the first conveyor 43 (see the conveyor trajectory of the horizontal dotted line on the left side of the figure). In other embodiments, the cord-like embroidery material on the tray can be conveyed to the first conveyor 43 after passing through or around the feeding member 44 (this trajectory is not shown in the figure, but can be referred to the conveyor trajectory on the right side).

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, the embroidery device also includes a presser foot lifting drive mechanism, used to drive the presser foot sleeve 21 to move up and down along the needle bar 70. This presser foot lifting drive mechanism includes a presser foot lifting motor 501, a presser foot transmission structure 502, and a presser foot connector 503. In some embodiments, the presser foot transmission structure 502 includes a transmission assembly and a drive block. The transmission assembly can be implemented using a pulley or sprocket, and the drive block is not only clamped on the transmission assembly but also sleeved on the drive rod 403. The presser foot connector 503 is sleeved on the drive rod 403 and has a fork-shaped component that engages in an annular groove on the presser foot sleeve 21. The presser foot lifting motor 501 drives the transmission assembly, which in turn drives the drive block to move up and down, while the drive block simultaneously moves up and down along the drive rod 403. Since the drive block and the pressure foot connector are alternately sleeved on the drive rod 403, when the drive rod moves upward, it drives the pressure foot connector to rise along the drive rod, which in turn drives the pressure foot sleeve 21 to rise. When the drive rod 403 moves downward, it drives the pressure foot connector to fall along the drive rod 403, which in turn drives the pressure foot sleeve 21 to fall.

[0029] Figure 3 A side perspective view of the embroidery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown without the material tray. Figure 3 The presser foot rotation drive mechanism 20, the material tray rotation drive mechanism 30, and the feeding lifting drive mechanism 40, all mounted on the housing 10 of the disc embroidery device, are shown. Figure 3 The diagram also shows the structure of the first conveyor 43 and the second conveyor 23 each mounted below the portion extending from the housing 10. This rocker arm structure is connected to the feeding sleeve 41 via a connecting rod 45. The rocker arm structure includes a swing fulcrum 422 mounted on the material tray sleeve, a mounting portion 423 for mounting the first conveyor 43, and a driving portion 421 for connecting to the connecting rod 45. When the feeding sleeve 41 is driven upward by the feeding lifting drive mechanism 40, the connecting rod 45 moves upward, subsequently causing the driving portion 421 of the rocker arm structure to move upward, and the rocker arm structure swings about the swing fulcrum 422. Correspondingly, the mounting portion 423 swings clockwise in the diagram. When the feeding sleeve 41 is driven downward by the feeding lifting drive mechanism 40, the connecting rod 45 moves downward, subsequently causing the driving portion 421 of the rocker arm structure to move downward, and the rocker arm structure swings about the swing fulcrum 422. Correspondingly, the mounting portion 423 swings counterclockwise in the diagram. In some examples, the oscillating fulcrum 422 can be directly mounted on the tray bushing. In some examples, the oscillating fulcrum 422 can be mounted on the tray bushing 31 via a connector 424.

