Belt loop sewing device and belt loop sewing method

Abstract

To change a length of a folded-back part without changing a fitting position of a cutting device.SOLUTION: A belt loop sewing device comprises: an unwinding device for unwinding a tape material; a pull-out device for moving forward to and backward from the unwinding device and pulling out the tape material by holding an end of the tape material; a cutting device for cutting the pulled-out tape material; a support device for supporting a central part of the tape material; a folding-back device for forming a sewing margin on the tape material by folding back both ends of the tape material; a sewing machine for sewing both ends of the tape material to a sewn article; and a control device for receiving input of a dimension set value of the tape material and controlling a folding-back operation according to the dimension set value. The control device determines a pull-out length of the tape material according to the received dimension set value, cuts the tape material by the determined pull-out length, transports the cut tape material to a belt loop formation position, and controls the folding-back operation so as to fold back both ends of the tape material transported to the belt loop formation position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a belt loop sewing device and a belt loop sewing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a belt loop sewing machine. The belt loop sewing machine is a device that supplies a tape material cut to a predetermined length to a sewing machine and sews a belt loop to a sewn product. The belt loop sewing machine includes a sewing machine, a tape material feeding means, a tape material drawing means, a tape material supporting means, a tape material cutting means, and a loop supplying means.

[0003] The tape material feeding means feeds out the tape material to be used for the belt loop. The tape material drawing means grasps the leading end of the tape material that has been drawn out and draws it out to the belt loop forming position. The tape material supporting means supports the middle portion of the drawn out tape material. The loop supplying means clamps the vicinity of both ends of the drawn out tape material with a pair of fork portions. The tape material cutting means cuts the base end side of the tape material at a cutting position near the tape material feeding means. Thereafter, the loop supplying means rotates the pair of fork portions to fold back both ends of the tape material. That is, the loop supplying means folds back the portion from the clamping position of the pair of fork portions to the end of the tape material so that it overlaps the underside of the middle portion between both ends of the tape material, forming a folded portion. This folded portion becomes the seam allowance. Then, the loop supplying means moves the pair of fork portions to supply the tape material to the sewing machine. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-197784 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The length of the folded back portion varies depending on the design of the belt loop and the thickness of the belt loop (tape material). Conventionally, in order to change the length of the folded back portion, it was necessary to change the cutting position of the tape material cutting means (cutting device), which required changing the installation position of the cutting device. Since changing the installation position of the cutting device is complicated, it is desirable to make it possible to easily change the length of the folded back portion.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a belt loop sewing device and a belt loop sewing method that make it possible to change the length of the folded-back portion without changing the installation position of the cutting device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt loop sewing device comprising: a feeding device which feeds out a narrow strip of tape material for forming a belt loop; a drawing device which moves forward and backward relative to the feeding device and grasps and draws out an end of the tape material; a cutting device which is disposed between the feeding device and the drawing device and cuts the drawn-out tape material; a support device which supports a central portion between both ends of the drawn-out tape material; a folding device which forms a seam in the tape material by folding back both ends of the drawn-out tape material; a sewing machine which sews both ends of the tape material to an object to be sewn; and a control device which receives input of dimensional setting values ​​of the tape material and controls a folding operation in accordance with the dimensional setting values, wherein the control device determines a drawing length of the tape material in accordance with the received dimensional setting values, cuts the tape material at the determined drawing length, transports the cut tape material to a belt loop formation position, and controls the folding operation so as to fold back both ends of the tape material transported to the belt loop formation position.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a belt loop sewing method for folding back both end portions of a narrow strip of tape material for forming a belt loop and sewing them to a sewing object, the belt loop sewing method comprising the steps of: receiving input of dimensional setting values ​​for the tape material; determining a pull-out length of the tape material from a cutting position in accordance with the received dimensional setting values; cutting the tape material at the determined pull-out length; transporting the cut tape material to a belt loop formation position; folding back both end portions of the tape material transported to the belt loop formation position; and sewing the folded back both end portions to the sewing object. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present disclosure, the length of the folded-back portion can be changed without changing the mounting position of the cutting device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a belt loop sewing device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic overall configuration of the belt loop sewing device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the cutting device, the drawing device, and the supporting device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing each transport position of the tape material in the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a folding device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the fork portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the opening and closing of the fork portion by the opening and closing mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating folding of both end portions of a tape material by a pair of forks. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a pair of forks with both end portions of the tape material folded. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the shape of the tape material with both end portions folded. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of a sewing position of the sewing machine according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the belt loop sewing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view for explaining the dimensions of each portion of the tape material during the folding back operation. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of display of dimension setting values ​​of a tape material. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of the belt loop sewing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining (A) the positional relationship of each part when cutting the tape material, and (B) the positional relationship of each part when performing a folding back operation of the tape material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0012] A belt loop sewing device 1 and a belt loop sewing method according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the positional relationship of each part will be described based on a local coordinate system defined in the belt loop sewing device 1. The local coordinate system is defined by an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The direction parallel to the X axis in a specified plane is defined as the X axis direction. The direction parallel to the Y axis in a specified plane perpendicular to the X axis is defined as the Y axis direction. The direction parallel to the Z axis perpendicular to the specified plane is defined as the Z axis direction. The direction of rotation around the X axis is defined as the θX direction, the direction of rotation around the Y axis is defined as the θY direction, and the direction of rotation around the Z axis is defined as the θZ direction.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic overall configuration of a belt loop sewing device 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic overall configuration of a belt loop sewing device 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the belt loop sewing device 1 includes a pay-out device 2, a cutting device 3, a pull-out device 4, a support device 5, a folding device 6, and a sewing machine 7. The belt loop sewing device 1 includes a control device 8 that controls the pay-out device 2, the cutting device 3, the pull-out device 4, the support device 5, the folding device 6, and the sewing machine 7.

[0014] The sewing machine 7 and the folding device 6 face each other in the Y-axis direction. The sewing machine 7 is disposed in the +Y direction, and the folding device 6 is disposed in the -Y direction. The payout device 2, the cutting device 3, the pulling out device 4, and the support device 5 are disposed between the sewing machine 7 and the folding device 6 in the Y-axis direction. The payout device 2, the cutting device 3, the pulling out device 4, and the support device 5 are aligned in the X-axis direction. The payout device 2, the cutting device 3, the support device 5, and the pulling out device 4 are disposed in this order from the -X direction to the +X direction. The payout device 2 and the pulling out device 4 face each other in the X-axis direction. The cutting device 3 and the support device 5 are disposed at a position between the payout device 2 and the pulling out device 4 in the X-axis direction.

