sewing machine

Abstract

In a sewing machine having a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage holding the embroidery hoop and can take on both an unfolded and a retracted state, the feed dogs are appropriately switched between an operating and a non-operating state when in the retracted state. [Solution] The sewing machine 100 includes a feed dog drive mechanism 25 that drives the feed dog 18, a switching mechanism 27 connected to the feed dog drive mechanism that slides in the left-right direction to switch between the operating and non-operating states of the feed dog, and a carriage drive mechanism 30 that drives the carriage 35. The carriage drive mechanism is configured to be switchable between an extended state and a retracted state. The carriage and the switching mechanism are configured such that in the retracted state, the carriage presses against the switching mechanism, creating a state in which the switching mechanism can slide. As a result, in the retracted state, when the carriage moves in the left-right direction, the switching mechanism slides, and the operating and non-operating states of the feed dog are switched.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sewing machine that forms stitches on cloth by moving a needle up and down.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a sewing machine having feed teeth for feeding cloth in the front-rear direction, a feed tooth drive mechanism for reciprocating the feed teeth in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction, an operating state in which the feed teeth function to feed the cloth, and a switching mechanism capable of driving the feed tooth drive mechanism so as to switch between an operating state and a non-operating state in which the feed teeth do not function to feed the cloth. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a sewing machine having a switching mechanism (feed tooth drop device) capable of reciprocating feed teeth in the up-down direction by an up-down feed cam and disengaging the feed teeth from the up-down feed cam (bringing it into a non-operating state).

[0003] Also, there is known a technique that enables switching between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth not only by manual operation using a lever but also automatically by a solenoid or a motor. For example, Patent Document 2 proposes a technique that can automatically switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of feed teeth by utilizing the operation of a carriage drive mechanism (X-Y drive mechanism) in a sewing machine having a carriage drive mechanism for moving a carriage holding an embroidery frame in the left-right direction (X direction) and the front-rear direction (Y direction) to embroider cloth held by the embroidery frame.

[0004] In addition, other technologies related to the present invention are proposed in Patent Document 3. Specifically, Patent Document 3 proposes a carriage drive mechanism as described above, composed of two linear motion mechanisms (X-arm and Y-arm) that can operate in the left-right direction (X-direction) and the front-back direction (Y-direction), respectively, and a technology that allows switching between an extended state in which the linear motion directions of the two linear motion mechanisms are orthogonal to each other and a retracted state in which the linear motion directions of the two linear motion mechanisms are parallel to each other. According to this technology, the storage capacity of the sewing machine can be improved by retracting the carriage drive mechanism when embroidery is not being performed. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Public Gazette No. 59-033340 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 3963399 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-237478 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] The technology described in Patent Document 2 above automatically switches between the operating and non-operating states of the feed teeth by utilizing the movement of the carriage in the left-right direction (X direction) and the front-back direction (Y direction). Applying the technology described in Patent Document 2 to the technology described in Patent Document 3, which allows the carriage drive mechanism to be switched between an deployed state and a retracted state, presents the following challenges. In particular, this challenge arises when applying the technology described in Patent Document 2 to a carriage drive mechanism in the retracted state. That is, in the retracted state, the two linear motion mechanisms (X arm, Y arm) are in a parallel positional relationship, so the carriage cannot be moved in both the left-right direction (X direction) and the front-back direction (Y direction). Therefore, the technology described in Patent Document 2, which utilizes the movement of the carriage in both the left-right direction (X direction) and the front-back direction (Y direction), cannot be applied.

[0007] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to appropriately switch between the operating and non-operating states of the feed dogs by the carriage drive mechanism in a sewing machine having a carriage that holds the embroidery hoop and a carriage drive mechanism that can switch between the deployed and retracted states of two linear motion mechanisms, in the retracted state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a sewing machine that forms a stitch in fabric by moving a needle up and down, comprising: a feed dog for feeding the fabric in the forward and backward direction; a feed dog drive mechanism for driving the feed dog to reciprocate in the forward and backward and up and down directions; a switching mechanism connected to the feed dog drive mechanism and configured to switch between an operating state in which the feed dog functions to feed the fabric and a non-operating state in which the feed dog does not function by sliding in a predetermined first direction; a carriage for holding an embroidery hoop for embroidering on fabric; and a first linear motion mechanism and a second linear motion mechanism that are each capable of moving the carriage in a straight line, wherein the linear motion direction of the first linear motion mechanism is defined as the first direction, and the linear motion direction of the second linear motion mechanism is perpendicular to the first direction. The device includes a carriage drive mechanism that moves the carriage in the first and second directions by moving it in a second direction, the carriage drive mechanism being configured to switch between an deployed state in which the linear motion directions of the first and second linear motion mechanisms are in a positional relationship where they are orthogonal, and a retracted state in which the linear motion directions of the first and second linear motion mechanisms are in a positional relationship where they are parallel, and when the carriage drive mechanism is in the retracted state, the carriage presses against the switching mechanism, creating a state in which the switching mechanism can slide, and so that when the carriage drive mechanism moves the carriage in the first direction in the retracted state, the switching mechanism slides, and the feed teeth are switched between an operating state and a non-operating state.