[0030] Figure 4A schematic diagram of the structure of a first conveyor 23 and a second conveyor 43, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, respectively mounted on a tray sleeve 31 and a pressure foot mounting member 22 is shown. The diagram shows a pressure foot sleeve 21, a tray sleeve 31 located outside the pressure foot sleeve 21, and a feeding sleeve 41 located outside the tray sleeve 31. A rocker arm structure is mounted on the tray sleeve 31. The rocker arm structure's swing fulcrum portion 422 is connected to the tray sleeve 31 via a connector 424, and the rocker arm structure's mounting portion 423 is connected to the swing fulcrum portion 422 and also connected to the first conveyor 43. The driving portion 421 of the rocker arm structure is connected to a connecting rod 45, which is fixed to the feeding sleeve 41 and is driven to rise and fall by the feeding sleeve. In some embodiments, the connecting rod 45 has an open annular portion, and the end of the driving portion 421 of the rocker arm structure is accommodated within the open annular portion, for example, a ball bearing engaged within the open annular portion. Thus, the lifting of the connecting rod 45 can drive the lifting of the driving part of the swing arm structure. Furthermore, the presser foot sleeve 21 in the figure is equipped with a second conveyor 23 via the presser foot mounting part 22. In some embodiments, two material trays are provided. During alternating embroidery, one tray corresponds to the first conveyor for sawtooth embroidery operations, and the other tray corresponds to the second conveyor for ribbon embroidery operations. The first and second conveyors are arranged opposite to each other. During ribbon embroidery operations, a feeding component 44 is also provided on the feeding bushing 41. Rope-like embroidery material is fed from above the feeding component 44 and conveyed downwards to the second conveyor, so that even when the material tray and presser foot sleeve are operating at different times (e.g., 1000~1500 r / s), the rope-like embroidery material can be partially extracted from the material tray by the lifting of the feeding component before the embroidery frame is moved, thanks to the different lifting of the feeding component. When performing zigzag embroidery, another feeding component can be installed on the feeding bushing on the side where the second conveyor is located. The material passes through the top of the first feeding component and is conveyed downwards to the second conveyor. With the presser foot sleeve and the material tray operating synchronously (e.g., at 700~1000 r / s), the second conveyor swings via the feeding bushing, and simultaneously, the material can be raised and lowered in front of the moving embroidery frame to extract a section of the rope-like embroidery material from the material tray. Alternatively, the feeding bushing on the side where the second conveyor is located can be left uninstalled, or the feeding component can be installed but not used, and the rope-like embroidery material on the material tray can be directly conveyed to the first conveyor. In this way, the second conveyor swings via the feeding bushing.

[0031] In some implementations, a ribbon embroidery device is used for zigzag embroidery. A first conveyor 43 is mounted on a material tray sleeve via a swing arm structure 42. A feeding sleeve 41 is connected to the swing arm structure 42, and when the feeding sleeve moves up and down, it can cause the swing arm structure 42 to swing. In one example, the ribbon embroidery device performs zigzag embroidery. During zigzag embroidery, the controller of the ribbon embroidery device controls the presser foot sleeve to rotate synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction, controls the material tray sleeve to rotate synchronously relative to the presser foot sleeve, and controls the feeding sleeve to move up and down to cause the first conveyor to swing left and right on the path formed in the embroidery stitch direction, binding the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the first conveyor to the embroidery material with stitches between two needle points.

[0032] In some implementations, a ribbon embroidery device is used for ribbon embroidery. A second conveyor 23 is mounted on a presser foot sleeve 21 via a presser foot mount 22. A feed bushing 41 is used to mount a feeder 44 for releasing and releasing thread from the corresponding tape tray during ribbon embroidery. In one example, the ribbon embroidery device performs ribbon embroidery by controlling the presser foot sleeve to rotate synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction, controlling the tape tray to rotate asynchronously relative to the second conveyor mounted on the presser foot sleeve, and controlling the feeder to rise and fall to extract a section of the ribbon-like embroidery material from the tape tray on the second conveyor before moving the embroidery frame.