[0015] Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the cutting device 3, the drawing device 4, and the supporting device 5 according to the embodiment. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing each transport position of the tape material TP according to the embodiment.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the unwinding device 2 unwinds a narrow strip of tape material TP for forming a belt loop. The unwinding device 2 includes a tape feed stand in which a tape passage is formed, a pair of feed rollers that sandwich the front and back sides of the tape material TP, and a motor that rotates and drives the feed rollers. The unwinding device 2 unwinds the tape material TP from the tape passage of the tape feed stand by rotating and driving at least one of the feed rollers with the motor while the tape material TP is sandwiched between the pair of feed rollers. The unwinding device 2 feeds the tape material TP in the +X direction toward the drawing device 4.

[0017] The cutting device 3 is disposed between the unwinding device 2 and the drawing device 4, at a position close to the unwinding device 2 in the +X direction. The cutting device 3 cuts the tape material TP drawn out by the drawing device 4. The cutting device 3 is composed of a cutting drive unit 31 (see FIG. 1), a movable blade 32, a tape support base 33, and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the tape support base 33 is disposed in the +X direction from the tape passage of the unwinding device 2, and supports the tape material TP drawn out from the tape passage from below. The movable blade 32 is disposed directly above the tape support base 33 in the +Z direction. The tape support base 33 is provided with a fixed blade that faces the movable blade 32 in the Z-axis direction. The cutting drive unit 31 is disposed in the +Z direction of the tape support base 33. The cutting drive unit 31 drives the movable blade 32 in the up and down direction via a drive shaft 34. The cutting drive unit 31 drives the movable blade 32 in the -Z direction to cut the tape material TP between the fixed blade and the movable blade 32. The cutting drive unit 31 drives the movable blade 32 in the +Z direction to retract the movable blade 32 upward from the tape path on the tape support base 33 for the next cut.

[0018] The drawing device 4 advances and retreats relative to the unwinding device 2, gripping and drawing out the end of the tape material TP. The drawing device 4 includes a gripping section 41 having a pair of grips, and a gripping movement section 42 that moves the gripping section 41 in the X-axis direction. The pair of grips of the gripping section 41 is composed of an upper grip 41A and a lower grip 41B that can be opened and closed in the Z-axis direction. The lower grip 41B is integrally formed with and fixed to a base plate 41C. The upper grip 41A is provided so as to be rotatable up and down relative to the base plate 41C. The base plate 41C is provided with an opening / closing drive section 41D that drives the upper grip 41A to rotate. The opening / closing drive section 41D is, for example, an air cylinder, and swings the upper grip 41A by the advancement and retreat of a rod section connected to the upper grip 41A. The opening and closing drive unit 41D brings the upper grip 41A close to the lower grip 41B, thereby sandwiching and gripping the tape material TP between the upper grip 41A and the lower grip 41B. The opening and closing drive unit 41D releases the grip of the tape material TP by moving the upper grip 41A away from the lower grip 41B. As shown in FIG. 2, the gripping movement unit 42 reciprocates the movable shaft 42A connected to the gripping unit 41 in the X-axis direction by the drawing motor 43. The movable shaft 42A is a rod-shaped member extending in the X-axis direction, and supports the gripping unit 41 at its end in the -X direction. The movable shaft 42A is supported by the support frame 44 so as to be movable only in the X direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the drawing device 4 can drive the gripping unit 41 in the X-axis direction by moving the movable shaft 42A in a range including a gripping position Q2 close to the cutting device 3 and a belt loop forming position Q3 in the +X direction from the gripping position Q2.

[0019] Under the control of the control device 8, the pull-out device 4 grips the leading end of the tape material TP, which has been pulled out in the +X direction by the pay-out device 2 to gripping position Q2, with the gripping portion 41, and moves the gripping portion 41 in the +X direction while still gripping the leading end. As a result, the pull-out device 4 pulls out the tape material TP by a pull-out length that corresponds to the dimensions of the belt loop. The cutting device 3 cuts the tape material TP by driving the movable blade 32 in a state in which the tape material TP has been pulled out by the pull-out length. The pull-out length of the tape material TP will be described later.

[0020] The support device 5 supports the center portion between both ends of the tape material TP drawn by the drawing device 4. The support device 5 supports and holds the tape material TP when the folding device 6 folds both ends of the tape material TP. As shown in FIG. 3, the support device 5 includes a pair of support plates 51 and a support plate drive unit 52 (see FIG. 1) that moves the pair of support plates 51 in the vertical direction. The pair of support plates 51 are arranged at an interval in the X-axis direction between the belt loop forming position Q3 and the cutting position Q1. Each support plate 51 is formed in an L-shape (when viewed from the +X direction to the -X direction) that extends downward (-Z direction) from above the position where the tape material TP is arranged and then bent in the +Y direction. The upper surface of the portion of each support plate 51 bent in the +Y direction is the support surface of the tape material TP. The pair of support plates 51 are attached to a movable plate 53 that extends vertically. The support plate drive unit 52 is, for example, an air cylinder, and moves the pair of support plates 51 and the movable plate 53 up and down together by advancing and retreating a rod portion connected to the movable plate 53. When the tape material TP is pulled out by the pull-out device 4, the support device 5 causes the support plate drive unit 52 to move the pair of support plates 51 downwardly below the gripping unit 41 and the passage path of the tape material TP. When the tape material TP is pulled out by the pull-out device 4 to a position beyond the pair of support plates 51, the support device 5 causes the support plate drive unit 52 to move the pair of support plates 51 upwardly to support the tape material TP.

[0021] The support device 5 includes a fullness forming plate 54. The fullness forming plate 54 is disposed between the pair of support plates 51 in the X-axis direction. Like each support plate 51, the fullness forming plate 54 is formed in an L-shape (when viewed from the +X direction to the -X direction) that extends downward from above with respect to the position where the tape material TP is disposed and then bent in the +Y direction. The upper surface of the part of the fullness forming plate 54 bent in the +Y direction is the contact surface with the tape material TP. The fullness forming plate 54 can be moved up and down by an independent drive unit different from the support plate drive unit 52 of the pair of support plates 51. The fullness forming plate 54 is a member for lifting the approximately central portion in the longitudinal direction of the tape material TP (belt loop) in a mountain shape to form a shape (fulness) in which the central portion in the longitudinal direction is loose. When fullness formation is set, the control device 8 controls the support device 5 to place the fullness forming plate 54 at a position above the pair of support plates 51. As a result, the central portion of the tape material TP is lifted in a mountain shape. When fullness formation is not set, the control device 8 controls the supporting device 5 to place the fullness forming plate 54 at the same height as the pair of supporting plates 51. This causes the tape material TP to be supported linearly.