[0009] In the present invention configured in this way, when the carriage drive mechanism is in its retracted state, the operation of the carriage by the carriage drive mechanism can be used to appropriately switch between the operating and non-operating states of the feed teeth via the switching mechanism.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the carriage and the switching mechanism are configured to engage at least partially when the carriage drive mechanism is in a retracted state. According to the present invention configured in this way, a simple configuration makes it possible to realize the sliding operation of the switching mechanism by the carriage while the carriage drive mechanism is in a retracted state.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the switching mechanism has a first pressed portion provided on one side in the first direction and a second pressed portion provided on the other side in the first direction, the carriage has a first pressing portion provided to engage with the switching mechanism between the first pressed portion and the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism when the carriage drive mechanism is in a retracted state, the sewing machine is configured such that when the carriage drive mechanism is in a retracted state, (i) when the carriage moves in one direction, the first pressing portion of the carriage presses the first pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in one direction and the feed dogs to become operational, and (ii) when the carriage moves in the other direction, the first pressing portion of the carriage presses the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in the other direction and the feed dogs to become deoperated. With the present invention configured in this way, the carriage and the switching mechanism can reliably switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth when the carriage drive mechanism is in the retracted state.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the carriage further has a second pressing portion provided so as to be able to contact the surface of the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism in one direction or the other direction in the first direction when the carriage drive mechanism is in an unfolded state, and the sewing machine is configured such that when the carriage drive mechanism is in an unfolded state, (i) when the carriage moves in one direction with the second pressing portion of the carriage in contact with the other direction surface of the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, the second pressing portion of the carriage presses the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in one direction and the feed dogs to become operational, and (ii) when the carriage moves in another direction with the second pressing portion of the carriage in contact with the surface of the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism in one direction, the second pressing portion of the carriage presses the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in the other direction and the feed dogs to become inoperable. With the present invention configured in this way, the carriage and the switching mechanism can reliably switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth when the carriage drive mechanism is deployed.

[0013] In the present invention, preferably, the sewing machine is configured such that, in conjunction with the operation of the carriage drive mechanism switching from an unfolded state to a retracted state, the first pressing part of the carriage presses against the first pressed part of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in one direction, and the feed dogs become operational when the carriage drive mechanism switches to the retracted state. With the present invention configured in this way, the feed teeth can be switched from a non-operating state to an operating state in conjunction with the transition operation of the carriage drive mechanism from the deployed state to the retracted state.

[0014] In the present invention, preferably, the first pressing portion of the carriage and the first pressed portion of the switching mechanism each have an inclined surface formed on the side where the first pressing portion and the first pressed portion face each other in the stowed state, which contacts each other when pressed. According to the present invention configured in this way, the force applied during pressing can be mitigated by bringing the first pressing portion of the carriage and the first pressed portion of the switching mechanism into contact with each other on an inclined surface.

[0015] In the present invention, preferably, at least a portion of the first pressing portion is made of an elastically deformable elastic member. According to the present invention configured in this way, the force applied during pressing can be mitigated by pressing the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism with the elastic member in the first pressing portion of the carriage.

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, the sewing machine further includes a first sensor capable of detecting the deployed and retracted states of the carriage drive mechanism, and a control unit configured to switch the operation of the carriage for sliding the switching mechanism based on the state of the carriage drive mechanism detected by the first sensor. According to the present invention configured in this manner, the operating state and non-operating state of the feed teeth can be appropriately switched, taking into account the state of the carriage drive mechanism (extended state / retracted state).

[0017] In the present invention, preferably, the sewing machine has a plurality of operation modes, and based on the operation mode, it further has a control unit configured to control the operation of the carriage drive mechanism so as to switch the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dog. According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to appropriately switch the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dog in consideration of the operation mode of the sewing machine.

[0018] In the present invention, preferably, the sewing machine further has a second sensor capable of detecting the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dog, and a control unit configured to determine whether the state of the feed dog detected by the second sensor is in a set desired state and perform predetermined control according to the determination result. According to the present invention configured as described above, when the state (operating state / non-operating state) of the feed dog is not in the desired state, it is possible to appropriately perform control to correct the state of the feed dog.

Effects of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, in a sewing machine having a carriage drive mechanism capable of moving a carriage holding an embroidery frame and switching between the deployed state and the stored state of two linear motion mechanisms, in the stored state, the carriage drive mechanism can appropriately switch the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dog.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sewing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view schematically showing the internal configuration of a sewing machine body according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of a switching mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a perspective cross-sectional view of a part of a carriage according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a sewing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) and (b) illustrate the method for switching between the operating and non-operating states of the feed teeth when the carriage drive mechanism is in a retracted state, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figures 7(a) to 7(c) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the method for switching the feed teeth to the operating state when the carriage drive mechanism is in the deployed state, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figures 8(a) to 8(c) illustrate the method for switching the feed teeth to a non-operating state when the carriage drive mechanism is in the deployed state, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figures 9(a) to 9(c) illustrate the method for switching the feed teeth to the operating state when transitioning from the deployed state to the retracted state of the carriage drive mechanism in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of a carriage according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings used to illustrate the embodiments, the same reference numerals are generally used for the same components, and repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

[0022] <Device configuration> First, the overall configuration of the sewing machine according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the sewing machine according to this embodiment.

[0023] Here, in Figure 1 (and similarly in other figures), in sewing machine 100, the up-down direction is represented by "Z", the left-right direction (horizontal direction) by "X", and the front-back direction (vertical direction) by "Y". More specifically, in the up-down direction Z, the upward direction is represented by "Z1" and the downward direction by "Z2", in the left-right direction X, the left direction is represented by "X1" and the right direction by "X2", and in the front-back direction Y, the forward direction is represented by "Y1" and the backward direction by "Y2". Note that the left-right direction X and the front-back direction Y correspond to the "first direction" and "second direction" respectively in this invention, and the left direction X1 and the right direction X2 correspond to the "one direction" and "other direction" respectively in this invention (in this case, the left side corresponds to the "one direction side" and the right side corresponds to the "other direction side").

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the sewing machine 100 mainly comprises a sewing machine body 1 for forming stitches on fabric, and an embroidery unit 3 that is detachably attached to the sewing machine body 1 and holds an embroidery hoop 5. First, the sewing machine body 1 mainly comprises a base 10, a sewing machine arm 11 extending from the base 10, an operating unit 12 operated by the user, a display unit 13 for displaying various information, a drive motor 14 as a power source for performing various operations by the sewing machine body 1, a needle 15 for forming stitches on fabric (not shown), a needle plate 16 covering the area around where the needle 15 descends, and a presser foot 17 for holding the fabric between the needle plate 16 and the presser foot.

