Work piece holder for a sewing machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a work piece holder (17) for a sewing machine, which work piece holder has a holding frame (33) relative to which a work piece (34) to be sewn is fixed. The holding frame (33) has a plurality of holding-frame sections (36 to 39) which are hinged together via a section hinge (40). In this way, a work piece holder is formed which can also be loaded when it exceeds, in terms of its dimensions to be loaded, a working range that can be reached by an operator.

Description

[0001] Sewing material holder for a sewing machine

[0002] This patent application claims priority from German patent application DE 10 2022 206 250.7, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] The invention relates to a fabric holder for a sewing machine. Furthermore, the invention relates to a fabric holder storage device comprising at least one such fabric holder.

[0004] Fabric holders for sewing machines are well known on the market. DE 199 53 930 A1 discloses an automatic sewing machine. DE 42 04 756 A1 discloses a method for the continuous or section-by-section spatial separation of stacks of textile fabrics and the surrounding waste. DE 10 2009 038 602 A1 discloses a sewing machine. DE 20 2007 016 849 A1 discloses a sewing device with a movable textile carrier. WO 2021 / 204461 A1 discloses a manipulation device for material webs to be sewn using a sewing machine.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to further develop a sewing material holder in such a way that it is possible to load the sewing material holder even if the dimensions to be loaded exceed a working area that can be reached by an operator.

[0006] This object is achieved according to the invention by a material holder having the features specified in claim 1. According to the invention, it was recognized that it is possible to divide a material holder into several holding frame sections without this leading to undesirable losses in stability of the material holder for the sewing process. The material can be secured to the material holder by friction and / or by securing elements provided on the material holder. Tensioning elements and / or clamping elements can be used as securing elements. The material holder has at least two holding frame sections. Depending on the design, the material holder can also have three, four, five or more holding frame sections. The material holder usually has a maximum of 20 holding frame sections.The depth of the material holder in a direction perpendicular to the joint axes of the sectional joints can be at least 1 m, at least 1.5 m, at least 2 m, at least 2.5 m and up to 3 m. Typically, such a depth of extension is a maximum of 10 m. The depth of the holding frame sections is selected depending on the overall depth of the material holder. The maximum depth of one of the holding frame sections can be, for example, 800 mm, 750 mm or even 700 mm. Typically, such a depth of extension is greater than 400 mm. A pivot point of the section joints can be in or near a neutral fiber of the material. The section joints can be part of the holding frame sections, i.e. part of the holding frame. Alternatively, the section joints can also be components of the material holder that are independent of the holding frame sections.The fabric, which is secured relative to the holding frame, can be completely enclosed by the holding frame. The holding frame sections represent sections of the holding frame that can be combined to form the entire holding frame. A holding base according to claim 2 facilitates loading the fabric holder with fabric. The holding base has regular recesses where the fabric is to be sewn.

[0007] A frame strip according to claim 3 has proven itself in practice. The frame strip extends at least partially around the entire support frame. The frame strip can extend around the entire support frame. Each of the support frame sections can have a section of the frame strip.

[0008] A subdivision according to claim 4 makes it possible to reinforce the material holder with a frame strip even where the holding frame sections adjoin one another.

[0009] Guide bodies according to claim 5 facilitate guidance of a movement of the material holder during unloading and / or loading of the material holder with the material.

[0010] A further aspect of the invention is to provide a sewing material holder storage device in which corresponding sewing material holders can be used.

[0011] This object is achieved according to the invention by a sewing material holder storage device having the features specified in claim 6.

[0012] A guide slot on the workpiece holder storage device makes it possible to redirect even workpiece holders with a great depth for unloading and loading, so that the holding frame section to be unloaded or loaded is easily accessible without collisions with holding frame sections that are not being unloaded or loaded. At least one of the holding frame sections can be tilted by more than 90°, more than 150°, or even almost 180°, so that during the unloading or loading process, the holding frame sections are tilted relative to each other in a U-shape. This saves space.

[0013] The design of a guide link according to claim 7 is stable and allows good access to the holding frame sections of the material holder for unloading and / or loading.