[0033] In some implementations, a ribbon embroidery device is used to perform alternating ribbon embroidery and zigzag embroidery. For example... Figure 2As shown, the first conveyor 43 and the second conveyor 23 are assembled on the ribbon embroidery device. The first conveyor 43 is mounted on the material tray sleeve 31 via the swing arm structure 42, and the second conveyor 23 is mounted on the presser foot sleeve 21 via the presser foot mounting part 22. When the ribbon embroidery device has two material trays, the first conveyor 43 and the second conveyor 23 are generally mounted opposite each other on both sides of the needle bar, corresponding to their respective material trays. The feeding sleeve 41 is used to mount a feeding component 44, which is used to release and withdraw the rope-like embroidery material fed to its corresponding material tray during ribbon embroidery operations. The feeding sleeve 41 is also connected to the swing arm structure 42. When the feeding sleeve 41 moves up and down, it can drive the feeding component 44 to move up and down, and it can also drive the swing arm structure 42 to swing. In one example, the ribbon embroidery device performs a zigzag embroidery operation. During the zigzag embroidery operation, the presser foot sleeve is controlled to rotate synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction, the material tray sleeve is controlled to rotate synchronously relative to the presser foot sleeve, and the feed sleeve is controlled to rise and fall to cause the first conveyor to swing left and right on both sides of the path formed in the embroidery stitch direction, binding the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the first conveyor to the embroidery material with the stitches between two stitch points. The ribbon embroidery device also performs a ribbon embroidery operation. During the ribbon embroidery operation, the presser foot sleeve is controlled to rotate synchronously with the embroidery stitch direction, the material tray is controlled to rotate asynchronously relative to the second conveyor mounted on the presser foot sleeve, and the feed sleeve is controlled to rise and fall to remove a section of the rope-like embroidery material from the material tray on the second conveyor before moving the embroidery frame. During this process, when the ribbon embroidery device determines that it needs to switch from ribbon embroidery to zigzag embroidery, or vice versa, it controls the material tray sleeve and the presser foot sleeve to rotate 180 degrees in the same direction. Figure 2 For example, the left tray and the first conveyor 43 are used to cooperate with the sawtooth embroidery operation, while the right tray and the second conveyor 43 are used to cooperate with the ribbon embroidery operation. When it is determined to switch from sawtooth embroidery operation to ribbon embroidery operation, the left tray and the first conveyor 43 were originally in the working position. When switching to ribbon embroidery, it is necessary to rotate the tray bushing and the presser foot sleeve so that the right tray and the second conveyor 23 rotate to the working position.

[0034] In some implementations, a ribbon embroidery device is used for alternating zigzag embroidery operations. Two first conveyors are mounted on the tray bushing 31 via their respective swing arm structures 42, and are installed on both sides of the tray bushing corresponding to their respective trays (different trays convey rope-like embroidery materials of different colors or shapes). The feed bushing 41 is connected to the swing arm structure 42. When the feed bushing 41 moves up and down, it can drive the swing arm structure 42 to swing. In one example, the ribbon embroidery device performs two types of zigzag embroidery operations. When it is determined that the preceding zigzag embroidery operation requires the cooperation of the tray and conveyor on one side, the tray and conveyor on that side are configured to complete the zigzag embroidery operation. When it is determined that the subsequent zigzag embroidery operation requires the cooperation of the tray and conveyor on the other side, the tray bushing and presser foot sleeve are controlled to rotate 180 degrees in the same direction, turning the tray and first conveyor on the other side to the working position.

[0035] In some implementations, a ribbon embroidery device is used for alternating ribbon embroidery operations. Two second conveyors are mounted on either side of the presser foot mount 22, corresponding to their respective trays (different trays convey ribbon-like embroidery materials of different colors or shapes). Two feeders 44 are mounted on the feed bushing 41 for releasing and releasing the ribbon-like embroidery material fed to their corresponding trays during ribbon embroidery operations. In one example, the ribbon embroidery device performs two ribbon embroidery operations. When it is determined that the preceding ribbon embroidery operation requires the cooperation of one side's tray and conveyor, the ribbon embroidery operation is completed by configuring the tray and conveyor on that side. When it is determined that the subsequent ribbon embroidery operation requires the cooperation of the other side's tray and conveyor, the tray bushing and presser foot sleeve are controlled to rotate 180 degrees in the same direction, rotating the other side's tray and the first conveyor to the work position.