[0022] The support device 5 includes a holding mechanism 55 that holds the tape material TP on the support plate 51. The holding mechanism 55 is provided directly above the pair of support plates 51. The holding mechanism 55 includes a pair of abutting bodies 55A and a pair of abutment drive units 55B that move each of the abutting bodies 55A up and down. The abutting body 55A is a plate-like member having an abutment surface with the tape material TP. The abutment surface is the lower surface of the abutting body 55A. The abutting body 55A is held above the support surface of the support plate 51 by the abutment drive unit 55B. The abutting body 55A is disposed so that the support surface of the support plate 51 and the abutting surface of the abutting body 55A are approximately parallel. The abutment drive unit 55B is attached to the movable plate 53. The abutment drive unit 55B is, for example, an air cylinder, and the abutting body 55A is attached to the tip of a downward rod portion. The contact drive unit 55B advances the rod portion to move the contact body 55A downward, thereby causing the contact body 55A to come into contact with the tape material TP on the support plate 51 from above. As a result, the tape material TP is sandwiched vertically between the support plate 51 and the contact body 55A. The contact drive unit 55B retreats the rod portion to move the contact body 55A upward, thereby retracting the contact body 55A upward from the tape material TP on the support plate 51. As a result, the tape material TP is released from being sandwiched.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the folding device 6 forms a seam on the tape material TP by folding back both end portions of the tape material TP that has been pulled out. The folding device 6 holds the tape material TP with the seam formed thereon and transports it to a sewing position P1. The folding device 6 folds both end portions of the tape material TP that has been pulled out to a belt loop forming position Q3 and is supported by the supporting device 5. The folding device 6 folds both end portions of the tape material TP so that it will have a shape when sewn onto an object to be sewn as a belt loop. The folding device 6 holds the tape material TP in a folded state and moves in the +Y direction from the folding position P2 to a sewing position P1 by the sewing machine 7.

[0024] The sewing machine 7 sews both end portions of the tape material TP transported to the sewing position P1 onto the sewing object. The sewing object is, for example, the fabric of a garment (such as pants). In the embodiment, the sewing machine 7 is a two-needle electronic cycle sewing machine. The sewing machine 7 can simultaneously sew both end portions (seam allowance) of the tape material TP with two sewing needles 77. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the sewing machine 7 includes a sewing machine head 71, a needle holder 72, a needle plate 73, a presser foot 74, a feed mechanism 76 and a main shaft motor 79. The sewing machine 7 includes known components such as a thread take-up lever, a thread tensioner, a shuttle and a sewing machine control unit, but detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0025] The control device 8 includes a computer system. The control device 8 is connected to the pay-out device 2, the cutting device 3, the pull-out device 4, the support device 5, the folding device 6, and the sewing machine 7. The control device 8 monitors the status of each of the pay-out device 2, the cutting device 3, the pull-out device 4, the support device 5, the folding device 6, and the sewing machine 7 by sending and receiving signals, and controls the operation of the pay-out device 2, the cutting device 3, the pull-out device 4, the support device 5, the folding device 6, and the sewing machine 7.

[0026] <Configuration of loopback device> 5 is a perspective view showing the folding device 6 according to the embodiment. The folding device 6 includes a loop folding unit 61 and a moving mechanism 65. The loop folding unit 61 is a mechanism for forming seams by folding both end portions of the tape material TP. The moving mechanism 65 moves the loop folding unit 61 between a folding position P2 (see FIG. 4) and a sewing position P1 (see FIG. 4).

[0027] The loop bending unit 61 includes a pair of fork parts 62 and a rotation drive unit 63. The pair of fork parts 62 are arranged at an interval in the X-axis direction. That is, the pair of fork parts 62 is composed of a fork part 62A on the +X direction side and a fork part 62B on the -X direction side. The fork part 62A and the fork part 62B have substantially the same structure. The fork part 62A and the fork part 62B have a bifurcated fork shape consisting of two shaft parts described later, and a fork gap CL is provided between the shaft parts. The pair of fork parts 62 insert both end parts of a narrow strip-shaped tape material TP into the fork gap CL. The pair of fork parts 62 hold both end parts of the tape material TP. The fork part 62A holds the vicinity of the end of the tape material TP in the +X direction, and the fork part 62B holds the vicinity of the end of the tape material TP in the -X direction. The distance in the X-axis direction between the pair of fork portions 62 corresponds to the length between the folded-back portions FB (see FIG. 11) of the tape material TP, and is set according to the dimensions of the belt loop.

[0028] Each of the pair of fork portions 62 has a first shaft portion 101 and a second shaft portion 102 that form a fork gap CL, and an opening / closing mechanism 103. The first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 are adjacent to each other and arranged side by side so as to face approximately in the +Y direction. The first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 are movable relative to each other so as to move closer to and away from each other. The opening / closing mechanism 103 changes the size of the fork gap CL by moving the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 relatively.

[0029] The rotation drive unit 63 rotates each of the pair of fork parts 62 to bend both ends of the tape material TP. Specifically, the rotation drive unit 63 includes a rotation drive unit 63A that rotates the fork part 62A and a rotation drive unit 63B that rotates the fork part 62B. The rotation drive unit 63A and the rotation drive unit 63B have substantially the same structure. The rotation drive unit 63A is disposed in the -Y direction with respect to the fork part 62A, and is connected to the fork part 62A via the support shaft 104A. The rotation drive unit 63A rotates the fork part 62A fixed to the tip of the support shaft 104A by rotating the support shaft 104A around the central axis. The fork part 62A rotates in a twisting manner around the central axis of the support shaft 104A by the rotation drive unit 63A. The rotation drive unit 63B is disposed in the -Y direction with respect to the fork portion 62B, and is connected to the fork portion 62B via the support shaft 104B. The rotation drive unit 63B rotates the support shaft 104B about its central axis, thereby rotating the fork portion 62B fixed to the tip of the support shaft 104B. The fork portion 62B is rotated in a twisting manner about the central axis of the support shaft 104B by the rotation drive unit 63B. The rotation drive units 63A and 63B are, for example, rotary air cylinders that can be rotatably driven.

[0030] The movement mechanism 65 holds the pair of fork parts 62 (fork parts 62A, fork parts 62B) and the rotation drive part 63 (rotation drive part 63A, rotation drive part 63B) so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. The movement mechanism 65 includes a fork holder 66, a guide rod 67, a driving force transmission part 68, and a movement motor 69. The fork holder 66 is disposed above the pair of fork parts 62 and the rotation drive part 63, and holds the pair of fork parts 62 and the rotation drive part 63 so as to suspend them from above. The fork holder 66 has a support shaft 66A to which the pair of fork parts 62 and the rotation drive part 63 are attached. The support shaft 66A extends in the X-axis direction. A subassembly of fork portion 62A, support shaft 104A, and rotation drive portion 63A, and a subassembly of fork portion 62B, support shaft 104B, and rotation drive portion 63B are separately attached to support shaft 66A. The fixed positions of the two subassemblies can be changed along support shaft 66A. The support shaft 66A is capable of adjusting the positions and spacing of the pair of fork portions 62 in the X-axis direction.