[0014] An embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0015] Fig. 1 Perspective view of a gantry sewing system for sewing material in a sewing work area with a width of more than 1 m including a tiered lifting table for receiving a plurality of sectional sewing material holders, which in turn serve to fix the sewing material to be sewn;

[0016] Fig. 2 is a front view of the sewing machine according to viewing direction II in Fig. 1;

[0017] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a sectional fabric holder that can be used in the sewing system according to Fig. 1, in a starting position also shown in Fig. 1, with already sewn fabric being secured to the fabric holder in the form of a belt net, and also showing two guide jaws of a guide slot for guiding a deflection movement of the fabric holder starting from the starting position; Fig. 4 shows a side view according to viewing direction IV in Fig. 3;

[0018] Fig. 5 to 8 instantaneous positions of the sectional material holder during the deflection movement in the guide direction of the guide link, wherein in each of the instantaneous positions a removal of the material is possible from the holding frame section of the material holder facing an operator;

[0019] Fig. 9 in a representation similar to Fig. 4 of a side view from viewing direction IX in Fig. 8 with the sewing material holder deflected to the maximum;

[0020] Fig. 10 a portal frame of the portal sewing machine with a sewing head with upper stitch forming tools and two sewing lower parts, each with lower stitch forming tools, which can be used optionally in conjunction with the sewing head, wherein the two sewing lower parts and also the sewing head are each shown in a marginal parking position;

[0021] Fig. 11 is a front view of the portal frame according to Fig. 10, wherein one of the two sewing lower parts is in the park position, wherein the other sewing lower part is shown together with the sewing upper part in a sewing position cooperating for stitch formation;

[0022] Fig. 12 shows a complementary situation to Fig. 11 in a representation similar to Fig. 11, but now showing the other sewing lower part in the parked position; Fig. 13 shows the main components of the gantry sewing system according to Fig. 1, namely the gantry frame with the sewing upper part and the two sewing lower parts, the main components of a tiered lifting table with two sewing material holders arranged on table tops arranged one above the other in tiers, and a work plate of the sewing system for supporting the sewing material to be sewn in the sewing material holder, as well as a sewing material holder gripping device for transferring the respective sewing material holder from a storage position to a sewing position;

[0023] Fig. 14 shows the tiered lifting table without the sewing material holders from a perspective corresponding to Fig. 13;

[0024] Fig. 15 a side view of the tiered lifting table from the direction of view XV in Fig. 14;

[0025] Fig. 16 also in a side view like Fig. 15, the tiered lifting table with two placed sewing material holders, each in a sewing material holder position on one of the two table tops of the tiered lifting table;

[0026] Fig. 17 is a plan view of the tiered lifting table from the viewing direction XVII in Fig. 16, wherein pairs of roller conveyors are shown in a retracted plate position in which the two roller conveyors of the respective pair of roller conveyors are each assigned to one of the table plates of the tiered lifting table;

[0027] Fig. 18 in a representation similar to Fig. 17, the tiered lifting table with the roller conveyors of the roller conveyor pairs extended compared to Fig. 17, so that a distance between the roller conveyors of the respective roller conveyor pair is increased compared to Fig. 17;

[0028] Fig. 19 a side view of the portal frame and the tiered lifting table in the arrangement according to Fig. 13, seen from viewing direction XIX;

[0029] Fig. 20 to 39 in representations corresponding to that of Fig. 19 instantaneous positions of the tiered lifting table and the worktop during a sewing, loading and unloading process which is carried out using two sewing material holders with the sewing system.

[0030] A gantry sewing machine 1, shown in its entirety in Figs. 1 and 2, is used for sewing fabric in a work area with a width B greater than 1 m, which in the illustrated embodiment is 3 m. The sewing machine 1 has a gantry frame 2 with an upper bridge bar 3 and a lower bridge bar 4 (see also Fig. 10). The gantry frame 2 also includes two opposing, edge-side gantry supports 6 and 7 that form a gantry 5 for the fabric.

[0031] To facilitate positional relationships, a Cartesian xyz coordinate system is used below. In Fig. 2, the x-direction runs to the right along the width B. The y-direction runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in Fig. 2 and into it. The z-direction runs upward in Fig. 2.

[0032] A portal plane of the portal 5 runs parallel to the xz plane. The upper bridge bar 3 serves to guide a sewing head 8 with upper stitch forming tools 9 in the form of a sewing needle that guides a top thread (not shown). Depending on the design of the portal sewing unit 1, more than one sewing head 8 can be used, for example, two sewing heads.

[0033] The lower bridge bar 4 serves to guide two sewing lower parts 10, 11 (see also Fig. 12). The two sewing lower parts 10, 11 each have lower stitch forming tools 12, 13 in the form of a looper with a looper thread supply in a looper thread supply container in the form of a spool.