[0036] The zigzag embroidery process under one or more of the above embodiments includes controlling the feed sleeve to rise or fall while controlling the presser foot sleeve and the material tray to rotate in the direction of the embroidery stitch. This causes the first conveyor to swing to one side of the path formed in the direction of the embroidery stitch before the needle pierces the embroidery material. The zigzag embroidery process also includes controlling the feed sleeve to fall or rise, causing the first conveyor to swing to the other side of the path formed in the direction of the embroidery stitch after the needle pierces the embroidery material and before the needle pierces the embroidery material again. Controlling the feed sleeve to rise and fall in the above manner causes the first conveyor to swing to the left and right sides of the path formed in the direction of the embroidery stitch, binding the rope-like embroidery material to the embroidery material with the stitch formed between two needle points, until the zigzag embroidery strip is completed. Here, the path refers to the line connecting two needle points. After a needle point is formed, there is a stitch between two adjacent needle points. The two needle points can be two adjacent needle points. In one example, the feed sleeve rises, the first conveyor swings to one side, and a needle is inserted at the first needle point, forming the first stitch point. Then the feed sleeve descends, and the first conveyor swings to the other side, inserting a needle at the second needle point, forming the second stitch point. A stitch is formed between the first and second stitch points, and this stitch binds the cord-like embroidery material to the fabric. The two needle points can also be two spaced-apart needle points, with other needle points between them. These other needle points refer to the needle points where the first conveyor is stationary and not swinging. In another example, the feed sleeve rises, the first conveyor swings to one side, and a needle is inserted at the first needle point, forming the first stitch point. Then the feed sleeve maintains its current height, the first conveyor remains at the previous swing angle, inserts a needle at the second needle point, forming the second stitch point. Then the feed sleeve descends, and the first conveyor swings to the other side, inserting a needle at the third needle point, forming the third stitch point. A stitch is formed between the first and second stitches, and another stitch is formed between the second and third stitches. This stitch between the second and third stitches binds the rope-like embroidery material to the fabric. Depending on the embroidery needs, it can be done with multiple stitches, not just one. In another example, the zigzag stitch combines both of these methods.

[0037] The ribbon embroidery process under one or more of the above embodiments includes controlling the presser foot sleeve to rotate in the direction of the random needle stitch, controlling the needle to lower, the embroidery thread to sequentially pierce the rope-like embroidery material and the embroidery fabric on the second conveyor, and controlling the needle to lift away from the embroidery fabric to form a stitch. This process of repeatedly controlling the needle to lower and lift fixes the rope-like embroidery material onto the embroidery fabric to form a stitch, until the ribbon embroidery is completed. The two needle points can be two adjacent needle points. In one example, the needle lowers at the first needle point, locking the rope-like embroidery material onto the embroidery fabric, forming the first stitch point. Then, the needle lowers at the second needle point, locking the rope-like embroidery material onto the embroidery fabric, forming the second stitch point. A stitch is formed between the first and second stitch points. The two needle points can also be two spaced-apart needle points, with other needle points between them. These other needle points refer to needle points where the needle directly pierces the embroidery fabric. In one example, the needle enters at the first needle point, locking the ribbon-like embroidery material onto the fabric, forming the first stitch point. The needle then enters at the second needle point, directly penetrating the fabric, forming the second stitch point. The needle then enters at the third needle point, locking the ribbon-like embroidery material onto the fabric, forming the third stitch point. A stitch is formed between the first and second stitch points, and between the second and third stitch points. Depending on the embroidery requirements, this can be done with multiple stitches, not just one. In another example, the ribbon embroidery operation combines both of these examples. In some implementations, reciprocatingly controlling the needle's entry and exit to secure the ribbon-like embroidery material onto the fabric to form a stitch includes controlling the needle to penetrate the fabric to lock the ribbon-like embroidery material on the second conveyor onto the fabric. The reciprocating process also includes controlling the feeder to rise to pull out the ribbon-like embroidery material from the tray. The reciprocating process also includes controlling the needle to rise away from the embroidery material. The reciprocating process also includes controlling the feeder to descend to lower the ribbon-like embroidery material pulled from the tray. The reciprocating process also includes controlling the embroidery frame to move the ribbon-like embroidery material after it has been lowered or during its lowering. Furthermore, the reciprocating process includes controlling the needle to re-insert into the embroidery material, repeating the above process until the ribbon embroidery is complete.