[0025] The sewing machine body 1 sews fabric by intertwining an upper thread (not shown) and a lower thread (not shown) to form a stitch. In this case, the upper thread is supplied from a spool (not shown) and inserted through the needle 15, the lower thread is stored in a bobbin (not shown), the bobbin is housed in a bobbin case (not shown), and the bobbin case is housed inside the sewing machine body 1. The fabric is held and fixed between the needle plate 16 and the presser foot 17. Inside the sewing machine body 1, the rotational force of the drive motor 14 generates the up-and-down movement of the needle 15, the rotational movement of the bobbin case, and the forward-and-backward and up-and-down movement of the feed dogs (not shown) that move the fabric.

[0026] In detail, in the sewing machine body 1, the needle 15, through which the upper thread is inserted, penetrates the fabric and approaches the bobbin. Then, the bobbin mechanism causes the upper and lower threads to intertwine, and after this, the needle 15 rises and exits the fabric, forming a stitch on the fabric. The fabric is then fed forward by the feed dogs by a predetermined amount in the forward direction Y1, and the next stitch is formed in the same procedure as described above, thereby creating a continuous linear sewing pattern on the fabric with stitches formed at predetermined intervals. Hereafter, this process of forming stitches will be referred to as "normal sewing" as appropriate.

[0027] Next, the embroidery unit 3 includes a carriage 35 that holds the embroidery hoop 5, an X-arm 31 that can move the carriage 35 in the left-right direction X, and a carriage drive mechanism 30 that includes a Y-arm 32 that can move the carriage 35 in the front-back direction Y. On the other hand, the embroidery hoop 5 has an annular frame portion 51 for holding the fabric and a fixing portion 52 that is connected to the frame portion 51 and fixed to the carriage 35. In the embroidery unit 3, the X-arm 31 and the Y-arm 32 correspond to the "first linear motion mechanism" and the "second linear motion mechanism" in the present invention, respectively.

[0028] The carriage drive mechanism 30 is configured such that the Y-arm 32 can rotate (become rotatable) 90 degrees relative to the X-arm 31 at the rotation center C1. As a result, the carriage drive mechanism 30 can take on two positions: a stowed state in which the linear directions of motion of the X-arm 31 and the Y-arm 32 are parallel, specifically the Y-arm 32 is superimposed on the X-arm 31 (shown by a solid line in Figure 1); and an unfolded state in which the linear directions of motion of the X-arm 31 and the Y-arm 32 are orthogonal, specifically the Y-arm 32 is rotated 90 degrees relative to the X-arm 31 (shown by a dashed line in Figure 1).

[0029] An embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 is provided on the upper surface of the X-arm 31, positioned to be pushed down by the rear end of the rotated Y-arm 32. This embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 can detect the deployed and retracted states of the carriage drive mechanism 30. Specifically, when the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 is pushed down, it detects that the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the deployed state, and when the sensor is not pushed down, it detects that the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state.

[0030] Furthermore, the X-arm 31 is equipped with an embroidery X-motor 33 for moving the Y-arm 32 in the left-right X direction. Basically, the X-arm 31 moves the Y-arm 32 in the left-right X direction when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed, but even when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is retracted, the Y-arm 32 can move slightly in the left-right X direction. Additionally, the Y-arm 32 is equipped with an embroidery Y-motor 34 for moving the carriage 35 in the front-rear Y direction. Basically, the Y-arm 32 moves the Y-arm 32 in the front-rear Y direction when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed, but even when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is retracted, the carriage 35 can move in the left-right X direction.

[0031] The carriage 35 moves in the left-right direction (X) and the front-back direction (Y) when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed, thanks to the X-arm 31 and Y-arm 32 of the carriage drive mechanism 30. When the carriage 35 is being moved by the carriage drive mechanism 30, the sewing machine body 1 sews onto the fabric of the embroidery hoop 5 held by the carriage 35 (in this case, the sewing machine body 1 sews in cooperation with the operation of the embroidery unit 3 (the operation of the carriage drive mechanism 30)), thereby achieving what is known as embroidery stitching, which involves embroidering letters, patterns, etc. onto the fabric.

[0032] Next, the internal configuration of the sewing machine body 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the internal configuration of the sewing machine body 1 according to this embodiment. Note that Figure 2 also shows a part of the embroidery unit 3, specifically the carriage 35.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the rotational force of the drive motor 14 located inside the sewing machine body 1 is transmitted to the upper shaft 21 and the lower shaft 22 via the transmission mechanism 20. A needle drive mechanism (not shown) is connected to the upper shaft 21, thereby causing the needle 15 (not shown) to move up and down by the rotational force of the drive motor 14. The lower shaft 22 is provided with a feed dog drive mechanism 25 for driving the feed dogs 18 that feed the fabric in the forward and backward direction Y. The feed dog drive mechanism 25 mainly consists of a feed dog up / down cam 25a for reciprocating the feed dogs 18 in the up / down direction Z, and a feed dog forward / backward cam 25c for reciprocating the feed dogs 18 in the forward / backward direction Y. The combined movement of these feed dog up / down cams 25a and feed dog forward / backward cams 25c is transmitted to the feed dogs 18, causing them to move along an elliptical trajectory (annular trajectory extending in the up / down direction Z and the forward / backward direction Y). As a result, the feed dogs 18 move forward and backward while extending and retracting (up and down) from the needle plate 16, allowing the fabric to be intermittently moved forward in Y1 by the feed dogs 18.