[0034] The looper or bobbin threads of the sewing lower parts 10, 11 can have different colors and also different thread qualities.

[0035] Sewing unit 1 is used to sew a two-thread stitch, for example a two-thread lockstitch or a two-thread chain stitch.

[0036] In the edge-side parking positions of the sewing lower parts 10, 11, the bobbins are accessible via access windows 14, 15 of a system housing 16 (cf.

[0037] Fig. 1 and 2).

[0038] During sewing, a material holder 17 lies at least partially on a worktop 18 of a work table 19 of the sewing unit 1 (see also Fig.

[0039] 13). Two material holders similar to the material holder 17 are used for intermediate storage and for loading and removing the sewn material with the aid of a tiered lifting table 20 of the sewing unit 1.

[0040] A material holder gripping device 21, which has a gripping bar 22 (see also Fig. 13), is used to transfer each loaded material holder 17 from a storage position shown in Fig. 1 to a sewing position. The gripping bar 22 is linearly guided at both ends by a guide bar 23, 24. This linear guide is driven by drive motors 25, 26. For smaller sewing areas, only one motor can be used in the center of the gripping bar.

[0041] The two bridge rails 3, 4 and the gripping rail 22 run parallel to the x-axis. The two guide rails 23, 24 run parallel to the y-axis.

[0042] The tiered lifting table 20 has two table tops 27, 28 arranged one above the other in tiers and firmly connected to each other for storing one sewing material holder 17 each. The upper of the two table tops, the table top 27, provides an upper sewing material holder position and the lower of the two table tops, the table top 28, provides a lower sewing material holder position.

[0043] The table tops 27, 28 and also the worktop 18 run horizontally, i.e. parallel to the xy plane.

[0044] The multi-level lifting table 20 represents a material holder storage device. The two tabletops 27, 28 are part of a storage table. This material holder storage device also includes a guide slot 29 with two opposing guide jaws 30, 31, each with a slotted guide track 32. During operation, the sewing system 1 cooperates with a plurality of material holders 17, which can be of identical design, so it suffices to describe one of the material holders 17 in more detail below.

[0045] Fig. 3 shows the material holder 17 as well as the upper table plate 27 and the two guide jaws 30, 31 of the guide link 29.

[0046] The material holder 17 has a holding frame 33, relative to which the material 34 to be sewn is secured in the form of crossed straps 35. The holding frame 34 has a plurality of holding frame sections 36, 37, 38, and 39, a total of four in the illustrated embodiment (see also Fig. 4). Adjacent holding frame sections 36 to 39 are connected to one another via section joints 40, 41, and 42 (see, for example, Fig. 9). The joint axes of the section joints 40 to 42 run parallel to the x-axis.

[0047] A pivot point of the section joints 40 to 42 is in or near a neutral fiber of the sewing material 34, so that when the holding frame sections 36 to 39 are pivoted against each other, the sewing material 34 is neither undesirably stretched nor undesirably compressed.

[0048] Alternative designs of the fabric holder may also have different numbers of such holding frame sections, namely two, three, five, or more. Typically, such a fabric holder design has a maximum of twenty such hingedly connected holding frame sections.

[0049] A depth extension of the material holder 17 in a direction perpendicular to the joint axes of the section joints 40 to 42, i.e. in the y-direction, is approximately 3 m in the illustrated embodiment and can, depending on the design of the material holder 17, be at least 1 m, at least 1.5 m, at least 2 m, at least 2.5 m and even greater than 3 m. Typically, this depth extension of the material holder in the y-direction is at most 10 m.

[0050] Fig. 3 shows a starting position of the material holder 17 with the previously loaded material 34 which has been sewn by means of the sewing unit 1. Sewing takes place at intersection points 43 at which the transverse and longitudinal straps 35 of the material 34 cross.

[0051] The material holder 17 has a holding base 44 on which the material 34 rests. In the area of ​​the intersection points 43 to be sewn, among other things, as well as any other overlaps to be sewn, the holding base 44 has recesses in which the material 34 is freely accessible from above and below.

[0052] Fixing elements 45 for securing the workpiece 34 are attached to the holding base 44. These fixing elements 45 can be tensioning elements and / or clamping elements. Alternatively or additionally, the workpiece 34 can also be secured to the holding base 44 by frictional engagement.

[0053] Parts of the holding frame sections 36 to 39 are corresponding holding floor sections 44i to 444, which are connected to one another via the section joints 40 to 42.