[0031] The fork holder 66 is slidably attached to a guide rod 67. The guide rod 67 extends in the Y-axis direction. Both ends of the guide rod 67 are attached to the housing 6H of the folding device 6. The guide rod 67 supports the pair of fork parts 62 and the rotary drive part 63 via the fork holder 66 so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction. The pair of fork parts 62 can reciprocate in the Y-axis direction within a predetermined range including the standby position P3, the bending position P2, and the sewing position P1 shown in FIG. 4. The standby position P3 is a position away from the bending position P2 in the -Y direction, and is a position where the pair of fork parts 62 is retracted from the working area during the operation of the above-mentioned drawing device 4 and the support device 5.

[0032] The driving force transmission unit 68 connects the moving motor 69 and the fork holder 66 so as to be capable of transmitting power. In the embodiment, the driving force transmission unit 68 is a belt-pulley mechanism, and has a pulley 68A, a pulley 68B, a belt 68C, and an intermediate gear 68D. The pulleys 68A and 68B are provided at intervals along the Y-axis direction, and are respectively disposed near both ends of the guide rod 67. The belt 68C is an endless belt (annular belt) stretched between the pulleys 68A and 68B, and is connected to the fork holder 66 at a predetermined point of the belt 68C. An intermediate gear 68D is provided on the rotating shaft of the pulley 68A. The intermediate gear 68D meshes with a driving gear 69A attached to the output shaft of the moving motor 69, and rotates integrally with the pulley 68A. The moving motor 69 generates a driving force for reciprocating the pair of fork parts 62 in the Y-axis direction. The movement motor 69 rotates the drive gear 69A, which rotates the pulley 68A via the intermediate gear 68D, and the belt 68C rotates in a circular motion between the pulleys 68A and 68B in accordance with the rotation of the pulley 68A. The circular rotation of the belt 68C causes the fork holder 66, which holds the pair of fork portions 62, to move in the Y-axis direction together with the pair of fork portions 62. Under the control of the control device 8, the movement motor 69 moves each sub-assembly including the pair of fork portions 62 to the standby position P3, the bending position P2, and the sewing position P1.

[0033] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing the fork portion 62A according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 according to the embodiment. Here, the structure of the fork portion 62A will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. The structure of the fork portion 62B is substantially the same as that of the fork portion 62A, so the description will be omitted. Each of the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 is attached to a pair of holding plates 105. The pair of holding plates 105 are plate members extending linearly, and hold the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 at one end and are fixed to the support shaft 104A at the other end.

[0034] Each of the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 has a pin member and a pin holding portion. That is, the first shaft portion 101 has a pin member 111A and a pin holding portion 112A that holds the pin member 111A, and the second shaft portion 102 has a pin member 111B and a pin holding portion 112B that holds the pin member 111B. The pin members 111A and 111B are rod-shaped members disposed at the tip of the fork portion 62A and come into contact with the tape material TP. The space between the pin member 111A of the first shaft portion 101 and the pin member 111B of the second shaft portion 102 is a fork gap CL into which the tape material TP is inserted. The pin holding portions (112A and 112B) hold the pin members (111A and 111B) so as to protrude from the tip of the pin holding portion.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7, the pin holding portion 112B of the second shaft portion 102 is fixed to a pair of holding plates 105. The pin holding portion 112A of the first shaft portion 101 is rotatably attached to the pin holding portion 112B. The pin holding portion 112A has a protruding piece 113 protruding toward the second shaft portion 102 at a base end portion opposite to the tip portion to which the pin member 111A is attached. The protruding piece 113 of the pin holding portion 112A is attached to the pin holding portion 112B via a rotating shaft 103A, and is rotatable around the rotating shaft 103A. A connecting portion 114 that connects to the opening / closing mechanism 103 is provided at the base end portion of the pin holding portion 112A. The connecting portion 114 is disposed at a position away from the rotating shaft 103A. The connecting portion 114 is connected to the drive cylinder 103B of the opening / closing mechanism 103. The driving cylinder 103B is, for example, a linear air cylinder, and moves the connection part 114 by advancing and retracting the rod part 103C. The driving cylinder 103B (see FIG. 6) includes a cylinder body 103D attached between a pair of holding plates 105, and the rod part 103C that moves forward and backward relative to the cylinder body 103D.

[0036] Thus, the opening / closing mechanism 103 includes a rotation shaft 103A that rotatably supports the first shaft portion 101, and a drive cylinder 103B that rotates the first shaft portion 101 around the rotation shaft 103A. In FIG. 7, the drive cylinder 103B moves the rod portion 103C forward, causing the first shaft portion 101 to rotate counterclockwise around the rotation shaft 103A. As a result, the first shaft portion 101 approaches the second shaft portion 102. The drive cylinder 103B moves the rod portion 103C backward, causing the first shaft portion 101 to rotate clockwise around the rotation shaft 103A. As a result, the first shaft portion 101 moves away from the second shaft portion 102.

[0037] Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the opening and closing of the fork portion 62 by the opening and closing mechanism 103 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 8, the opening and closing mechanism 103 moves the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 relatively between an open position where the size of the fork gap CL is a first distance CL1 and a closed position where the size is a second distance CL2 smaller than the first distance CL1. Note that, although the first shaft portion 101 is moved (rotated) in the embodiment, the second shaft portion 102 may be moved relative to the fixed first shaft portion 101, or both the first shaft portion 101 and the second shaft portion 102 may be moved.

[0038] The opening / closing mechanism 103 is controlled by the control device 8. The control device 8 controls the opening / closing mechanism 103 to move the first shaft portion 101 to the open position when the tape material TP is inserted into the fork gap CL. As a result, the fork gap CL expands to the first interval CL1, so that the tolerance range for the positional deviation of the end portion caused by the curvature of the tape material TP increases, and the tape material TP can be inserted into the fork gap CL more reliably. After the tape material TP is inserted into the fork gap CL, the control device 8 controls the opening / closing mechanism 103 to move the first shaft portion 101 to the closed position before bending both end portions of the tape material TP. As a result, the fork gap CL is reduced to the second interval CL2, so that the diameter of the rotational orbit of the pin members 111A and 111B that hold the tape material TP becomes smaller. As will be described later, the radius of curvature of the folded portion FB of the tape material TP becomes smaller, so that the dimension of the folded portion FB (see FIG. 11) can be reduced.

[0039] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the folding of both end portions of the tape material TP by the pair of fork parts 62. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the pair of fork parts 62 in a state where both end portions of the tape material TP are folded. FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining the shape of the tape material TP in a state where both end portions are folded. As shown in FIG. 9, the pair of fork parts 62 are rotated in opposite directions by the rotation drive parts 63A and 63B in a state where both end portions of the tape material TP are inserted into the respective fork gaps CL. The rotation direction of the pair of fork parts 62 is a direction in which the end portions of the tape material TP held face downward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, both end portions of the tape material TP inserted into the fork gap CL are folded back inward and arranged so as to overlap under the intermediate portion between both ends of the tape material TP. The length of the folded back end (the length of the portion where the tape material TP overlaps) is called the folding back length L1, L2 of the tape material TP. The folding back portion FB of the folding back length L1, L2 becomes the sewing portion (seam allowance) by the sewing machine 7.