[0034] Furthermore, in the feed tooth drive mechanism 25, the feed tooth up / down cam 25a is configured to slide in the left-right direction X relative to the lower shaft 22, and a feed tooth down cam 25b is provided to the left of the feed tooth up / down cam 25a. This feed tooth down cam 25b is connected to the feed tooth up / down cam 25a and slides together with the feed tooth up / down cam 25a in the left-right direction X. These feed tooth up / down cams 25a and feed tooth down cam 25b are driven to slide by a switching mechanism 27 connected to the feed tooth drive mechanism 25. In other words, by the switching mechanism 27 sliding in the left-right direction X (arrow A1), the cam applied by the feed tooth drive mechanism 25 is switched between the feed tooth up / down cam 25a and the feed tooth down cam 25b.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, when the switching mechanism 27 is in the position corresponding to position α, the feed dog upper / lower cam 25a and the feed dog lower cam 25b are positioned to the left overall, so that the feed dog upper / lower cam 25a is applied in the feed dog drive mechanism 25. In this case, the feed dog 18 reciprocates in the vertical direction Z in conjunction with the rotation of the lower shaft 22 by the cam surface of the feed dog upper / lower cam 25a. Specifically, the feed dog 18 reciprocates in the vertical direction Z so as to move in and out of the needle plate 16, and also reciprocates in the forward / backward direction Y. This state of the feed dog 18 is the operating state in which the feed dog 18 functions to feed the cloth.

[0036] Next, when the switching mechanism 27 slides to the right by ΔS X2 from position α, the switching mechanism 27 moves to a position corresponding to position β (shown by the dashed line), causing the feed dog upper / lower cam 25a and the feed dog lower cam 25b to move to the right overall. At this time, the feed dog lower cam 25b is applied in the feed dog drive mechanism 25. Since the cam surface of the feed dog lower cam 25b is simply circular, when this cam surface is applied, the feed dog 18 does not reciprocate in the vertical direction Z in conjunction with the rotation of the lower shaft 22, but simply reciprocates in the vertical direction Y by the feed dog front / rear cam 25c. In other words, the feed dog 18 remains at a constant position in the vertical direction Z, below the needle plate 16. This state of the feed dog 18 is a non-operating state in which the feed dog 18 does not function to feed the cloth.

[0037] As described above, in this embodiment, the feed teeth 18 can be switched between operating and non-operating states by a switching mechanism 27 connected to the feed tooth drive mechanism 25, which slides the feed tooth upper / lower cam 25a and the feed tooth lower cam 25b of the feed tooth drive mechanism 25. In other words, the feed teeth 18 can be switched between operating and non-operating states by the switching mechanism 27 sliding in the left / right direction X (arrow A1).

[0038] Generally, when performing normal sewing, the feed dogs 18 are set to the activated state. In contrast, when performing embroidery sewing, the fabric is moved by the embroidery unit 3, so the feed dogs 18 are set to the deactivated state. However, even when performing normal sewing, if the user moves the fabric and sews along a free trajectory (free-motion sewing), the feed dogs 18 may be set to the deactivated state.

[0039] Next, with reference to Figures 2, 3, and 4, the switching mechanism 27 and the carriage 35 of the embroidery unit 3 will be described in detail. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the switching mechanism 27 according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view obtained by cutting a part of the carriage 35 according to this embodiment in the XY plane. Note that Figure 4 shows the carriage 35 in the state shown in Figure 2 (the stored state of the carriage drive mechanism 30).

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the switching mechanism 27 includes a first pressed portion 27a provided at the left end X1 and protruding upward Z1, a second pressed portion 27b provided near the right end X2 with a gap 27d from the first pressed portion 27a and protruding upward Z1, and a leaf spring 27c for fixing (stopping) the switching mechanism 27 in the position after it has been slid.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the carriage 35 has a first pressing portion 35a that is provided to protrude in the rear direction Y2 so as to engage with the gap 27d (Figure 3) between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, a main body portion 35b connected to the first pressing portion 35a, and a fitting 35c attached to the main body portion 35b. In this case, the left-right dimension X of the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 is formed to be slightly shorter than the left-right dimension X of the gap 27d between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27 (Figure 2), so that the first pressing portion 35a engages (fits into) the gap 27d between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b. Furthermore, in the carriage 35, the plate-shaped portion located on the right side of the metal fitting 35c and extending in the left-right direction X constitutes a second pressing portion 35d for pressing the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27 when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed. As will be described in detail later, the second pressing portion 35d is housed inside the cover 32a of the Y-arm 32 when the embroidery unit 3 is performing embroidery (Figure 2). However, when the carriage 35 moves in the rearward direction Y2 from this state (especially when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed), the second pressing portion 35d protrudes from the rear end of the cover 32a.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 engages with the gap 27d between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27. In this engaged state, the carriage 35 is moved in the left-right direction X by the carriage drive mechanism 30. As a result, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses either the first pressed portion 27a or the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide in the left-right direction X (arrow A1), thereby switching the feed teeth 18 between the operating and non-operating states.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27 and the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 each have inclined surfaces 27a1 and 35a1 formed on the sides where these first pressed portions 27a and 35a face each other when pressed, in the stowed state of the carriage drive mechanism 30.

[0044] Next, the electrical configuration of the sewing machine 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the sewing machine 100 according to this embodiment.

[0045] As shown in Figure 5, the sewing machine 100 has a control unit 60 that performs various controls on the sewing machine 100. The control unit 60 is located inside the sewing machine body 1. The control unit 60 receives signals from an operating unit 12 operated by the user, an embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 that detects the deployed and retracted states of the carriage drive mechanism 30, and a feed dog position sensor 41 that detects the operating and non-operating states of the feed dogs 18, that is, it detects the vertical position of the feed dogs 18. Based on these input signals, the control unit 60 controls the following by outputting control signals to a display unit 13 that displays various information, a drive motor 14 located in the sewing machine body 1, an embroidery X motor 33 located on the X arm 31 of the embroidery unit 3, and an embroidery Y motor 34 located on the Y arm 32 of the embroidery unit 3. The embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 and the feed dog position sensor 41 correspond to the "first sensor" and "second sensor" in this invention, respectively.