[0054] The holding frame 33 has a frame strip 46 which extends at least partially and, in the embodiment shown, completely around the holding frame 33. The two frame strip sections 46i, 402 running along the y-direction are in turn divided into a plurality of strip sections which are articulated to one another via the section joints 40 to 42.

[0055] Each of the holding frame sections 36 to 39 has at least one guide body 47 for guiding interaction with the guide link 29 when moving the material holder 17 along a guide direction F (+ / - y-direction) perpendicular to the joint axes of the section joints 40 to 42. These guide bodies 47 are designed as guide pins which project in the + / - x-direction beyond the holding frame sections 36 to 39 and engage in the opposing link tracks 32 of the guide jaws 30, 31.

[0056] In the embodiment of the material holder 17 shown in the drawing, such guide bodies 47 are attached to the end of the material holder 17 leading in the -y direction and to the end of the material holder 17 trailing in the +y direction and also at the level of the section joints 40 to 42.

[0057] Figs. 5 to 8 show an instantaneous position sequence of the material holder 17 during the movement of the material holder 17 in the guide direction F starting from the starting position according to Fig. 3.

[0058] In the current position according to Fig. 5, the holding frame section 36 leading in the guide direction F lies between the guide jaws 30, 31 in a working area of ​​an operating position for releasing and removing the sewing material 34 from the holding frame section 36. In the current position according to Fig. 6, the next holding frame section 37 in the guide direction F is in the working area. In the current position according to Fig. 7, this is the next holding frame section 38, and in the current position according to Fig. 8, this is the last holding frame section 39.

[0059] According to the progress of the guided movement of the material holder 17 with the aid of the guide link 29, the holding frame sections 36 to 39 are pivoted and redirected one after the other, similar to a sectional garage door, first from the horizontal to the vertical.

[0060] In the end position of the material holder 17 according to Figs. 8 and 9, in which the holding frame section 39 is accessible to the operator in the working area, the two leading holding frame sections 36 and 37 are deflected by almost 180°, so that they are arranged almost horizontally in this end position. During the deflection movement, the holding frame sections 36 to 38 are tilted by more than 45°, starting from the starting position according to Fig. 3, i.e., starting from a horizontal placement orientation of the material holder 17 on the tabletop 27. The two holding frame sections 36, 37 are tilted by more than 90° and even by more than 150°.

[0061] In the sequence according to Figs. 5 to 8, all holding frame sections 36 to 39 are accessible to the operator for removing the sewing material 34. In the reverse sequence, the holding frame sections 39 (position according to Fig. 8), 38 (position according to Fig. 7), 37 (position according to Fig. 6) and 36 (position according to Fig. 5) can then be loaded. In this case, the sewing material holder 17 is moved via the guide slot 29 in the opposite direction to the guide direction F. A displacement along the conveying direction F and also in the opposite direction can be achieved with the aid of a sewing material holder drive and / or manually.

[0062] The portal frame 2 of the sewing system 1 with the sewing upper and lower parts 8, 10 and 11 is explained in more detail below with reference to Figs. 10 to 12.

[0063] An upper part drive 48 is used to move the sewing upper part 8 along the upper bridge bar 3, i.e. in the + / -x direction. A lower part drive 49 is used to move the sewing lower parts 10, 11 along the lower bridge bar 4, i.e. again in the + / -x direction, independently of the upper part drive 48. The drives 48, 49 and other drives of the sewing unit 1 are controlled via a central control unit which is housed in a control cabinet 50 (see Fig. 1).

[0064] The control of the upper part drive 48 and the lower part drive 49 is such that either the sewing material upper part 8 can interact with one of the two sewing lower parts, for example with the sewing lower part 10, or the sewing material upper part 8 can interact with the other of the two sewing lower parts, for example with the sewing lower part 11, to form the stitch in the sewing material 34.

[0065] In the illustrated embodiment, the lower part drive 49 is designed with exactly one drive source. A coupling of the respective sewing lower part 10, 11, not shown in detail in the drawing, serves to separate each of the sewing lower parts 10, 11 from a drive train of the lower part drive 49, which is designed as a chain or belt. Alternatively, the lower part drive 49 can also be designed with two independent drive sources, each for one of the two sewing lower parts 10, 11.

[0066] By means of the lower part drive 49, the sewing lower parts 10, 11 can be moved independently of one another into a parking position in which an exchange of the respective looper thread storage container for a looper thread change storage container, i.e. in particular a bobbin change, is possible via the access windows 14, 15.