[0038] Figure 5 A perspective structural schematic diagram of the feeder 44 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the feeding component can be a circular ring (such as...). Figure 5(As shown) or an arc-shaped ring (referring to an unclosed ring, such as a three-quarter circle or a semi-circular arc-shaped ring). In this way, cord-like embroidery material can enter the feeding device in any direction along the circumference of the ring surface, adapting to the rotation of the feeding tray, allowing the cord-like embroidery material to enter from all directions as the tray rotates. Simultaneously, the ring surface can guide the smooth movement of the cord-like embroidery material.

[0039] In some embodiments, the ring has an arc-shaped concave surface 441 at the feed inlet, and this arc-shaped concave surface is horizontally downward. For example... Figure 5 As shown, cord-like embroidery material generally enters from the top of the ring and exits from the bottom, then is conveyed to the first or second conveyor below. The top entry point is the feed inlet, and the bottom exit point is the discharge outlet. The end face of the feed inlet of the ring is an arc-shaped end face, which extends downwards towards the center of the feed inlet, causing the diameter of the feed inlet to gradually decrease, forming an overall concave shape, defined as an arc-shaped concave surface in this embodiment. In this way, cord-like embroidery material (such as flat cords or ribbons) of a certain width can enter from the arc-shaped concave surface at the feed inlet. The arc-shaped concave surface facilitates the smooth entry and flattening of the cord-like embroidery material, while simultaneously guiding it downwards into the first or second conveyor along the direction of the arc-shaped concave surface (mainly horizontally downwards). In some examples, the cord-like embroidery material can enter the ring at an angle and exit vertically from the ring, then pass through the first or second conveyor.

[0040] In some embodiments, the concave surface of the ring is oriented towards the corresponding tray on the tray frame. This facilitates guiding the ribbon-like embroidery material into and out of the first or second conveyor. In one example, the ring can be mounted vertically on the ribbon embroidery device. For example, the inlet and outlet of the ring are aligned on the same vertical line. In another example, the ring can be mounted at an angle on the ribbon embroidery device. For example, the inlet is positioned near the tray on the same side, and the outlet is positioned near the center of rotation of the tray.

[0041] The feed element 44 is mounted on the feed bushing via a mounting member. The mounting member can be a mounting plate, fixed to the feed bushing, for example, it can be fixed to the outside of the feed bushing or to the inside of the feed bushing. In some embodiments, the mounting member also has a mounting hole, allowing the feed element 44 to be fitted into the mounting hole. The feed element 44 can mate with the mounting hole without relative rotation. In some embodiments, the mounting member can also be welded to the feed element, or threaded, or screwed in place. In some implementations, the mounting member 44 can be used to tilt the feed element 44 (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 4 In this way, the concave surface of the feeder can face the tray. In one example, the mounting member can be an obtuse-angle connector or other types of connectors. In some embodiments, the mounting member can vertically assemble the feeder; the mounting member can be a right-angle connector or other types of connectors.

[0042] exist Figure 5 In this example, the feeder has a certain thickness, which helps guide the rope-like embroidery material out in a flattened state. In other examples, the feeder can be a thin, ring-shaped piece. Figure 5 In the example shown, the feeding component includes an upper ring portion and a lower ring portion, with the outer diameter of the upper ring portion being larger than the outer diameter of the lower ring portion. In some embodiments, the feeding component may also be a ring component with other structural forms, such as a cylindrical ring component formed by upper and lower ring portions having equal outer diameters.

[0043] This disclosure presents an embodiment that replaces the feeding frame of the prior invention patent with a simple feeding component. When the feeding component is installed on the ribbon embroidery device, it can pull the ribbon-like embroidery material from the material tray and feed it into the feeding component. The feeding component can also output the flattened ribbon material to the first or second conveyor, ensuring that the ribbon material locked by the embroidery thread is smooth and the embroidery quality is high.