[0046] <Switching between the operating and non-operating states of the feed dog> Next, in this embodiment, the method for switching between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth 18 by the switching mechanism 27 and the carriage 35, which is performed in each state of the carriage drive mechanism 30, will be described.

[0047] (Storage state of the carriage drive mechanism) First, with reference to Figure 6, the method for switching between the operating and non-operating states of the feed dogs 18, which is performed when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, will be described in this embodiment. Figures 6(a) and 6(b) are cross-sectional views of the sewing machine body 1 and a part of the embroidery unit 3 (sewing machine arm 11, switching mechanism 27, Y arm 32, carriage 35, etc.) cut in the XY plane and viewed from above. Figure 6(a) shows the state of the switching mechanism 27 and carriage 35 when the feed dogs 18 (not shown) are in the operating state, and Figure 6(b) shows the state of the switching mechanism 27 and carriage 35 when the feed dogs 18 are in the non-operating state.

[0048] As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), as described above, when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 engages with, or fits into, the gap 27d between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27. In this engaged state, when the carriage 35 is moved to the left X1 by the carriage drive mechanism 30, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the left X1 (Figure 6(a)). At this time, the feed teeth 18 become operational as the switching mechanism 27 is positioned at the above-described position α. ​​When the first pressed portion 27a is pressed by the first pressing portion 35a in this manner, the inclined surface 35a1 of the first pressing portion 35a and the inclined surface 27a1 of the first pressed portion 27a come into contact. On the other hand, when the carriage 35 is moved to the right in X2 by the carriage drive mechanism 30, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses against the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the right in X2 (Figure 6(b)). At this time, the switching mechanism 27 is in the position β described above, and the feed teeth 18 become inactive.

[0049] This switching of the feed dog 18 state is achieved by the control unit 60 of the sewing machine 100 controlling the carriage drive mechanism 30, specifically controlling at least one of the embroidery X motor 33 of the X arm 31 and the embroidery Y motor 34 of the Y arm 32, to move the carriage 35 XA to the left X1 or to the right X2, thereby moving the switching mechanism 27 ΔS. In this case, the control unit 60 controls the carriage drive mechanism 30 to switch the state of the feed dog 18 when the stored state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 is detected by the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 and the operation unit 12 is operated by the user. Specifically, when the operation unit 12 is operated to activate the feed dog 18, the control unit 60 controls the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the carriage 35 to the left X1, while when the operation unit 12 is operated to deactivate the feed dog 18, the control unit 60 controls the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the carriage 35 to the right X2.

[0050] In a typical example, the control unit 60 controls only the embroidery Y motor 34 of the Y arm 32 in the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the carriage 35 in the left-right X direction. However, in other examples, since there is some gap (play) in the left-right X direction between the X arm 31 and the Y arm 32 in the stowed state, the control unit 60 may also control the embroidery X motor 33 of the X arm 31 in the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the Y arm 32 in this gap, thereby moving the carriage 35 in the left-right X direction. In yet another example, the control unit 60 may also control both the embroidery X motor 33 of the X arm 31 and the embroidery Y motor 34 of the Y arm 32 in the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the carriage 35 in the left-right X direction.

[0051] The position of the carriage 35, etc., as shown in Figure 6(a), corresponds to the home position when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is stowed. This is because, in the stowed state, normal sewing is basically performed, and therefore the feed dogs 18 should be in the operating state. Accordingly, after the sewing machine 100 is powered on and, if necessary, the embroidery unit 3 is returned to its home position, the carriage 35, etc., waits in the home position shown in Figure 6(a).

[0052] (Deployed state of the carriage drive mechanism) Next, with reference to Figures 7 and 8, the method for switching between the operating and non-operating states of the feed dogs 18 in the deployed state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 in this embodiment will be described. Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of the sewing machine body 1 and a part of the embroidery unit 3 (sewing machine arm 11, switching mechanism 27, Y-arm 32, carriage 35, etc.) cut in the XY plane and viewed from above, similar to Figure 6. In particular, Figures 7(a) to 7(c) show the operation of the switching mechanism 27 and carriage 35 when switching the feed dogs 18 to the operating state, and Figures 8(a) to 8(c) show the operation of the switching mechanism 27 and carriage 35 when switching the feed dogs 18 to the non-operating state. Note that the upper part of Figure 7(b) shows an enlarged perspective view of the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 protruding from the cover 32a of the Y-arm 32.

[0053] The state shown in Figure 7(a) shows the home position of the Y-arm 32 and carriage 35 when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed. Here, the switching mechanism 27 is assumed to be in the position β described above. In this state, as shown in Figure 7(b), when the carriage 35 is moved backward Y2 by the Y-arm 32 of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (arrow YB), the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 protrudes from the rear end of the cover 32a of the Y-arm 32. In this case, the protruding second pressing portion 35d is located to the right of the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27. In this state, as shown in Figure 7(c), when the carriage 35 is moved leftward X1 together with the Y-arm 32 by the X-arm 31 of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (arrow XB1), the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 contacts and presses against the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide leftward X1. As a result, the switching mechanism 27 moves to position α, causing the feed teeth 18 to become operational. The second pressing portion 35d is constructed in a plate shape by the metal fitting 35c (Figure 4), and therefore undergoes elastic deformation when pressing the second pressed portion 27b.

[0054] This switching of the feed dog 18 state is performed by the control unit 60 of the sewing machine 100 when the deployment state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 is detected by the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40, and an operation to activate the feed dog 18 is performed on the operation unit 12. In this case, the control unit 60 controls the embroidery X motor 33 of the X arm 31 and the embroidery Y motor 34 of the Y arm 32 in the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the carriage 35 sequentially in the rear direction Y2 and to the left direction X1, as described above.