[0067] This exchange can be automated, meaning it requires no manual intervention. Alternatively, it can be manual or semi-automatic.

[0068] The upper part drive 48 and / or the lower part drive 49 can have a rack and / or a transmission pinion as the transmission link. Each of the lower sewing parts 10, 11 can have its own transmission pinion.

[0069] Fig. 10 shows the sewing lower part 10 in a left-hand parking position, in which it is accessible via the access window 14. The sewing lower part 11 is shown in Fig. 10 in the right-hand parking position, in which it is accessible via the access window 15. The sewing upper part 8 is shown in Fig. 10 in a right-hand parking position assigned to the sewing lower part 11.

[0070] Fig. 11 shows the upper sewing part 8 and the lower sewing part 11 in a sewing position in which these two sewing parts 8, 11 can interact to form the stitch in the sewing material 34. In this sewing position, the upper sewing part 8 is synchronized with the lower sewing part currently interacting with it to form the stitch, in this case with the lower sewing part 11. This synchronization is specified by the control unit. A spatial synchronization accuracy along a drive displacement direction of the drives 48, 49, i.e. along the x-axis, is better than 0.3 mm. This synchronization accuracy can be in the range of 0.1 mm. The needle and hook must be synchronized because the separate drives must be coupled.

[0071] In the position shown in Fig. 11, the sewing lower part 10, which is not currently sewing, is in the left-hand parking position. A looper thread reservoir exchange can take place in the position shown in Fig. 11 at the sewing lower part 10 while the sewing upper part 8 is sewing with the other sewing lower part 11.

[0072] After the replacement, the sewing lower part 10 is ready for operation again. As soon as the looper thread of the currently sewing sewing lower part 11 runs low, sewing is temporarily stopped, controlled by the control unit, and the sewing lower part 11, which has been sewing until then, is moved to the right-hand parking position according to Fig. 12 using the lower part drive 49. In addition, the interaction of the upper part drive 48 with the lower part drive 49 synchronizes the sewing upper part 8 with the now freshly filled sewing lower part 10. The sewing system 1 can then continue sewing thanks to the interaction of the sewing upper part 8 with the sewing lower part 10, while the looper thread reservoir in the sewing lower part 11 is replaced, with the sewing lower part 11 being accessible via the access window 15. The parked sewing lower part is moved close to the sewing lower part after the newly loaded bobbin.This way, once the bobbin is empty, the sewing lower section can decouple from the sewing upper section, and the parked lower section can immediately couple and begin synchronization. This can save considerable time.

[0073] The tiered lifting table 20 of the sewing system 1 is explained in more detail below with reference to Figs. 13 to 39.

[0074] Fig. 13 shows the tiered lifting table 20 together with the portal frame 2 and the work table 19 as main components of the sewing system 1. A lifting table frame 51, by means of which the tiered lifting table 20 is supported on the floor, is omitted in Fig. 13 ff.

[0075] Fig. 13 shows the multi-level lifting table 20 equipped with two material holders 17. The initially upper material holder 17 is also referred to below as the material holder 17i, and the initially lower material holder 17 is also referred to as the material holder 172 (see, for example, Fig. 16). The upper of the two material holders 17i rests on the upper tabletop 27 of the multi-level lifting table 20 in the upper material holder position. The second material holder 172 rests on the lower tabletop 28 in the lower material holder position.

[0076] The two table tops 27, 28 are firmly connected to one another via a total of six vertical support struts 52i to 52e and a support plate 53. The support plate 53 lies vertically between the table tops 27, 28 and between the two support struts 523 and 524 that are furthest apart from the portal frame 2. The support struts 52i, 523, 524, and 52e are located at the four corners of the aligned, superimposed table tops 27, 28. The support struts 52z and 52s are located centrally between the support struts 52i and 523 on the one hand and 524 and 52e on the other.

[0077] The tiered lifting table 20 has two roller conveyor pairs 54 and 55. The rollers of the roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 can rotate freely. The upper of these two roller conveyor pairs, roller conveyor pair 54, has two opposing roller conveyors 54i and 54z, which are at the same height in the z-direction and spaced from each other in the x-direction. The lower roller conveyor pair 55 has two roller conveyors 55i and 55z, which are again at the same height in the z-direction and spaced from each other in the x-direction. Roller conveyor 54i is located above roller conveyor 55i in the z-direction. Roller conveyor 54z is located above roller conveyor 55z in the z-direction. Of the two roller conveyors 551 and 55z, only roller conveyor 551, which faces the viewer, is visible in the figures.