[0040] <Sewing machine> Fig. 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing the vicinity of sewing position P1 of the sewing machine 7 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 12, the sewing machine 7 has a pair of needle holders 72 that respectively hold sewing needles 77, and a pair of presser feet 74 provided corresponding to the pair of needle holders 72 at the sewing position P1.

[0041] The pair of needle holders 72 each hold a sewing needle 77 and move back and forth in the Z-axis direction. The pair of needle holders 72 hold the sewing needle 77 so that the sewing needle 77 and the Z-axis are parallel. The pair of needle holders 72 are supported by the sewing machine head 71. The pair of needle holders 72 are disposed above the needle plate 73 and can face the surface of the sewing object. The pair of needle holders 72 are attached to one holder 75 extending in the X-axis direction, and the holder 75 is connected to a power transmission mechanism that moves up and down by the power of the main shaft motor 79. The pair of sewing needles 77 are each held by a pair of needle holders 72 disposed at a predetermined interval along the X-axis direction. The interval between the pair of sewing needles 77 in the X-axis direction corresponds to the interval between the sewing parts of the tape material TP in the X-axis direction. The sewing needle 77 has a threading hole through which the upper thread passes. The sewing needle 77 holds the upper thread on the inner surface of the threading hole. As the needle holder 72 reciprocates in the Z-axis direction, the sewing needle 77 reciprocates in the Z-axis direction while holding the upper thread.

[0042] The sewing needle 77 held by the needle holder 72 and the needle plate 73 face each other in the Z-axis direction. The needle plate 73 has a needle hole through which the sewing needle 77 can pass. The sewing needle 77 passes through the needle hole after penetrating the sewing object supported by the needle plate 73. A feed member 76A (see FIG. 1) having a feed dog is provided on the upper surface of the needle plate 73, but is not shown in FIG. 12. The feed mechanism 76 has the feed member 76A on which the sewing object and the tape material TP are placed, and by moving the feed member 76A, the sewing position of the sewing object and the tape material TP is moved to the needle drop position. The feed member 76A has an opening that exposes the needle hole of the needle plate 73.

[0043] A shuttle is disposed below the needle plate 73. The shuttle holds a bobbin housed in a bobbin case. The shuttle rotates in conjunction with the needle holder 72. The shuttle supplies a bobbin thread from the bobbin. The shuttle scoops up the upper thread from the sewing needle 77 that has passed through the tape material TP and the needle hole of the needle plate 73. The shuttle entangles the upper thread and the bobbin thread. A stitch is formed by cooperation between the shuttle and the sewing needle 77.

[0044] The main shaft motor 79 generates power. The power generated by the main shaft motor 79 is transmitted to the holding member 75, the thread take-up lever, and the shuttle via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). The holding member 75, the thread take-up lever, and the shuttle are interlocked. As the power generated by the main shaft motor 79 is transmitted to the holding member 75, the pair of needle holding parts 72 and the sewing needle 77 reciprocate in the Z-axis direction.

[0045] The presser foot 74 presses down the sewing object from above. The presser foot 74 is supported by a feed mechanism 76. The presser foot 74 moves in the feed direction in conjunction with the feed member 76A by the feed mechanism 76. The presser foot 74 is disposed above the needle plate 73 and holds the sewing object between the feed member 76A and the presser foot 74. The presser foot 74 reciprocates in the Z-axis direction between a lowered presser position and an elevated presser release position by a presser drive unit 78. The presser drive unit 78 is, for example, an air cylinder. A pair of presser feet 74 are provided corresponding to a pair of sewing machine needles 77.

[0046] <Control device> FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to control of the belt loop sewing device 1 according to the embodiment.

[0047] The control device 8 includes a control unit 81, a storage unit 82, and an interface 83. The control unit 81 has a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a main memory including a non-volatile memory such as a read only memory (ROM) and a volatile memory such as a random access memory (RAM). The processor executes a control program 84 stored in the storage unit 82, thereby functioning as the control unit 81 of the belt loop sewing device 1. The storage unit 82 includes a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), and a semiconductor memory device. The storage unit 82 stores the program 84 for controlling the belt loop sewing device 1 and various setting information related to the control of the belt loop sewing device 1. In the embodiment, the storage unit 82 stores a dimension setting value 85 of the tape material TP. The interface 83 includes an input / output circuit for connecting the control device 8 to an external device and inputting and outputting signals. The control device 8 is connected to the payout device 2, the cutting device 3, the pull-out device 4, the support device 5, the folding device 6, and the sewing machine 7 via an interface 83. The control device 8 controls solenoid valves for operating air cylinders provided in each device via the interface 83. The solenoid valves are connected to an air pressure source and switch on and off the pressure supply to the air cylinders.

[0048] The control device 8 has an operation panel 86. The operation panel 86 includes a display unit 87 that displays information and an operation unit 88 that accepts operation input. The control device 8 accepts operation input such as setting information of the belt loop sewing device 1 from a user via the operation panel 86, and displays the setting information of the belt loop sewing device 1 on the operation panel 86. The operation unit 88 is composed of input devices such as a mechanical switch, a keyboard, and a touch panel. The display unit 87 is composed of a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence display (OELD). The control device 8 accepts input of a dimension setting value 85 of the tape material TP via the operation panel 86. The control device 8 stores information on the accepted dimension setting value 85 in the storage unit 82. The control device 8 controls the belt loop forming operation according to the dimension setting value 85.

[0049] 14 is a plan view for explaining the dimensions of each part of the tape material TP during the folding back operation. In the following explanation, the end in the +X direction and the end in the -X direction of the tape material TP (supported by the supporting device 5) arranged at the belt loop forming position Q3 are referred to as one end and the other end of the tape material TP, respectively.

[0050] The dimension setting value 85 of the tape material TP is information that specifies the folded-back length of the tape material TP. In the embodiment, the dimension setting value 85 includes three values ​​(dimensions): a belt loop length 1K, a first folded-back length 1M, and a second folded-back length 1L.

[0051] The belt loop length 1K is the distance between the first turning point TP1 on one end side of the tape material TP and the second turning point TP2 on the other end side. The first turning point TP1 is the position of the portion of the tape material TP that is inserted into the fork gap CL of the fork portion 62A on the +X direction side. The second turning point TP2 is the position of the portion of the tape material TP that is inserted into the fork gap CL of the fork portion 62B on the -X direction side. The first turning point TP1 and the second turning point TP2 correspond to both ends of the tape material TP in a folded state (see FIG. 11). The belt loop length 1K is a set value corresponding to the distance between the pair of fork portions 62 in the X-axis direction. The first turning length 1M is the distance between the first turning point TP1 and one end (end in the +X direction) of the tape material TP. In other words, the first turning length 1M corresponds to the length L1 (see FIG. 11) of the folded portion FB formed at one end of the tape material TP. The second folding length 1L is the distance between the second folding point TP2 and the other end (the end in the -X direction) of the tape material TP. In other words, the second folding length 1L corresponds to the length L2 (see FIG. 11) of the folding portion FB formed at the other end of the tape material TP.