[0055] Next, when switching the feed teeth 18 to a non-operating state, first, the Y-arm 32 and carriage 35 are moved from the home position (Figure 7(a)) to the left X1 by the X-arm 31 of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (arrow X0), as shown in Figure 8(a). Here, the switching mechanism 27 is assumed to be in the position α described above. In this state, as shown in Figure 8(b), when the carriage 35 is moved backward Y2 by the Y-arm 32 of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (arrow YB), the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 protrudes from the rear end of the cover 32a of the Y-arm 32. In this case, the protruding second pressing portion 35d is located to the left of the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27. In this state, as shown in Figure 8(c), when the carriage 35 is moved to the right X2 along with the Y arm 32 by the X arm 31 of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (arrow XB2), the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 contacts and presses against the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the right X2. As a result, the switching mechanism 27 moves to position β, and the feed teeth 18 become inactive.

[0056] This switching of the feed dog 18 state is performed by the control unit 60 of the sewing machine 100 when the deployment state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 is detected by the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40, and an operation to deactivate the feed dog 18 is performed on the operation unit 12. In this case, the control unit 60 controls the embroidery X motor 33 of the X arm 31 and the embroidery Y motor 34 of the Y arm 32 in the carriage drive mechanism 30 to move the carriage 35 sequentially to the left X1, backward Y2, and right X2, as described above.

[0057] (During the transition from the deployed state to the retracted state of the carriage drive mechanism) Next, with reference to Figure 9, the method for switching the feed dogs 18 to the operating state when transitioning from the deployed state to the retracted state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 in this embodiment will be described. Figures 9(a) and (b) are cross-sectional views taken from above, showing the sewing machine body 1 and a part of the embroidery unit 3 (sewing machine arm 11, switching mechanism 27, Y arm 32, carriage 35, etc.) cut in the XY plane, similar to Figure 6.

[0058] Figure 9(a) shows the home position of the Y-arm 32 and carriage 35 when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is deployed. Here, the switching mechanism 27 is assumed to be located at the position α described above. In this state, as shown in Figure 9(b), when the Y-arm 32 is rotated counterclockwise, that is, when the Y-arm 32 is moved from the deployed state to the retracted state, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 comes into contact with the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27 at a predetermined rotation angle of the Y-arm 32. More specifically, the inclined surface 35a1 of the first pressing portion 35a comes into contact with the inclined surface 27a1 of the first pressed portion 27a. As the Y-arm 32 is rotated further, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses against the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to gradually slide to the left X1. As a result, as shown in Figure 9(c), when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, the switching mechanism 27 is slid to position β by ΔS in the leftward direction X1, causing the feed teeth 18 to become inactive.

[0059] <Control details> Next, various controls performed by the control unit 60 of the sewing machine 100 in this embodiment will be described.

[0060] In the example described above, the control unit 60 performed control to switch the state of the feed dogs 18, taking into account the state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (storage state or deployed state) detected by the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40. Specifically, the control unit 60 performed control to switch the state of the feed dogs 18 in response to the user's operation of the operation unit 12, in addition to the state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 detected by the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40.

[0061] In other examples, the control unit 60 may perform control to switch the state of the feed dogs 18 based on multiple operating modes of the sewing machine 100, typically such as a normal sewing mode for normal sewing and an embroidery mode for embroidery sewing. For example, in embroidery mode, it is common to deactivate the feed dogs 18, so when the embroidery mode is selected as the operating mode of the sewing machine 100 by the operation of the operation unit 12, the control unit 60 may control the carriage drive mechanism 30 to slide the switching mechanism 27 by the carriage 35 in order to automatically set the state of the feed dogs 18 to deactivate.

[0062] In contrast, in normal sewing mode, the feed dogs 18 are generally set to the activated state. Therefore, when the normal sewing mode is selected as the operating mode of the sewing machine 100 by the operation of the operation unit 12, the control unit 60 may control the carriage drive mechanism 30 to slide the switching mechanism 27 by the carriage 35 in order to automatically set the state of the feed dogs 18 to the activated state. In this case, even if the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the deployed state, the feed dogs 18 may be automatically switched to the activated state.

[0063] In another example, the control unit 60 may perform the following control based on the state of the feed teeth 18 (operated or inoperable state, in other words, the vertical position of the feed teeth 18) detected by the feed tooth position sensor 41. That is, the control unit 60 may determine whether the state of the feed teeth 18 detected by the feed tooth position sensor 41 is in a set desired state (typically a state that should be set according to the state of the carriage drive mechanism 30), and perform predetermined control according to this determination result. For example, if the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, but the feed teeth 18 are set to an inoperable state by the user operating the switching mechanism 27, the control unit 60 can use the feed tooth position sensor 41 to determine that the state of the feed teeth 18 is such that the feed teeth 18 are not in the desired state, and perform predetermined control. In this case, in one example, the control unit 60 may turn off the power to the sewing machine 100, display a request to turn off the power on the display unit 13, display a warning on the display unit 13 indicating that the feed dogs 18 are in a non-operating state, or display a request on the display unit 13 to operate the feed dogs 18.