[0078] The roller conveyors of roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 each run along the y-direction. Roller conveyors 54i, 54z, 55i, and 55z are each interrupted in the y-direction. This interruption creates space for the support struts 52z on the one hand and 52s on the other.

[0079] In the current position according to Figs. 13 to 15, the upper table plate 27 lies between the two upper roller conveyors 54i and 54z of the upper roller conveyor pair 54 and the lower table plate 28 lies between the two roller conveyor pairs 551, 55z of the lower roller conveyor pair 55. The roller conveyors 54i, 54z, 551, 55z can be moved between a retracted roller conveyor position (cf. Fig. 17) and an extended roller conveyor position (cf. Fig. 18) with the aid of a roller conveyor lifting drive 56 (cf. Fig. 2). In the retracted roller conveyor position, an x-distance between the roller conveyors 54i, 54 on the one hand and 55i, 55z on the other hand is smaller than an x-extension of the material holders 17. In the extended roller conveyor position according to Fig. 18, this x-distance between the roller conveyors 54i, 54z on the one hand and 55i, 55z on the other hand is greater than an x-extension of the material holders 17.

[0080] The tiered lifting table 20 also has a plate lifting drive 57 (see Fig. 2) for lifting the table plates 27, 28 relative to the lifting table frame 51.

[0081] Via the roller conveyor lifting drive 56, the two roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 can be displaced between a lowered plate position, shown for example in Fig. 16, and a raised plate position, shown for example in Fig. 31, which is offset in the z-direction compared to the lowered plate position.

[0082] In the lowered plate position, the roller conveyors of the roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 are arranged on opposite sides of the table top 27, 28 assigned to these roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 in such a way that an upper roller level 58, 59 of the respective roller conveyor pair 54, 55 lies below a table top level 60, 61 of the assigned table top 27, 28.

[0083] In the raised platen position (cf., for example, Fig. 31), the upper roller plane 58, 59 of the respective roller conveyor pair 54, 55 lies above the tabletop plane 60, 61 of the associated tabletop 27, 28. A z-distance d exists between the roller planes 58, 59 on the one hand and the tabletop planes 60, 61 of the associated tabletops 27, 28 on the other hand (cf. Fig. 31). In this raised platen position, roller guidance of a displacement of a material holder 17 from or into the respective storage position of the tabletop 27, 28 is possible, provided that the retracted roller conveyor position (cf. Fig. 17) is simultaneously present, in which the two roller conveyors of the respective roller conveyor pair 54, 55 have an x-distance from one another that is smaller than the x-extension of the material holder 17.

[0084] With the plate lifting drive 57, the respective table top level 60, 61 of a selected table top 27, 28 can be brought into a lifting position aligned with a worktop level 62 of the worktop 18 of the work table 19 (see e.g. Fig. 20).

[0085] The platen lifting drive 57 on the one hand and the roller conveyor lifting drive 56 on the other hand can be designed as a linear drive or as a lifting cylinder.

[0086] The upper material holder position can be used to load the material holder 17 with material 34 to be sewn or to remove sewn material 34 from the material holder 17, as already explained above in connection with Figs. 3 to 9.

[0087] The roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 can also be displaced along the z-direction relative to the table plates 27, 28 by means of the roller conveyor lifting drive 56 into a material holder receiving position that is even higher than the raised platen position. This material holder receiving position is shown, for example, in Fig. 26. The respective upper material holder, in the case of the position according to Fig. 26, the material holder 17, is then received in a position that lies above the upper material holder position, which is therefore spaced apart from the upper table plate 27 by a z-distance A in the z-direction. This z-distance A is greater than the z-extension of the material holder 17.

[0088] The lower roller conveyor pair 55 can be displaced in the positive z-direction by means of the roller conveyor lifting drive 56 until its lower roller plane 59 lies above the upper table plane 60 of the upper table plate 27. This instantaneous z-position is shown in Fig. 28. The lower roller conveyor pair 55 can then, in the retracted roller conveyor position, guide one of the material holders 17—in the example shown in Fig. 28, the material holder 17i—on its rollers for movement onto or off the upper table plate 27.