[0052] As can be seen from FIG. 14, the total length of the tape material TP after cutting by the cutting device 3 corresponds to the sum of the belt loop length 1K, the first fold-back length 1M, and the second fold-back length 1L. In the embodiment, the control device 8 accepts input of each of the belt loop length 1K, the first fold-back length 1M, and the second fold-back length 1L. The user can set the belt loop length 1K, the first fold-back length 1M, and the second fold-back length 1L individually according to the design of the belt loop and the thickness of the tape material TP. When changing the belt loop length 1K, the user changes the interval between the pair of fork portions 62 along the support shaft 66A of the fork holder 66. The first fold-back length 1M and the second fold-back length 1L can be set to any value within the settable range.

[0053] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a display example of dimension setting values ​​85 of the tape material TP. The control device 8 causes each value of the dimension setting values ​​85 (belt loop length 1K, first fold back length 1M, and second fold back length 1L) to be displayed separately on the display unit 87 of the operation panel 86. The control device 8 accepts selection of the dimension value to be set and numerical input via the operation unit 88 of the operation panel 86. The control device 8 displays the accepted dimension setting values ​​85 on the display unit 87. The example of FIG. 15 shows an example in which the belt loop length 1K is set to "60.0 mm", the first fold back length 1M is set to "10.0 mm", and the second fold back length 1L is set to "10.0 mm".

[0054] The control device 8 controls the sewing operation by the belt loop sewing device 1 based on the dimension setting value 85 of the tape material TP. The sewing operation by the belt loop sewing device 1 is to carry out the belt loop sewing method described below. The belt loop sewing method according to the embodiment is a sewing method in which both end portions of a narrow strip-shaped tape material TP for forming a belt loop are folded back and sewn to a sewing object.

[0055] <How to sew belt loops> 16 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of the belt loop sewing method according to the embodiment. The belt loop sewing method according to the embodiment (sewing operation by the belt loop sewing device 1) will be explained.

[0056] As preparation before starting the sewing operation, the control device 8 accepts input of a dimension setting value 85 of the tape material TP (step S1). The control device 8 accepts input of the dimension setting value 85 as shown in FIG. 15 via the operation panel 86. The control device 8 acquires the dimension setting value 85 as one of various setting information related to the sewing operation by the belt loop sewing device 1. The control device 8 stores the dimension setting value 85 in the memory unit 82. Step S1 is a setting operation before starting sewing, and is therefore indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 16 to distinguish it from the other steps S2 to S7 which are the sewing operations.

[0057] The control device 8 receives an operation input from the user instructing the start of a sewing operation and starts the sewing operation. When the control device 8 starts the sewing operation, it acquires a dimension setting value 85 from the storage unit 82 (step S2). The control device 8 determines the pull-out length DD (see FIG. 17) of the tape material TP according to the received dimension setting value 85 (step S3).

[0058] Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positional relationship (A) of each part when cutting the tape material TP, and the positional relationship (B) of each part when performing the folding back operation of the tape material TP. As shown in Fig. 17(A), the gripping part 41 grips the tape material TP from gripping position Q2, which is a position in the +X direction near the cutting position Q1 of the cutting device 3, and pulls it out in the +X direction. The pull-out length DD is the distance in the +X direction from the cutting position Q1.

[0059] The control device 8 determines the pull-out length DD, which is the distance from the cutting position Q1 by the cutting device 3, based on the total length of the belt loop length 1K, the first fold-back length 1M, and the second fold-back length 1L. The pull-out length DD may be the same as the total length, or may be the total length plus a dimensional margin. The position away from the cutting position Q1 in the +X direction by the pull-out length DD is set as the pull-out position QD.

[0060] The control device 8 cuts the tape material TP at the determined pull-out length DD (step S4). The cutting step of the tape material TP includes three processes: unwinding the tape material TP, pulling out the tape material TP, and cutting the tape material TP. First, the control device 8 controls the unwinding device 2 to unwind the tape material TP until the leading end of the tape material TP reaches the gripping position Q2. The control device 8 controls the drawing device 4 to move the gripping portion 41 in the -X direction to the gripping position Q2 and grip the leading end of the tape material TP at the gripping position Q2. The drawing device 4 grips the leading end of the tape material TP with the upper grip 41A and the lower grip 41B of the gripping portion 41 at the gripping position Q2. The control device 8 controls the drawing device 4 to move the gripping portion 41 in the gripped state in the +X direction from the gripping position Q2 to the drawing position QD. The gripping portion 41 moves in the +X direction by an amount obtained by subtracting the distance between the gripping position Q2 and the cutting position Q1 from the pull-out length DD. The tape material TP is pulled out from the cutting position Q1 by the pull-out length DD. The control device 8 controls the cutting device 3 to cut the tape material TP at the cutting position Q1. As a result, the tape material TP is cut to the pull-out length DD. The control device 8 controls the support device 5 to retract the pair of support plates 51 (and the fullness forming plate 54) of the support device 5 below the movement path of the gripping portion 41 until the pull-out device 4 (grip 41) moves in the +X direction beyond the position of the support device 5.

[0061] The control device 8 conveys the cut tape material TP to the belt loop forming position Q3 (step S5). As shown in FIG. 17B, the control device 8 controls the pull-out device 4 to move the gripping gripper 41 in the gripping state in the +X direction from the pull-out position QD to the belt loop forming position Q3. The belt loop forming position Q3 is a position where the X-axis direction positions of the pair of fork parts 62 (each fork gap CL) of the turn-back device 6 coincide with the first turn-back point TP1 and the second turn-back point TP2 of the tape material TP. The gripper 41 moves to a position offset in the +X direction by the first turn-back length 1M from the X-axis direction position of the fork part 62A of the pair of fork parts 62.

[0062] The control device 8 controls the support device 5 to support the tape material TP arranged at the belt loop forming position Q3. The control device 8 controls the support device 5 to raise the pair of support plates 51, which had been retreated below the moving path of the gripping section 41, toward the support position. When performing fullness formation, the control device 8 further controls the fullness forming plate 54 to be raised. The control device 8 controls the support device 5 to move the pair of abutting bodies 55A arranged at the raised position downward by the abutment drive section 55B, so that the tape material TP is sandwiched between the pair of support plates 51 and the pair of abutting bodies 55A. As a result, the middle part of the tape material TP is held by the support device 5. The control device 8 controls the drawing device 4 to release the grip of the tape material TP by the gripping section 41. The control device 8 controls the folding device 6 to be arranged at the standby position P3 (see FIG. 4) until the tape material TP is transported to the belt loop forming position Q3.