[0044] Embodiments of this disclosure provide an embroidery machine. The embroidery machine includes the ribbon embroidery device described in one or more of the above embodiments. In one example, the embroidery machine includes an embroidery frame and a plurality of embroidery machine heads. The plurality of embroidery machine heads includes a plurality of flat embroidery device heads and a plurality of ribbon embroidery device heads. The ribbon embroidery device can employ... Figure 1 The illustrated ribbon embroidery device 100 comprises multiple embroidery heads (flat embroidery devices) that are synchronously moved by needle bars driven by a main shaft. The main shaft is also connected to a camshaft on the ribbon embroidery device, which in turn drives the cam and linkage mechanism to move the needle bars on the ribbon embroidery device. When the ribbon embroidery device and the flat embroidery device are mounted on a single computerized embroidery machine, mechanical wear and thread loosening problems caused by the ribbon embroidery device moving with the flat embroidery device during operation are avoided. The ribbon embroidery device also includes a separation mechanism, allowing it to disengage from the main shaft and stop rotating during flat embroidery operations.

[0045] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Any modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of this disclosure without departing from the spirit of this disclosure shall fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A device for ribbon embroidery, characterized in that, include: The presser foot rotation drive mechanism is used to drive the presser foot sleeve to rotate synchronously with the direction of the embroidery stitch; The material tray rotation drive mechanism is used to drive the material tray bushing to rotate; During the sawtooth embroidery operation, the material tray bushing rotates synchronously relative to the presser foot sleeve; A swing arm structure is mounted on the material tray bushing and is equipped with a first conveying component; The feeding lifting drive mechanism is used to drive the feeding bushing sleeve, which is sleeved outside the material tray bushing, to lift and lower, so as to drive the swing arm structure to swing, so that the first conveying component swings on the left and right sides of the path formed in the direction of the embroidery stitch, and the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the first conveying component is bound to the embroidery material by the stitch formed between the two needle points.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The swing arm structure is connected to the feeding bushing via a connecting rod; the swing arm structure has a swing fulcrum portion mounted on the material tray bushing, a mounting portion for mounting the first conveying component, and a driving portion for connecting with the connecting rod; the connecting rod rises and falls with the feeding bushing, and the driving portion also rises and falls accordingly, and then, with the swing fulcrum portion as the fulcrum, the first conveying component swings to the left and right sides of the path formed in the direction of the embroidery stitch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The swing fulcrum is connected to the material tray bushing via a connector.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that, It also includes a second conveyor installed on the presser foot sleeve; the feeding lifting drive mechanism is also used to drive the feeding bushing to move up and down during the embroidery operation, so as to drive the feeding component installed on the feeding bushing to move up and down, thereby pulling a section of the rope-like embroidery material on the second conveyor from the material tray; the material tray rotation drive mechanism is also used to drive the material tray bushing to rotate asynchronously relative to the presser foot bushing during the embroidery operation.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feeding component is a circular ring or an arc-shaped ring.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The ring has an arc-shaped concave surface at the feed inlet, and the arc-shaped concave surface is horizontally downward.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The arc-shaped concave surface of the ring is positioned facing the material tray.

8. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first conveyor and the second conveyor are respectively set for different material trays and are respectively set on both sides of the needle bar.

9. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, There is one feeding component, which is configured corresponding to the second conveyor component. The feeding component is used to feed the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the feeding tray around or through the second conveyor component; or, there are two feeding components, which are respectively configured on both sides of the feeding bushing corresponding to the first conveyor component and the second conveyor component. The feeding component configured corresponding to the first conveyor component is used to feed the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the feeding tray around or through the first conveyor component, and the feeding component configured corresponding to the second conveyor component is used to feed the rope-like embroidery material conveyed by the feeding tray around or through the second conveyor component.

10. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The feeding lifting drive mechanism includes a feeding lifting drive motor, a feeding transmission structure, and a drive rod. The drive rod is connected to the feeding bushing. The feeding lifting drive motor is sequentially connected to the feeding transmission structure and the drive rod, thereby driving the feeding bushing to move up and down.

11. An embroidery machine, characterized in that, Includes the ribbon embroidery device as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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