[0089] The material holder gripping device 21, which is shown, for example, in Fig. 1 in a neutral position outside the sewing work area, is used to move the material holders 17i, 17 between the storage positions and a working position on the work plate 18 of the work table 19. In a gripping position not shown in the drawing, a gripping tool of the material holder gripping device 21, which is designed in the form of gripping pins 63, 64 (cf. Fig. 13), grips the material holder 17, which is aligned with the work plate 18 in the z-direction and is present in the tiered lifting table 20 in a storage position on one of the two table plates 27, 28, at the edge for transferring it into a material holder position. This engagement is achieved by the gripping pins 63, 64 engaging complementary sockets of the material holder 17 to be gripped. The gripping pins 63, 64 can be pneumatically moved into the respective complementary socket. Referring to Fig.19 to 39, an operating cycle of the sewing system 1 and in particular of the tiered lifting table 20 and the material holder gripping device 21 is shown below.

[0090] Fig. 19 shows a starting position of the multi-level lifting table 20 with the upper material holder 17i in the upper storage position on the tabletop 27 and the lower material holder 17 in the lower storage position on the tabletop 28. The roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 are shown in the lowered plate position. The lower tabletop level 61 is aligned with the worktop level 62.

[0091] The upper fabric holder 17i has just finished sewing. The lower fabric holder 172 is ready for sewing.

[0092] Fig. 20 shows the next work step. The material holder gripping device 21 has gripped the material holder 172 at the edge and is pulling it in the positive y-direction through the gantry 5 of the gantry sewing unit 1. The control and regulation device synchronizes the gripper drive 25, 26 with the sewing part drives 48, 49, so that the material 34 is sewn on the material holder 172.

[0093] In the position according to Fig. 20, the material holder 17i can be unloaded and loaded in conjunction with the guide link 29, as explained above.

[0094] Fig. 21 shows the current position after completion of the sewing process of the sewing material 34 on the sewing material holder 172, which lies completely on the work table 19, so that the sewing material holder 172 does not overlap with the tiered lifting table 20 in the y-direction. In the current position according to Fig. 21, the sewing material holder 17i is again loaded with the sewing material 34 to be sewn in the upper sewing material holder position.

[0095] In the current position according to Fig. 22 (first change position), the tiered lifting table 22 with the table plates 27, 28 and the associated roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 with the plate lifting drive 57 is displaced in the negative z-direction into a change position in which the upper sewing material holder 17i lies completely below the work plate level 62 on the upper table plate 27.

[0096] Fig. 23 shows the current position, where, compared to the position shown in Fig. 22, the roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 are extended such that their x-distance from each other has increased (position shown in Fig. 18). This is achieved by means of the roller conveyor lifting drive 56.

[0097] Fig. 24 shows the situation in which the roller conveyor pairs are shifted into the workpiece holder receiving position in the positive z-direction relative to the two table plates 27, 28 with the aid of the roller conveyor lifting drive 56. The upper roller conveyor pair 54 passes the z-plane of the workpiece holder 17i located in the upper workpiece holder position. The roller conveyors of the roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 are still extended in the position shown in Fig. 24.

[0098] Fig. 25 shows the current position subsequently reached with the roller conveyors of the roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 retracted. The upper roller level 58 is located above the material holder 17i in the upper material holder receiving position and is aligned with the worktop level 62. Fig. 26 shows the current position in which the finished sewn material holder 172 is pushed with the material holder gripping device 21 onto the roller conveyors of the upper roller conveyor pair 54 in the negative y-direction.

[0099] Fig. 27 shows the following situation in which, after the material holder 172 has been completely picked up into the material holder receiving position, the entire tiered lifting table 20 is displaced in the positive z-direction by means of the plate lifting drive 57, so that the upper table top level 60 is aligned with the worktop level 62.

[0100] In comparison to the first change position according to Fig. 22, the tiered lifting table 20 in Fig. 27 is now in a second change position.

[0101] Fig. 28 shows the following instantaneous position, in which the roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 are displaced further in the positive z-direction relative to the table tops 27, 28 by means of the roller conveyor lifting drive 56 compared to the position shown in Fig. 27. The lower roller level 59 is located slightly above the upper table top level 60, so that the material holder 17i, in the upper material holder position, now rests on the roller conveyors of the lower roller conveyor pair 55.

[0102] Fig. 29 shows the subsequent current position, in which, after gripping the material holder 17i with the material holder gripping device 21, the material holder 17i is pulled through the portal 5 onto the worktop 18 of the work table 19. This loaded material holder 17i can be sewn now or at a later time, as explained below, as explained above in connection with the material holder 172 in the current position according to Fig. 20. The other material holder 172 is still in the material holder receiving position on the roller conveyors of the roller conveyor pair 54.