[0063] The control device 8 folds back both end portions of the tape material TP transported to the belt loop forming position Q3 (step S6).

[0064] The control device 8 controls the folding device 6 so that both ends of the cut tape material TP are inserted into the fork gap CL, respectively, in a state in which the cut tape material TP is supported by the support device 5 at the belt loop forming position Q3. Specifically, the control device 8 first operates the opening / closing mechanism 103 so that the size of the fork gap CL in each of the pair of fork parts 62 is the first gap CL1. The control device 8 controls the moving mechanism 65 so as to move the loop bending part 61 in the +Y direction from the standby position P3 to the bending position P2. When the loop bending part 61 reaches the bending position P2, both ends of the tape material TP are inserted into the fork gap CL of the pair of fork parts 62. That is, the first folding point TP1 of the tape material TP is inserted into the fork gap CL of the fork part 62A on the +X direction side. The second folding point TP2 of the tape material TP is inserted into the fork gap CL of the fork part 62B on the -X direction side.

[0065] Thus, in the embodiment, the control device 8 controls operation in accordance with the dimension setting value 85 to match the distance between the fork portion 62A and one end of the tape material TP to the first fold length 1M, and the distance between the fork portion 62B and the other end of the tape material TP to the second fold length 1L.

[0066] Next, the control device 8 controls the folding device 6 to fold back both end portions of the tape material TP inserted into the fork gap CL at the belt loop forming position Q3 to form a folded back portion FB. First, the control device 8 operates the opening and closing mechanism 103 so that the size of the fork gap CL in each of the pair of fork parts 62 becomes the second gap CL2. The control device 8 operates each of the rotation drive parts 63 so that each of the pair of fork parts 62 folds both end portions of the tape material TP inserted into the fork gap CL. By operating each of the rotation drive parts 63, each of the pair of fork parts 62 rotates to form a folded back portion FB on the tape material TP as shown in FIG. 10. This causes the tape material TP to be deformed into the shape of a belt loop. The folded back lengths L1 and L2 of the folded back portion FB in FIG. 10 are determined to be the lengths reflecting the first folded back length 1M and the second folded back length 1L of the dimension set value 85, respectively.

[0067] The control device 8 sews both folded end portions to the sewing object (step S7). The control device 8 controls the moving mechanism 65 to move the loop folding unit 61 in the +Y direction from the folding position P2 to the sewing position P1 while holding the tape material TP with both end portions folded by the pair of fork units 62.

[0068] The control device 8 controls the sewing machine 7 so as to move the presser foot 74 of the sewing machine 7 in the -Z direction from the presser release position to the presser position at the sewing position P1. The tape material TP is pressed from above toward the needle plate 73 (feed member 76A) by the presser foot 74. The sewing object to which the tape material TP is to be sewn is set in advance on the needle plate 73 (feed member 76A). As a result, the tape material TP and the sewing object with both ends folded are held by the sewing machine 7 at the sewing position P1.

[0069] The folding device 6 moves the loop folding portion 61 in the -Y direction from the sewing position P1 to the standby position P3 by the moving mechanism 65. The pair of fork portions 62 that have been holding both end portions of the tape material TP are pulled out in the -Y direction from the tape material TP while the tape material TP is pressed by the presser foot 74.

[0070] The control device 8 instructs the sewing machine 7 to start a sewing operation. The sewing machine 7 operates the holding member 75, the thread take-up lever, the shuttle and the feed mechanism 76 in a coordinated manner. The sewing machine 7 sews both ends in the X-axis direction of the tape material TP supplied to the sewing position P1 together with a pair of sewing needles 77. When sewing is completed, the sewing machine 7 releases the presser foot 74 by raising it. This allows the sewing object with the belt loop (tape material TP) sewn thereon to be removed from the sewing machine 7.

[0071] In the manner described above, the belt loop sewing method according to the embodiment is carried out. When sewing belt loops repeatedly, steps S2 to S7 are repeated. Step S1 is carried out only when the dimension setting value 85 is set for the first time or when the setting is changed.

[0072] [effect] As described above, according to this embodiment, the belt loop sewing device 1 comprises a payout device 2 that feeds out a narrow strip of tape material TP for forming a belt loop, a pull-out device 4 that moves forward and backward relative to the pay-out device 2 and grasps and pulls out an end of the tape material TP, a cutting device 3 that is arranged between the pay-out device 2 and the pull-out device 4 and cuts the pulled-out tape material TP, a support device 5 that supports the central portion between both ends of the pulled-out tape material TP, a folding device 6 that forms a seam in the tape material TP by folding back both ends of the pulled-out tape material TP, a sewing machine 7 that sews both ends of the tape material TP to an object to be sewn, and a control device 8 that receives input of a dimensional setting value 85 of the tape material TP and controls the belt loop forming operation in accordance with the dimensional setting value 85. The control device 8 determines the pull-out length DD of the tape material TP in accordance with the received dimension setting value 85, cuts the tape material TP at the determined pull-out length DD, transports the cut tape material TP to the belt loop forming position Q3, and controls the folding operation so as to fold back both end portions of the tape material TP transported to the belt loop forming position Q3.

[0073] As a result, the tape material TP is cut at the pull-out length DD according to the input dimension setting value 85, and the tape material TP is transported to the belt loop forming position Q3, so that regardless of the position of the cutting device 3 (cutting position Q1), both end portions of the tape material TP cut to the pull-out length DD can be folded back to form the folded back portion FB. In other words, since the tape material TP is cut at the pull-out length DD before being transported to the belt loop forming position Q3, the folded back lengths L1 and L2 from the end of the tape material TP to the folding back points (first folding back point TP1, second folding back point TP2) can be determined independently of the cutting position Q1. If the pull-out length DD is set large, the folded back lengths L1 and L2 can be increased accordingly, and if the pull-out length DD is set small, the folded back lengths L1 and L2 can be decreased accordingly. As a result, the length of the folded back portion FB (fold back lengths L1 and L2) can be changed without changing the mounting position of the cutting device 3 (cutting position Q1).

[0074] In this embodiment, the dimension setting value 85 includes a belt loop length 1K, which is the distance between the first turning point TP1 at one end of the tape material TP and the second turning point TP2 at the other end, a first turning length 1M, which is the distance between the first turning point TP1 and one end of the tape material TP, and a second turning length 1L, which is the distance between the second turning point TP2 and the other end of the tape material TP. This makes it easy to set the dimensions of each part of the belt loop. In addition, the first turning length 1M and the second turning length 1L can be freely set. In this embodiment, the control device 8 determines the pull-out length DD, which is the distance from the cutting position Q1 by the cutting device 3, by the total length of the belt loop length 1K, the first turning length 1M, and the second turning length 1L. This makes it easy to determine the total length of the tape material TP (i.e., the pull-out length DD).