[0064] <Mechanism and Effects> The operation and effects of the sewing machine 100 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0065] In this embodiment, the sewing machine 100, which forms stitches on fabric by moving a needle 15 up and down, includes a feed dog 18 that feeds the fabric in the front-to-back direction, a feed dog drive mechanism 25 that drives the feed dog 18 to reciprocate in the front-to-back direction Y and the up-to-down direction Z, a switching mechanism 27 connected to the feed dog drive mechanism 25 that slides in the left-to-right direction X to switch between an operating state in which the feed dog 18 functions to feed the fabric and a non-operating state in which the feed dog 18 does not function, a carriage 35 that holds an embroidery hoop 5 for embroidering on fabric, and an X arm 31 and a Y arm 32 that can move the carriage 35 in a straight line, with the linear motion direction of the X arm 31 being the left-to-right direction X and the linear motion direction of the Y arm 32 being the front-to-back direction Y, thereby allowing the carriage 35 to move in the left-to-right direction X and the front-to-back direction The carriage 35 has a carriage drive mechanism 30 that moves in the Y direction, and the carriage drive mechanism 30 is configured to switch between an extended state in which the linear motion directions of the X arm 31 and the Y arm 32 are in a positional relationship where they are perpendicular to each other, and a retracted state in which the linear motion directions of the X arm 31 and the Y arm 32 are in a positional relationship where they are parallel to each other. The carriage 35 and the switching mechanism 27 are configured such that when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, the carriage 35 presses against the switching mechanism 27 to form a state in which the switching mechanism 27 can slide. As a result, in the retracted state, when the carriage drive mechanism 30 moves the carriage 35 in the left-right direction X by at least one of the X arm 31 and the Y arm 32, the switching mechanism 27 slides, and the operating state and non-operating state of the feed teeth 18 are switched.

[0066] According to this embodiment, when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, the operation of the carriage 35 by the carriage drive mechanism 30 can be used to appropriately switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth 18 via the switching mechanism 27.

[0067] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the carriage 35 and the switching mechanism 27 are configured to engage at least partially when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state. This makes it possible to achieve the sliding operation of the switching mechanism 27 by the carriage 35 with a simple configuration, even when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state.

[0068] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the switching mechanism 27 has a first pressed portion 27a provided on the left side and a second pressed portion 27b provided on the right side, the carriage 35 has a first pressing portion 35a provided to engage with the switching mechanism 27 between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27 when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the retracted state, and the sewing machine 100 has (i) the carriage 35 (ii) When the carriage 35 moves to the left X1, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses against the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the left X1, thereby putting the feed teeth 18 into the operating state. (ii) When the carriage 35 moves to the right X2, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses against the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the right X2, thereby putting the feed teeth 18 into the non-operating state. This configuration ensures that, when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in its stowed state, the carriage 35 and the switching mechanism 27 can reliably switch between the operating and non-operating states of the feed teeth 18.

[0069] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the carriage 35 further has a second pressing portion 35d that is provided so as to be able to contact the left or right side of the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27 when the carriage drive mechanism 30 is in the deployed state, and when the sewing machine 100 is in the deployed state, (i) when the carriage 35 moves to the left X1 with the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 in contact with the right side of the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, the second pressing portion 35d of the carriage 35 switches (ii) When the second pressed portion 27b of the mechanism 27 is pressed, the switching mechanism 27 slides to the left X1, causing the feed teeth 18 to become operational. (ii) When the carriage 35 moves to the right X2 with the second pressed portion 35d of the carriage 35 in contact with the left side surface of the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, the second pressed portion 35d of the carriage 35 presses the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the right X2, thus deactivating the feed teeth 18. This configuration ensures that, in the deployed state of the carriage drive mechanism 30, the carriage 35 and the switching mechanism 27 can reliably switch between the operational and deactivated states of the feed teeth 18.

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the sewing machine 100 is configured such that, in conjunction with the operation of the carriage drive mechanism 30 switching from the deployed state to the retracted state, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 presses against the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27, causing the switching mechanism 27 to slide to the left X1, and the feed dogs 28 become operational when the carriage drive mechanism 30 switches to the retracted state. This makes it possible to switch the feed dogs 18 from a non-operating state to an operating state in conjunction with the transition operation of the carriage drive mechanism 30 from the deployed state to the retracted state.

[0071] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27 and the first pressed portion 35a of the carriage 35 each have inclined surfaces 27a135a1 formed on the side where the first pressed portion 27a and the first pressed portion 35a face each other in the stowed state, which come into contact with each other when pressed. As a result, the force applied when pressed can be mitigated by bringing the first pressed portion 27a of the switching mechanism 27 and the first pressed portion 35a of the carriage 35 into contact with each other at the inclined surfaces 27a135a1.

[0072] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the sewing machine 100 further includes an embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40 capable of detecting the deployed and retracted states of the carriage drive mechanism 30, and a control unit 60 configured to switch the operation of the carriage 35 for sliding the switching mechanism 27 based on the state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 detected by the embroidery unit rotation position sensor 40. This makes it possible to appropriately switch between the operating and non-operating states of the feed dogs 18, taking into account the state of the carriage drive mechanism 30.

[0073] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the sewing machine 100 has multiple operating modes (for example, a normal sewing mode and an embroidery mode), and further includes a control unit 60 configured to control the operation of the carriage drive mechanism 30 in order to switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dogs 18 based on the operating mode. This makes it possible to appropriately switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dogs 18, taking into account the operating mode of the sewing machine 100.

[0074] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the sewing machine 100 further includes a feed dog position sensor 41 capable of detecting the operating state and non-operating state of the feed dog 18, and a control unit 60 configured to determine whether the state of the feed dog 18 detected by the feed dog position sensor 41 is in a set desired state, and to perform predetermined control according to the determination result. This allows for appropriate control to correct the state of the feed dog 18 if it is not in the desired state.

[0075] <Variation> The following describes modifications of the above-described embodiment. First, with reference to Figure 10, the carriage according to the above-described modification of the embodiment will be described. Figure 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a part of the carriage according to the modification of the embodiment. Note that, similar to Figure 4, Figure 10 shows the carriage in the state shown in Figure 2 (the stored state of the carriage drive mechanism 30).

[0076] As shown in Figure 10, in the modified carriage 35x, a plate-shaped elastic member 35f is further provided on the metal fitting 35c. The elastic member 35f is provided on the left end of the metal fitting 35c and extends in the front-rear direction Y. In the modified example, this elastic member 35f functionally constitutes a part of the first pressing portion 35a. That is, the elastic member 35f functions as the pressing portion of the first pressing portion 35a, pressing the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27 when the feed teeth 18 are switched to a non-operating state in the stowed state of the carriage drive mechanism 30 (Figure 6(b)). Furthermore, since the elastic member 35f is plate-shaped due to the metal fitting 35c, it elastically deforms when pressing the second pressed portion 27b. This elastic deformation of the elastic member 35f can alleviate the force applied during pressing.