[0103] Fig. 30 shows the following current position, in which the entire tiered lifting table 20 with the plate lifting drive 57 is further displaced in the positive z-direction. In this position, the lower tabletop level 61 is aligned with the worktop level 62.

[0104] This shift to the current position according to Fig. 30 takes place after the sewing material holder 17i comes to rest completely on the work table 19 and no longer overlaps with the tiered lifting table 20 in the y-direction.

[0105] Fig. 31 shows the following current position, in which the two roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 have been lowered back into the raised plate position, in which the z-distance d exists between the two roller levels 58, 59 on the one hand and the two tabletop levels 60, 61 on the other. The lower tabletop level 61 remains aligned with the worktop level 62.

[0106] Fig. 32 shows the following instantaneous position during which the finished sewn material 34 can be removed from the material holder 17.

[0107] Fig. 35 shows the current position in which, on the one hand, the material holder 17i can be sewn, provided this has not taken place in the current position according to Fig. 29, in accordance with what was explained above with reference to Fig. 20, and in which, on the other hand, the material holder 17 is loaded, as was explained above with reference to Fig. 3 ff. The lower table top level 61 remains aligned with the worktop level 62. Fig. 33 shows the current position in which the still unloaded material holder 172 is completely pushed back onto the roller conveyors of the upper roller conveyor pair 54 and comes to rest at the distance d above the upper table top 27.

[0108] Fig. 34 shows the following instantaneous position in which the two roller conveyor pairs 54, 55 are displaced in the negative z-direction into the lowered plate position, whereby the sewing material holder 172 is placed on the upper table plate 27.

[0109] Fig. 36 shows the following instantaneous position in which the finished sewn material holder 17i is placed on the lower table plate 28 with the aid of the material holder gripping device 21.

[0110] Fig. 37 shows the following instantaneous position in which the material holder 17i is pulled from the lower table plate 28 back onto the work table 19 for sewing with the aid of the material holder gripping device 21.

[0111] Fig. 38 shows the current position at which the material holder 17i is completely sewn with the sewing unit 1 and is placed on the work table 19, not aligned with the tiered lifting table 20 in the y-direction.

[0112] The instantaneous position according to Fig. 39 corresponds to that according to Fig. 21, whereby only the material holders 17i and 172 are swapped, but otherwise the same sewing and loading situation as well as the same positioning of the material holders 17i, 172 in relation to the sewing unit 1 exists. The cycle of Figs. 21 to 39 can now be repeated continuously. As soon as the hook thread of the currently used sewing lower part 10 or 11 runs out, this hook supply is replaced, as explained above in connection with Figs. 10 to 12 in particular, whereby in comparison to the replacement time of the hook supply, the sewing process is only interrupted for a significantly shorter period of time when changing the sewing lower parts 10, 11, which period lasts, for example, only 25%, 20%, 10% or an even smaller proportion of the replacement time.

Claims

Patent claims 1. N sewing material holder ( 17) for a N sewing system ( 1 ) with a holding frame (33) is fixed relative to the sewing material (34) to be sewn, wherein the holding frame (33) has a plurality of holding frame sections (36 to 39) which are articulated to each other via section joints (40 to 42).

2. Sewing material holder according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding frame (33) has a holding base (44) on which the sewing material (34) is placed, wherein the holding base (44) has a plurality of holding base sections (44i) articulated to one another.

3. Sewing material holder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holding frame (33) has a frame strip (46) that at least partially surrounds the holding frame (33).

4. Sewing material holder according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one section of the frame strip (46) is divided into a plurality of strip sections articulated together.

5. Sewing material holder according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each of the holding frame sections (36 to 39) has at least one guide body (47) for guiding interaction with a guide cam (29) when moving the sewing material holder (17) along a guide direction (F) perpendicular to the joint axes of the section joints (40 to 42). A sewing material holder storage device (20) comprising at least one sewing material holder (17) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a storage table (27), and a guide cam (29) for guiding a deflection movement of the sewing material holder (17) along a guide direction (F) perpendicular to the pivot axes of the section joints (40 to 42) of the sewing material holder (17), wherein at least one of the retaining frame sections (36 to 39) is tilted by more than 45° during the deflection movement starting from a storage orientation. A sewing material holder storage device according to claim 6, characterized in that the guide cam (29) has two opposing guide jaws (30, 31), each with a cam track (32), between which the sewing material holder (17) is guided.

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