[0075] In this embodiment, the folding device 6 includes a pair of fork sections 62 in which both end portions of the tape material TP are inserted into the fork gaps CL, and a rotation drive section 63 that rotates each of the pair of fork sections 62 to fold back both end portions, and the control device 8 controls the folding device 6 to insert both end portions of the cut tape material TP into the fork gaps CL in a state in which the cut tape material TP is supported by the support device 5 at the belt loop forming position Q3. In this way, by inserting both end portions of the cut tape material TP into the fork gaps CL of the pair of fork sections 62, rather than inserting the tape material TP before cutting into the fork gaps CL of the pair of fork sections 62, a belt loop of any folding length (L1, L2) can be formed depending on the pull-out length DD of the tape material TP and the belt loop forming position Q3.

[0076] In this embodiment, each of the pair of fork parts 62 includes a first shaft part 101 and a second shaft part 102 that form the fork gap CL, and an opening / closing mechanism 103 that changes the size of the fork gap CL by moving the first shaft part 101 and the second shaft part 102 relative to each other. Here, when both ends of the tape material TP after cutting are inserted into the fork gap CL, the tape material TP cannot be given tension, so that the ends of the tape material TP may sag due to its own weight. Therefore, by making the size of the fork gap CL variable, even if the ends of the tape material TP sag, the fork gap CL can be made larger to reduce the possibility of the pair of fork parts 62 swinging out of the tap (the tape material does not enter the fork gap CL). On the other hand, if the folding operation is performed while the fork gap CL is kept large, the radius of curvature of the folding part FB becomes large, and the lower limit of the folding length (L1, L2) becomes large. Therefore, by making the fork gap CL smaller when performing the folding operation, the settable range of the folding length (L1, L2) can be secured to be large.

[0077] The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0078] For example, in the above embodiment, the first fold length 1M and the second fold length 1L are equal to each other, but the first fold length 1M and the second fold length 1L may be set to different values. For example, in the example of Fig. 15, if the first fold length 1M is changed from 10.0 mm to 8.0 mm and the second fold length 1L is changed from 10.0 mm to 12.0 mm, the pull-out length DD in Fig. 17 is the same as in the above embodiment, but the belt loop formation position Q3 is offset in the -X direction by 2.0 mm from Fig. 17. This allows the first fold length 1M and the second fold length 1L to be different values ​​of 8.0 mm and 12.0 mm, respectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...belt loop sewing device, 2...feeding device, 3...cutting device, 4...pulling device, 5...support device, 6H...housing, 6...folding device, 7...sewing machine, 8...control device, 31...cutting drive unit, 32...movable blade, 33...tape support base, 34...drive shaft, 41...gripping unit, 41A...upper grip, 41B...lower grip, 41C...base plate, 41D...opening / closing drive unit, 42...gripping movement unit, 42A...movable shaft, 43...pulling motor, 44...support frame, 51...support plate, 52...support plate drive unit, 53...movable plate , 54...fullness forming plate, 55...holding mechanism, 55A...contact body, 55B...contact drive unit, 61...loop bending unit, 62, 62A, 62B...fork unit, 63, 63A, 63B...rotation drive unit, 65...moving mechanism, 66...fork holder, 66A...support shaft, 67...guide rod, 68...driving force transmission unit, 68A, 68B...pulley, 68C...belt, 68D...intermediate gear, 69...moving motor, 69A...driving gear, 71...sewing machine head, 72...needle holding unit, 73...needle plate, 74...presser foot, 75...holding member, 76...feed mechanism, 76A...feed member, 77...sewing machine needle, 78...presser drive unit, 79...main shaft motor, 81...control unit, 82...storage unit, 83...interface, 84...program, 85...dimension setting value, 1K...belt loop length, 1M...first fold length, 1L...second fold length, 86...operation panel, 87...display unit, 88...operation unit, 101...first shaft unit, 102...second shaft unit, 103...opening / closing mechanism, 103A...rotating shaft, 103B...driving cylinder, 103C...rod unit, 103D...cylinder main body, 104A, 104B...support shaft, 105...holding plate, 111A, 111B...pin member, 112A, 112B...pin holding portion, 113...protruding piece, 114...connection portion, CL...fork gap, CL1...first interval, CL2...second interval, DD...pulling length, FB...folded-back portion, P1...sewing position, P2...folding position, P3...waiting position, Q1...cutting position, Q2...gripping position, Q3...belt loop forming position, QD...pulling-out position, TP...tape material, TP1...first folding point, TP2...second folding point.

Claims

1. A feeding device that feeds out a narrow strip of tape material for forming a belt loop; A drawing device that moves forward and backward relative to the feeding device and grips and draws out an end of the tape material; a cutting device disposed between the feeding device and the drawing device, the cutting device cutting the drawn tape material; a support device for supporting a central portion between both ends of the pulled-out tape material; a folding device for folding back both end portions of the pulled out tape material to form seams in the tape material; A sewing machine for sewing both end portions of the tape material to a sewing object; a control device that receives an input of a dimension setting value of the tape material and controls a belt loop forming operation in accordance with the dimension setting value, The control device includes: determining a pull-out length of the tape material in accordance with the received dimension setting value; cutting the tape material to the determined pull-out length; The cut tape material is transported to a belt loop forming position; controlling a folding operation so as to fold back both end portions of the tape material conveyed to the belt loop forming position; Belt loop sewing device.

2. The dimension setting value is a belt loop length that is a distance between a first folding point on one end side of the tape material and a second folding point on the other end side of the tape material; a first fold length that is a distance between the first fold point and one end of the tape material; a second fold length that is a distance between the second fold point and the other end of the tape material; Including, 2. The belt loop sewing device according to claim 1.

3. The control device determines the pull-out length, which is a distance from a cutting position by the cutting device, based on a total length of the belt loop length, the first folded-back length, and the second folded-back length.

3. The belt loop sewing device according to claim 2.

4. The folding device includes a pair of fork parts in which both end portions of the tape material are inserted into fork gaps, and a rotation drive unit that rotates each of the pair of fork parts to fold back the both end portions, the control device controls the folding device so that both end portions of the cut tape material are inserted into the fork gaps, respectively, in a state in which the cut tape material is supported by the supporting device at the belt loop forming position.

2. The belt loop sewing device according to claim 1.

5. Each of the pair of fork portions is a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion which define the fork gap; an opening / closing mechanism that changes the size of the fork gap by relatively moving the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion, 5. The belt loop sewing device according to claim 4.

6. A belt loop sewing method for folding back both end portions of a narrow strip of tape material for forming a belt loop and sewing the same to a sewing object, comprising the steps of: receiving an input of a dimension setting value of the tape material; determining a pull-out length from a cutting position of the tape material in accordance with the received dimension setting value; cutting the tape material to the determined pull-out length; conveying the cut tape material to a belt loop forming position; folding back both end portions of the tape material conveyed to the belt loop forming position; and sewing the folded end portions to the sewing object. How to sew belt loops.

Images