[0077] On the other hand, in the sewing machine 100 according to the above embodiment, the switching mechanism 27 was configured to receive (fit into) the carriage 35. Specifically, the first pressing portion 35a of the carriage 35 was configured to engage with the gap 27d between the first pressed portion 27a and the second pressed portion 27b of the switching mechanism 27. In other examples, the sewing machine may be configured so that the carriage receives (fits into) the switching mechanism. In this case, the carriage may be provided with two pressing portions, and the switching mechanism may be provided with one pressed portion that engages with the gap between these two pressing portions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0078] 1. Sewing machine body 3 embroidery units 5 Embroidery hoop 11 Sewing machine arm 12 Control section 13 Display section 14 Drive motor 15 needles 18 Feed teeth 25 Feed tooth drive mechanism 25a Feed tooth upper and lower cam 25b Feed tooth down cam 25c Feed tooth front and rear cam 27 Switching mechanism 27a 1st pressed part 27b 2nd pressed part 30 Carriage drive mechanism 31 X-arm 32 Y-arm 33 Embroidery X Motor 34 Embroidery Y Motor 35 Carriage 35a First pressing section 35d Second pressing section 35f Elastic member 40 Embroidery unit rotation position sensor 41 Feed dog position sensor 60 Control Unit 100 Sewing Machines

Claims

1. A sewing machine that forms stitches in fabric by moving the needle up and down, Feed dogs that move the cloth back and forth, A feed tooth drive mechanism that drives the feed tooth to reciprocate the feed tooth in the forward and backward direction and in the up and down direction, A switching mechanism connected to the feed dog drive mechanism and configured to switch between an operating state in which the feed dogs function to feed cloth and a non-operating state in which the feed dogs do not function by sliding in a predetermined first direction, A carriage that holds the embroidery hoop for embroidering on fabric, A carriage drive mechanism comprising a first linear motion mechanism and a second linear motion mechanism capable of moving the carriage in a straight line, wherein the linear motion direction of the first linear motion mechanism is set to the first direction, and the linear motion direction of the second linear motion mechanism is set to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, thereby moving the carriage in the first and second directions, It has, The carriage drive mechanism is configured to be switchable between an deployed state in which the linear motion directions of the first and second linear motion mechanisms are orthogonal to each other, and a retracted state in which the linear motion directions of the first and second linear motion mechanisms are parallel to each other. When the carriage drive mechanism is in the retracted state, the carriage presses against the switching mechanism, creating a state in which the switching mechanism can slide. As a result, when the carriage drive mechanism moves the carriage in the first direction while in the retracted state, the switching mechanism slides, and the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth are switched. A sewing machine characterized by the following features.

2. The sewing machine according to claim 1, wherein the carriage and the switching mechanism are configured to engage at least partially when the carriage drive mechanism is in the stored state.

3. The switching mechanism has a first pressed portion provided on one side in the first direction and a second pressed portion provided on the other side in the first direction. The carriage has a first pressing portion provided to engage with the switching mechanism between the first pressed portion and the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism when the carriage drive mechanism is in the stored state, The sewing machine is configured such that, when the carriage drive mechanism is in the stored state, (i) when the carriage moves in one direction, the first pressing portion of the carriage presses against the first pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in the one direction, thereby putting the feed dog into the operating state, and (ii) when the carriage moves in the other direction, the first pressing portion of the carriage presses against the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in the other direction, thereby putting the feed dog into the non-operating state. The sewing machine according to claim 2.

4. The carriage further includes a second pressing portion provided so as to be able to contact the surface of the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism on one side in the first direction or the other side in the first direction when the carriage drive mechanism is in the deployed state, The sewing machine is configured such that, when the carriage drive mechanism is in the deployed state, (i) when the carriage moves in one direction with the second pressing portion of the carriage in contact with the other-direction side surface of the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, the second pressing portion of the carriage presses against the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in the one direction, and the feed dog becomes operational; and (ii) when the carriage moves in the other direction with the second pressing portion of the carriage in contact with the one-direction side surface of the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, the second pressing portion of the carriage presses against the second pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in the other direction, and the feed dog becomes deoperated. The sewing machine according to claim 3.

5. The sewing machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the sewing machine is configured such that, in conjunction with the operation of the carriage drive mechanism switching from the deployed state to the stored state, the first pressing portion of the carriage presses against the first pressed portion of the switching mechanism, causing the switching mechanism to slide in one direction, and the feed dog enters the operating state when the carriage drive mechanism switches to the stored state.

6. The sewing machine according to claim 5, wherein the first pressing portion of the carriage and the first pressed portion of the switching mechanism each have an inclined surface formed on the side where the first pressing portion and the first pressed portion face each other in the stored state, which contacts each other when pressed.

7. The sewing machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein at least a portion of the first pressing portion is made of an elastically deformable elastic member.

8. The aforementioned sewing machine, A first sensor capable of detecting the deployed state and the retracted state of the carriage drive mechanism, A control unit configured to switch the operation of the carriage for sliding the switching mechanism based on the state of the carriage drive mechanism detected by the first sensor, A sewing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

9. The aforementioned sewing machine, It has multiple operating modes, The system further includes a control unit configured to control the operation of the carriage drive mechanism in order to switch between the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed teeth based on the aforementioned operating mode. A sewing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. The aforementioned sewing machine, A second sensor capable of detecting the operating state and the non-operating state of the feed dog, A control unit configured to determine whether the state of the feed teeth detected by the second sensor is in a set desired state, and to perform predetermined control according to the determination result, A sewing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

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